John Muir Hospital improves airflow, meets ductwork specification using Aeroseal

Aerosol-based Duct Sealing Proves Highly Effective At Sealing Hidden Ductwork And Safe For Use In Highly Sensitive Unit Of One of The Nation’s Top Medical Centers

Ranked as one of the top hospitals in the US, John Muir Medical Center is a showcase for excellence in everything they do from medical care to building design and construction best practices. When they decided to turn existing space of the building’s second floor into a new endoscopy surgery unit, they decided to re-purpose the existing mechanical system serving the space. Pretesting indicated inadequate airflow resulting in unacceptable levels of exhaust throughout the facility.

Further investigation indicated duct leakage was contributing to limited/poor airflow. The mechanical contractor on the project suggested they use Aeroseal duct sealing to seal the leaks with minimal disruption, and the common hospital concern that the aerosol-based duct sealant could damage sensitive medical equipment was alleviated by the Aeroseal contractor using their clean-room mitigation expertise to monitor the indoor air quality (IAQ) of the space during the duct sealing process.

PROJECT OVERVIEW

BUILDING

John Muir Medical Center

LOCATION

Walnut Creek, California

AEROSEAL CONTRACTORS

Bay Area Balancing and Cleanrooms, Inc. (a.k.a. Air Seal Solutions)

CONTRACT ENGINEER

Swinerton Builders

GOAL

Improve HVAC/airflow system in building; Meet ductwork specification for an acceptable exhaust level

BEFORE AEROSEAL

1,583.4 CFM of leakage

AFTER AEROSEAL

222.1 CFM of leakage

RESULTS

Sealed air duct system to 86% reduction in leakage; Eliminated 1,361.3 CFM of air leaks to help improve airflow and meet mechanical specification

It’s important to highlight that both hand sealing and Aeroseal methods were used to seal the ductwork. A mechanical team taped the leaks around the easy-to access portions of the ductwork (e.g. where the ducts connected to the registers/diffusers). Aeroseal proved to be the most viable option for sealing the majority of leakage. It worked especially well for sealing tiny cracks and holes in hard-to-reach sections of ductwork (e.g. exhaust risers, lateral connections). It took Bay Area Balancing and Cleanrooms, Inc. just a single weekend to seal the two designated sections of highly inaccessible ductwork using Aeroseal. In the end, an 86% leakage reduction was achieved. Bonus, during the entire process, testing showed airborne particles of sealant remained well below ISO 9001 levels.

The [MEZ-AEROSEAL] technology worked. If you have an existing mechanical [HVAC] system that is ten or twenty years old, you can make it like new again – give it new life – by using Aeroseal technology…We are planning to convert a number of buildings into doctor suites and I can see Aeroseal technology being a viable solution when it comes time to rehabilitate the existing ductwork. In new construction, it can be used to seal the entire air duct system once it’s been installed.

- Peter Spadia Project Manager John Muir Medical Center