Abstract

MEMS 500 (MEMS 5420) was an independent study course using the text “Heating, Ventilating, and Air-Conditioning” authored by McQuiston, Parker, and Spitler, Sixth Edition. The course included the material up to and including the Space Heating Load. The Cooling Load material was covered during the use of the TRACE 700 software developed by the Trane Company. The report presented herein was an additional requirement of the course.

This report explores resilient building design in the face of a pandemic as an essential consideration for researchers and building designers alike. Understanding how aerosols flow within rooms can influence building design strategies to reduce the transmission of diseases. While building standards were sufficient before the COVID-19 pandemic, we must reconsider the minimum ventilation standards to comply with occupant safety in a pandemic. Existing standards do not have sufficient CFM or air filter ratings to combat aerosol transmitted viruses. In implementing future occupant health design strategies it is important to also consider sustainability as many strategies will inherently increase energy usage. In a practical application based on expert recommendations and CFD airflow research, a set of building design strategies is compiled and demonstrated using a Revit architecture model. Based on the entire findings of the report, making buildings more resilient is no longer an option, but rather a necessity in an era of potential pandemics.

Document Type

Final Report

Author's School

McKelvey School of Engineering

Author's Department

Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science

Class Name

Mechanical Engineering and Material Sciences Independent Study

Date of Submission

12-20-2021

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