MECHANICAL VENTILATION SYSTEM FOR ACCEPTABLE INDOOR AIR QUALITY FOR A CAR PARK.

Use of Building: Car Park and Apartments Rise in Storeys: 2 Total Floor Area: 360m2 Car park only

Class of Building: 2 & 7a No. of Storeys: 2 Works Commenced: No

Background A building notice was issued by the Municipal Building Surveyor on the owner of the subject property. The notice identified that the building car park mechanical ventilation system was deficient in that the exhaust fumes from the vehicles within the car park were causing a nuisance to the surrounding adjoining properties. To satisfy the building notice, the owner engaged a mechanical engineer to design an appropriate mechanical exhaust system for this 13-space car park. The engineer designed a system with minor departures from the code requirements due to the existing building design and its constraints. Nature of Modification No. 1 To permit the car park mechanical exhaust discharge point to be located less than 6 metres from ventilation openings in the building. Nature of Modification No. 2 To permit the car park mechanical exhaust system to have exhaust air drawn into the air intakes at high level only, as the car park finished floor level is 300mm below the street level. Legislative Requirements Performance Requirement: FP4.4 & FP4.5 Deem-to-Satisfy Provisions: F4.11 (Inter alia AS1668.2 Clause 4.11) FP4.4 A mechanical air handling system installed in a building must control (a) the circulation of objectionable odours; and (b) the accumulation of harmful contamination by pathogens and toxins. FP4.5 Contaminated air must be disposed of in a manner which does not unduly create a nuisance or hazard to people in the building or other property.

micro-organisms,

Applicants Supporting Reasons The applicant submitted the following in respect of the application: The building is 80 years old and in 1993 it was fully refurbished and converted into apartments and car park. There are limitations in which the front faade could be penetrated for the discharge point to the street alignment without major disturbance to the existing building. The discharge point for exhaust will be above the existing roller door and within 6 metres of the surrounding openings of the building. The car park has spaces for 13 cars for residential use only. Car movements are expected to be low. The car park exhaust system is to have high-level exhaust only to simplify the exhaust arrangements due to the car park being 1.2 metres below the street level. Any odours or contamination that may be in the air stream adjacent the discharge point will be similar to or no worse than the situation of a car or van driving down the street. Such a system is very unlikely to provide a case for nuisance.

Comments The relevant building surveyor was consulted and offered no objection to the proposal.

BAB Determination No.1 Approved. BAB Determination No.2 Approved.

Supporting information attached with application These plans were provided by the applicant to illustrate the design of the mechanical ventilation system.