Towards an improved wind effect assessment for asbestos abatement: A methodology for reduced-scale experiments

A K R Jayakumari ¹, R Guichard ², A Ricci ³

⁰Building Physics and Services, Department of the Built Environment, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, the Netherlands; Department of Process Engineering, Institut National de Recherche et de Sécurité, Nancy, France.

Journal of Environmental Management +

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October 4, 2024

View abstract on PubMed

Summary

This study introduces a new method for testing asbestos abatement containment systems at a smaller scale. The innovative approach ensures effective indoor depressurization, crucial for preventing airborne fiber release during building work.

Area Of Science

Environmental Engineering
Occupational Health and Safety
Fluid Dynamics

Background

Asbestos abatement procedures require containment and depressurization to prevent fiber release.
Wind can disrupt containment depressurization, posing health risks.
Scaling down buildings and ventilation systems is necessary for laboratory testing.

Purpose Of The Study

To present an innovative methodology for reduced-scale experiments on building containment systems.
To address the challenge of wind effects on containment depressurization.
To enable laboratory validation of ventilation strategies for contaminant control.

Main Methods

Designing a mechanical ventilation system for achieving indoor depressurization.
Developing a method for scaling down buildings and ventilation systems for wind tunnel testing.
Utilizing 3D steady Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) simulations to optimize ventilation component placement.

Main Results

The methodology was applied to a single-zone building containment.
The designed ventilation system successfully achieved the target indoor depressurization of -40 Pa.
The scaled-down system is validated and ready for wind tunnel experiments.

Conclusions

The proposed methodology provides a viable approach for studying contaminant containment in scaled-down building models.
This research facilitates the optimization of ventilation systems to mitigate wind effects during asbestos abatement.
The findings are applicable to various particulate pollutant containment scenarios.

Keywords:

3D RANS simulations Asbestos removal Dynamic scaling Hazardous pollutants Mechanical ventilation Reduced-scale experiments