ASHRAE Journal - April 2014 - 95

Column Iaq applIcatIons

Case Study of a Traditionally Built School
Recently, I visited a school undergoing major renovation and expansion work as a consultant to the school
board on construction health and safety issues. The
conditions at the site were of concern to the local
school board because of what appeared to be an
unusual amount of airborne dust, construction debris
and an airborne haze.
Activities occurring during my site visit included
welding, drywall construction, floor tile removal and
replacement, sawing, drilling, cement floor grinding, electrical work and painting, etc., all at the same
time. These activities resulted in a considerable
amount of waste, dust and airborne particulates as
well as odors.
To compound the problem, there were not adequate
measures in place to control and limit the migration of airborne contaminants. There were no barriers erected around areas where dustier or odorous
moll9m5) addresses concerns about water intrusion
and mold growth during construction.
The Indoor Air Quality Guide: Best Practices for Design,
Construction, and Commissioning published by ASHRAE in
2010 provides insight into the design of buildings and
IEQ (it was funded by the EPA with the participation
of AIA, SMACNA, BOMA, USGBC, EPA and ASHRAE).
The summary guidance provides an overview of eight
objectives for design and construction to achieve good
indoor air quality.
ASHRAE's ventilation standard (62.1) and green
building standard (189.1) also provide significant
guidance.

LEED v4-New Construction (NC)
Recently in Canada, there have been a number of new
building contracts that included hefty (into the millions of dollars) financial penalty clauses for the general contractor if the building failed LEED EQ Credit
3.2, the indoor air quality credit, or some equivalent
criteria. Also in recent years, stringent laws have been

activities were under way, and no dust control measures such as regular sweeping and use of dust suppression methods or products.
By contrast on sustainable construction sites, housekeeping is an integral part of the construction process.
It is expected that all dust and debris generated during
the day will be cleaned up by the end of the workday,
and that effective dust suppression methods will be
implemented. In some cases, alternative ventilationfitted specified filtration (e.g., MERV 8 or higher) has
been established early in the construction process,
and it is expected to help reduce airborne dust and
haze by allowing for contaminant dilution. Dedicated
exhausts and ventilation are also being used when a
particularly "dirty" operation, such as applying epoxy
paint, is under way. It is critical to the success of the
efforts that all trades personnel participate in keeping
the construction site clean.
enacted about the exposure of workers to construction
dust, silica dust and asbestos.
One primary incentive to address IAQ concerns during construction is to achieve certification from a
building rating system. For example, in the LEED-NC,
there is a credit for a construction indoor air quality
plan (EQc3.1). To earn that point, the IAQ management
plan for the construction and preoccupancy phases of
the building is to be developed and implemented by
the general contractor.
In particular, there is a requirement that all applicable recommended control measures in Chapter
3 of theANSI/SMACNA IAQ guidelines as well as the
ASHRAE IAQ Guide be met or exceeded. These control
measures include: protection of the HVAC system during construction; source control of all potential air
contaminants; product substitution when appropriate;
pathway interruption to prevent the dispersal of air
contaminants to other sections of the building; housekeeping; scheduling of construction activities; and
occupant relocation.

Apri l 2014

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