Author: Lee Durston, BCRA

With today’s high cost of energy and concerns about indoor environmental quality, air barriers are one of several building systems with a critical role to play. Recent studies, such as “Investigation of the Impact of Commercial Building Envelope Airtightness on HVAC Energy Use” by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, show air barrier systems in commercial and industrial buildings are estimated to reduce air leakage by up to 83 percent, save on gas bills by more than 40 percent and cut down on electrical consumption by as much as 25 percent. However, to achieve these sizeable energy savings, the air barrier must be designed, constructed, and tested with diligence.

While energy requirements – such as air barrier inclusion – in building codes theoretically reduce energy consumption, there is no way to verify performance unless buildings constructed under those standards are quantitatively tested. The USACE has recognized this fact and thus implemented its requirements for whole-building air leakage testing to verify the design and construction of air barriers in new and remodel construction. This article discusses the reasons for adding testing requirements to contracts, benefits of air-tight construction, and the process for designing, constructing, and testing a building.

For years, people have talked about setting a standard for air leakage in high-rise buildings, but no one has done anything about it – until now. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has mandated that all of its buildings have less than 0.25 cfm/ft2 @ 75 Pa. (cfm of air leakage per square foot based on a test pressure of 75 Pa). This article outlines how this test is to be conducted and why the detailed testing protocol was established the way it was. This could be the start of a widespread adoption of an air leakage control standard to achieve higher levels of energy conservation, comfort, and safety.