Home > Education > Continuing Education > Building Science Training > Designing the Failure-Proof Building: Course 2

Course Dates and online registration are available at the bottom of this page.

Course Description

This three-day course examines air flow and pressure differential impacts of HVAC
Systems; ventilation system requirements, design, and control; cooling system characteristics related to their ability to control humidity; and advanced dehumidification technologies for hot and humid climates.

Number of Classroom Hours: 18

Who Should Attend?

Architects, mechanical engineers, mechanical contractors, building inspectors, facility managers, indoor air quality specialists

Objectives

Specific objectives of this course require that each student will:

Be able to design managed airflows that will improve health and safety, durability, comfort, and energy efficiency in buildings.
Design planned airflows that will not have negative impacts of unbalanced return air, unbalanced exhaust, and duct leakage.
Be able to evaluate airflow balance across the envelope and between zones and determine if pressurization exists relative to other zones.
Use a psychrometric chart to determine the latent and sensible heat of ventilation air and uncontrolled air flows.
Use a psychrometric chart to determine the potential for mold growth at a surface given the surface temperature and air conditions at the surface.
Design effective ventilation strategies including control, schedules, and advanced dehumidification technologies.
Be able to specify the best AC systems for humidity control.
Be able to specify a reasonable building airtightness.

Method of Presentation

Presentation and discussion.

Method of Evaluation

A course exam will be administered. Those passing the course exam will receive a certificate of completion.

Qualifications of Instructors

Ron Bailey (PE, CIAQP, CIE, CMR) is a mechanical engineer and president of Bailey Engineering. Since 1981 Ron has provided design and consulting services for numerous commercial clients including health care facilities, state/county institutions, schools, churches, office buildings, hotels/resorts and residential/condo-type facilities. He brings to this training extensive experience in troubleshooting failed or improperly operating HVAC systems in commercial, industrial, educational and residential facilities. Ron has a B.S. in Engineering.

Brian Blenis, PE, CEM, is a practicing mechanical engineer with bachelor and masters level engineering degrees. He has over 25 years mechanical engineering experience with Reeves Brothers Inc., Firestone Tire & Rubber Company, Harris Corporation, Kennedy Space Center. Since 1997 he has had extensive experience with design and operation of DX and CW HVAC systems for a large and growing school district in Brevard County. He recently oversaw installation of an innovative low temperature CW system in a new school that has yielded excellent humidity and IAQ results.

James B. Cummings is a Program Director at FSEC where he has been principal investigator for 24 research projects over 18 years. He has conducted field research in more than 250 homes and 100 commercial buildings, identifying air flow, pressure differential, HVAC, and moisture control failures. He has done extensive training in building science, combining his considerable diagnostic field experience into his training experience. Mr. Cummings holds an MS degree in Applied Solar Energy.

Neil Moyer is a Principal Research Engineer at FSEC and a nationally recognized expert in the field of building science and building air flow diagnostics. He brings an entertaining style to his training, along with the unparalleled field experience of testing 1000s of homes and 100s of commercial buildings. He knows of what he speaks. He is recognized for many innovative building science diagnostic test procedures widely used across the country. He has conducted training for many utilities, the Energy Efficient Building Association (EEBA) and Affordable Comfort conferences. Mr. Moyer has a BS in Electrical Engineering.

Chuck Withers is a Senior Research Engineer at FSEC and a hands-on building scientist and accomplished researcher (18 published papers). He has performed field research in more than 300 buildings. He is fluent in the language of building diagnostics – blower doors, duct testers, pressure mapping, and air flow verification – because he has performed a full range of tests on a wide range of buildings. He has seen how buildings fail and knows how to communicate that knowledge. He has presented at more than 40 conferences, workshops, and courses, including Florida Energy Gauge, duct leak test method, IAQ Diagnostics, and commercial buildings uncontrolled air flow courses. He has a BS degree in Secondary Education Physics.

Date	Location	Price	Links

There are no upcoming offerings of this course.

Note: All payments are fully refundable if cancellation is received at least 7 business days before the class begins. FSEC reserves the right to cancel any course in the event of insufficient preregistration. In that event, all payments are fully refundable.