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RESIDENTIAL RADON RESISTANT CONSTRUCTION FEATURE SELECTION SYSTEM
Citation:
Nielson, K., R. Holt, AND V. Rogers. RESIDENTIAL RADON RESISTANT CONSTRUCTION FEATURE SELECTION SYSTEM. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/R-96/005 (NTIS PB96-153473), 1996.
Impact/Purpose:
information
Description:
The report describes a proposed residential radon resistant construction feature selection system. The features consist of engineered barriers to reduce radon entry and accumulation indoors. The proposed Florida standards require radon resistant features in proportion to regional soil radon potentials, defined from a statewide radon potential map. The effectiveness of different radon control features was estimated from new laboratory measurements, analysis of new and previous house studies, and mathematical model simulations. The laboratory measurements characterized five brands of polyethylene sub-slab membranes. The analyses showed that both monolithic-slab (mono) and slab-in-stem-wall (SSW) foundation designs can passively control indoor/sub-slab radon ratios to average levels that are slightly lower than measurements in other houses the previous year, and two to four times lower than ratios from earlier studies. The Southern Research Institute ratios are 1.4 to 3.7 times lower than values from a lumped-parameter model, primarily due to improved sealing of slab penetrations. The University of Florida ratios are within a factor of 1.74 of calculated ratios. The mono design offers about twice as much passive radon resistance as SSW designs. A Florida radon protection map was developed to show where the active and passive features were needed.