Indoor air quality evaluation of a new office building

An evaluation of the thermal and environmental performance of a new federal office building in Portland, Oregon, was performed by the Center for Building Technology, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). This evaluation is part of a research effort to develop methods for evaluating buildings with advanced technology during the pre-occupancy and early occupancy stages. The procedure used for this evaluation was to install in the new office building a diagnostic center capable of monitoring important environmental parameters. The measurements included: air infiltration and ventilation rates; building envelope tightness; interzone air movement; detection of envelope thermal deficiencies; envelope thermal resistance; and the levels of indoor contaminants. The indoor contaminants measured include carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide (CO), respirable particulates in the 0.3-10 micron range, formaldehyde, radon and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that could be emitted either by the new building materials and furnishings or the activities of the building occupants. There were more than 100 monitoring points (see Figure 1) installed in the building's interior space, HVAC systems and underground parking garage. Many measurements were made in real-time.