The Changing Requirements of Airtightness in the US for Commercial Buildings - The Airtightness of Mid and High-Rise Non-Residential Buildings

Concern over the airtightness of commercial buildings in North America goes back to the mid nineteen sixties, and with increasing concern in the mid-seventies, primarily due to the energy crisis, but also due to building performance, comfort and durability issues. The Model Canadian National Building Code was the first to adopt airtightness requirements for air barriers in 1985 and quantify it in 1995.