Field Testing to Characterize Suite Ventilation in Recently Constructed Mid- and High-Rise Residential Buildings

This report characterizes ventilation in residential suites located in ten buildings in major metropolitan areas of Canada. All buildings were between six (6) and thirty-two (32) stories high and were built between 1990 and 1995.

Ventilation in mid- and high-rise residential buildings is a particularly complex issue to investigate and to discuss in a report.

This report answers three key questions:

• What are the key parameters that characterize suite ventilation?
• What field tests are required to collect data that determine these parameters?
• Based in field tests of ten suites, what are their ventilation characteristics?

The field performance tests showed suite ventilation to be highly influenced by weather, suite location within the building, and treatment of both interior and corridor access doors. As a result, ventilation within a suite at any given time is very difficult to predict. The test results also showed there are substantial amounts of transfer air entering the test suites.

To ensure suite ventilation is both controlled and adequate under normal operating conditions, the building industry will need to develop and follow a strict set of ventilation design practices.