statement of qualifications

Stack Effect in Tall Buildings

Managing Total Building Pressure Impacts Through Passive Design

Stack Effect Impacts

Stack Effect in tall buildings is most often felt at
the entrances. In cold climates it is felt as a flow
of cold air into the building. In hot climates it is
felt as cool air blowing out of the building: this
is sometimes called reverse stack effect.

Either way, stack effect represents an uncontrolled

energy loss at best. At its worst, it can cause:
Irritating noise from whistling through
doors and facade cracks;
Infiltration of humidity and odor which can
migrate through the building especially
during HVAC system shutdowns;
Increased difficulty opening and/or closing doors
along with doors slamming if they are not controlled;
Drafts and thermal discomfort from
excessive heat gains, or losses, which can
overwhelm the air conditioning systems;
Adverse spread of smoke from a fire;
Increased maintenance on elevator doors etc.; and
These impacts can occur at all levels of the building.
Upper level terraces exacerbate the problem.

Stack effect is a result of different air densities inside

and out of a building that cause the pressure distribution
of air in a building to be different from that outdoors.
Often the combination of stack effect, wind pressures,
and ventilation system operation combine to create
complex pressure arrangements in buildings. Conceptual Image of Summer Stack Effect

As the trend continues for

increased building height, the
need to control stack effect will
continue. Passive strategies
exist to manage stack effect.

Contributors: Duncan Phillips (Ph.D., P.Eng.), Senior Consultant, Principal l Glenn Schuyler (M.A.Sc., P.Eng.), Senior Consultant, Principal l
Xiangdong Du, (Ph.D., P.Eng.), Senior Engineer l Katie Reipas (M.E.Sc.), Technical Coordinator

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 statement of qualifications

Stack Effect in Tall Buildings

Process
RWDI has conducted studies of both existing
buildings and newly designed buildings. The
understanding developed through these activities
has led to strategies to manage stack effect:

Design Review: A review of the likely air leakage

paths can identify the floors with weak links for stack
effect control and mitigation measures recommended.
Detailed Modeling: A computer model of the
building can be developed incorporating all
shafts, various door types (e.g. rotating, vestibule,
elevator), fan pressure behaviors and other flow
passages. This model can be tested with both
wind pressures and HVAC controls strategies
to evaluate different scenarios. Issues such as
operable windows, HVAC pressurization, and the
benefits of additional doors can be evaluated.
Special Scenarios: For some buildings and
jurisdictions, special studies can be conducted
such as transient smoke migration; comparison
of different HVAC configurations (to determine
the most energy efficient) the rise in humidity
over a weekend caused by stack effect driven RWDI has a custom tool specifically built for stack
infiltration; and mitigation options to offer owners effect analysis. This tool decreases the time required
of existing buildings suggestions to fix problems. to create models and permits multi-scenario analysis.

Sample Project Listing

Burj Khalifa, Dubai, UAE Stack effect review of multiple configurations.

Trump Tower, Chicago, IL Detailed model of building and review of door requirements.
Harbor Towers, Boston, MA Evaluation of thermal comfort and improvements
to smoke control for fire safety.
21 Carleton St., Toronto, ON Site visit and mitigation consultation for existing building.
Chow Tai Fook Center, Guangzhou, China Stack effect design consultation and detailed
modeling and mitigation analysis
Chicago Spire, Chicago, IL Evaluation of HVAC system and interaction with operable windows.
One Penn Plaza, Philadelphia, PA Design review consultation.
Jamsil Lotte Super Tower, Design review and detailed stack effect analysis
Seoul, South Korea of winter and summer conditions.
Nahkeel Tower, Dubai, UAE Early evaluation of stack effect control options for super tall building.
Brigham and Womens Site visit and assessment of inter-building stack effect connectivity.
Hospital, Boston, MA

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 statement of qualifications

Stack Effect in Tall Buildings

New Songdo Apartments

New Songdo, South Korea

T he apartment complexes in this new city were proposed

with two different ventilation systems: a central system
where a mechanical floor delivered air to the corridors
Infiltration Flow Rate [m3/hr]

and a distributed system where individual through-the-

wall systems delivered heating and cooling. The study
conducted by RWDI demonstrated the different pressure
control and ultimate energy performance strategies. The
client was able to determine which ventilation system
to implement on the basis of energy efficiency.

Pearl River Tower

Guangzhou, China

T he Pearl River Tower in Guangzhou has been

designed to use as little energy as possible. As part
of standard operations, the building HVAC system will
be shut down over holidays and weekends. This means
that the building will not be mechanically pressurized and
uncontrolled infiltration can occur; driven by both stack
effect and wind. RWDI conducted a full building stack
effect analysis to assess the infiltration over the course of
a weekend. This was then coupled to an assessment of
the increase in relative humidity within the building. This
led to a control strategy for the chilled ceiling systems.

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