Continuous Accountability A Method to Assure Building Performance

Continuous Accountability: A Method to Assure Building Performance Presented to Penn State Student Chapter of ASHRAE 12 September 2002 By James E. Woods, Ph. D. , P. E. The Building Diagnostics Research Institute, Inc.

Presentation Content Part 1: Introduce whole building concepts and consequences of Continuous Degradation, Continuous Accountability, and Building Diagnostics Part 2: Discuss Lessons Learned from ASHRAE Study Group on Building Health and Safety under Extraordinary Incidents Part 3: Describe Diagnostic Procedures, and Evaluation and Classification Criteria for virtual and actual buildings

Part 1: Whole Building Concepts Ø Purpose of Buildings Ø Fundamental Objectives of Environmental Control Ø Continuous Degradation Ø Continuous Accountability Ø Building Diagnostics

Purpose of Buildings Ø Provide secure, safe, and healthy conditions Ø Facilitate well being and productivity of occupants, owners, and managers Ø Four functional categories: ü Residential ü Educational ü Health Care ü Commercial/Public Assembly

Fundamental Objectives of Environmental Control Ø Prevent adverse health and safety effects Ø Provide for desired conditions: ü Human Response ü Occupant Performance ü Productivity Ø Achieve by simultaneous control of exposure parameters: ü Thermal ü IAQ ü Lighting ü Acoustics

Definition of Indoor Air Quality “The nature of air that affects the health and well-being of occupants”

Definition of Health From the Constitution of the World Health Organization (1946): “Health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. ”

Current Drivers Safety and Environment • Green Buildings • Sustainability • Global warming • Moisture and Mold • Environmental Security Energy • Reduced loads and capacities • Advanced control strategies • Changes in O&M procedures Productivity • Health awareness • Occupant performance • Health care costs • Employee absences • O & M costs • Value Engineering • Fear of terrorism

Regulations, Standards, Guidelines and Codes Regulations ü GSA PBS P-100 ü Executive Orders ü GSA HVAC Excellence Criteria ü Others Guidelines ü USGBC LEED™ Criteria ü NIBS Whole Building Commissioning ü ASHRAE Risk Management Guidance on Health and Safety under Extraordinary Incidents ü Others Standards ü ASHRAE Standards 55, 62, 90, and others ü ASTM Standards ü ANSI Standards ü Others Model Codes üUBC/BOCA/SBC üIBC üNFPA (NEC/NMC) üOthers

Existing Building Stock Ø In USA: ü > 100 million residential buildings ü > 4. 6 million non-residential buildings ü 2 -4% replacement rate ü 80 - 90% in use in 2025 already exist Ø Global: ü Similar percentages in developed regions ü Different percentages in developing regions

Concept of Continuous Degradation Non-industrial Buildings Problem Buildings (20 - 30%) BRI (5 - 10%) SBS (10 - 25%) Buildings Without Known Problems (70 - 80%) UPB (10 - 20%) HB (50 - 70%)

Problem Buildings Magnitude of Problem Symptoms or Illnesses • 20 -50% existing buildings in NA and WE • Occupant complaints & symptoms • Most common chronic disease • Leading cause of school absences • Allergic rhinitis • Most lethal infection in health care facilities • Tuberculosis • 6% global mortality from indoor biomass fuels • Respiratory diseases • Asthma

Types of Problem Buildings Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) Building Related Illness (BRI) ü Persistence of symptoms ü Substantial percentage affected ü Rapid relief on exit ü Causes Unknown ü Clinical signs Solve by System Performance Solve by Source Removal ü More than one affected ü Linkages to indoor exposures

Healthy Buildings Ideal: (Berglund, et al) Pragmatic: (Woods, et al) • Free from BRI and discomfort • Promote well being and health • Provide for: • Non-hazardous conditions • Thermal comfort • Pleasant air quality • Illumination and acoustic satisfaction • Social needs and productivity • Distinguished aesthetic qualities • Minimize occupant complaints • Comply with “acceptable criteria” • Exposures • System performance • Economic performance Undetected Problems Some discomfort and symptoms • Non-compliance with some “acceptable” criteria

Summary of Consequences of Continuous Degradation (1) Ø > 20% occupants with symptoms Ø > 20% occupants with hampered performance Ø >50% occupants have loss of confidence in management Ø Potential cost of recovering “good will” from: ü SBS > cost of mitigation ü BRI > cost of facility

Summary of Consequences of Continuous Degradation (2) Ø $40 - 60 B/ yr (Woods, 1989) Ø Up to $60 B/yr (EPA, 1989) Ø $6 - 14 B/yr from increased respiratory diseases (Fisk, 1999) Ø $2 - 4 B/yr from increased asthma and allergies (Fisk, 1999) Ø $15 - 38 B/yr from SBS (Fisk, 1999) Ø $20 - 200 B/yr from reduced productivity (Fisk, 1999)

Primary Causes of Continuous Degradation Ø Lack of accountability for building performance Ø Abdication of professional responsibility for building performance Ø Lack of occupant awareness of consequences of problem buildings Ø Lack of scientific quantitative data on building performance

Interception of Continuous Degradation Building Diagnostics Intervention Continuous Accountability Problem Building Healthy Building

Commitments needed for Continuous Accountability Accountable person must be: Ø Explicitly identified for each phase in building’s life Ø Empowered with authority to assure building performance Ø Educated and trained to assure adequate building performance and occupant protection

Planning & Conceptual Design Commissioning & Substantial Completion Performance Criteria an Accountability Tr ate alu Ev sla As Owner Manager Financier Tenant Planner Occupant Designer Healthy Building Builder Designer Builder Owner Tenant Financier te t Se su re Occupancy & Functional Performance Detailed Design & Construction

Part 2: Summary of ASHRAE Study Group Report: Risk Management Guidance for Health and Safety Under Extraordinary Incidents Released 14 January 2002 Report Available at www. ashrae. org

Charge to Study Group Based on ASHRAE’s expertise and responsibilities, a Presidential Study Group was appointed in October 2001 to: Provide initial guidance on actions that should be taken to reduce health and safety risks of occupants in buildings that might be subjected to extraordinary incidences.

Problem Statement Building owners and occupants may now be willing to redirect resources to enhance building performance: • To further reduce occupant risks associated with extraordinary incidences, • While continuing to provide acceptable indoor environments, with energy efficiency and cost effectiveness during normal conditions.

Issues Included in Report (1) Study pertains to public use and assembly buildings • • Commercial Institution Educational Residential for more than four families

Issues Included in Report (2) Study addresses aspects of building performance that affect health and safety under extraordinary incidents • • Egress CBR protection Fire protection Smoke removal or purging Filtration Air Quality Entrance paths for contaminants Building envelope

Limits of the Report The fundamental parameters of risk/benefit, cost, and level of protection were considered. But the recommendations are limited based on time and current state of knowledge.

Lessons Learned (1) Committee deliberations on the events of 9/11, and the subsequent Anthrax attacks, suggested that: Methods of protection from intentional extraordinary incidents are related to protection from accidental and naturally occurring extraordinary incidents.

Lessons Learned (2) US buildings have important safety features against some threats because of: • Quality of standards of care practiced in the US. • Enforcement of building codes and standards during design and construction. • Legal liability of designers, constructors and owners.

Lessons Learned (3) To protect against aerosol attacks from an external source, building openings where aerosols might enter must be: • Capable of timely closure. • Located remote from any launch site. • Equipped with adequate filtration.

Lessons Learned (4) To protect against aerosol attacks from a source inside a building: • Site of initial release must be isolated in a timely manner by closure of all openings to other spaces. • Any contaminated space must be isolated as described above.

Lessons Learned (5) Sensors, monitors or other detectors are not presently available, or are not reliable for many contaminants. This RULES OUT feedback control as a strategy for now.

Lessons Learned (6) Areas of Refuge may not be economically viable in most buildings. Therefore, practical and commercially viable applications of HVAC technologies include: • Enhancement of building egress paths. • Isolation of significant contamination to selected building volumes.

Lessons Learned (7) Enhanced filtration is a desirable, but not sufficient, control strategy to reduce occupant risk to airborne contaminants. A comprehensive strategy must link: • Enhanced filtration, • Building pressurization of its interior relative to the outdoors, and • Improved air tightness.

Recommendations for Owners and Managers of Existing Buildings 1. Understand capabilities of your building and its systems. 2. Assure that your building is performing as intended. 3. Do not make changes to building performance unless the consequences are understood.

List of Major Systems, Components, and Processes to Consider 1. Ventilation system operation 2. Filter efficiency and bypass 3. Quantity of outdoor air 4. Control access to air handler components 5. Isolate likely entry points 6. Fire protection and life safety 7. Building shell and duct tightness 8. Areas of Refuge 9. Preparedness Plan 10. What Not To Do

Continued ASHRAE Study Presidential Ad Hoc Committee has been appointed to: • Continue to work on issues defined by Study Group • Develop recommendations on specific actions ASHRAE should take • Coordinate ASHRAE’s activities in this effort with other recognized engineering and scientific organizations • Present Report by January 2003

Scope of ASHRAE Report • Will address health, comfort, and environmental security issues involving air, food and water • Will focus on: – – – Risk Management Procedures Infrastructure Constraints Recommendations for Existing Buildings Recommendations for New Buildings Recommendations for ASHRAE Action and Commitments

Conclusions g Threats and fear of bio-terrorism require careful consideration, but should not be the primary focus of building performance g. The importance of Continuous Accountability has been reinforced by the awareness of bio-terrorism g. Rigorous application of known principles of design, construction and operations minimize threat of bio-terrorism and enhance health, safety and productivity