ASHRAE 90.1-2007

[PostFrameSE]

I had a visit with some building officials in my State today regarding the vestibule requirements for walkdoors. I contend that it is foolish to vestibule a walkdoor when in the same building space you have large overhead doors that are slow-opening and slow-closing. The heat-loss with the large door would greatly exceed that which you would have with the opening of a small walkdoor multiple times!

It appears that ASHRAE completely ignored that fact, or only intended these vestibules in A, B, E, I, or M occupancies. I completely understand their purpose in an occupancy like that, but dispute it in an F or S occupancy where large doors are major sources of heat-loss when open.

I was told that you need to take the door opening and closing into the envelope design. I have no idea how to do that? Any thoughts or suggestions? I told the official that if the doors were open, it would be impossible to ever get a building to work. I was told "We're not designers.........that's your issue to deal with." That sounds snotty, but she was kind when she said it.

How do I deal with this? Does anybody have any insight to how ASHRAE thinks about this? Anybody have any contacts at ASHRAE that I could get in touch with?

Thanks.

 

[KiwiMace]

Door opening and closing is fairly well described in ASHRAE Fundamentals Chap. 16 (2009). It is treated as an infiltration source, defined by the number of open/close cycles anticipated, and provided as a CFM.

The officials are probably assuming that there will be a large number of open/closes with the walkdoor, and only a few with the overhead.

I did an F occupancy project recently in Indiana, and we would have been surprised to have any code review at all, let alone a visit. State Fire Marshall did not even care to review plans.