Objective: Predicting Indoor Air Quality of a building project in Ivry-Levassor designed using bio-based and reused materials.
A simplified model of the extension has been created. It includes a library, an airlock, a storage room, a classroom and a stairwell.
Two scenarios were compared: one used the selected healthy materials, while the other relied on more commonly used materials.
Scenario 1: bio-sourced and reused materials
Scenario 2: commonly used materials
Weekly average concentration of COVT in each room
According to the simulations:
1. Ventilation allows carbon dioxide emissions to be evacuated.
2. Ventilation can be deactivated outside occupancy periods without concentrations rising to excessively high levels until it is reactivated and occupants return.
3. Using healthy materials has reduced pollutant levels by at least 63%, and by up to 96% in the best cases, compared to the using conventional materials.
4. Using conventional materials would have degraded indoor air quality. In particular, formaldehyde levels would have exceeded the long-term guideline value.
No specific recommendations need to be added for this building, which has excellent air quality when its ventilation system is active and when environmentally friendly materials are used.
However, the ventilation system planned for the classroom has been modeled using a fixed and maintained flow rate. Therefore, it is not certain that, in reality, the assumed flow rates will be maintained at all times. In the event of insufficient air renewal, the air quality during occupancy could reach the levels simulated during non-ventilation periods.
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