Basement problems are a frequent source of claims made under new home warranty programs. This Update presents the results of an IRC/industry research project on the performance of insulation systems applied to the exterior of basement walls

The two-dimensional turbulent airflow generated by two non isothermal plane wall jets in a compartment is numerically investigated over a wide range of supply airflow rates. The low-Reynolds-number turbulence model of Nagano and Hishida, assembled in a finite-volume-based numerical code, is used after a previous validation study involving several other formulations of the k-e model.

A large number of modem European buildings are equipped with ducted air distribution systems. To investigate the implications of duct leakage, a field study was performed on 42 duct systems in Belgium and France. The measurement data confirm the findings of the few earlier experimental investigations on these matters in Europe. In our sample, the leakage rate appears to be typically three times greater than the maximum permitted leakage adopted in EUROVENT 2/2 (Class A).

There are thousands of indoor ice rink arenas in the United States, Canada, and Europe. The combustion byproducts from the feel-powered ice resurfacing equipment are a potential health risk to both athletes and spectators. A field survey of ten ice rink arenas in Greater Boston and Halifax, Nova Scotia, indicates that the fuel type used by the resurfacer as well as the air exchange rate, the air distribution method, and the operation strategy of the ventilation system are significant contributing factors to the indoor air quality (JAQ) .

The proposed local dynamic similarity model of cross-ventilation predicted ventilation flow rates more accurately than the conventional orifice flow model assuming constant discharge coefficients when discharge coefficients actually decreased with change of wind direction. This model was used to develop a new method for evaluating the ventilation performance of window openings. The obstructive effect of model size on flow fields in a wind tunnel was avoided by installing the opening parallel to the wind tunnel floor.