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Buildings
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Research on the Airtightness of Buildings
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Research on the Airtightness of Buildings

A special issue of Buildings (ISSN 2075-5309). This special issue belongs to the section "Building Energy, Physics, Environment, and Systems".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2024) | Viewed by 5160

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Alberto Meiss

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
RG Architecture & Energy, Universidad de Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain
Interests: building ventilation; indoor air quality; buildings airtightness
Dr. Irene Poza Casado

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
RG Architecture & Energy, Universidad de Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain
Interests: airtightness; air infiltration; energy performance; IAQ; building technology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue of Buildings is motivated by the importance of the airtightness of buildings in terms of indoor air quality and the energy implications of heat transfer. Currently, it is not possible to design and construct nZEB buildings without taking this parameter into account, and it is essential that we can determine this parameter in buildings to be renovated in order to achieve a significant improvement in their final energy consumption. 

The aim of this Special Issue is to present the most recent studies addressing airtightness and infiltration in buildings. Topics of interest include the following:

  • Experimental tests in constructed buildings; 
  • Effects on the comfort and health of building occupants; 
  • Methods for testing individual zones within multi-zone complexes; 
  • Alternative methods of pressurization for calculating airtightness; 
  • Effects on the performance of heat recovery systems; 
  • Impact of infiltrations on the energy consumption of buildings. 

Research papers, analytical reviews, case studies, conceptual frameworks and policy-relevant articles are welcome. All papers will be published as open access after a rigorous peer-review process.

Dr. Alberto Meiss
Dr. Irene Poza Casado
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Buildings is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • airtightness
  • air infiltration
  • pressurisation testing
  • ventilation
  • indoor air quality
  • energy efficiency
  • heat recovery
  • zero-emission buildings
  • CONTAM

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 5032 KiB  
Article
Energy Losses or Savings Due to Air Infiltration and Envelope Sealing Costs in the Passivhaus Standard: A Review on the Mediterranean Coast
by Víctor Echarri-Iribarren, Ricardo Gómez-Val and Iñigo Ugalde-Blázquez
Buildings 2024, 14(7), 2158; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14072158 - 13 Jul 2024
Viewed by 1016
Abstract
To obtain the Passivhaus Certificate or Passivhaus Standard (PHS), requirements regarding building envelope air tightness must be met: according to the n50 parameter, at a pressure of 50 Pa, air leakage must be below 0.6 air changes per hour (ACH). This condition [...] Read more.
To obtain the Passivhaus Certificate or Passivhaus Standard (PHS), requirements regarding building envelope air tightness must be met: according to the n50 parameter, at a pressure of 50 Pa, air leakage must be below 0.6 air changes per hour (ACH). This condition is verified by following the blower door test protocol and is regulated by the ISO 9972 standard, or UNE-EN-13829. Some construction techniques make it easier to comply with these regulations, and in most cases, construction joints and material joints must be sealed in a complex way, both on façades and roofs and at ground contact points. Performing rigorous quality control of these processes during the construction phase allows achieving a value below 0.6 ACH and obtaining the PHS certification. Yet, the value can increase substantially with the passage of time: as windows and doors are used, opened, or closed; as envelope materials expand; with humidity; etc. This could result in significant energy consumption increases and losing the PHS when selling the house at a later point in time. It is therefore important to carefully supervise the quality of the construction and its execution. In this study, we focused on a house located in Sitges (Barcelona). The envelope air tightness quality was measured during four construction phases, together with the sealing of the joints and service ducts. The blower door test was performed in each phase, and the n50 value obtained decreased each time. The execution costs of each phase were also determined, as were the investment amortisation rates based on the consequent annual energy demand reductions. Air infiltration dropped by 43.81%, with the final n50 value resulting in 0.59 ACH. However, the execution costs—EUR 3827—were high compared to the energy savings made, and the investment amortisation period rose to a 15- to 30-year range. To conclude, these airtightness improvements are necessary in cold continental climates but are not applicable on the Spanish Mediterranean coast. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research on the Airtightness of Buildings)
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15 pages, 3155 KiB  
Article
Airflow and Pressure Design Review of Modular Negative Pressure Wards
by Hyung-Eun Park, Sumin Go and Young-Hak Song
Buildings 2024, 14(6), 1623; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14061623 - 1 Jun 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1012
Abstract
In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, the urgent need for the rapid deployment of healthcare facilities propelled the rise of modular construction using an infill approach. In these modular, negative-pressure wards, the design of indoor airflow and pressure plays a crucial role [...] Read more.
In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, the urgent need for the rapid deployment of healthcare facilities propelled the rise of modular construction using an infill approach. In these modular, negative-pressure wards, the design of indoor airflow and pressure plays a crucial role in meeting the ventilation strategies required for isolation facilities. Accordingly, this paper focuses on modular negative-pressure wards employing an infill construction method and proposes an appropriate spatial pressure distribution to address the problem of air tightness degradation due to leakage. This study analyzed the indoor airflow and pressure distribution of a unit module corresponding to an infill. It aimed to examine whether the pressure difference with the adjacent room is maintained and to assess its effectiveness in isolating contaminated air. First, the airflow rate of the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system in the unit module was calculated to ensure that it would meet the performance criteria of the negative-pressure ward. Afterward, based on the calculated rate, the study assessed the airflow and room-specific pressure within a typical floor, encompassing both the unit module and associated nursing support facilities. Here, the airflow in the external corridor of the typical floor was divided into two cases according to the pressure distribution: negative pressure and atmospheric pressure. The calculation results were compared using a computational fluid dynamics tool. The analysis results confirm that the air isolation performance is adequate as the pressure difference between adjacent rooms in the unit module and the typical floor was maintained at 2.5 Pa. Additionally, the indoor airflow in the negative-pressure isolation room formed a stable flow at a slow speed of 0.1–0.2 m/s, minimizing the possibility of air contamination from outside the isolation room. In particular, Case B of the typical floor design proposes a method to optimize the pressure distribution in the modular negative-pressure ward by designing the ventilation flow rate at atmospheric pressure level. Thus, this study emphasizes that atmospheric pressure design is appropriate when designing pressure in areas where negative-pressure control is difficult and can contribute to the design and improvement of similar medical facilities in the future. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research on the Airtightness of Buildings)
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18 pages, 13111 KiB  
Article
Field Testing of an Acoustic Method for Locating Air Leakages in Building Envelopes
by Björn Schiricke, Markus Diel and Benedikt Kölsch
Buildings 2024, 14(4), 1159; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14041159 - 19 Apr 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 849
Abstract
Maintaining the airtightness of building envelopes is critical to the energy efficiency of buildings, yet leak detection remains a significant challenge, particularly during building refurbishment. This study addresses the effectiveness of the acoustic beamforming measurement method in identifying leaks in building envelopes. For [...] Read more.
Maintaining the airtightness of building envelopes is critical to the energy efficiency of buildings, yet leak detection remains a significant challenge, particularly during building refurbishment. This study addresses the effectiveness of the acoustic beamforming measurement method in identifying leaks in building envelopes. For this reason, an in-field study employing the acoustic beamforming measurement method was conducted. The study involved testing over 30 rooms across three different multi-story office buildings of varying ages and heterogeneous envelope structures. Numerous leaks were located in the façades, which were subsequently visually confirmed or even verified with smoke sticks. The data, captured using an acoustic camera (a microphone ring array), revealed distinct spectra that indicate the method’s potential for further research. The basic functionality and the significant potential of this methodology for localizing leakages in large buildings were proven. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research on the Airtightness of Buildings)
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22 pages, 3817 KiB  
Article
Model-Scale Reproduction of Fan Pressurization Measurements in a Wind Tunnel: Design and Characterization of a New Experimental Facility
by Adeline Mélois, Anh Dung Tran, Bassam Moujalled, Mohamed El Mankibi, Gaëlle Guyot, Benedikt Kölsch and Valérie Leprince
Buildings 2024, 14(2), 400; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14020400 - 1 Feb 2024
Viewed by 998
Abstract
In many countries, building airtightness is mandated by national regulations or energy efficiency programs, necessitating accurate measurements using the fan pressurization method. Given the significant influence of wind on measurement uncertainty and the need for reliable regulatory tests, experimental studies in a controlled [...] Read more.
In many countries, building airtightness is mandated by national regulations or energy efficiency programs, necessitating accurate measurements using the fan pressurization method. Given the significant influence of wind on measurement uncertainty and the need for reliable regulatory tests, experimental studies in a controlled environment are needed. This paper presents a novel experimental facility designed to replicate fan pressurization measurements on a model scale under controlled laboratory conditions. The key features of the facility include the ability to (1) conduct fan pressurization measurements, (2) generate steady wind conditions across varying wind speeds, and (3) accurately measure parameters like the pressure difference, wind speed, and airflow rate. The experimental facility includes a pressurization device, a wind tunnel, and a model representing a two-story house with nine distinct leakage distributions. A total of 96 fan pressurization measurements were executed using this setup, adhering to the similarity conditions specifically defined for assessing airflow errors due to wind. These tests followed the ISO 9972 standard, with the pressure differences ranging from 10 Pa to 100 Pa and steady wind speeds from 1 m·s−1 to 7.5 m·s−1. This experimental facility marks a significant advancement in understanding the effect of wind on building airtightness measurements. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research on the Airtightness of Buildings)
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