Buildings are complex structures that must be able to breathe in order to make them safe and habitable for occupants. Introducing fresh air through ventilation systems provides a high level of indoor air quality. Air intake louvers are the links between the outdoors and the built environment.
Ventilation system design, system component technology, operation, and maintenance are critical to ventilation system
reliability and security. At the same time, ventilation systems will distribute airborne contaminants, biochemical hazards, and particles to all points throughout a building, posing serious potential health hazards.
Fresh air is introduced to the building at air intake louvers. Realistically, there is no air block or other way to prevent foreign substances from entering an air intake once access is gained. Depending on facility vulnerability and risk factors, restricting access to air intake areas may be achieved through the following:
• Ordinary lock and key
• Intruder alarms
• Security cameras
Careful coordination of air intake louvers and grilles is a critical issue between engineers and architects on any building type, to achieve a balance among aesthetics, security, and function.
Mechanical equipment that conditions and distributes air throughout a building consists of various components, including filters, cooling and heating coils, fans, diffusers, and final filters. Air filters remove a percentage of particles from the air. Standard filters, used in office buildings, are typically 85 percent dispersed oil particulate (DOP) filters. In hospitals, laboratories, clean rooms, and other installations that require cleaner environments, the air filters that are generally specified are 95 percent DOP, electrostatic filters, or 99.97 percent HEPA. Air filtration for biochemical hazards could be
increased with the installation of activated carbon filters and ultraviolet light systems.
Ventilation system design utilizing high-efficiency filtration would result in increased first costs, due to the need for larger fan motors to overcome added static pressure of the system and increased operating costs.
Sensors quick and reliable enough to automatically initiate appropriate protection modes of operation are not readily available in the marketplace. However, air-quality detection systems are a primary focus for research and development divisions of major manufacturers. Sophisticated building automation and control systems enable quick responses by building operations personnel in emergencies. Building control systems can quickly shut down other systems and isolate a facility from further contaminant exposure.