Arbnco Indoor Environmental Quality Monitoring

As part of an ongoing commitment to workforce welfare, the Garrard House project team wanted to collect continuous, real-time data on indoor environmental quality in the construction site offices and welfare.

Eight commercial-grade Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) monitors were installed by Arbnco to monitor air quality, ventilation and thermal comfort (CO2, temperature, humidity, PM1, PM2.5, PM10 (Particulate Matter) and TVOC (Total Volatile Organic Compounds). Data was recorded in 5-15 minute intervals across the open plan space, meeting rooms and canteen to ensure an accurate representation of all occupied spaces.

Outcomes

P​​​​ollutant levels were generally outside of recommended thresholds, with the following findings from the first month’s baseline readings:

• ​High CO2 levels highlighted inadequate ventilation during occupied hours, particularly in one meeting room.
• TVOC spikes throughout the day highlighted the impact of cleaning regimes using products with high VOC contents.
• Temperature and humidity levels throughout the welfare highlighted inefficiencies in site operations, such as heaters being left on over night.

Benefits

• Using the baseline data taken from the first month of readings, issues were able to be identified, analysed and addressed by adjustments of HVAC filtering and controls, and reviewing cleaning products used.
• The data highlights issues in the operation of the building and allows users to optimise the effectiveness and efficiency of operational controls, reducing operational costs e.g. electricity/gas bills for heating.
• Improved environmental conditions lead to higher individual performance and productivity.