A study was conducted to evaluate the effect of compression on pressure drop in flexible, spiral wire helix core ducts used in residential and light commercial applications. Ducts of 6", 8" and 10" (150, 200 and 250

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Due to the urgent need for a response to energy security, aging commercial buildings are required to conform to increasingly stringent environmental standards, particularly with regard to energy and water consumption. Solutions to reach the energy-related goals seem to exist. However, it is often difficult to gain synergistic benefits from the installations.The energy savings actually achieved are often disappointing. Systematic measurement and verification are rarely available due to the high initial cost of such studies. Therefore, there is a significant chance that misunderstandings and unrealistic expectations will affect decision making related with building sustainability. The ability to synthesize emerging technologies into a robust computational platform for monitoring coupled human-building environments is lacking. This paper discusses developing a prototype of BIM-based Baseline Building Model (B3M) for aging commercial buildings. As-built BIM of a public building was employed as a platform for delivering user-actionable information to building occupants, maintaining healthy environments, and achieving further energy savings. Initial testing was conducted at the Technology Innovation Center with data collected for four months. The results of this study showed that B3M provides a robust computational platform for monitoring coupled human-building environments. B3M would be a useful system when aging commercial buildings need to measure and verify accurate benefits of the installations. Expanded use of BIM would allow for more detailed analysis of building energy performance. BIM-based building energy models can be designed to store energy performance data such as consumption, temperature, CO2 emissions, occupancy, and humidity. In addition, the connection to the BIM allows facility managers to simulate occupancy changes, facility upgrades, or energy management strategies based on potential energy demandsIf a building baseline model is created directly from an upto-date BIM, the energy model can be regenerated as the operating conditions are updated. Facility management processes can be improved significantly through the use of an as-built BIM that can integrate real-time building performance data. AS-BUILT BIMThe Technology Innovation Center (TIC) of the Milwaukee County Research Park (MCRP) was used as a test bed.Data from the sensors were recorded on Onset's HOBO® Ethernet Communications Data Loggers, model U30-ETH, in 5-minute intervals and were transmitted to the Onset's database server via data organization software HOBOware

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Executive SummaryThis report summarizes the results of two high temperature longevity tests conducted by the Energy Performance of Building Group (EPB). The first test involved the aging of common "core-to-collar joints" of flexible duct to sheet metal collars, and sheet metal "collar-to-plenum joints" exposed to continuous 200°F (93°C) circulating air. The second test consisted of baking duct tape specimens in a constant 212°F (100°C) oven following the UL 181B-FX "Temperature Test" (Underwriters Laboratory 1995) requirements. The longevity of the sheet metal collar-to-plenum joints was tested based on the 10% of unsealed joint leakage criteria (established in previous work and 1999). Since an unsealed flexible duct joint can have a variable leakage depending on the positioning of the flexible duct core, the longevity of the flexible duct joints could not be based on the 10% of unsealed leakage criteria. Nevertheless, the leakage of the sealed specimens prior to testing, could be considered as a basis for a failure criteria. Visual inspection was also documented throughout the tests durations. The flexible duct core-to-collar joints were inspected monthly, while the sheet metal collar-to-plenum joints were inspected weekly. The baking test specimens were visually inspected weekly, and the longevity was judged by the observed deterioration in terms of brittleness, cracking, flaking and blistering (the terminology used in the UL 181B-FX test procedure). The baking specimens were ranked in terms of these deterioration criteria. The deterioration in the flexible duct coreto-collar joints was also ranked following the same criteria. This study concluded that the duct tape performance in sealing joints depends on the joint's geometrical dimensions; it gets worse as the number of dimensions required to describe the joint increases (1-D to 3-D). 1-D joints are the easiest to seal with duct tape, and thus the least to experience failure. However, this type of joints is rarely seen in field installations. 2-D joints, such as the flexible duct core-to-collar joints tested in this study, are less likely to fail than 3-D joints, as the shrinkage could have a positive effect in tightening the seal. 3-D joints, such as the collar-to-plenum joint, are the toughest to seal, and therefore failure most rapidly. This is essentially caused by the shrinkage of the duct tape backing that results in the peeling of its rubber-based adhesive off the sheet metal fixture. The baking test results showed that the failure in the duct tape joints could be attributed to the type of combination of the duct tape and the material it is applied to.