Overriding Air Permeability

[burly]

Hi All,

I am posting this in the UK Compliance forum, as there doesn't seem to any any action over on the Ireland Part L forum.

I am playing around with a building in VE-Compliance trying to achieve an A3 BER Rating for a primary healthcare centre. I have been asked to test the resulting BER using three different air permeability rates of 10m3/hr/m2, 5m3/hr/m2 and 3m3/hr/m2. I have applied NCM templates for primary healthcare to the building. So when in the VE-compliance module, I select the entire building and click 'edit group attributes', there is a check bot which allows me to change the 'Air Permeability at 50PA'. However even when I tick the check box here, and enter a value and click ok, when I check it again it has retutned to zero and the check box is shaded out again. I suspect something is over-riding the values I am trying to enter but I cant see what.

I should add that when using iSBEM through the Microsoft Access interface, once can edit the permeability at 50pa easily in the geometry tab, but I am trying to this rating within IES as I have a model drawn and dont want to go through the hassle now of re-doing the entire thing in Microsoft Access.

Appreciate some advice.

Thanks guys.

[Complex Potential]

Hi Burly

When doing a Part L model the air permeability is set within the building info screen and not individually at room level. It may be different for the Ireland method but I'd suggest checking that out first.

If that is a deadend, then I would point out that the "edit group attributes" button only allows you to change variables, it does not allow you to interrogate them. Once you have changed a group of rooms using the edit group attributes function, you should select a single room from that group and do an individual room query to confirm the change has taken effect.

Hope some of this helps.

CP

[burly]

Thanks CP,

I checked that. When I select England and Wales, there is an option to change the air permeability, but for some reason when the mode is set to Republic of Ireland Part L, that option is whited out, and I cant change it.

Anyone else care to shed some light?

[burly]

Hi CP, I have checked each room using the query tool, and all zones have air permeability of 10m3/hr/m2 at 50PA. I am unable to change this however using either the query tool or the edit group attributes tool.

Very frustrating! Any ideas? Is the genius Phil Cully reading this?

[Complex Potential]

Are you using Part F - N Ireland, SBEM?

I have just tried using the edit group attributes on a test model and it updates the air permeability no problems for multiple selections.

Very odd.

CP

[burly]

No I am using Part L (2008) - Republic of Ireland

When I checked all the other modes for N.Ireland, England, Wales etc the option to change it is there, but not for Republic of Ireland.

Very frustrating as I have a Client who wants to know tomorrow the diffference in BER as a result of improving air-tightness from 10m3/hr/m2 to 5m3/hr/m2 to 5m3/hr/m2.

[Complex Potential]

Unfortunately I do not have that module on my version of IES. As pure shots in the dark here are a few possibilities:

1) the calculation methodology employed by Part L 2008 NI does not allow for air permeability to be adjusted (crazy I know, but I've heard of crazier)
2) you currently have the notional building activated

Neither seems very plausible I'll admit but it's worth a go.

[burly]

When you say that I might have the notional method selected, where is that option?

[Complex Potential]

If it's anything like the UK version there might be a drop-down list labeled "Bldg" near the top right of the VE Compliance screen which allows you to switch between Actual and Notional. Any chance of a few screenshots illustrating the problem?

[burly]

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here are some screenshots, hope these work