Air Permeability

What Is Air Permeability?

Air permeability tests are conducted at two scales. IN ELEMENT SCALE, the air flow rate per unit length or area is measured by applying increasing pressure to the window, door and façade sample. AT THE BUILDING SCALE, according to EN ISO 9972, the building is pressurized or vacuumed with a fan (blower door) and the total air exchange rate is determined.

Purpose of Air Permeability

The purpose is to measure uncontrolled air leakage. Air leakage is an important cause of both energy loss and condensation and comfort problems within the structure; It is used as a direct input in energy performance calculations.

Which Products Is Air Permeability Applied To?

Window and door systems
Giydirme cepheler
Residential and office buildings
Passive house and low energy buildings
Hava bariyeri sistemleri

In Which Sectors Is Air Permeability Used?

ConstructionConstructionEnergy

Standards Related to Air Permeability

TS EN 1026 / EN 12207 (air permeability and classification in windows and doors)
TS EN 12153 / EN 12152 (air permeability in curtain walls)
TS EN ISO 9972 (air permeability of buildings — fan pressurization method)
TS EN 13829 (previous building pressurization standard)

Air Permeability Conditions

Pressure levels: Measurement in increasing positive and negative pressure levels
building measurement: Closing of openings before measurement is done according to the standard
weather conditions: Wind and temperature difference affect measurement accuracy; limits are defined in the standard
Reference: The result is normalized by building volume, envelope area or usage area

Equipment for Air Permeability

Pressure chamber for element experiment
Blower door fan system and pressure measurement unit
Thermal camera (leak point detection)
smoke generator
Meteorological measurement equipment

Sample Requirements for Air Permeability

Actual size, assembled sample in element testing
In building measurement, the structure must be completed and the air barrier must be finished.
Openings to be closed should be planned before measurement.
Building volume, envelope area and usage area should be calculated

Duration of Air Permeability

Element testing takes a short time. Building air tightness measurement takes half to a day, including preparation; The duration increases in large or multi-section buildings.

Air Permeability Procedure

1In the element test, the sample is mounted in the test chamber.
2Air flow rate is measured at increasing pressure levels.
3In building measurement, openings are closed according to the standard.
4Blower door fan is installed on the door or window.
5The building is pressurized and vacuumed and the flow-pressure relationship is measured.
6The air exchange rate is calculated and, if necessary, leak points are detected.

Air Permeability Acceptance Criteria

EN 12207 and EN 12152 define classes at the element level. The maximum air exchange rate required at the building level is determined by national energy regulations or voluntary schemes such as passive house. Within the scope of (EU) 305/2011, the test result is not a pass/fail decision, but the performance value to be announced in the Declaration of Performance (DoP). The national regulations and project specifications of the country where the structure where the product will be used determine which performance level is sufficient.

Evaluation of Results

The real value in building measurement is not only the numerical result but also the detection of leakage points: scanning with a thermal camera and smoke shows which detail is missing and the correction is carried out from there. Additionally, if the measurement is made before the air barrier is completed, the result will not represent the final building.

Air Permeability Report

Element or building description and measurement scope
Covered openings and measurement preparation
Pressure-flow data and curve
Air exchange rate or unit permeability value
Classification result
Detected leak points

Accreditation

EUROLAB holds internationally recognised accreditation obtained from accreditation bodies party to the IAF and ILAC multilateral recognition arrangements, under ISO/IEC 17025 for laboratory testing, ISO/IEC 17020 for inspection and surveillance, and ISO/IEC 17021-1 and ISO/IEC 17065 for system and product certification. This chain ensures the reports and certificates issued are accepted worldwide.

Whether this test can be offered within accredited scope depends on your product and the standard applied; since accreditation is method-based, the scope is confirmed in writing at the quotation stage.

Scope and authorisations

Related Regulations

Construction Products Regulation (EU) 305/2011
2010/31/EU Energy Performance in Buildings Directive

Construction Materials Testing — What Does This Testing Field Cover?

The section below describes the field that the Air Permeability test belongs to; the conditions and acceptance criteria of this particular test are given in the sections above. The scope specific to your product is confirmed in writing at the quotation stage.

Construction materials testing shows whether a product performs the function it takes on within the structure. A wide field is gathered in this family, from the compressive strength of concrete to the thermal transmittance of glass, from sieve analysis of aggregate to the watertightness of windows.

What sets this family apart from the others is that the result turns directly into a REGULATORY DECLARATION. For products covered by construction products legislation a declaration of performance (DoP) is mandatory, and every essential characteristic in the declaration rests on a test result. Reaction-to-fire class, thermal conductivity, compressive strength, water permeability and release of dangerous substances are declared in this way. The declaration is a legal text carrying the manufacturer's signature; the test record behind it is the first document requested in an inspection.

The second distinguishing feature is that the product is assessed over its SERVICE LIFE. An electronic device runs for five years; a building component stays in place for fifty and is exposed throughout that time to freeze-thaw cycles, UV, moisture, chemical attack and load. Durability tests (freeze-thaw, carbonation, alkali-silica reaction, ageing) therefore carry as much weight in this field as classical strength tests.

Tests are separated by material type and each group has its own set of standards: cement and concrete, aggregate, masonry units, wood-based panels, thermal insulation, glass and glazing units, ceramic tiles, floor coverings, screeds, joint fillers and coating systems. Where the product will be installed determines which set applies — the same panel is assessed against different standards on a wall and on a floor.

Factory production control (FPC) is a continuous component of the field. CE marking on a construction product is not obtained with a single test and then left; the manufacturer must set up a system showing that it monitors production consistency, takes samples regularly and intervenes when there is a deviation. Depending on the product group, this system may have to be audited by a notified body.

Site testing is a separate body of work. In the laboratory the product is approved; on site it is checked that the product really is of the declared class and that it has been applied correctly. Fresh concrete slump, cylinder sampling, aggregate sieve analysis and in-situ watertightness tests fall within this scope.

Method groups in this field

Concrete and cement
Slump, air content and unit weight in fresh concrete; compressive and flexural strength, water permeability and freeze-thaw resistance in hardened concrete. For cement, compressive strength, setting time and composition analysis.
Aggregate
Sieve analysis, particle shape, Los Angeles abrasion resistance, freeze-thaw, alkali reactivity and density/water absorption.
Thermal and energy performance
Thermal conductivity and thermal resistance, calculation of thermal transmittance (U value) in glazing units, solar energy transmittance.
Facade and joinery
Air permeability, watertightness and wind load resistance in windows and doors; fire performance in facade systems.
Fire performance
Reaction-to-fire classification and fire resistance tests; these are two separate concepts and are addressed by separate standards.
Masonry, tile and flooring
Compressive strength, water absorption, abrasion resistance, slip resistance, stain and chemical resistance.
Emissions and dangerous substances
Formaldehyde release from wood-based panels, VOC emissions from construction products, leaching behaviour of aggregates and waste.

Commonly confused in this field

REACTION to fire and RESISTANCE to fire are different concepts: one describes the material's contribution to a fire, the other how long a component holds the fire back.
A declaration of performance is not a certificate; it is the manufacturer's declaration. Notified body involvement varies with the product group and the assessment system.
A test result is valid for the mounting arrangement in which the product was tested. A different substrate, a different thickness or a different joint detail may require reassessment.
A site sample and a laboratory sample are not the same thing. A concrete cylinder taken on site also reflects application and curing conditions; it does not replace product approval.
ASTM and EN construction standards measure similar quantities with different specimens and scales; the results cannot be converted one-to-one.

Which decisions these results support

Declaration of performance (DoP) and CE marking
Establishing and maintaining the factory production control system
On-site conformity control of concrete, aggregate and workmanship
Meeting fire and energy performance requirements
Verifying the technical items in the project and tender specification

Related Tests

Frequently Asked Questions About Air Permeability

At what stage of construction should we have the measurement done?

It is most efficient to have it done twice: when the air barrier is completed (while remediation is still possible) and when the building is finished (for declaration). Leaks detected only during the final measurement can often no longer be closed.

The building is leaking a lot, where should we start?

If scanning is performed with a thermal camera and smoke during measurement, leakage points become visible. Typical points are window-wall junction, utility penetrations, roof-wall junction, and electrical boxes.