Visual assessment of contaminant impacts in multizone buildings

Abstract A novel method is presented for the visualisation of steady-state concentrations and exposures that may result from the indoor release of hazardous airborne material. This impact matrix approach is designed for the analysis of air flow results for multizone building models and is intended to complement existing multizone software. The matrices are derived from a state-space formulation and can be used to directly calculate steady-state concentrations for continuous constant release rates, or exposures for finite mass releases. In addition to steady-state conditions, methods to visualise the time dependence of concentration and exposure are also provided. Example matrices are calculated and visualised for a single residential dwelling, an apartment block and a commercial healthcare building. The resulting impact matrices are interpreted to derive system level information on the spread of airborne material within the buildings. The results show important differences between the buildings that depend on their connectivity and ventilation.

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