Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Underfloor air distribution systems: Benefits and when to use the system in building design

Conference ·
OSTI ID:211850
 [1]
  1. Keen Engineering Co., Ltd., Vancouver, British Columbia (Canada)

Underfloor air distribution systems are a viable option for mechanical system building design. They are comprised of raised floor panels with a supply air plenum in the void between the raised floor and the concrete structure. Supply air grilles are flush mounted to the floor to create a flat floor and walking surface. The engineering challenge is to determine when to use underfloor air distribution systems and how to effectively apply them. The best places to use this system are in owner-occupied buildings with a high churn rate and/or frequent technology changes. The benefits of this system include fresh air at the level where building occupants are located, forgiveness for variations in internal cooling loads, easy relocation of the supply air grilles to suit revised layouts, a reduction in energy costs for the mechanical system, and an improvement in indoor air quality.

OSTI ID:
211850
Report Number(s):
CONF-950624--
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

Similar Records

Underfloor air distribution solutions for open office applications
Conference · Thu Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 1999 · OSTI ID:20002341

Alternative Air Conditioning Technologies: Underfloor AirDistribution (UFAD)
Technical Report · Tue Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 2004 · OSTI ID:861498

Performance of underfloor air distribution: Results of a field study
Technical Report · Thu Sep 02 00:00:00 EDT 2004 · OSTI ID:840446