Presents results of air leakage tests made on a pivoted window in the Grand Central Palace building under both natural and artificial wind pressures

Describes apparatus and test procedure used to measure air leakage through metal windows and gives test results. Concludes that infiltration loss through metal windows can be reduced by about 10% by locking an unweatherstripped window and by an average additional 56% by applying weatherstrips to the locked window.

Discusses toxic and flammable gases and vapours that lead to hazards in buildings. Examines trends in accidental deaths in the home in England and Wales from gas poisoning. Discusses influence of buoyancy on the dilution by ventilation air of accidental leaks of toxic and flammable gases and shows where buoyancy dominates layers can readily form. Presents theoretical results for controlling gas hazards in buildings by ventilation for a wide range of practical situations.

Describes experimental techniques used in the low-speed wind tunnels at the Building Research Station when studying air flow around buildings and pressure distribution over their surfaces. Includes flow visualisation both in the stream and in boundary layers over surfaces, velocity measurements around small-scale models, and methods of building models containing pressure tappings. Gives names of suppliers and details of some instruments and equipments. Describes in an appendix how a simply constructed heated-sphere anemometer is made.

Reviews ideal characteristics of a tracer gas and gives literature review of the subject. Reports tests made on a house in California giving a direct intercomparison between common tracer gases used to measure air infiltration rates in buildings. Results indicate that air exchange rates measured using sulphur hexafluoride are slightly larger than thosemeasured using methane or nitrous oxide. The ratio of air change rates measured using sulphur hexafluoride to air change rates measured concurrently using a lighter tracer gas was found to be 1.10 +/- 0.10

Describes the original series of case studies made by Dick and his associates between 1949 and 1951. Reviews current activities, divided by building types and discusses the problems and needs of future work. Recommends research and development projects and project areas.

Describes how a family of simulated neutral atmospheric surface layers was used to determine the response of the wind loads on a building model, as well as the associated flowfield near it, to variations in the characteristics of these 'test boundary layers'. Results include the variation in the size of the horse- shoe vortex at the base of the building, spectra of pressure fluctuations, and documented variations in the wake Strouhal frequency with changing boundary layer characteristics.

Describes method of measuring the air-change rates using sulphur hexafluoride as a tracer gas. The system comprises a highly portable gas chromatograph with an electron capture detector. The system will detect tracer gas without interference from other materials which may be present. The technique takes about six minutes to determine the ventilation rate. Gives practical examples and suggest extensions of the technique for carrying out cross air movements, for example in a hospital.

Describes different methods for sealing joints. Gives method for testing permeability of joints to wind and rain. Concludes that two-stage joint seems to offer the greatest advantages which are long life, lack of need for maintenance, lack of sensitivity to tolerances, extensive lack of sensitivity to faulty installation practice and installation independent of the weather. Tests confirm that the wind permeability of two-stage joints can be practically disregarded in the determination of heat requirements.

Discusses basic physical features of combined energy and moisture flow in porous building material. Discusses mathematical and physical structure of these dynamic processes in terms of local thermodynamic equilibrium, flows induced by gradients in intensive state variables and conservation of energy, moisture and other components. Gives conditions for thermodynamic equilibrium, discusses peculiarities of pore-water tension, and problems concerning energy flow. Deals with the causes of hysteresis and the complications due to hysteresis.