  
Air Leakage Testing Commercial or Non Residential. L2A and L2B.
CPS has air tested over 2000 Commercial or Non Residential buildings including retail units, office developments, schools, hospitals, supermarkets, sports centres and aircraft hangars.
We can therefore offer you advice to help obtain a compliant building first time.
We have the ability to air test small offices and industrial units up to buildings with an envelope area of 35,000m² at 10m3/h/m2 at 50pa. The equipment ranges from small door fans to a 7.5 tonne lorry with our fan on the back.
Part L2A Regulations 2006/2010: Relevant to New Commercial or Non - Residential Buildings
There is an air testing requirement for all new Commercial or Non - Residential buildings above 500m² GIFA. Gross Internal floor Area (GIFA).
The air test standard targeted is the ‘Design Air Permeability Rate’ found in the SBEM Calculation.
Buildings below 500m² GIFA are only exempt from an air test if an air leakage rate of 15 m³/h/m² is used in the SBEM Calculation. Note that using such a high leakage rate may result in a failure of the SBEM calculations unless compensated for elsewhere in the build specification.
The maximum permissible air leakage rate is 10m3/h/m2.
Normal and Best Practice:
| Building Type |
Air Leakage Rate in m³/hr/m² at 50 Pa |
|
Best Practice |
Normal Practice |
Building Regulations Standard |
--- |
10 |
Offices - Naturally Ventilated |
3 |
7 |
Offices – A/C and Natural Vent. |
2.5 |
5 |
Offices – A/C - Low Energy. |
2 |
5 |
Factories & Warehouses |
2 |
6 |
Superstores |
1 |
5 |
Schools |
3 |
9 |
Hospitals |
5 |
9 |
Museums |
1 |
1.5 |
Cold Stores |
0.2 |
0.3 |
Part L2B Regulation: Relevant to New Commercial Buildings
An Air Test is required of an extension to an existing building when the total useful floor area of the extension is greater than 100m2 and greater than 25 percent of the total useful floor area of the existing building.
Usually just the extension is air tested.
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