The University is building a married student housing project that consists of a series of three story buildings. Each student housing unit is 1-3 bedrooms in size. All units are naturally ventilated with operable windows. There is no mechanical ventilation or ductwork that connects different units. All units have exterior doors. There are no interior corridors connecting the units. To comply with the LEED smoking prerequisite, we are following the CIR from 12/3/2003, option 2. Smoking will be prohibited in all common areas of the housing complex. No exterior smoking areas are being designated on project. Exterior doors on each unit are weather stripped, but there are no common hallways connecting doors from one unit to another. The ASTM standard outlined in part c of the 12/3/2003, option 2 CIR seems inappropriate to assess ETS transfer because the units do not share interior corridors. What should this project do/submit to show compliance with this prerequisite?
Although the units do not share interior corridors, presumably they do share common walls, plumbing chases, and ventilation/exhaust chases all of which could be a path for ETS transfer between units. Per the referenced CIR dated, 12/3/2003, for Compliance Option 2, "Acceptable sealing of residential units shall be demonstrated by a blower door test conducted in accordance with ASTM standard E779-99. . . using the progressive Sampling Process for Diagnostic Testing in . . . California 2001 Title 24 . . . Home Energy Rating Systems (HERS) Verification Procedure. . . Residential units must demonstrate less than 1.25 square inches leakage area per 100 square feet of enclosure area (i.e. sum of all wall, ceiling, and floor areas)." The project should be prepared to submit documentation that blower door testing (in compliance with ASTM Standard E779-99) was performed on at least 1 in 7 units where smoking is allowed (in compliance with referenced sampling methodology). Further the test results should indicate that there is less than 1.25 square inches of leakage area for per 100 square feet of enclosure area for each tested unit. If the test results indicate more than the allowed leakage in any of the units, the contractor shall fix the leakage and the units shall be re-tested (in compliance with referenced sampling methodology) until all tested units where smoking is allowed pass the testing. Blower door testing is not required for units where smoking is prohibited.