Discusses the measurement and control of air moving inside buildings and between the inside and outside in 17 papers and discussions from a symposium in Dallas/Fort Worth in October 1993. After an overview of the subject, covers air movement, ventilation, and indoor air quality; window air leakage;

A method has been developed to measure real-time airflow in multifamily buildings. This method uses a multi-tracer measurement system (MTMS) and simultaneous measurements of pressure, temperature, and environmental conditions. These measurements are evaluated along with the results of blower door and flowhood fan tests to develop a complete picture of the airflow patterns in multifamily buildings due to temperature differences, wind, and mechanical ventilation.

The balanced fan depressurization method has been modified for application to high-rise apartment buildings in order to measure the overall air leakage and the wall air leakage of an apartment unit simultaneously. The method requires the use of two sets of fan pressurization apparatus. One is installed at the door of an apartment unit for measuring the air leakage rate of the exterior wall, and a much larger apparatus is installed at an exterior door of the building for measuring the overall air leakage rate. The pressures between the test unit and the adjacent units are balanced to minimize the air leakage through the party walls by adjusting the airflow of the larger apparatus and the door opening of the adjacent apartments. The method was successfully applied to two high-rise apartment towers before and after they were retrofitted to improve airtightness of the envelope. In addition, the tracer gas decay method was applied to the same buildings to obtain the infiltration rates of selected apartment units.

A ventilation field measurement study was conducted during the 1986/1987 and 1987/1988 heating seasons in 39 energy-efficient multifamily dwelling units. Four buildings, two in eastern Washington and two in western Washington, were involved in the study. The purpose of the study was to determine the total and baseline (natural) air exchange rates in units representing energy-efficient construction in the multifamily sector of the Pacific Northwest. This information will be used to aid in the development of future construction codes and standards. The air exchange rate was measured a multiple perfluorocarbon tracer (PFT) technique. Most measurements were taken over a 2- to 4-week period, with a few measurements taken over a period of one to three consecutive months. The PFT technique allows one to determine the fresh air flow into any unit within a building as well as the air flow between adjacent units. In addition, the volumetric air flow and usage of the mechanical ventilation system installed in the units were measured. Temperature, weather, structure, and occupancy data were also collected. 12 refs., 19 figs., 14 tabs.