Enclosure Test at Cascade Middle School

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As part of the building envelope commissioning, Bethel School District’s new Cascade Middle School recently went through a blower door test to ensure it meets energy code requirements for whole-building air leakage. Technicians from QED Lab Inc. were impressed with the results that came in: the leakage is roughly 75% less than code required.

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Principal-in-Charge Mark Young and Project Architect Dan Pyle watched the technicians perform the pressure test. Once all the windows and doors are closed, the two-step process first blows air into the building to put it under positive pressure and measures the change in pressure due to air leaking to the exterior.  The second step reverses the process by blowing air from the building to the exterior to put it under negative pressure and measures the change in pressure due to air leaking inward.

Based on preliminary numbers, the air leakage for the building is 0.117 CFM/SF on the positive pressure test and 0.083 CFM/SF on the negative pressure test. The requirements for the project were 0.4 CFM/SF of leakage. Adam Mangrich, the commissioning agent from Systems West Engineers, sent us the following graphic demonstrating the results:

Adam also gave praise that nicely sums up all the firms involved in achieving these exciting results:

“In combination with RBA’s amazing detailing and enclosure design, coupled with SWE/QEC’s review of the enclosure during design, and attention to detail during construction by Todd and RBA, the results speak for themselves!”