I have a client who is asking about air testing for an office building renovation project where small parts of each floor will be renovated. The building has 8 floors with north and south sections. When calculating the number of tests, do we test in the areas renovated only or do we test the same way we would if the whole floor were renovated if it's all one zone? So if only 2,000 square feet were renovated do we have to test the whole floor even if it is 40,000 square feet and possibly could mean 2 tests per floor? I think this project may be better served by a flush out. Does anyone have any advice?
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Tom Nichols
LEED AP (O+M)4 Elements Group
45 thumbs up
March 10, 2017 - 12:07 pm
Julie,
If the LEED project area is identified as just the renovated areas than you are only required to test those areas not the whole floor.
Dale Walsh
30 thumbs up
March 10, 2017 - 3:23 pm
Is your client asking about air testing because this is a major renovation and he/she wants LEED points for it when it is done or because he/she is concerned over air quality in an occupied building during the renovation? If it is the latter, then LEED air testing or flush out would be completely useless. Actually, in my 30 year IAQ experience CIH opinion, the LEED approach to IAQ is pretty worthless overall except for getting a few LEED points. If the concern is dust and odors affecting occupants during the renovation, then direct reading particle counters and PIDs and complying with SMACNA IAQ Guidelines for Occupied Buildings Under Construction, 2nd edition ANSI/SMACNA 008-2008 would be much more appropriate,
Julie Barth
Industrial HygienistAria Environmental, Inc.
1 thumbs up
March 10, 2017 - 5:30 pm
Thanks Thomas and Dale. Dale - I am a CIH as well and a consultant. I met you at the AIHCE in Montreal, and I am right now the Chair of the AIHA Green Building Working Group. This client is only asking for advice about air quality testing for the credit. Each floor has a separate AHU feeding it. All floors are less than 25,000 square feet. We are going to perform one set of tests per floor. I agree with you about using the real time instruments for monitoring in occupied areas during construction. We actually do that all the time for school and hospital projects. Thanks again.
Dale Walsh
30 thumbs up
March 10, 2017 - 7:44 pm
Julie - Sorry for my lack of recognition. I cancelled my AIHA membership a few years ago and haven't kept up with who is doing what there. After more than a decade of trying to get the Green building industry to change their approach on IAQ I gave up and now I just occasionally express my displeasure in venues like this. I hope that one day the USGBC and other Green building groups will finally listen to people like you and others who actually do IAQ evaluations for a living. Not holding my breath. I'll just continue to diagnose and treat IAQ issues often caused by those deaf people instead of helping to prevent them.