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ASHRAE 62.1-2010 Interpretation 2

This document compares outdoor air ventilation rates for emergency room waiting rooms calculated using ASHRAE Standard 62.1 and Standard 170. It finds that Standard 62.1's ventilation rate procedure provides consistent airflow per person, while Standard 170's airflow decreases from lower to higher occupancy cases. The interpretation that ER waiting rooms may be determined by volume alone under Standard 62.1 is incorrect - compliance requires meeting or exceeding the larger rate from both standards to ensure acceptable indoor air quality.

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109 views3 pages

ASHRAE 62.1-2010 Interpretation 2

This document compares outdoor air ventilation rates for emergency room waiting rooms calculated using ASHRAE Standard 62.1 and Standard 170. It finds that Standard 62.1's ventilation rate procedure provides consistent airflow per person, while Standard 170's airflow decreases from lower to higher occupancy cases. The interpretation that ER waiting rooms may be determined by volume alone under Standard 62.1 is incorrect - compliance requires meeting or exceeding the larger rate from both standards to ensure acceptable indoor air quality.

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tyberius7
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INTERPRETATION IC 62.

1-2010-6 OF
ANSI/ASHRAE STANDARD 62.1-2010
VENTILATION FOR ACCEPTABLE INDOOR AIR QUALITY

Approved: January 18, 2014

Request from: Travis English ([email protected]), Kaiser Permanente, 1800 Harrision


Street, Oakland, CA 94612.

Reference: This request for interpretation refers to the requirements presented in


ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 62.1-2010, Section 2.3, regarding additional requirements for health
care facilities.

Background: Healthcare buildings account for roughly 4.5% of commercial building footprint
in the US [1]. And, for healthcare buildings, designers calculate outdoor air (OA) ventilation
using the air change per hour (ACH) rates in ASHRAE Standard 170 (S170) Table 7.1.

In the remaining commercial buildings, engineers calculate outdoor air ventilation rates using the
ventilation rate procedure (VRP) of ASHRAE Standard 62.1 (S62.1). The VRP requires a per
person component, a per square foot component, and a consideration of ventilation distribution
effectiveness.

The following is a comparison of ER waiting room cases, using both methodologies. For the
S62.1 comparison, the waiting room is calculated as a "reception area", in a commercial office
environment.

1. Case 1: A 300 square foot, low-density waiting room is designed with fixed seating for
10 people (30 square foot per person). The ceiling is 13 ft high, to create a feeling of
space for the occupants.
2. Case 2: A 300 square foot, low-density waiting room is designed with fixed seating for
10 people (30 square foot per person). The ceiling is 7 ft 6 in high, based on structural
constraints.
3. Case 3: A 300 square foot, high-density waiting room is designed with fixed seating for
20 people (30 square foot per person). The ceiling is 13 ft high, to create a feeling of
space for the occupants.
4. Case 4: A 300 square foot, high-density waiting room is designed with fixed seating for
20 people (30 square foot per person). The ceiling is 7 ft 6 in high, based on structural
constraints.

Calculations for each are shown in Table 1 below

Table 1 – Calculation of outside air flow rates

#Peop Ceiling ACH OA OA


Case le Sq.Ft. ht. (ft) Reqd (S170) Rp Ra Ez (S62)
2013 ASHRAE. All Rights reserved.
Page 1 of 3
IC 62.1-2010-6

Case 1 10 300 13 2 130 5 0.06 0.9 75.6


Case 2 10 300 7.5 2 75 5 0.06 0.9 75.6
Case 3 20 300 13 2 130 5 0.06 0.9 131.1
Case 4 20 300 7.5 2 75 5 0.06 0.9 131.1

Resultant outside air flows, in ACH, are shown in Figure 1 below. Air change per hour is
constant using S170. ACH rate increases from case 1 to case 4 using S62.1.

Figure 1 – Outside air ACH of all cases, using both standards.

Resultant outside air flows, in cfm per person, are shown in Figure 2 below. Cfm per person is
fairly constant using S62.1. It decreases from case 1 to case 4 using 170.

Figure 2 – Cfm per person of all cases, using both standards.


2014 ASHRAE. All Rights reserved.
Page 2 of 3
IC 62.1-2010-6

The percent difference in cfm per person required by each standard is shown in Figure 3 below.
For cases 2 and 3, the standards are aligned. Using S170, case 1 requires 72% more outside air
than S62.1, This will increase energy use and the need for humidity control in the space. Using
S170, case 4 requires 43% less outside air than S62.1. The fully occupied room would not have
minimumaly acceptable indoor air quality, as defined by S62.1.

Figure 3 – Percent difference between S170 and S62 outside air cfm per person

If designers considered both S62.1 and S170 in the space, and chose the highest of the two, case
4 could be mitigated. However, an “ER Waiting Room” has no entry in the S62.1 VRP tables.
S170 does not require designers to run dual calculations, nor would it be common practice to do
so.

Please Note: A substantively similar RFI has been submitted to S170

References:
[1] – CBECS. 2003. Overview of Commercial Buildings. Energy Information Administration

Interpretation: Standard 62.1 asserts in health care facilities, outside air in ER and radiology
waiting rooms may be determined entirely by volume (i.e. wherein occupancy has no bearing)
though doing so may lead to over ventilation (increased mold risk) or under ventilation
(unacceptable indoor air).

Question: Is this interpretation correct?

Answer: No.

Comments: Compliance with Standard 62.1 requires that no less than the ventilation air
specified therein be provided (as well as meeting all other requirements of the Standard).
Standard 170 contains requirements which are more specific to the spaces in question and
meeting the Standard 170 requirements may be appropriate in many cases. If compliance with
both standards is required, than the supplied ventilation must be no less than the larger of the two
ventilation rates specified by the two standards.

2014 ASHRAE. All Rights reserved.


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