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By James E. Woods, Ph.D., P.E. The Building Diagnostics Research Institute, Inc.

Continuous Accountability: A Method to Assure Building Performance Presented to Penn State Student Chapter of ASHRAE 12 September 2002. By James E. Woods, Ph.D., P.E. The Building Diagnostics Research Institute, Inc. Presentation Content.

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By James E. Woods, Ph.D., P.E. The Building Diagnostics Research Institute, Inc.

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  1. Continuous Accountability: A Method to Assure Building PerformancePresented to Penn State Student Chapter of ASHRAE 12 September 2002 By James E. Woods, Ph.D., P.E. The Building Diagnostics Research Institute, Inc.

  2. Presentation Content Part 1: Introduce whole building concepts and consequences of Continuous Degradation, Continuous Accountability, and Building Diagnostics Part 2: Discuss Lessons Learned from ASHRAE Study Group on Building Health and Safety under Extraordinary Incidents Part 3: Describe Diagnostic Procedures, and Evaluation and Classification Criteria for virtual and actual buildings

  3. Part 1:Whole Building Concepts • Purpose of Buildings • Fundamental Objectives of Environmental Control • Continuous Degradation • Continuous Accountability • Building Diagnostics

  4. Purpose of Buildings • Provide secure, safe, and healthy conditions • Facilitate well being and productivity of occupants, owners, and managers • Four functional categories: • Residential • Educational • Health Care • Commercial/Public Assembly

  5. Fundamental Objectives of Environmental Control • Prevent adverse health and safety effects • Provide for desired conditions: • Human Response • Occupant Performance • Productivity • Achieve by simultaneous control of exposure parameters: • Thermal • IAQ • Lighting • Acoustics

  6. Definition of Indoor Air Quality “The nature of air that affects the health and well-being of occupants”

  7. Definition of Health From the Constitution of the World Health Organization (1946): “Health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”

  8. Current Drivers Safety and Environment • Green Buildings • Sustainability • Global warming • Moisture and Mold • Environmental Security Productivity • Health awareness • Occupant performance • Health care costs • Employee absences • O & M costs • Value Engineering • Fear of terrorism Energy • Reduced loads and capacities • Advanced control strategies • Changes in O&M procedures

  9. Regulations, Standards, Guidelines and Codes • Regulations • GSA PBS P-100 • Executive Orders • GSA HVAC Excellence Criteria • Others • Guidelines • USGBC LEED™ Criteria • NIBS Whole Building Commissioning • ASHRAE Risk Management Guidance on Health and Safety under Extraordinary Incidents • Others • Standards • ASHRAE Standards 55, 62, 90, and others • ASTM Standards • ANSI Standards • Others • Model Codes • UBC/BOCA/SBC • IBC • NFPA (NEC/NMC) • Others

  10. Existing Building Stock • In USA: • > 100 million residential buildings • > 4.6 million non-residential buildings • 2-4% replacement rate • 80 - 90% in use in 2025 already exist • Global: • Similar percentages in developed regions • Different percentages in developing regions

  11. Concept of Continuous Degradation Non-industrial Buildings Problem Buildings (20 - 30%) Buildings Without Known Problems (70 - 80%) BRI (5 - 10%) SBS (10 - 25%) UPB (10 - 20%) HB (50 - 70%)

  12. Symptoms or Illnesses Occupant complaints & symptoms Allergic rhinitis Asthma Tuberculosis Respiratory diseases Magnitude of Problem 20-50% existing buildings in NA and WE Most common chronic disease Leading cause of school absences Most lethal infection in health care facilities 6% global mortality from indoor biomass fuels Problem Buildings

  13. Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) Persistence of symptoms Substantial percentage affected Rapid relief on exit Causes Unknown Solve by System Performance Building Related Illness (BRI) Clinical signs More than one affected Linkages to indoor exposures Solve by Source Removal Types of Problem Buildings

  14. Healthy Buildings • Pragmatic:(Woods, et al) • Minimize occupant complaints • Comply with “acceptable criteria” • Exposures • System performance • Economic performance • Ideal:(Berglund, et al) • Free from BRI and discomfort • Promote well being and health • Provide for: • Non-hazardous conditions • Thermal comfort • Pleasant air quality • Illumination and acoustic • satisfaction • Social needs and • productivity • Distinguished aesthetic • qualities • Undetected Problems • Some discomfort and symptoms • Non-compliance with some • “acceptable” criteria

  15. Summary of Consequences of Continuous Degradation (1) • > 20% occupants with symptoms • > 20% occupants with hampered performance • >50% occupants have loss of confidence in management • Potential cost of recovering “good will” from: • SBS > cost of mitigation • BRI > cost of facility

  16. Summary of Consequences of Continuous Degradation (2) • $40 - 60 B/ yr (Woods, 1989) • Up to $60 B/yr (EPA, 1989) • $6 - 14 B/yr from increased respiratory diseases (Fisk, 1999) • $2 - 4 B/yr from increased asthma and allergies (Fisk, 1999) • $15 - 38 B/yr from SBS (Fisk, 1999) • $20 - 200 B/yr from reduced productivity (Fisk, 1999)

  17. Primary Causes of Continuous Degradation • Lack of accountability for building performance • Abdication of professional responsibility for building performance • Lack of occupant awareness of consequences of problem buildings • Lack of scientific quantitative data on building performance

  18. Interception of Continuous Degradation Building Diagnostics Intervention Continuous Accountability Problem Building Healthy Building

  19. Commitments needed forContinuous Accountability Accountable person must be: • Explicitly identified for each phase in building’s life • Empowered with authority to assure building performance • Educated and trained to assure adequate building performance and occupant protection

  20. Occupancy & Functional Performance Planning & Conceptual Design Assure Set Owner Manager Tenant Occupant Owner Financier Planner Designer Healthy Building Builder Designer Owner Tenant Designer Builder Owner Financier Evaluate Translate Accountability Commissioning & Substantial Completion Detailed Design & Construction Performance Criteria

  21. Part 2:Summary of ASHRAE Study Group Report:Risk Management Guidance for Health and Safety Under Extraordinary IncidentsReleased 14 January 2002Report Available at www.ashrae.org

  22. Charge to Study Group Based on ASHRAE’s expertise and responsibilities, a Presidential Study Group was appointed in October 2001 to: Provide initial guidance on actions that should be taken to reduce health and safety risks of occupants in buildings that might be subjected to extraordinary incidences.

  23. Problem Statement Building owners and occupants may now be willing to redirect resources to enhance building performance: • To further reduce occupant risks associated with extraordinary incidences, • While continuing to provide acceptable indoor environments, with energy efficiency and cost effectiveness during normal conditions.

  24. Study pertains to public use and assembly buildings Commercial Institution Educational Residential for more than four families Issues Included in Report (1)

  25. Study addresses aspects of building performance that affect health and safety under extraordinary incidents Egress CBR protection Fire protection Smoke removal or purging Filtration Air Quality Entrance paths for contaminants Building envelope Issues Included in Report (2)

  26. Limits of the Report The fundamental parameters of risk/benefit, cost, and level of protection were considered. But the recommendations are limited based on time and current state of knowledge.

  27. Lessons Learned (1) Committee deliberations on the events of 9/11, and the subsequent Anthrax attacks, suggested that: Methods of protection from intentionalextraordinary incidents are related to protection from accidental and naturally occurring extraordinary incidents.

  28. Lessons Learned (2) US buildings have important safety features against some threats because of: • Quality of standards of care practiced in the US. • Enforcement of building codes and standards during design and construction. • Legal liability of designers, constructors and owners.

  29. Lessons Learned (3) To protect against aerosol attacks from an external source, building openings where aerosols might enter must be: • Capable of timely closure. • Located remote from any launch site. • Equipped with adequate filtration.

  30. Lessons Learned (4) To protect against aerosol attacks from a source inside a building: • Site of initial release must be isolated in a timely manner by closure of all openings to other spaces. • Any contaminated space must be isolated as described above.

  31. Lessons Learned (5) Sensors, monitors or other detectors are not presently available, or are not reliable for many contaminants. This RULES OUT feedback control as a strategy for now.

  32. Lessons Learned (6) Areas of Refuge may not be economically viable in most buildings. Therefore, practical and commercially viable applications of HVAC technologies include: • Enhancement of building egress paths. • Isolation of significant contamination to selected building volumes.

  33. Lessons Learned (7) Enhanced filtration is a desirable, but not sufficient, control strategy to reduce occupant risk to airborne contaminants. A comprehensive strategy must link: • Enhanced filtration, • Building pressurization of its interior relative to the outdoors, and • Improved air tightness.

  34. Recommendations for Owners and Managersof Existing Buildings 1. Understand capabilities of your building and its systems. 2. Assure that your building is performing as intended. 3. Do not make changes to building performance unless the consequences are understood.

  35. List of Major Systems, Components, and Processes to Consider 1. Ventilation system operation 2. Filter efficiency and bypass 3. Quantity of outdoor air 4. Control access to air handler components 5. Isolate likely entry points 6. Fire protection and life safety 7. Building shell and duct tightness 8. Areas of Refuge 9. Preparedness Plan 10. What Not To Do

  36. Continued ASHRAE Study Presidential Ad Hoc Committee has been appointed to: • Continue to work on issues defined by Study Group • Develop recommendations on specific actions ASHRAE should take • Coordinate ASHRAE’s activities in this effort with other recognized engineering and scientific organizations • Present Report by January 2003

  37. Scope of ASHRAE Report • Will address health, comfort, and environmental security issues involving air, food and water • Will focus on: • Risk Management Procedures • Infrastructure Constraints • Recommendations for Existing Buildings • Recommendations for New Buildings • Recommendations for ASHRAE Action and Commitments

  38. Conclusions • Threats and fear of bio-terrorism require careful consideration, but should not be the primary focus of building performance • The importance of Continuous Accountability has been reinforced by the awareness of bio-terrorism • Rigorous application of known principles of design, construction and operations minimize the threat of bio-terrorism and enhance health, safety and productivity

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