Measurements of wind effects on the efficacy of asbestos containment in a high-rise building

To prevent exposures during asbestos abatement process in buildings, it is often required to create a dynamic containment zone through the development of a depressurized area. The magnitude of the required depressurization is calculated for steady wind conditions and varies in the national regulations of each country. In current practice, the differential pressure between the containment zone’s outer surface and its interior is monitored to ensure that containment is ensured. However, wind is an unsteady phenomenon that has an impact on the external pressures acting on a building. This paper highlights the necessity for standard practice to take the effects of unsteady wind into account. For this paper, the effects of wind-induced pressure fluctuations on the performance of a containment zone were monitored in an asbestos abatement site in a high-rise building. Full-scale measurements were performed, simultaneously measuring pressure differences between the containment zone and its adjacent zones, and the wind velocity above the building’s rooftop. Although the measurements showed that for low wind velocities containment was ensured, it was momentarily breached for moderate wind velocities. It is also shown that the measurement location of pressure differences between the containment zone and its exterior is therefore important.