ABSTRACT

Air leakage through a building envelope can seriously affect its service life. Yet many air barriers do not perform as effectively as they should or could. Unfortunately, the technology of design for an air barrier system and its details is not developed well enough to allow designers to predict their performance with respect to air permeability and air pressure loads. Better information is needed by all involved in building delivery, from the owner through to the eventual user. A methodology must be developed to encourage designers and builders to advance air barrier system design and construction from an art to a science.