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Title: Field Testing of Compartmentalization Methods for Multifamily Construction - Washington DC

Abstract

BSC TO5 Task 2.1 Field Testing of Compartmentalization Methods for Multifamily Construction - Capitol Heights, MD 20743 A building comprising five vertical townhome units was built in the Washington, D.C., area; the townhomes were three-story slab-on-grade units (1700-2000 ft2) with a rear-facing "tuck under" garage. The three-story townhome design results in 3 ACH50 being equivalent to a stringent surface-area based target (0.16-0.17 CFM50/ft2 building enclosure). The party walls between units were area separation walls, with a 2-hour fire resistance rating (Underwriters Laboratories U347 assembly; equivalent to U373 and U336). This assembly has a 1-in. vertical air cavity on each side of a 2-in. vertical gypsum panel in the middle of the assembly, resulting in an airflow network that is connected over multiple floors (despite nominal draft stopping), and has potential connections to exterior conditions. The test townhomes were built with several experimental airtightness details, including taping of exterior sheathing as an air barrier closure detail (in particular, at area separation walls). Various measures were applied to the units for this experiment, including a "control" conventional construction unit and some units with "improved" detailing (without taped sheathing).

Authors:
;
  1. Building Science Corporation
Publication Date:
Other Number(s):
5504
Research Org.:
DOE Open Energy Data Initiative (OEDI); Building Science Corporation
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Energy Efficiency Office. Building Technologies Office (EE-5B)
Collaborations:
Building Science Corporation
Subject:
Array; BuildingAmerica; air leakage; air sealing; airtightness; blower door testing; building america; demising wall; fire-resistance rated assembly; guarded leakage; large multifamily; mixed humid; modular; new construction; nulling; residential; small multifamily
OSTI Identifier:
2204223
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25984/2204223

Citation Formats

Ueno, Kohta, and Lstiburek, Joseph. Field Testing of Compartmentalization Methods for Multifamily Construction - Washington DC. United States: N. p., 2016. Web. doi:10.25984/2204223.
Ueno, Kohta, & Lstiburek, Joseph. Field Testing of Compartmentalization Methods for Multifamily Construction - Washington DC. United States. doi:https://doi.org/10.25984/2204223
Ueno, Kohta, and Lstiburek, Joseph. 2016. "Field Testing of Compartmentalization Methods for Multifamily Construction - Washington DC". United States. doi:https://doi.org/10.25984/2204223. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/2204223. Pub date:Wed Apr 27 00:00:00 EDT 2016
@article{osti_2204223,
title = {Field Testing of Compartmentalization Methods for Multifamily Construction - Washington DC},
author = {Ueno, Kohta and Lstiburek, Joseph},
abstractNote = {BSC TO5 Task 2.1 Field Testing of Compartmentalization Methods for Multifamily Construction - Capitol Heights, MD 20743 A building comprising five vertical townhome units was built in the Washington, D.C., area; the townhomes were three-story slab-on-grade units (1700-2000 ft2) with a rear-facing "tuck under" garage. The three-story townhome design results in 3 ACH50 being equivalent to a stringent surface-area based target (0.16-0.17 CFM50/ft2 building enclosure). The party walls between units were area separation walls, with a 2-hour fire resistance rating (Underwriters Laboratories U347 assembly; equivalent to U373 and U336). This assembly has a 1-in. vertical air cavity on each side of a 2-in. vertical gypsum panel in the middle of the assembly, resulting in an airflow network that is connected over multiple floors (despite nominal draft stopping), and has potential connections to exterior conditions. The test townhomes were built with several experimental airtightness details, including taping of exterior sheathing as an air barrier closure detail (in particular, at area separation walls). Various measures were applied to the units for this experiment, including a "control" conventional construction unit and some units with "improved" detailing (without taped sheathing).},
doi = {10.25984/2204223},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Apr 27 00:00:00 EDT 2016},
month = {Wed Apr 27 00:00:00 EDT 2016}
}