Multi-Zone Airtightness Testing
Project Snapshot
The ASH Project is a 12-unit townhouse development in Vancouver, made up of two three-storey residential clusters built above a shared underground parkade. The building’s compartmentalized layout, combined with fully completed floor and fire-separation assemblies, meant that a conventional single-zone whole-building airtightness test was not practical.
Monolith Housing Solutions developed a revised guarded multi-zone testing strategy for the project. This approach was accepted by the City of Vancouver as an alternative solution for compliance with the Vancouver Building By-law.
The Challenge
Standard whole-building airtightness testing assumes a single continuous envelope that can be depressurized and measured as one zone. The ASH Project’s design, with its separated residential clusters and compartmentalized fire and floor assemblies, made this approach unworkable. A new methodology was needed, one that could isolate and test individual zones independently while accounting for pressure interaction between them, without compromising the accuracy or regulatory validity of the results.
Our Scope of Work
- Development of the alternative airtightness-testing methodology
- Coordination with the project team and City of Vancouver requirements
- Test-zone and guard-zone planning
- Mid-construction preparation and temporary sealing
- Multi-point pressurization and depressurization testing
- Independent pressure control and inter-zone pressure monitoring
- Data analysis and final technical reporting
Standards and Equipment
Testing was carried out in accordance with ASTM E779 and the City of Vancouver Airtightness Testing Guidelines, using calibrated Retrotec 5000 blower door fans, DM32 and DM32X digital manometers, and FanTestic Pro software.
Outcome
This project demonstrates Monolith’s ability to develop and execute technically complex airtightness-testing solutions in cases where standard whole-building methods are not feasible, while preserving the intent of enclosure-performance verification and regulatory compliance.
Need an Air Tightness Compliance Report?
If you are building or renovating in Vancouver or anywhere across the Lower Mainland and need an accurate assessment of your building’s energy performance, Monolith Housing Solutions is ready to help. Explore our full range of energy audit services, or browse more of our projects.
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The images below document the multi-zone airtightness testing carried out on the ASH Project, from temporary sealing and blower door setup to live pressure monitoring across each isolated zone. Together they show how Monolith adapted a standard whole-building method into a guarded multi-zone approach on an occupied, compartmentalized site.
