Skadeutredning av betonggolv : bästa praxis i Finland och Sverige

Flera branschorganisationer har gett ut anvisningar om bästa praxis vid skadeutredning av byggnader. En ska¬deutredning börjar med en inventering av byggnaden och det är beställaren som ansvarar för att den genom¬förs av en kompetent utredare. Både i Finland och i Sverige finns det dokumenterade metoder som man kan följa. För att kunna genomföra lämpliga och kostnadseffektiva åtgärder vid inomhusmiljöproblem bör byggnaden utredas som en helhet. Efter den inledande utredningen gör man en första bedömning av inomhusklimatets påverkan på invånarnas hälsa och om man bör gå vidare med fördjupade konstruktions- och fukttekniska utredningar. Att mäta fukt i betong kräver kunskap hos den som utför mätningarna och tolkar resultaten. Både i Finland och i Sverige har byggbranschen gett ut anvisningar som beskriver hur man mäter den relativa fuktigheten i betongkonstruktioner. Vid renoveringen avlägsnas allt skadat material. Man bör även se till att de åtgärder man vidtar åtgärdar orsaken till fuktskadan. Idag finns det både kunskap och hjälpmedel för att undvika fuktskador men dessa utnyttjas inte optimalt. I Boverkets byggregler rekommenderar man att det inför varje byggprojekt anlitas en fuktsakkunnig som utför en fuktsäkerhetsprojektering. Genom att följa lagar, föreskrifter och bästa praxis kan man förebygga fuktpro¬blem i byggnader.Several trade associations have published best practice guidelines for the investigation of moisture damaged buildings. A building investigation begins with an inspection of the building and the contractor is responsible for ensuring that it is carried out by a competent investigator. Both in Finland and Sweden there are documented methods that can be followed. In order to implement appropriate and effective measures when solving problems with the indoor environment, the building should be investigated as a whole. After the initial investigation, a first assessment of the indoor climate’s impact on residents’ health is carried out and the need for further investigations of structures and moisture is evaluated. Measuring moisture in concrete requires knowledge of the person performing the measurements and interpreting the results. Both in Finland and in Sweden, the construction industry has issued instructions that describe how to measure the relative humidity in concrete structures. All damaged material is removed during renovations. One also needs to ensure that the measures taken address the cause of moisture damage. Today, there is both knowledge and the means to prevent moisture damage but these are not utilized optimally. In the building regulations issued by Boverket, it is recommended to engage a moisture expert to make a moisture control plan before every construction project. By following the laws, regulations and best practices it is possible to prevent moisture problems in buildings

Kemiska emissioner från byggnadskonstruktioner : källor till emissioner och deras påverkan på inomhusluften

Chemical compounds in indoor air can adversely affect our comfort and health. However, in most cases there is only a limited amount of information available that can be used to assess their health risk. Instead the precautionary principle is often applied, i.e. efforts are made to ensure that the concentrations of pollutants are kept at a minimum when constructing new buildings or conducting renovations by using low-emitting building materials. Today, when investigating buildings in order to solve indoor air quality problems, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are sampled in the air within rooms. The chemical composition of indoor air is complex and there are many sources for the chemicals present. The potential for emissions from sources in hidden spaces such as wall cavities is poorly understood and little information exists on the toxic potential of chemical releases resulting from moisture-related degradation of building materials. Most of the non-reactive VOCs that have been detected in indoor air in field studies and from building products are not believed to cause health problems. However, reactive compounds and chemical reaction products have the potential to negatively influence our comfort and health even at low concentrations. Even though the impact of chemical compounds on health is unclear in many cases, they can be used to identify technical problems in buildings. When a building is investigated, the air inside building structures could be sampled. This method would eliminate emissions from sources other than the construction materials and the samples would contain higher levels of individual compounds. The aims of this work was to identify emissions profiles for different types of building structures, to see if the emission profiles for moisture damaged and undamaged structures differed, and to determine whether any of the emissions profiles for specific structures also could be found in indoor air. Technical investigations and VOC sampling were performed in 21 different buildings with and without previous moisture damage. Seven of the buildings were investigated in the years 2005-2006 (study 1) and fourteen in the years 2009-2010 (study 2). In study 1, sixty samples were analyzed by PCA at the chemical group level (18 chemical groups, i.e. aldehydes, ketones etc). 41 % of all identified chemical compounds belonged to the hydrocarbon chemical group. The second largest chemical groups, each of which accounted for 5-10 % of all identified compounds, were alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and terpenes. The results indicated that one of the main factors that determined the emissions profile of a building structure was the materials used in its construction. Notably, concrete and wooden structures were found to have different emissions profiles. The sum of VOC (TVOC) concentrations for all 241 samples from both study 1 and study 2 was used to compare total emissions between different building elements (ground and higher floors, external walls and roof spaces). Most building elements exhibited relatively low emissions compared to concrete ground floors, which generally had higher TVOC emissions. Emissions from both polystyrene insulation and PVC flooring could be identified in concrete ground floors and were the main cause for the higher emissions found in these structures. Profiles for wood preservatives such as creosote and pentachlorophenol were also identified in external walls. The emission profiles found in the structures could not be identified in the indoor air in the adjacent rooms, although individual compounds were sometimes detected at low concentrations. Our results showed that the main factors influencing emissions in building structures were the construction materials and the nature of the building element in question. Because of difficulties with finding active water damage at the times of sampling and because of sampling inside closed building structures with old dried-out moisture damages, the field method used in this work was unsuitable for identifying differences in emission profiles between moisture damaged and undamaged structures. It will thus be necessary to investigate this difference in a laboratory where the precise composition of all tested structures is known, a range of RH values can be tested and the accumulation of emissions can be followed.Kompetenscentrum Byggnad - Luftkvalitet - Hälsa 2 (KLUCK 2

Fuktskadade byggnader : kompetensutveckling inom byggbranschen

De många olika benämningarna på aktörer i byggbranschen har förorsakat problem för beställarna vid valet av kompetenta utredare för utredning av inomhusmiljöproblem. Även för utbildare och studerande har överlappningarna i utbildningssystemen och avsaknaden av behörighetsgränser förorsakat problem. För att svara mot kompetensbehovet på fältet har man hittills fått förlita sig på frivilliga, avgiftsbelagda fortbildningar. Detta system har dock inte klarat av att tillgodose behovet. I Finland har man inom åtgärdsprogrammet ”Fukt- och mögeltalko” haft en arbetsgrupp som tagit fram en plan för hur man borde utveckla utbildningen och kompetensen för de som jobbar med utredning och renovering av fukt- och mögelskadade byggnader. De flesta yrkeshögskolor med byggutbildning har någon form av undervisning om inomhusmiljö och renovering även om antalet närundervisningstimmar varierar stort. Några skolor har redan idag tillräckligt omfattande utbildning för att motsvara några av de nya förslagen på kompetenskrav. Yrkeshögskolan Novia ansvarar för den svenskspråkiga utbildningen av byggnadsingenjörer och byggmästare i Finland och har inom TEMA-projektet påbörjat utvecklingen av svenskspråkigt utbildningsmaterial och -strategier.When solving problems with the indoor environment, the diversity of names of operators in the construction industry has caused problems for clients in the selection of qualified building investigators. The overlaps in education systems and the lack of qualification boundaries have caused problems also for educators and students. To meet the need for expertise in the field, one has so far been relying on voluntary, fee-based training courses. Still, this system has not been able to meet the need. A working group, within the moisture and mould programme in Finland, has developed a plan for the development of education and skills for those who work with investigations and renovations of moisture and mould damaged buildings. Most polytechnics with construction education have some form of training concerning the indoor environment and renovation, although the number of hours for classroom teaching varies greatly. Some schools have already sufficiently comprehensive training to meet some of the new proposals on skill requirements. Novia University of Applied Sciences is responsible for the education of construction engineers and builders in Swedish in Finland and have, within the project TEMA, started the development of Swedish training materials and strategies

Theory meets working life (TEMA) : A guide from an interdisciplinary collaboration project improving knowledge and skills of indoor air quality

In discussions about preventive health care, indoor air quality aspects are becoming increasingly important. TEMA (Theory meets working life) project was an interdisciplinary project that mainly targeted at professionals within the healthcare and construction industry, but also all those who for various reasons would benefit from information about the indoor environment problems. This guide is an overview of published reports and studies, produced by the project

Teori möter arbetslivet : En handbok om tvärfackligt samarbete kring inomhusmiljöproblem

Inomhusmiljö blir allt viktigare att beakta vid diskussioner om förebyggande hälsovård. Projektet TEMA (Teori Möter Arbetslivet) var ett tvärvetenskapligt projekt som främst riktade sig till yrkesverksamma inom vård- och byggbranschen, men även alla dem som av olika orsaker kan ha nytta av information kring inomhusmiljöproblem. Denna handbok är en översikt av de publikationer som gjorts och producerats inom ramen för projektet

Byggnadsrelaterad ohälsa : kompetensutveckling inom hälsovården

Det finns ett stort behov av utbildning om inomhusmiljö och byggnadsrelaterad ohälsa, både inom ramen för grundläggande yrkesutbildningar och som fortbildningskurser för yrkesverksamma. Hälsoproblem som beror på dålig inomhusluft på arbetsplatsen utreds av företagshälsovården. Dock har de som jobbar inom företags¬hälsovård idag inte alltid tillräcklig kunskap om inomhusmiljö och byggnadsrelaterad ohälsa och saknar ofta beredskap att som sakkunniga delta i utredningar på arbetsplatser. För att förbättra vården bör personalen utbildas om bl.a. riskfaktorer för dålig inomhusluft, vanliga hälsobesvär och inverkan på arbetsförmåga och produktivitet, de psykosociala faktorernas betydelse samt ansvarsfrågor och hälsoekonomiska konsekvenser. Öppna digitala lärresurser (OER) och kurser på nätet (MOOCs) kan med fördel användas vid fortbildning av vårdpersonal. Nätbaserad utbildning underlättar för vårdpersonalen att själv kunna välja tidpunkt och målsätt¬ning. Därtill utgör OER även ett hjälpmedel för att utveckla kunskapsöverföringen mellan Sverige och Fin¬land.There is a growing demand for education on indoor environment and building-related illness, both in the context of basic vocational education and training courses for professionals. Health problems, caused by poor indoor air quality in the workplace, are investigated by the occupational health service. However, those working with occupational health today, do not always have sufficient knowledge about the indoor environment and building-related illness and often lack the capacity to participate as experts in investigations of the indoor environment in a workplace. To improve health care, staff should be trained on e.g. risk factors for poor indoor air quality, common health problems and impact on working capacity and productivity, the impact of psychosocial factors as well as liability issues and health economic implications. Open Educational Resources (OER)and Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) can advantageously be used in the training of health professionals. Online education makes it easier for them to choose when to participate and the objectives of the education. Furthermore, OER also constitutes a means to develop knowledge transfer between Sweden and Finland