Public awareness of the need to improve indoor air quality (IAQ), ventilation, and air filtration in buildings greatly increased during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Post-pandemic, several things have taken place: The Biden Administration announced the Clean Air in Buildings Challenge in 2022, held a White House Summit on Sustainable K-12 School Buildings and Grounds, and released a toolkit this past spring. In June 2023, ASHRAE finalized Standard 241, Control of Infectious Aerosols, a pioneering consensus-based standard that provides explicit requirements for airborne infection risk management, which have been absent for a century from IAQ standards. In July, Congressmen Paul Tonko (D-NY) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) introduced the Indoor Air Quality and Healthy Schools Act.

The Environmental Protection Agency refers to IAQ as the air quality within and around buildings and structures, especially as it relates to the health and comfort of building occupants. Controlling common pollutants indoors can help reduce the risk of health concerns and is the job of everyone on the building team.

The U.S. Department of Energy defines energy efficiency as “the use of less energy to perform the same task or produce the same result.” As buildings use less energy, we need to know how indoor air quality is affected by:

• Ventilation
• Insulation
• Building materials
• Energy-efficient appliances
• Control systems and operations

Balancing IAQ and energy efficiency is crucial to create healthy, comfortable, and sustainable buildings. By integrating efficient ventilation strategies, choosing the right materials, and utilizing advanced technologies, it is possible to enhance both IAQ and energy performance?

Our expert panel will discuss strategies for integration, including whole building design, performance monitoring, education, and workforce training.

Presentations

ASHRAE Presentation  USGBC Presentation  WELL Institute Presentation

Precast, prestressed concrete is a durable material well known for its strength, resilience, and ability to protect the lives, livelihoods, and lifestyles of people and communities. Part of that equation is contributing to safe and healthy spaces where occupants can live and work.

This presentation will discuss how precast concrete can be used to create safe and healthy spaces. It will highlight case studies that utilized precast to accomplish goals.

Attendees will learn about attributes, benefits, and considerations of using precast concrete in the holistic design of healthy buildings. Participants also will understand what a healthy building is, as well as related programs and definitions to measure them.