A Field Study of Exterior Airtightness Testing in Five Multi-Unit Residential Buildings

Abstract

The airtightness of a multi-unit residential building (MURB) enclosure is an important factor when considering energy consumption. There is limited data available on the airtightness of MURBs. The complexity of the MURB geometry complicate standard testing procedures; this is especially true when measuring the isolated exterior enclosure airtightness where the adjacent zones must be taken into consideration. This thesis explored three alternative suite-based methods from the literature used to measure the isolated exterior pressure boundary leakage. A field study took place in five MURBs where the goal was to compare the results from these methods to pressure neutralization test results. Of the three testing methods, the testing method that used adjacent pressure differentials in its calculation was the most similar. Ideally, these results and lessons learned will aid future researchers in developing airtightness testing methods and standards for conducting efficient and accurate tests.