Lessons Learned From Underfloor Air Distribution Systems

LESSONS LEARNED FROM
PRESSURIZED UNDERFLOOR AIR

DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS
Presented At
High Performance Buildings 2007

Nashville, Tennessee
18-20 April 2007
By
Vijay K. Gupta, P.E., Fellow ASHRAE
James E. Woods, Ph.D., P.E., Fellow ASHRAE
What is Building Performance?

Based on control theory and the assumption that a building is a
system:
Building Performance may be defined as:

A set of measured responses of a building, as a
system, to anticipated and actual forcing functions
where:
Measured responses are valid and reliable parameters and
values of human response, occupant exposure, system
performance, and economic performance
Forcing functions are known physical or social forces that are
likely to perturb the building system, to which the response
functions occur.
Background
Why is UFAD Popular?
If power, communications and other systems are
floor based, placing HVAC under the floor seems
a logical additional step.
Using the space under the floor as a pressurized
plenum rather than using overhead or underfloor
ductwork seems attractive:
Lower cost of sheet metal.
Easier coordination between HVAC and other systems.
Less labor to change supply air distribution when
changes are made to the occupied space.
Background
Why is design for UFAD an issue?
Concerns include:
Latent cooling capacities

Accumulation of particulate matter and moisture
Air leakage in pressurized floor plenums
Testing and Balancing (TAB) difficulties
Compartmentalization and Isolation during
incidents
Transient heat transfer through plenum surfaces
Energy consumption
Lack of Commissioning Procedures for UFAD
Background
Why is Design for UFAD an Issue?
GSA has over 8,000,000 square feet of space in
use, in use and under construction using UFAD.
In recently completed GSA buildings, the UFAD has not
performed as expected.
The private sector has approximately 100,000,000

square feet in use, in design, and under
construction using UFAD.
In a recent survey of private sector buildings, mixed
reactions to the performance of UFAD systems was
reported (in NCEMBT report to DOE).
Need for Air Tightness

UFAD Plenum typically
at 0.05 0.10 in. wg (12
25 Pa)
CAD typical leakage of
1.5% @ 0.5 in. wg (125
Pa)
Both systems provide ~
1.0 cfm/ft2 floor area
Air Leakage affects
comfort, energy,
materials, safety,
security
Goal is < 10% air
leakage at design s.p.
View of Courthouse Library

with diffusers taped for testing
Two Categories of Air Leakage

Category 1: General
Construction Leaks
From plenum into other
building cavities
Air is wasted or short
cycled to Return Air or
to Conditioned Spaces
Category 2: Product
Leaks
Through RAF into
Conditioned Spaces
Pathways include:
Panel and edge joints
Diffusers losses
IT/Power Boxes in
Floors
Firewall Penetrations
Finished
Concrete
Panels no
joint seals
Category 1 Examples
Leakage around and in annular spaces
in conduit:
Conduit through floor slab to

Space below UFAD
Conduit through plenum bulkhead
Category 2 Examples
Leaks of conditioned air from the plenum through
components of the raised access floor system:
Floor panel seams and edge closures

Electric power connection and outlet service units
Communications and data service units
Air diffusers that do not close tightly
Methods of Air Leakage Testing

Mockup Test Prior to permanent
construction
Permanent System Test (Substantial
Completion)
Smoke Test to locate air leakage
pathways
Mockup Tests
Prior to Permanent
Construction
1,000 4,000 ft2 area
Determine Cat 1 and
2 air leakage rates at
design s.p.
Use separate fan
Establish steadystate s.p. before
obtaining data
Calibrated
fan
One of four
Sampling
Locations for 4,000 ft2
Permanent Systems Tests

Substantial
Completion of Zone
AHU Zone up to
25,000 ft2
Verify Mockup tests
results or
Determine Category
1 and 2 leakage rates
Use actual AHU with
VFD at design s.p.
Establish design
steady-state s.p.
before obtaining data
One of several
Thermostatic zones
Served by AHU
Typical AHU
With VFD and
Coil bypass for
UFAD
Smoke Tests
Purpose: to locate air
leakage pathways
Conduct during
Mockup Tests
For Permanent
Systems Tests,
conduct and purge
during unoccupied
periods
Use theatrical
smoke generator (nontoxic)
Theatrical smoke generator
Smoke induced into calibrated

fan inlet
Plenum Air Leakage

Results of Air
Leakage tests
showed plenum
leakage rates of 30
200% of design
airflow rates at
plenum static
pressures of 0.07 in.
w.g. (17 Pa)
View of Library in FCH-1 with
diffusers taped for testing
Cat 1 Air Leakage (FCH-2)
First Mockup (22-24 Feb 06):

70% Air Leakage in Initial
Tests
35% after first mitigation
16% after second mitigation
Second Mockup (subsequent

date):
35% Air Leakage in Initial
Tests
Third set of tests were report

at approximately 20%
Smoke from
shelf after repair
Smoke from plumbing

access
Smoke from
outlet box in
conf room
Category 1 and 2 Air Leakage (FCH-1)
First Series of Tests (Oct-Dec 05):

Initial range of Cat 1+2 air leakage
rates was 34% (AHU 6 4th floor) to
68% (AHU 5 3rd floor)
After remediation, range was 26%
(AHU 1 - 1st floor) to 59% (AHU 7 4th
floor)
Second Series of Tests (May 06):
AHUs 2 and 3 Second Floor
Cat 1+2 was 43% of design airflow
rate at 0.07 in. wg
Cat 1 was 32% of design airflow rate
at 0.07 in. wg.
Sealed pipe and cable

penetrations through
RAF
Taped floor diffuser on carpet
Column and piping

penetrations
through RAF
Summary of Air Leakage Findings*

Type of
Facility
Dates of
Tests
Cat 1
Cat 2
Cat 1+2
FB-1
7-06
52
60
FB-2
7-06
43
45
FB 3
8-06
40-200
NA
NA
FB-4
11-06
44-48
NA
NA
FCH-1
11-05 to
9-06
FCH-2
11-05 to
5-06
NA
32
70-16
35
NA
11
NA
NA
34-68
43
NA
NA
*Percentage of design airflow rate at 0.07 in. w.g.
GSA Air Leakage Criteria for UFAD

Plenums at design static pressure (e.g.,
0.07 in. wg or 17.5 Pa)
Test
Mockup
Building
Floor
Plenums
Air Leakage
(Category 1 + 2)
Category 1
0.1 cfm/ft2
floor area
0.03 cfm/ft2 floor area
0.1 cfm/ft2
0.03 cfm/ft2
floor area
floor area
or
or
10% of design supply
3% of design supply
airflow rate, whichever airflow rate, whichever
value is smaller
value is smaller
Conclusions (1)
Air leakage consequences are significant:
9 Air leakage is an architectural design and general construction
Issue.
9 Construction of an airtight plenum requires strict coordination of
ten to twelve trades, and special construction techniques that
have not been developed
9 Concrete
9 Masonry
9 Drywall
9 Millwork
9 Sealant and joint specialists
9 Carpenters
9 Sheet Metal
9 Plumbing
9 Electrical
9 Communications
9 Etc.
9 Predictions of air leakage are unreliable: testing is required at this

time.
9 Air leakage testing results indicate GSA goal has not been met.
Conclusions (2)
Thermal mass of slab is a major issue for
energy and control
Heat and moisture
transmission/condensation in the plenum
is also a major issue
Life safety codes need to address UFAD
systems
Drainage of water from piping leaks or fire
sprinkler discharge is a major issue
Access to underfloor equipment is difficult
at best
Conclusions (3)
Integrated design is essential between
architects, engineers
Testing procedures must be developed by
coordinated effort among building code
officials, and Standards writing
organizations, such as ASTM, ASHRAE,
NFPA, ASCE, IEEE, UL, SMACNA, ETC.

Lessons Learned From Underfloor Air Distribution Systems

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Lessons Learned From Underfloor Air Distribution Systems

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Lessons Learned From Underfloor Air Distribution Systems

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

LESSONS LEARNED FROM

PRESSURIZED UNDERFLOOR AIR

High Performance Buildings 2007

What is Building Performance?

Building Performance may be defined as:

Latent cooling capacities

The private sector has approximately 100,000,000

Need for Air Tightness

View of Courthouse Library

Two Categories of Air Leakage

Conduit through floor slab to

Conduit through plenum bulkhead

Floor panel seams and edge closures

Methods of Air Leakage Testing

Permanent Systems Tests

Theatrical smoke generator

Smoke induced into calibrated

Plenum Air Leakage

Cat 1 Air Leakage (FCH-2)

First Mockup (22-24 Feb 06):

Second Mockup (subsequent

Third set of tests were report

Smoke from plumbing

Category 1 and 2 Air Leakage (FCH-1)

First Series of Tests (Oct-Dec 05):

Sealed pipe and cable

Taped floor diffuser on carpet

Column and piping

Summary of Air Leakage Findings*

*Percentage of design airflow rate at 0.07 in. w.g.

GSA Air Leakage Criteria for UFAD

0.03 cfm/ft2 floor area

9 Predictions of air leakage are unreliable: testing is required at this

You might also like

Pfad - The Proxy pFad of © 2024 Garber Painting. All rights reserved.