Publications

ASHRAE Design Guides

The Underfloor Air Distribution (UFAD) Design Guide is available from the ASHRAE. This guide, authored by CBE Research Specialist Fred Bauman and Allan Daly of Taylor Engineering, is the product of collaborative research and documentation by CBE and its industry members. The guide has been developed to assist engineers, architects, owners, facility managers, manufacturers, installers, and other users of underfloor air distribution technology. To purchase the guide go to the online ASHRAE Bookstore

Linked Articles on UFAD Technology


July 2006: Design Guidelines for Underfloor Plenums. HPAC Engineering. Authored by CBE researchers Hui Jin, Fred Bauman, and Tom Webster.

June 2006: Design Guidelines for Stratification in Underfloor Air Distribution (UFAD) Systems HPAC Engineering. Authored by CBE Research Specialists Tom Webster and Fred Bauman.

November 2005: CBE Industry Partner Steven Spinazzola PE, Vice President with RTKL, authored Air Distribution Turned Upside Down in this month's issue of Building Operating Management. The article provides an overview of UFAD benefits, and explains the importance of integrated design when considering UFAD systems.

October 2005:: BetterBricks interviews CBE Research Specialist Fred Bauman for the article, Current Knowledge on Under Floor Air Distribution.

September 2005: The September issue of e-News from Energy Design Resources focuses on UFAD systems, including design guidance from CBE.

January 2005: A letter by Fred Bauman appears in Consulting-Specifying Engineer. The Real "Facts" on UFAD, January 2005  His letter addresses a number of inaccuracies from a roundtable discussion of UFAD that CSE published in October 2004. Above or Below? October 2004

December 2003: CBE Research Specialist Fred Bauman authored the cover article in the December 2003 issue of HPAC Engineering. His article, “Designing and Specifying Underfloor Systems: Shedding Light on Common Myths,” uses recent research findings to illustrate common questions on underfloor systems, and to debunk common myths surrounding them.

September 2003: "A Breath of Fresh Air from Below" appeared in the Business Report column of Toronto-based The Globe and Mail. In the article author Albert Warson describes the growth of the new technology and cites numerous examples of UFAD buildings in Canada, including two that were conversions of older buildings.

September 2003: An article in the September issue of Consulting-Specifying Engineer, "Fire Down Below?" discusses many of the fire safety code implications of underfloor air distribution (UFAD) systems. The article includes a sidebar on our work to create energy modeling software for UFAD buildings. This project is being developed by CBE in collaboration with UC San Diego, the Simulation Research Group at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and York International. More info>>

July 2003: An article in the Wall Street Journal describes raised floor ventilation as a technology that provides improved occupant comfort while reducing building operating costs. The article from July 9, 2003, "Raised-Floor Ventilation Gains Footing in U.S. Office Buildings," (subscription required) cites examples of building owners and designers that have opted for underfloor systems, listing five new raised floor projects.

Papers, Articles and Presentations available for Download

Hogan, M., T. Webster, and F. Bauman. 2005. Trends in Design and Operation of UFAD Buildings.CBE Summary Report, October.

Bauman, F., 2006. Slide presentation from McCoy UFAD Workshop. Houston, TX, August 8, 2006. (PDF 3MB)

Bauman, F., 2005. PE, Slide presentation from BetterBricks/ASHRAE Workshop. Seattle WA and Portland OR, September 7-8, 2005. (PDF 3MB)

Lehrer, D. and F. Bauman, 2003. Hype vs. Reality: New Research Findings on Underfloor Air Distribution Systems.Proceedings, Greenbuild 2003, Pittsburgh PA, November (PDF 596K)

Webster, T., F. Bauman, J. Reese and M. Shi, 2002. Thermal Stratification Performance of Underfloor Air Distribution (UFAD) Systems.  Proceedings, Indoor Air 2002, Monterey, CA, June. (PDF 61K)

Webster, T., F. Bauman, and J. Reese, 2002. Underfloor Air Distribution: Thermal Stratification. ASHRAE Journal, May. (PDF 682K)

Webster, T., R. Bannon and D. Lehrer, 2002. Teledesic Broadband Center Field Study. CBE Summary Report, April. (PDF 680K)

Bauman, F., and T. Webster, 2001. Outlook for Underfloor Air Distribution.  ASHRAE Journal, June. (PDF 390K)

Webster, T., F. Bauman and E. Ring. 2000. Supply Fan Energy Use in Pressurized Underfloor Air Distribution Systems. CBE Summary Report, October. (PDF 280K)

Bauman, F., T. Webster and P. Pecora, 1999. How Low Can You Go? Air Flow Performance of Low-Height Underfloor Plenums. CBE Summary Report, October.  (PDF 189K)

Bauman, F., 1999. Giving Occupants What They Want: Guidelines for Implementing Personal Environmental Control in Your Building.  Proceedings, World Workplace 1999, Los Angeles, October.  (PDF 98K)

Bauman, F., A. Baughman, G. Carter, and E. Arens, 1998. A Field Study of PEM (Personal Environmental Module) Performance in Bank of America's San Francisco Office Buildings Center for Environmental Design ResearchUniversity of California, Berkeley, April.  (PDF 2.4MB)

Bauman, F., and E. Arens, 1996. Task/Ambient Conditioning Systems: Engineering and Application Guidelines, Center for Environmental Design Research, University of California, Berkeley, October 1996.  (PDF 2MB)

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