ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 51
COLUMN BUILDING SCIENCES
FIGURE 1 Stack Effect in a Tall Building. Interior
airflows in tall buildings compromise smoke control,
fire safety, indoor air quality, comfort and energy use.
FIGURE 2 More Stack Effect in a Tall Building. The air in lower units ends up in the upper units. I guess that is
why folks in the upper units pay more for the privilege.
Stack Effect Flow Out
(Exfiltration)
Poutside Drops with
Height Faster than
Pinside
That by itself "wins" the value
proposition and water control is
why most owners buy "air barriers"
and water control is why most
architects specify "air barriers."
Assemblies leaking rain just don't fly
and water leakage liability is a big
deal. But in terms of overall building
performance the "real action" is on
the inside. That's where the energy
penalties lie, that's where the indoor
air quality penalties lie and that's
where the smoke and fire control
penalties lie.
Most folks in the air barrier
business think that the "air barrier"
is the primary air enclosure
boundary that separates indoor
(conditioned) air and outdoor
(unconditioned) air. Most folks
forget that in high-rise buildings
and in multi-unit apartment
construction the air barrier system
is also supposed to separate the
conditioned air between floors and
from any given unit and adjacent
units. Even more importantly, the
air barrier is also the fire barrier
and smoke barrier in these interunit separations. This inter-unit
separation must meet specific fire
resistance ratings. There is a huge
†
business opportunity here that is
currently untapped-more surfaces
that need to be air barriers, hint,
hint.
The key to this argument is
understanding the stack effect. We
were here before ("How Buildings
Stack Up," ASHRAE Journal, February
2014). The stack effect gets its name
from the same phenomenon that
causes hot combustion gases to rise
in a chimney or chimney stack. A
heated building can be considered
a giant chimney where we live
and work inside of. The taller the
building, the greater the stack effect.
The colder the temperature, the
greater the stack effect. In heated
buildings, the air tends to flow out
of the top of the building while
inducing air to flow in at the bottom.
A real smart old guy wrote about this
in 1926.†
Stack effect driven airflows in
tall buildings compromise smoke
control and fire safety, adversely
affect indoor air quality and comfort
as well as increase operating costs
for space conditioning energy. The
No, I never met Professor Emswiler. Not even I am that old. Check out the bibliography
at the end of this column.
Pinside Drops with
Height Slower than
Poutside
Neutral Pressure Plane
FIGURE 3 Compartmentalization. Basically, you turn
a 10-story building into 10 one-story buildings that
are stacked on top of one another. By isolating the
units from each other and from corridors, shafts,
elevators and stairwells, stack-effect driven interior
airflows can be controlled.
Reduced Individual Unit Stack Effect
air in lower floors ends up in the
upper floors (Figures 1 and 2). I guess
that is why folks in the upper floors
pay more for the privilege.
By isolating the floors and units
from each other and from corridors,
shafts, elevators and stairwells,
stack-effect-driven interior airflows
Joseph W. Lstiburek, Ph.D., P.Eng., is a principal of
Building Science Corporation in Westford, Mass. Visit
www.buildingscience.com.
J U LY 2 0 19
ashrae.org
ASHRAE JOURNAL
51
http://www.buildingscience.com
https://www.ashrae.org/
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of ASHRAE Journal - July 2019
Contents
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - Intro
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - Cover1
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - Cover2
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 1
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - Contents
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 3
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 4
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 5
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 6
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 7
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 8
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 9
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 10
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 11
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 12
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 13
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 14
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 15
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 16
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 17
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 18
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 19
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 20
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 21
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 22
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 23
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 24
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 25
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 26
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 27
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 28
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 29
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 30
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 31
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 32
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 33
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 34
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 35
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 36
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 37
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 38
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 39
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 40
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 41
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 42
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 43
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 44
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 45
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 46
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 47
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 48
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 49
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 50
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 51
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 52
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 53
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 54
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 55
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 56
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 57
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 58
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 59
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 60
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 61
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 62
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 63
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 64
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 65
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 66
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 67
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 68
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 69
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 70
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 71
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 72
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 73
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 74
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 75
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 76
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 77
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 78
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 79
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 80
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 81
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 82
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 83
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 84
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 85
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 86
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 87
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 88
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 89
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 90
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 91
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 92
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 93
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 94
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 95
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 96
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 97
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 98
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 99
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 100
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 101
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 102
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 103
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 104
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 105
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 106
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 107
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 108
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 109
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 110
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 111
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 112
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 113
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 114
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 115
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 116
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 117
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 118
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 119
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - 120
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - Cover3
ASHRAE Journal - July 2019 - Cover4
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_VHQRAW
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_XGMDXI
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_YELQLJ
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_QJLWMC
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_MCDEBX
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_WNYSQY
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_XATVOD
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_FJSHSS
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_CCBZDS
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_XDEFVG
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_amca_2023november_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_amca_2023november
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_VHGNBL
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_WPKBNJ
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_UUVCDE
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_RTGDEW
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraemexico_2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_LKRFXS
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_AZSOFG
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_ERCDBH
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_QWDFRV
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_JHGVDF
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_OPUYHG
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_SREIBM
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_LRTGLK
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_OKRFGH
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_amca_2022november_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_amca_2022november
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_TZSERA
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_LVRUIX
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_RPTVYZ
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/mini_pub_catalog
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_XIYTGD
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraemexico_2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_RFGDOB
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_PABXNU
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_REMKLS
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_PICVBT
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_AOYTVW
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_JQOPLS
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_IOYTBC
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_SGAJJF
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_IGHYER
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_PDRKLS
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_amca_2021november
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_amca_2021november_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_XCODFR
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_QSLFGO
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_ILKVNM
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraemexico_2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_OPDJKD
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_VJKSRY
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_SDHUTC
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_JPPKRR
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_SDLTTH
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_CKLLES
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_SLDOX
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_HJETUK
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_OLUHGE
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_amca_2020october
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_amca_2020october_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_ZERDGH
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_QVMNEO
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_RTPOKE
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_BBATRE
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_STUBMW
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_TPEMPE
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_JNMKDS
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_FBTTPA
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_WQMMNE
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_TVBRYN
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_showguide2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_KTUZMA
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_ABEDGD
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_201910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_201909
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_amca_2019septmeber_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_amca_2019september
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_201908
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_201907
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_201906
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_201905
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_201904
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_2019april
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_201903
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_2019march
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_201902
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_201901
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_showguide2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_2018december
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_2018november
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_amca_2018fall_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_amca_2018fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_2018october
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraemexico_2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_201810
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraeinsights_201806
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_201805
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_201804
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_201803
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_201712
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_201711
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_201710
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_amca_2017fall_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_amca_2017fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_201709
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_201705
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashrae_meetinginsert_201610
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_amca_2016fall_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_amca_2016fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_acrexindia
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_amca_2015summer_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_amca_2015summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/amca/2014summer2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/amca/2014summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_acma_2014summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_201311
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_201309
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_acmasupp_2013fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_201305
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_201303
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/pubcatalog_2013winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_201211
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/achr_expo_mexico2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_201209
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_201208_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_201208_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/pubcatalog_2012summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_201205
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_201203
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/pubcatalog_2012winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_201111_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/ashraejournal_201109_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/pubcatalog_2011summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_201105
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/ashrae/meetingplanner_201103
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com