SMACNA Short Summary

IAQ in Buildings Under Construction (indoor air quality guidelines) JOANNA R. TURPIN 02/12/2001 Air Conditioning, Heating&Refrigeration News-21 Most of the time we think about indoor air quality (IAQ) problems in terms of buildings that are already completed and occupied. Those problems may consist of mold growth and/or improper ventilation. But have you ever thought about the kinds of IAQ problems that can occur in buildings that may be occupied but are still under construction? The Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors' National Association (SMACNA) says there are real problems that can happen, and the organization would like contractors to take the necessary precautions when working in an occupied building.

SMACNA's book, IAQ Guidelines for Occupied Buildings Under Construction, encourages contractors to take a look at the construction process ahead of time and to plan every step of the way with IAQ in mind. FILLING A NEED SMACNA decided to produce this guideline after members attended an ASHRAE meeting several years ago. At that conference, Bill Navas, project manager, SMACNA, says they could see from a large cross-section of the construction industry that there was a huge need for an organized set of guidelines for occupied buildings under construction. "There's plenty of guidance for buildings under operation; ASHRAE has standards. But the situation during construction is very specialized. It presents some very unique problems. And really, the available information is only in the way of the experience factor. Contractors who are experienced in construction recall cases of what they have seen and react accordingly," says Navas. The book, which was written under SMACNA's Building Services Committee, brings together the knowledge from various experiences in order to give readers valuable guidance on how they should proceed. It is well known that certain construction processes create certain pollutants and that certain situations could be annoying to people who are already occupying a building. Navas notes that there are usually two cases in which these construction processes can create a problem: 1. When a building is partially under construction because it's in the process of being completed; and 2. When the building is already in operation but portions of it are taken out for construction. Several states have already adopted the organization's guidelines, Massachusetts being the most recent. In that case, the Department of Public Health noted several problems with air quality in Massachusetts' public schools when renovation projects were in progress.

The result is that the Department of Public Health has requested that the Department of Education mandate the application of the SMACNA publication by all contractors bidding for construction projects. DUST IS AN ISSUE The book notes that several types of airborne contaminants can occur in a building under construction. The first is dust, which will find its way all over the building unless properly contained. The second source of pollutants involves odors or dust that are involved in the construction process (coatings, adhesives, etc.). The third source includes emissions produced from equipment used during construction. The fourth category comes into play when damage to existing building systems (demolition of ductwork, etc.) occurs and results in the release of contaminants, such as dust, steam, or natural gas. The final source of pollutants includes those released from waste construction materials that are being stored or transported. For hvac contractors, dust is probably the biggest issue. That's because the hvac system itself is often the way in which many pollutants, including dust, are circulated throughout a building. These pollutants can enter a building through return grilles, through the mechanical room, through hvac system intakes, and via temporary or permanent cross-connections. While dust can never be contained completely, the book points out ways in which the hvac contractor can keep it in check. Contractors should start by making sure they don't contaminate the ductwork with dust in the first place. Therefore, one of the steps involves the registers being sealed. Once dust gets into the ductwork, there are two problems: 1. If the system is operational, dust is being moved everywhere in the building. 2. If the system isn't operational, once it starts up, the dust will cover all the furnishings. It's also important that contractors understand how the hvac system works -- where it runs from and to -- so that if somebody needs air conditioning in a certain area of the building or on a certain floor, they know how to get air to the occupants without getting pollutants from the construction area to them. SMACNA's goal in writing the book was to provide an easy-to-use reference guide for contractors, building owners, architects, and anyone else involved in construction of occupied buildings. Some of that reference material answers these questions: * What are the most common sources of airborne contaminants? * What IAQ control measures can be effective? * How can a construction project be planned for good IAQ? * How can a site be monitored for compliance with IAQ requirements? As Navas notes, this is not rocket science. "Construction people know exactly what the problems are going to be, so the important thing is to plan ahead of time as to the types of

controls that they're going to exert over the construction process so as to limit or avoid creating hazardous conditions for occupants. Sometimes it's just an annoyance. Sometimes it's a very serious thing." To order SMACNA's IAQ Guidelines for Occupied Buildings Under Construction, call 703-8032989, or visit the organization online at www.smacna.org . The list price for the manual is $83, and the discounted price for architectural and engineering firms, government organizations, and schools is $58. ********************************************************************************************* ******** From Energy and Environmental Guidelines for Construction http://www.eere.energy.gov/buildings/info/design/construction.html#iaq

Indoor Air Quality During Construction During construction, dust, VOCs, and emissions from equipment permeate the building site and the building itself. Poor indoor air quality (IAQ) can damage the health of workers and occupants of nearby buildings. It is important to take specific measures to protect IAQ on the site during construction, and after.

Create a written plan for the contractor to use in managing air quality on the construction site. Put up barriers to keep noise and pollutants from migrating. Ventilate the site through the building's HVAC system, once installed, and with temporary exhaust systems before installation. Increase the amount of outside air coming into the building while under construction, to reduce pollutants. Create controls such as scheduling construction activities at the end of the day, to ventilate over night while site and surroundings are unoccupied. Be aware of air quality throughout the project, not just during times of activities that create high amounts of airborne pollutants and emissions. Regularly monitor IAQ with tests and inspections and adjust the ventilation and scheduling if necessary to improve IAQ Prevent poor IAQ by selecting materials and products designed for less off gassing, such as low VOC paints and sealants and formaldehyde-free particle board Keep the site and interiors clean and free of debris, in order to keep dust down. Storing polluting materials in a specified storage area will protect the building from pollutants. Meet or exceed the minimum requirements of the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning National Contractors Association (SMACNA) IAQ Guideline for Occupied Buildings Under Construction, 1995. Protect stored on-site or installed absorptive materials from moisture damage. Replace all filtration immediately prior to occupancy. Filtration should have a Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV) of 13 as determined by ASHRAE 5.2.2-1999.

Conduct a minimum two-week building flush-out with new filtration media at 100% outside air after construction ends and before occupancy, or conduct a baseline IAQ testing procedure consistent with current EPA Protocol for Environmental requirements, Baseline IAQ and Materials, for Research Triangle Park Campus, Section 01445.

From http://southwest.construction.com/features/archive/0510_feature7.asp

Indoor Air Quality Management Plan to Meet LEED Requirements By Charlie Popeck Many of the points available within the LEED Green Building Rating System are contractor driven, but none is more important to the overall health of the building occupants as the "Construction IAQ Management Plan". . The intent of the Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Plan is to prevent indoor air quality problems resulting from the construction / renovation process in order to help sustain the comfort and wellbeing of construction workers during the construction process, and also to protect the building's occupants after construction is complete and people move into the building. There are two LEED-related points available under this credit. The first point requires the contractor to develop and implement a Construction IAQ Management Plan during construction according to the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning National Contractors Association (SMACNA) "IAQ Guidelines for Occupied Buildings under Construction, 1995, Chapter 3", and the second requires an IAQ Management Plan for the pre-occupancy phase after construction is complete and immediately prior to occupancy. Control measures for an effective IAQ plan during the construction phase (the first point) should include the following: HVAC Equipment Protection: A common practice used to protect the HVAC system during construction is to shut down the return side of the HVAC system during heavy construction activities, and to replace the ventilation system filters at frequent intervals throughout the construction process. Returns should be shrink-wrapped with plastic or even dampered off during especially disruptive construction activities. Source Control: The best way to ensure that harmful Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are not present in the building when the occupants arrive is to not use products that contain VOCs in the first place. If an integrated materials strategy has been developed by the project team, the

architect has carefully chosen and specified low VOC products, and the contractor has purchased and installed the low-VOC emitting materials properly, VOC levels will be significantly reduced or even eliminated. Pathway Interruption: Temporary barriers should be constructed in an effort to isolate areas under construction from clean or occupied areas. If weather permits, construction areas should also be ventilated directly to the outdoors if particularly dusty operations or installation of VOCemitting materials are being performed. Housekeeping: The purpose of this requirement is to ensure that materials stored onsite do not get contaminated by dirt or other particulate matter that is always present on construction sites. An overall jobsite maintenance program should be developed that includes the storage and protection of building materials in a dry, clean location. Ductwork should be delivered to the jobsite shrink-wrapped on both ends until immediately prior to installation, and the returns should be kept wrapped until final installation of the finish grates. I also suggest implementing a no smoking policy for the workers during construction, using hepa vacuums for cleanup, and making everyone on the jobsite aware of the housekeeping plan through onsite training programs. Scheduling: Best practices often employed by contractors include the sequencing of construction operations so that absorptive materials like ceiling tile and carpeting are installed only after all applications of wet and odorous materials such as adhesives, sealants, paints and other coatings have been completed. The process for an IAQ Management Plan after the construction phase is complete and immediately prior to occupancy should include: Two-Week Building Flush-Out: Conduct a minimum two-week building flush-out with new Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV) 13 filtration media at 100% outside air. After the two-week flush-out is complete, new MERV 13 filters must be replaced in all locations except those that have been processing only outside air during the flush-out. 100% outside air can be a challenge in some climates, so it is important to identify when construction will be complete as early as possible so it can be determined whether or not this point can be achieved in an economical manner. Incorporating this point into the project's overall LEED credit strategy is usually a scheduling decision. The owner may or may not want to have a usable building sitting empty for two weeks before the occupants are permitted to move in. IAQ Testing: As an alternative to the two-week flush-out, the project team may decide to conduct a baseline IAQ testing procedure consistent with the EPA's current Protocol for Environmental Requirements, Testing for IAQ, Baseline IAQ and Materials for Research Triangle Park Campus, Specification Section 01445. The advantages to this approach include the reduction or elimination of the two-week flush-out period and the associated hassles of doing so. But the IAQ test is very sensitive and may require the contractor to perform additional procedures if VOC levels are detected above the limits outlined by the LEED program. The IAQ Management Plan is the only LEED credit that requires photographs to be taken

throughout the construction process. A total of 18 pictures are required, taken on three different occasions during construction in order to prove that the LEED credit requirements were followed and that all SMACNA approaches included in the proposed plan were adhered to. Although not specifically required for any other LEED credits, we normally suggest that our clients include photographs of all LEED-related procedures as a best practice. The photos will not only serve to document your compliance with the stated requirements of the LEED program, but will also serve to satisfy any lingering questions that the USGBC may have regarding credit documentation during the review process. Charlie Popeck is the President of Green Ideas Environmental Building Consultants. Green Ideas specializes in helping Design, Construction and Facility Management teams to understand and implement the LEED System into their businesses. He can be reached at 602-512-0557 or Charlie@Egreenideas.com.

http://www2.ci.seattle.wa.us/Implement/pdfs/Key%20Tower%20Indoor%20Air %20Quality.pdf#search=%22SMACNA%20IAQ%20Guidelines%20for%20Occupied %20Buildings%20Under%20Construction%20chapter%203%22

KEY TOWER TENANT IMPROVEMENTS FLOORS 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, & 53 SECTION 01670 INDOOR AIR QUALITY - HVAC Allbee-Romein Project No. 2003-044 SECTION 01670-1 PART 1 - GENERAL 1.01 DESCRIPTION A. The Owner requires that this Project shall conform to an Indoor Air Quality Management Plan in accordance with the US Green Building Council LEED Rating system credit EQ 3.1. B. To achieve these goals the Contractor shall develop for review and implement an Indoor Air Quality Management Plan for this Project. The draft plan must be submitted at the PreConstruction Meeting. A sample Indoor Air Quality Management Plan is included at the end of this section. 1.02 RELATED REQUIREMENTS AND DOCUMENTS A. Drawings, Division 0, and other Division 1 Specification Sections, apply to the Work of this Section. B. All capitalized terms not defined herein shall have the meaning given them in the General Conditions. C. Related Sections: 1. Section 00800 Supplementary Conditions 2. Section 01027 Application for Payment 3. Section 01350 Special Project Procedures 4. Section 01500 Construction Facilities and Temporary Controls 5. Section 01710 Cleaning 1.03 DEFINITIONS A. Indoor Air Quality Management Plan: A document specific to a building project that outlines

measures to minimize contamination in the building during construction. B. VOC: Volatile Organic Compounds. 1.04 INDOOR AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR PARTIALLY OCCUPIED BUILDINGS A. At the Pre-Construction Meeting, the Contractor shall submit for review by the Consultant Architect and Owners Project Manager, and implement a draft Indoor Air Quality Management Plan to maintain indoor air quality during and after the Contractors work. B. The air quality plan shall include all of the following where applicable: 1. Curtailment, and/or supplemental or auxiliary workplace ventilation as necessary to control contaminants, odors, and the like. 2. Contractor work schedules to minimize concurrent time of the work and Owner occupancy. 3. Isolation of work areas and appropriate pressure containment. 4. Fume, dust, and odor suppression and/or auxiliary air filtration/cleaning. 5. Use of low hazard or low emitting materials KEY TOWER TENANT IMPROVEMENTS FLOOR 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, & 53 SECTION 01670 INDOOR AIR QUALITY - HVAC Allbee Romein Project No. 2003-044 SECTION 01670-2 6. Prevention of entry into HVAC system, including outside air intakes, return air streams or plenums. 7. Work practices that minimize contaminant generation. 8. Other appriate hygiene practices. 9. The Contractor shall exhaust the construction area of the floors at the rate of 0.4 CFM per square foot and exhaust air shall immediately exit the building and not pass through the existing HVAC System. The exhaust shall be temporary, provided only during construction. The building shall be returned to match its previous state if modified in order to provide exhaust. Seal ductwork intake and exhaust vents. C. Once approved the Final Indoor Air Quality Management Plan shall be implemented by the Contractor before work begins on the project and shall be submitted before the Application for Initial Payment. D. The Indoor Air Quality Management Plan shall include all of the following: 1. During construction meet or exceed the minimum requirements recommended in Design Approaches of the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning National Contractors Association (SMACNA) IAQ Guidelines for Occupied Buildings under Construction, 1995. 2. Protect stored on-site or installed absorptive materials from moisture damage. "Dry" furnishings material (such as carpet, acoustical panel, textile, etc.) shall not be installed until "wet" materials have been applied and allowed to dry to the extent feasible. 3. During construction, filtration media shall have a Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV) of 8, as determined by ASHRAE 52.2-1999, for filters used to protect HVAC at each return air grille. Replace all filtration media immediately prior to occupancy. 1.05 PROCEDURES A. Contractor shall schedule work to minimize concurrent time of the work and Owner occupancy. B. Contractor shall prevent contaminant entry into HVAC system, including outside air intakes, return air streams or plenums. On tenant occupied floors, Contractor shall separate occupied areas from construction areas by installing visqueen in plenum space above demising walls. Visqueen barrier walls shall be installed as required to separate occupied areas from demolition and construction. The HVAC system shall be turned off during demolition and gwb sanding as well as carpet installation and painting. On floors that are unoccupied, the HVAC system shall be turned off during demolition and gwb sanding. Contractor is required to remove exterior window and install fan to provide fresh air when HVAC sytem is not operating. C. Work practices shall minimize contaminant generation. Each material and substance shall be installed in such a manner that it will produce the lowest practical level of emissions. To minimize dust, Contractor shall use sweeping compound D. The Contractor shall notify the Consultant Architect at least 24 hours in advance of any work anticipated to have an adverse effect on indoor air quality of Owner occupied areas.

E. If complaints about indoor air quality are received from building occupants, the Contractor shall cooperate with the Owner to eliminate the source of the problem. KEY TOWER TENANT IMPROVEMENTS FLOOR 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, & 53 SECTION 01670 INDOOR AIR QUALITY - HVAC Allbee Romein Project No. 2003-044 SECTION 01670-3 1.06 SUBMITTALS A. Submission of Final Report: The Contractor shall submit within 10 Calendar Days of Physical Completion a final report on the Indoor Air Quality Management at the Project. The final report shall be submitted to the Consultant Architect with a completed and signed LEEDTM letter template for credit EA 3.1 declaring that the 5 Design Approaches of SMACNA IAQ guidelines for Occupied Buildings under Construction 1995, Chapter 3 were used during tenant space construction. It shall also contain: 1. A brief listing of some of the important design approaches employed in the letter. 2. Lists for each different filtration media used during and at the end of construction, the MERV value, manufacturer name and model number. 3. A copy of the Indoor Air Quality Management Plan as approved. PART 2 - PRODUCTS Not Used. PART 3 - EXECUTION Not Used. END SECTION 01670

solutions to achieve EQc3

Website: 66.155.72.72/newsletter/BDXLEEDMaintaining%20Indoor%20Air%20Quality %20During%20Construction.pdf

Construction projects can have a significant impact on indoor air quality through the introduction of pollutants such as particulates, diesel exhaust, offensive odors, toxic chemical vapors, microbials, and combustion products. Pre-planning efforts that anticipate these issues and specify adequate pollutant control methods prior to commencing work can be an essential step to ontime, within budget, project completion. Planning efforts should also include a commissioning procedure that specifies re-occupancy criteria at project completion. Outlined below are components of project management that should be considered to minimize negative IAQ impacts: Pre-Planning During pre-planning, some key factors to assess include: Types of dusts or odors produced from: Demolition activities; Construction products; Construction equipment. Presence of pollutants which are a recognized hazard, as described in the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS). Times and locations where occupants are most likely to encounter airborne pollutants. The expected amount and duration of exposure occupants may have to pollutants. The following Assessment Checklist may assist in pre-planning the project.
ASSESSMENT CHECKLIST Identify chemical and physical sources of odor and dust. Clearly identify occupied areas potentially affected by the project. Identify specific construction activities likely to produce dust/odors. Identify control options and assess available control measures.

As specific details of the project become clear, pollutant control methods can be tailored to the project. Specific control measures may involve: Protection of the heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system; Install carbon filters at the air intakes to prevent diesel exhaust infiltration; Control of the pollutant source; Interruption of the pollutant pathway; Housekeeping; Scheduling considerations.