Abstract
Reliable airtightness data is needed to estimate the level of air infiltration and the thermal loads for improving building energy efficiency and indoor comfort. While useful information on air leakage in low-rise dwellings exists, there is little data available on dwellings in high-rise residential buildings (particularly those with a central core plan). In this study, airtightness measurements using the fan pressurization method were conducted on approximately 350 dwellings in 4 high-rise residential buildings in Korea. The results were compared with the airtightness requirements for high performance buildings or several airtightness ratings. The measured results showed that average ACH50 (air change per hour at 50Pa) was 2.3. This is within the range of 2~5, which is the level of ′quite tight′ based on the ASHRAE airtightness ratings. The results of the building component test showed that the parts of the dwelling that leaked the most were the internal walls between the residential units.
