<title>Air-leakage effects on stone cladding panels</title>

Abstract

This paper looks at the effects of air leakage on insulated stone clad precast panels used in present day construction of large commercial buildings. The building investigated was a newly built twenty story office building in a high density urban setting. Air leakage was suspected as a possible cause for thermal comfort complaints at isolated locations within the perimeter zones of the building. During the warrantee period the building owner asked for a quality control inspection of the air barrier assembly of the building envelope. Infrared thermography was used to locate areas of suspected air leakage within the building envelope. In order to differentiate thermal patterns produced by air leakage, conduction and convection as well as radiation from external sources, the building was inspected from the exterior; (1) after being pressurized for three hours, (2) one hour after the building was depressurized and (3) two and a half hours after total building depressurization was maintained by the building mechanical systems. Thermal images from similar locations were correlated for each time and pressure setting to verify air leakage locations within the building envelope. Areas exhibiting air leakage were identified and contractors were requested to carry out the necessary repairs. The pressure differential across the building envelope needs to be known in order to properly carry out an inspection to identify all locations of air leakage within a building envelope. As well the direction of the air movement and the density of the cladding material need to be accounted for in the proper inspection of these types of wall assemblies.