Technology Solutions Case Study: Apartment Compartmentalization with an Aerosol-Based Sealing Process
Air sealing of building enclosures is a difficult and time-consuming process. Current methods in new construction require laborers to physically locate small and sometimes large holes in multiple assemblies and then manually seal each of them. This research study by Building America team Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings demonstrated the automated air sealing and compartmentalization of buildings through the use of an aerosolized sealant developed by the Western Cooling Efficiency Center at University of California Davis. CARB demonstrated this new technology application in a multifamily building in Queens, NY. The effectiveness of the sealing process was evaluated by three methods: air leakage testing of overall apartment before and after sealing, point-source testing of individual leaks, and pressure measurements in the walls of the target apartment during sealing. Aerosolized sealing was successful by several measures in this study. Many individual leaks that are labor-intensive to address separately were well sealed by the aerosol particles. In addition, many diffuse leaks that are difficult to identify and treat were also sealed. The aerosol-based sealing process resulted in an average reduction of 71% in air leakage across three apartments and an average apartment airtightness of 0.08 CFM50/SF of enclosure area.
- Research Organization:
- Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings (CARB)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Building Technologies Office (EE-5B) (Building America)
- OSTI ID:
- 1220511
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/GO-102015-4621; 7128
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Apartment Compartmentalization With an Aerosol-Based Sealing Process
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Related Subjects
Residential Buildings
CARB
Building America
Steven Winter Associates
Inc.
SWA
Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings
Western Cooling Efficiency Center at University of California Davis
Compartmentalization
Air sealing building enclosures
Aerosol sealant
Apartments
Dwellings
Demising walls
Multifamily