We use cookies to give you the best experience and to help improve our website
Find out what cookies we use and how to disable them
Standards Development
A test method to measure air leakage rate in buildings and other enclosures, in particular air permeability characteristics of the envelope or parts thereof at pressures that are closely representative of ‘real world’ ambient conditions. Such measurements are in the interests of building energy efficiency, health, comfort and well-being and can also serve as a strong indicator of construction quality as well as a means of providing feedback to designers, specifiers, site teams, building owners and occupiers.
The compressed air based measurement system (Low Pressure Pulse Test) measures air leakage across a range of low pressures (1–10 Pa) in a dynamic manner whereas incumbent methods are steady state based and typically measure in the 20-60 Pa pressure range. Similarities do however exist in the way in which the test environment is measured and prepared, as well as with how results are analysed and presented. The fundamental difference to the techniques already cited in BS EN ISO 9972:2015 and BS EN ISO 12569:2017 are therefore the test apparatus, test procedure and the pressure range at which the air leakage rate is measured.
In its simplest form, the technology is a gas-cylinder based system that releases a short burst of air into an enclosure and uses a series of sensors and equations to determine the air leakage rate based on a measurement of the background pressure response.
The applications of the technology are wide ranging but there are presently no existing national standards for the test method approach, measurement apparatus, calculation procedure or validation criteria. With a considerable body of technical evidence having been collated and publicly presented, the natural next step for national Governments, policy makers and wider industry is to see the low pressure pulse technique documented as a national standard - either standalone or by way of an update or an addendum to an existing relevant national standard.
The applications of the test method are far reaching and include testing the leakage characteristics of residential and non-residential buildings, individual rooms or zones, labs, cleanrooms, data centres, temporary refuge units and many other enclosures where fabric integrity is important for energy efficiency, containment or safety and well-being.
New Work Item Proposal
You are now following this standard. Weekly digest emails will be sent to update you on the following activities:
You can manage your follow preferences from your Account. Please check your mailbox junk folder if you don't receive the weekly email.
You have successfully unsubscribed from weekly updates for this standard.
Comment on proposal
Required form fields are indicated by an asterisk (*) character.