Duct-sealing technology proves that it works even on old, unlined, masonry shafts.
Five years and $70 million is what the renovations were to cost Princeton University’s Department of Physics to upgrade their 50 year-old HVAC system. While most of the shaftwork was replaced within the building, two of the main exhaust shafts needed way more. The shafts themselves were part of the building structure itself. Significant leaks in the shafts were making proper air flow within the building impossible. That itself caused exhaust issues and added substantially to the building’s energy costs. Engineers at the university knew Aeroseal was very effective at sealing metal ductwork but could it also work on brick masonry shafts?
In Brief
Building: Princeton University, Jadwin Hall
Engineer: Irwin Leighton Inc.
Duct Specialists: Aeroseal of Philadelphia
Goal: Reduce leaks in two exhaust shafts
Before Aeroseal: 533 CFM* of total leakage
After Aeroseal: 8 CFM of total leakage
Results: Reduced leakage by 98 per cent
*cubic feet per minute
The only other option was to take out sections of the brickwork to access the leaks and then rebuild the structure – a process that would have cost the university a lot of money all while interrupting regular business operations for the school’s department of physics. Classes were in session and the building and classrooms were filled with students daily.
University engineers did some initial prep work for the sealing operation and Aeroseal of Philadelphia arrived to seal the ductwork.
The entire project took just over two days to complete with setup, sealing the two shafts and packing up. The results were immediate. Aeroseal reduced the leakage by 98 per cent and as a result, exhaust issues were resolved, energy usage was reduced and system balancing was accomplished – all without interrupting the building’s daily operations
Quotes:
“As we looked at options for Jadwin Hall we decided the building was still viable and worth investing in rather than going to the expense of constructing a completely new facilities. Aeroseal technology helped make this possible. It worked quickly and effectively to solve potentially project-derailing obstacle. II imagine there are other campus projects that could us this technology as well”
Eric Duvalla, assistant facilities supervisor, Princeton University
“I took a special trip to the project site to see this new technology at work for myself. It was exactly as described in our research reports. It worked well. No glitches. No issues. I would definitely consider using this in future projects where we can’t get access to the ductwork.”
Dan Sabatino, contract manager, Irwin Leighton Inc.
“It worked! My 30 years of experience as a forensic engineer and a test and balance technician has shown me that once you have a system that goes in and has leakage, you can’t go back and practically correct it any other way. Aeroseal really did the job.”
Russ Campbell, projects TAB experts, RCC Engineering