Building Science Digest 014: Air Flow Control in Buildings
Building Science Digest 014: Air Flow Control in Buildings
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2008 Building Science Press
Introduction
It has long been recognised that the control of air flow is a crucial and intrinsic part of
heat and moisture control in modern building enclosures [Wilson 1963, Garden 1965].
That this statement is true for all climates has been a more recently developed
awareness [Lstiburek 1994]. A large fraction of a modern, well-insulated building's
space conditioning energy load is due to uncontrolled air leakage. Wintertime
condensation of water vapor in exfiltrating air (or summertime condensation of
infiltrating air) within assemblies is one of the two major sources of moisture in the
above-grade enclosure (driving rain being the other). Air flow through the enclosure
can also carry, exhaust gases, odours, and sounds through enclosures as well as mold
spores and off gassing generated within the enclosure. Uncontrolled air leakage
through the enclosure is therefore often a major cause of performance (e.g. comfort,
health, energy, durability, etc.) problems.
Water vapor diffusion, while amenable to simple analysis, is often (but definitely not
always) an insignificant source of moisture in modern building envelopes. Wintertime
exfiltration condensation is, however, acknowledged as a common building
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Fundamentals
Although the prerequisites are obvious and simple to state, in practical design
applications it is not always clear what the pressure differences are or how to assess the
existence and nature of flow paths.
In general, the approach taken to control air flow is to attempt to seal all openings at
one plane in the building enclosure. This primary plane of airtightness is called the air
barrier system. The word system is used since airflow control is not provided by a
material, but by an assemblage of materials which includes every joint, seam, and
penetration.
The following sections will present forces driving flow, air barrier systems, a discussion
of flow within building enclosures, and air leakage tolerant enclosure designs.
Driving Forces
There are three primary mechanisms which generate the pressure differences required
for air flow within and through buildings (see Figure 1 below):
1. wind,
2. stack effect or bouyancy, and
3. mechanical air handling equipment and appliances.
Since, it is widely acknowledged that a perfectly airtight air barrier system is unlikely to
be achieved in practise, it is also desirable to control the air pressure differences
driving the flow. This typically means reducing the pressure imbalance created by
HVAC systems, reducing stack effect pressures by compartmentalizing buildings
vertically, and reducing wind pressures by compartmentalizing building plans.
A short review of the three types of forces driving airflow is presented below.
Wind
Wind forces act on all buildings, typically creating a positive pressure on the windward
face and negative (suction) pressures on the walls. Bernoulli's equation can be used to
calculate the pressure imposed on a building as function of wind speed. The
stagnation pressure is defined as the pressure exerted by a flow decelerated to zero
speed, and is given by:
Pstag =
1
r V2 0.65 V 2
2
[1]
Low-slope roofs tend to have mostly negative (uplift) pressures, especially on the
leading edge (Figure 2). Roofs with slopes above about 25 degrees experience positive
pressures on the windward face, and suctions on the leeward.
Stack Effect
Stack effect pressures are generated by differences in air density with temperature, i.e.
hot air rises and cold air sinks. The air within a building during the wintertime acts like
a bubble of hot air in a sea of cold air. In the summertime the situation is reversed,
although air temperature differences are usually less.
The density of dry air, ra, varies with temperature. The greater the height of a column
of air, the greater the potential difference in pressure if that column is at a different
temperature. The pressure difference generated by a column of air h meters high with
temperature difference between indoor and outdoor air at standard temperature and
pressure is approximately:
1
1
- ) [Pa]
[3]
To Ti
where To and Ti are the outdoor and indoor temperatures
respectively, (in Kelvin = Celsius + 273).
P = 3465 Dh (
For example, if the air in a one meter high cylinder, open at the bottom and containing
room temperature air (20 C) is taken into the outdoors at a temperature of -10 C,
an outward pressure of 1.34 Pa would act at the top (Figure 3). The pressure at the
bottom must be zero since it is connected to the outdoors. The horizontal plane at
which the pressure equals the outdoor pressure (i.e. the difference is zero) is called the
Neutral Pressure Plane (NPP).
If the cylinder remained outdoors, the air it contained would slowly cool down to the
exterior temperature and no pressure difference would exist. If the cylinder were then
inverted and brought back indoors, the pressure at the closed end of the cylinder
would again be 1.34 Pa acting outward as the cold air fell downward relative to the
indoor air.
In the above examples, no flow occurred because no flow path was provided. If an
open-ended cylinder containing room temperature air where used, any temperature
difference between the cylinder and the surrounding air would cause flow, and the
warm air would be immediately removed and replaced with cool outdoor air.
However, if a heating coil were added to the cylinder to maintain the air temperature at
20 C, airflow in the bottom would be heated. This is analogous to a heated building.
Friction would slow air flow and result in a constant pressure drop along the height of
the cylinder. Note that the NPP would now be located at mid-height and that air flow
is involved (Figure 4). Obviously, the less air flowing through this cylinder the less
heat energy required to maintain the interior of the cylinder at 20 C.
Although houses tend to be only 3 to 9 m (9 to 27 feet) tall, stack effect can be a major
force driving airflow, particularly in climates with a large temperature difference (more
than 25 C / 40 F) across the enclosure. Often the exhaust of chimneys and fans, as
well as leaky ceiling planes result in a Neutral Pressure Plane located near the ceiling
level (Figure 6).
In warm climates and during warm weather, stack effect reverses and air is often
drawn in at the top and pushed out at the bottom. Infiltration of warm moist air in
warm weather can cause as many problems as exfiltration of warm moist air in the
winter.
Mechanical Equipment
Fans and blowers cause the movement of air within buildings and through enclosures.
By doing so, they can generate large pressures. If more air is exhausted from a
building than is supplied, a net negative pressure is generated and vice versa.
If air is forced through the ducts that leave the building enclosure or pass outside the
primary air barrier system (e.g., the very bad practise of placing ductwork in vented
attics or crawlspaces) any leaks in the ductwork (and all ducts have some leakage, most
ductwork is very leaky) will result in a net exhaust of air, and hence a net negative
inward pressures on the building enclosure. The reverse can happen if leaky ducts
outside the air barrier are under a net suction pressure.
Bathroom exhaust fans, clothes dryers, built-in vacuum cleaners, dust collection
systems, and range hoods all exhaust air from a building. This creates a negative
pressure inside the building. If the enclosure is airtight or the exhaust flow rate high,
large negative pressures can be generated. These negative pressures have the potential
to cause several problems:
by driving inward air leakage through the enclosure, outdoor air may transport
moisture into the enclosure during hot humid outdoor weather conditions
the efficiency of most air handling devices will decrease with increasing back
pressures.
Commercial HVAC systems both supply and extract air from buildings. This means
both positive and negative pressure can be developed, depending on the balance of
supply to exhaust flows. Dust collection systems, commercial range hoods and other
industrial air handlers can move thousands of liters per second, seriously disturbing the
pressure-flow relationship within a building and should be handled on an individual
basis.
In design, one should aim for almost no mechanically-induced air pressure across the
enclosure. This is achieved by balancing systems so that the same amount of air is
supplied as is exhausted. In some case pressurization can be used to control airflow
direction buildings that are depressurised in winter will not have air leakage
condensation problems, buildings that are pressurized may have winter condensation
problems (if the enclosure leaks) but will exclude pollution from, for example, a
parking garage.
Controlling the flow of air across the enclosure, e.g., from the interior to the exterior
or vice versa, is the most important aspect of air flow control. While no building is
perfect, the goal of a design should be near zero flow and
The primary plane of air flow control in a wall is generally called the air barrier.
Because such a plane is in practise comprised of elements and joints, the term air barrier
system (ABS) is preferred. In framed, low-rise residential buildings, the primary air
barrier system is often comprised of an inner layer of drywall (sealed around the
perimeter and at all penetrations) or sealed polyethylene. However, outer layers of
sheathing, (such as gypsum, waferboard, fiberboard, EXPS) and housewrap or building
paper provide additional resistance to out-of-plane air flow through the enclosure
assembly. In many modern building assemblies, exterior sheathing is designed and
detailed to be part of an outboard air barrier system. Note that the plane of
airtightness labelled by the designer (and all building sections should indicate what is
intended to be the air barrier) or builder as the air barrier system may not in fact act as
the ABS.
Basic Requirements of Air Barrier Systems
Typically, several different materials, joints and assemblies are combined to provide an
uninterrupted plane of primary airflow control. Regardless of how air control is
achieved, the following five requirements must be met by the air barrier system (ABS):
1. Continuity. This is the most important and most difficult requirement. Enclosures
are 3-D systems! ABS continuity must be ensured through doors, windows, penetrations,
around corners, at floor lines, soffits, etc.
2. Strength. If the ABS is, as designed, much less air permeable than the remainder of
the enclosure assembly, then it must also be designed to transfer the full design wind
load (e.g., the 1-in-30 year gust) to the structural system. Fastenings can often be
critical, especially for flexible non-adhered membrane systems.
3. Durability. The ABS must continue to perform for its service life. Therefore, the
ease of repair and replacement, the imposed stresses and material resistance to
movement, fatigue, temperature, etc. are all considerations.
4. Stiffness. The stiffness of the ABS (including fastening methods) must reduce or
eliminate deflections to control air movement into the enclosure by pumping. The
ABS must also be stiff enough that deformations do not change the air permeance
(e.g., by stretching holes around fasteners) and/or distribute loads through
unintentional load paths.
5. Impermeability. Naturally, the ABS must be impermeable to air. Typical
recommended air permeability values are less than about 1.3 x 10-6 m3/m2/Pa.
However air barrier materials are commonly defined as materials which pass less than
Q< 0.02 lps/m2 @75 Pa. Although this is an easy property to measure it is not as
important as might be thought. In practise, the ability to achieve other requirements
(especially continuity) are more important to performance, and the air permeance of
joints, cracks, and penetrations outweighs the air permeance of the solid materials that
make up most of the area of the ABS. Hence, a component should have an air leakage
rate of less than Q< 0.2 lps/m2 @75 Pa, and the whole building system should leak
less than Q< 2.0 lps/m2 @75 Pa.
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As noted earlier, the secondary planes of air flow resistance fulfill several functions,
either on their own or in conjunction with the other planes of air flow resistance.
These secondary barriers not only add marginally to the overall airflow resistance of
the assembly, they provide a level of redundancy if the primary air barrier is designed,
built, or performs imperfectly. If the secondary barrier is of sufficient air tightness it
may provide a great improvement to overall airtightness so long as
compartmentalisation is provided . For example, research has shown that housewraps,
sometimes called air infiltration retarders, can significantly reduce airflow through an
imperfect primary air barrier even if they are not designed or built as an ABS. The
satisfactory performance of many older wall systems can often be explained by the
unintentional, and often synergistic, contribution to airtightness that layers such as
building paper, board and panel sheathing, brickwork, etc.
4.2 Air Barrier Systems vs Vapor Barriers
The fact that many vapor barriers also retard or eliminate air flow sometimes causes
confusion. In fact, much of the older literature (and a disappointing proportion of
current documents) confuse or combine the function of the ABS and vapor barriers,
and the difference between the two is still one of the most common building science
questions. Hence, the distinction will be presented here once again.
The function of a vapor barrier is simply the control of water vapor diffusion to reduce
the occurrence or intensity of condensation. As such, it has one performance
requirement: it must have the specified level of vapor permeance and be installed to
cover most of the area of an enclosure.
Many codes require the use of a vapor barrier in all enclosures. Some codes wisely
require that vapor diffusion be controlled when an assembly would be adversely
affected by condensation. The need for a specific vapor barrier layer can be assessed
by simple calculations, and rarely is a layer with very low permeance like polyethylene
sheet justified. The 2009 IRC, IBC, and IEC will all have tables outlining sciencebased requirements for vapor barriers. They usually do not require the use of a very
low permeance polyethylene as an air barrier or a vapor barrier. See also BSD -106
Understanding Vapor Barriers for more information.
Air barrier systems control air flow and thereby control convective vapor flow. As can
be seen from the previous sections, the control of air flow provides other benefits and
has at least five performance requirements to meet.
Canadian building codes require an air barrier system in all enclosures that would be
adversely affected by condensation. In practise, this means air barriers are required for
almost all conceivable types of building enclosures, especially since they provide more
than just control of condensation. Some states (e.g., Massachusetts commercial code)
and agencies (e.g., Army Corp of Engineers, General Services Administration) are
beginning to mandate air barrier systems and enforce airtightness standards.
The vapor permeance of the air barrier must be considered in the same way as all other
materials in an assembly should be. For example, in cold climates, a vapor barrier on
the exterior is usually not acceptable (but can be designed for, as it is in an exposed
membrane low-slope roof or a wall with metal cladding), whereas in hot humid
climates, this location would be desirable. But the vapor permeance of the ABS is no
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more important than the vapor permeance of any other materials in an assembly, such
as the cladding, sheathing, insulation, interior finish, etc.
4.3 Common Air Barrier Systems
A sheet of 6 mille (0.15 mm) thick polyethylene is often used as a vapor barrier in very
cold climates (Zones 6 and 7). Poly is cheap to buy and install and has very low vapor
permeance. However, it fails or barely meets most air barrier requirements other than
air impermeability. It is difficult and relatively expensive to achieve continuity,
especially since it is pierced by services and enclosure penetrations at many locations.
It is likely to fail structurally when exposed to wind gust loads, and can fail through
fatigue if it flaps because of varying wind pressures. Hence, it is not very durable. It is
so flexible that it can deform and transfer loads through unexpected paths, deform
batt insulation, tear fastenings, pump air, etc. Nevertheless, for undemanding
applications such as low-rise housing, poly may act as both the vapor barrier and the
air barrier. Poly on the interior should not be used in air conditioned buildings in
Zones 5 or lower as its low vapor permeance poses an unacceptable risk of interstitial
condensation during warm weather.
The airtight drywall approach (ADA) employs the interior layer of painted drywall as
part of the ABS and poly, vinyl wall paper, or an appropriate type of paint as the vapor
control layer. The drywall is stiff and strong enough for most applications and because
it is visible, it is easy to inspect, repair, and to ensure continuity. Difficulty in achieving
continuity is often encountered at service penetrations, wall-floor interfaces,
intersection walls, transitions, partition walls, etc. Despite these difficulties, with a little
care and training the ADA air barrier system is often quite successful and can be used
in a wide-range of steel and wood framed roof and wall systems in both residential and
commercial construction.
The vapor barrier and air barrier are often separated in enclosures employing
housewraps or exterior sheathing (e.g., well sealed exterior gypsum, plywood, or OSB)
as the primary air barrier. Poly, foil-backed drywall (in very cold climates), or paint is
installed near the interior and acts as the vapor barrier. The advantage of such exterior
air barriers is that they are often easier to install in such a manner as to span over all of
the many interior service penetrations, plumbing, structural components, etc.
Another approach to exterior air barriers is the use of air impermeable, usually foam
plastic or foil-faced, rigid insulation boards with sheathing tape and/or gaskets at
joints. Such systems have the advantage of fewer penetrations, but the disadvantage
that they are difficult to inspect and repair. The ability of these systems, including their
joints, to transfer wind loads through connectors to the structural frame must be
investigated for each application.
Spray foam, open-celled or closed-cell can be used as a very effective part of an air
barrier system. When applied to the exterior of blockwork or sheathing, they form a
continuous fully-adhered system. Transitions, movement joints, and penetrations
require careful detailing to ensure airtightness. When the foam is sprayed within a stud
cavity, much more effort is required to seal the joint between the floor sheathing and
bottom plate, top plate to rim joist (often spray foam), etc.
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13
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Figure 10: Polyethylene air barrier system (very cold climates only, Zones 6 or higher)
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16
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Conclusions
Air flow control is important for several reasons: to control moisture damage, reduce
energy losses, and to ensure occupant comfort and health. Airflow across the building
enclosure is driven by wind pressures, stack effect, and mechanical air handling
equipment like fans and furnaces. A continuous, strong, stiff, durable and air
impermeable air barrier system is required between the exterior and conditions space
to control airflow driven by these forces.
Air barrier systems should be clearly shown and labelled on all drawings, with
continuity demonstrated at all penetrations, transitions, and intersections. In addition,
enclosure assemblies and buildings should be vertically and horizontally
compartmentalized, may require secondary planes of airtightness (such as those
provided by housewraps and sealed rigid sheathing) and may need appropriately air
impermeable insulations or insulated sheathing.
It must be noted that increased airtightness must be matched by an appropriate
ventilation system to dilute pollutants, provide fresh air, and control cold weather
humidity levels. Good airflow control through and within the building enclosure will
bring many benefits: reduce moisture damage, energy savings, and increased health and
comfort. However, while airflow usually causes wetting in enclosures, it also can be a
powerful drying mechanism. Therefore, enclosures with increased air flow control
demand greater attention to other sources of drying (diffusion is the only practical
mechanism available) and the reduction or elimination of other sources of wetting
(built-in, rain and diffusion).
References
Brook, M.S., "Rationalizing Wall Performance Criteria", Proc. Sixth Conference on Building
Science &Technology, Toronto, March 5-6, 1992, pp.145-161.
Brown, W.C., Bomberg, M.T., Ullet, J.M. and Rasmussen, J. "Measured Thermal
Resistance of Frame Walls with Defects in the Installation of Mineral Fibre
Insulation", J. of Thermal Insulation and Building Envelopes, Vol 16, April 1993, pp. 318339.
Controlling Stack Pressure in High-Rise Buildings by Compartmenting the Building. Research
Report for CMHC, March, 1996.
Garden,G.K., Control of Air Leakage is Important. Canadian Building Digest 72,
National Research Council of Canada, Ottawa, 1965.
Lecompte, J., "Influence of Natural Convection in an Insulated Cacity on the Thermal
Performance of a Wall", Insulation Materials, Testing and Applications, ASTM STP1030.
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D.L. McElry and J.F. Kimpflen, Eds., Amercian Society for Tesitng and Materials,
Philadelphia, 1990, pp. 397-420.
Lstiburek, Joseph and Carmody, John. Moisture control handbook : principles and practices for
residential and small commercial buildings. New York : Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1993.
Ojanen, T. and Kohonen, R.,"Hygrothermal Performance Analysis of Wind Barrier
Structures", ASHRAE Transactions, Symposia, Chicago, 1995, pp. 595-606.
Straube, J.F., Burnett, E.F.P.,"Rain Control and Screened Wall Systems", Proc. Seventh
Conference on Building Science &Technology, Toronto, March, 1997, pp.18-37.
Timusk, J. and Lischkoff, J., Moisture and Thermal Aspects of Insulated Sheathings",
Proc. Second Conference on Building Science &Technology, London, Ont., 1983, pp.71-91.
Uvslkk, S., "The Importance of Wind Barriers for Insulated Wood Frame
Constructions," Proc. of Symposium and Day of Building Physics, Lund University, August
24-27, 1987, Swedish Council for Building Research, 1988, pp. 262-267 and Uvslokk,
S.,1996, "The importance of wind barriers for insulated timber frame construction", J.
Thermal Insul. and Bldg. Envs., V.20, July, p.40-62.
Wilson, A.G., "Air Leakage in Buildings", Canadian Building Digest 23, National
Research Council of Canada, Ottawa, Dec 1963.
John Straube teaches in the Department of Civil Engineering and the School of
Architecture at the University of Waterloo. More information about John Straube
can be found at www.johnstraube.com
Direct all correspondence to: J.F. Straube, Department of Civil Engineering,
University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3G1
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