ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - 72

Photo 1: Looks Good Now. You should have seen this place when the timber frame was rotting and the basement was smelling and the rubble foundation was leaking and the floors were freezing. Rubble Foundations By Joseph W. Lstiburek, Ph.D., P.Eng., Fellow ASHRAE I t’s pretty easy to deal with new basements. They are not hard to insulate. The majority of them do not leak or smell, and the buildings on top of them are generally not rotting.* If you want a challenge, try dealing with century-old houses sitting on top of rubble foundations. These houses are not going away, and sooner or later we must fix and insulate them. The good news is that we know how to do it. The bad news is that there are not too many shortcuts. The days of plugging in a dehumidifier in the basement and hanging fiberglass batts from the rim framing are long gone. And you can forget about insulating the main floor (the basement ceiling) and pretending that the basement isn’t there. Whether you like it or not, the basement is coupled to your house, especially when your furnace, water heater, boiler and who knows what else are located there. In dealing with rubble foundations, first we have to deal with the water. Then, we have to deal with the water. And finally, we have to deal with the water. Unless you are very, very lucky, almost all rubble foundations are leaky and damp. Every civil engineer will tell you that the best way to deal with leaking foundations is to dig them up from the outside, install perimeter drainage on the outside, install a drainage layer over waterproofing on the outside and call it a day. That’s the theory, and the theory works.† However, contrary to popular thinking, you don’t have to dig them up to fix and insulate them. We can get there for a lot less effort and money. Check out the house in Photo 1, which was built in 1880 on top of a rubble foundation. It was a dump. Every time it rained the basement flooded. And, it wasn’t really a basement. It was sort of a tall crawlspace with a short crawlspace attached to one side. The house smelled. It smelled bad. Moldy, musty, and dirt-like. The floors were freezing in the winter. During cold weather, it was impossible to keep the basement door closed because of the draft rushing up from purgatory. In other words, it was the perfect house for us, so we bought it. Yes, my bride and I live in this house. We couldn’t afford to dig it up from the outside because we didn’t have the money and besides the “Historical Commission”‡ wouldn’t let us. They didn’t want us to touch the appearance of the rubble foundation that extended above grade. What to do? The lack of money is the mother of all innovation.§ The approach we took was to connect the short crawlspace to the tall crawlspace, provide interior drainage and separate the wood structure from the rubble foundation with a capillary * Yes, yes, yes. I know that “all y’all” (Texan plural form of “you all”) know of lots and lots of new houses that are rotting and have leaking basements. But, they are the exception, not the rule. And, they are pretty easy to fix. † In theory, communism works. You folks have no idea how hard I had to restrain myself from expanding on this footnote. ‡ Also known as the “Hysterical Commission.” They are supported with tax money and pretty much make things up as they go along, affecting property values capriciously and brazenly. These commissions are typically quasi-judicial tribunals that have authority without accountability. To beat them, you have to take them to court where there are adults. This takes time and money. I love old things, especially old buildings. I want to be able to fix them so that they will be able to survive another century or two. To have to argue with someone who has an art history degree and who could not get a real job is very irritating. Thank God for bourbon. § Apologies to Plato who first said “necessity, who is the mother of invention.” ASHRAE Journal ashrae.org March 2010

ASHRAE Journal - March 2010

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of ASHRAE Journal - March 2010

Contents
Commentary
Industry News
Letters
Meetings and Shows
Feature Articles
Standard 62.1-2007: Dynamic Reset for Multiple-Zone Systems
35 Years of Standard 90.1
Humidity Controls for Data Centers: Are They Necessary?
ASHRAE’s Best: 2010 Technology Awards
Technology Award Case Studies: Green Warehouse
Building Sciences
Products
Emerging Technologies
Special Products
Classified Advertising
Advertisers Index
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - Cover1
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - Cover2
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - 1
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - 2
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - Contents
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - Commentary
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - 5
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - Industry News
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - 7
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - 8
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - MIT1
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - MIT2
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - MIT3
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - MIT4
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - MIT5
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - MIT6
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - MIT7
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - MIT8
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - 9
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - 10
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - 11
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - Letters
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - 13
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - 14
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - 15
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - 16
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - 17
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - 18
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - 19
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - Meetings and Shows
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - 21
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - Standard 62.1-2007: Dynamic Reset for Multiple-Zone Systems
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - 23
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - 24
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - 24a
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - 24b
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - 25
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - 26
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - 27
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - 28
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - 29
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - 30
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - 31
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - 32
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - 33
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - 34
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - 35
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - 35 Years of Standard 90.1
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - 37
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - 38
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - 39
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - 40
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - MITE1
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - MITE2
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - 41
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - 42
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - 43
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - 44
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - 45
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - 46
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - 47
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - Humidity Controls for Data Centers: Are They Necessary?
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - 49
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - 50
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - 51
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - 52
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - 53
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - 54
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - 55
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - ASHRAE’s Best: 2010 Technology Awards
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - 57
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - 58
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - 59
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - 60
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - 61
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - 62
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - 63
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - Technology Award Case Studies: Green Warehouse
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - 65
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - 66
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - 67
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - 68
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - 69
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - 70
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - 71
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - Building Sciences
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - 73
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - 74
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - 75
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - 76
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - 77
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - 78
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - 79
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - Products
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - 81
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - Emerging Technologies
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - 83
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - Special Products
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - Classified Advertising
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - 86
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - 87
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - Advertisers Index
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - Cover3
ASHRAE Journal - March 2010 - Cover4
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_MCDEBX
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_WNYSQY
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_XATVOD
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_FJSHSS
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_CCBZDS
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_XDEFVG
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_amca_2023november_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_amca_2023november
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_VHGNBL
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_WPKBNJ
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_UUVCDE
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_RTGDEW
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraemexico_2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_LKRFXS
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_AZSOFG
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_ERCDBH
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_QWDFRV
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_JHGVDF
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_OPUYHG
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_SREIBM
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_LRTGLK
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_OKRFGH
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_amca_2022november_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_amca_2022november
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_TZSERA
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_LVRUIX
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_RPTVYZ
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/mini_pub_catalog
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_XIYTGD
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraemexico_2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_RFGDOB
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_PABXNU
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_REMKLS
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_PICVBT
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_AOYTVW
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_JQOPLS
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_IOYTBC
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_SGAJJF
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_IGHYER
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_PDRKLS
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_amca_2021november
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_amca_2021november_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_XCODFR
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_QSLFGO
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_ILKVNM
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraemexico_2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_OPDJKD
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_VJKSRY
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_SDHUTC
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_JPPKRR
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_SDLTTH
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_CKLLES
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_SLDOX
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_HJETUK
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_OLUHGE
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_amca_2020october
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_amca_2020october_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_ZERDGH
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_QVMNEO
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_RTPOKE
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_BBATRE
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_STUBMW
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_TPEMPE
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_JNMKDS
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_FBTTPA
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_WQMMNE
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_TVBRYN
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_showguide2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_KTUZMA
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_ABEDGD
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_201910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_201909
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_amca_2019septmeber_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_amca_2019september
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_201908
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_201907
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_201906
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_201905
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_201904
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_2019april
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_201903
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_2019march
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_201902
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_201901
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_showguide2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_2018december
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_2018november
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_amca_2018fall_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_amca_2018fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_2018october
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraemexico_2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_201810
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraeinsights_201806
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_201805
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_201804
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_201803
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_201712
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_201711
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_201710
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_amca_2017fall_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_amca_2017fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_201709
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_201705
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashrae_meetinginsert_201610
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_amca_2016fall_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_amca_2016fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_acrexindia
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_amca_2015summer_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_amca_2015summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/amca/2014summer2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/amca/2014summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_acma_2014summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_201311
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_201309
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_acmasupp_2013fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_201305
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_201303
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/pubcatalog_2013winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_201211
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/achr_expo_mexico2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_201209
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_201208_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_201208_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/pubcatalog_2012summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_201205
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_201203
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/pubcatalog_2012winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_201111_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_201109_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/pubcatalog_2011summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_201105
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_201103
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com