Seunghwan Park, Sowoo Park, Doosam Song. Guidelines for predicting airtightness in residential buildings under climatic pressure conditions[J]. Energy and Built Environment, 2026, 7(2): 267-277.
DOI:
Seunghwan Park, Sowoo Park, Doosam Song. Guidelines for predicting airtightness in residential buildings under climatic pressure conditions[J]. Energy and Built Environment, 2026, 7(2): 267-277. DOI: 10.1016/j.enbenv.2024.11.002.
Guidelines for predicting airtightness in residential buildings under climatic pressure conditions
摘要
Abstract
This paper presents a generalized approach for predicting building airtightness based on pressure difference measurements
along with practical guidelines for applying this method. Studies have proposed a validated method for predicting the airtightness of high-rise residential buildings in winter using the pressure difference caused by the stack effect. However
practical guidelines for its implementation are lacking. To generalize the airtightness prediction method
a 95% confidence interval for the results was calculated using data from the blower door tests. Based on the calculated results
the applicable pressure difference was determined. For each building analyzed
the minimum differential pressure within a 95% confidence interval was at least 20 Pa. Furthermore
to provide guidelines for applying the proposed airtightness prediction method
acceptable conditions characterized by ΔH × ΔT ≥ 750 m∙°C were calculated. The acceptable condition
demonstrated the highest level of agreement between predicted and measured values across all buildings evaluated. This study outlines practical guidelines for using the proposed methodology under these conditions. The approach offers a significant advantage by relying solely on measuring pressure difference
thereby eliminating the need for a complex and often challenging blower door test typically used in real-world scenarios. By applying this method to predict buidling airtightness
the accuracy of predictions for energy use intensity and indoor air quality can be significantly improved.