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VAV location in a room

PostPosted: Sat Feb 03, 2018 9:17 pm
by mmartric
I have been trying to find a clear answer for this particular question. What is the best location for a VAV in a room?

Any help will be highly appreciated

Re: VAV location in a room

PostPosted: Sat Feb 03, 2018 9:46 pm
by Coach
It doesn't go in the room.

Re: VAV location in a room

PostPosted: Mon Feb 05, 2018 9:14 pm
by mmartric
So what is the correct location for VAV? ArenĀ“t they usually placed in the center o the ceiling?

Re: VAV location in a room

PostPosted: Mon Feb 12, 2018 12:15 pm
by greenHandle23
You would put the Variable Air Volume Box (VAV) within the plenum space, and the coordination with your mechanical engineer would provide you with the most affective location(s) to locate these. The VAV component of an air-to-air system works in tandem with a Building Energy Management System (BEMS), which additionally works with the location(s) of CO2 sensors, and temperature and/or humidity sensors. These are located with reference to the buildings occupancy, environmental conditions, and the programmatic elements which are part of the Owners requirements and goals for a given project. So, to say where you would locate this VAV equipment is very dependent upon these conditions. The general idea is to provide more control over the ventilation a specific room, or zone within a building. As an architect your responsibility is to achieve the greatest economy for a all conditions presented, and usually VAV controls are sited within spaces which would otherwise be very difficult to control the correct ventilation, i.e. (along the side of glass curtain walls, within auditoriums having +20 ft. ceilings ect.) This is also not your responsibility as an architect, unless you are trained as both an Architect and Engineer, or work inside a firm with both disciplines under one roof as I did, which is why I know about this. You greatest leverage in locating this equipment as an Architect of record for a project would be your end goal for the project, you also may have several meetings with your consultants in bringing them up-to-speed with your overall design requirements in order verify the locations of these VAV boxes as well.

Re: VAV location in a room

PostPosted: Wed Feb 14, 2018 12:39 pm
by amxarch
Could we get more clarification?

Re: VAV location in a room

PostPosted: Fri Feb 16, 2018 8:12 am
by greenHandle23
location of a VAV or nearly all other equipment specific to a Mechanical Engineering Consultants profession is required to be proofed or reviewed and approved by a Mechanical PE. This is not the architects field of responsibility. The Architect can specify the general location of VAV Boxes with any scale work/projects (given there is feedback from his consultants) adhering to A201, & B101. Otherwise your working with AIA Doc C103 "This is a contract between owner and consultant used for any sized project when the consultant does not have a predefined scope of services." still with this contract your required to have a registered PE review the work and sign it!

Your asking about a somewhat specific aspect of the mechanical design profession which is good. However your also providing people with very limited information *(i.e. center of room, or corner of room within the plenum space). As I said in my earlier post, there are many variables involved and it is highly specific.

VAV Boxes control the amount and velocity of ventilation in a specific response to a micro-environmental component of your buildings overall design. Your question cannot be answered simply. You would need to understand occupancy type, where the windows are (if any), where the rooms egress is, how big is the space(s), what is the adjacent occupancy, how high is the drop ceiling from the F.F, and these are only a few of the variables.

In an attempt to answer your question which won't really help you at all given what your inquiring (you would most likely NEVER locate a VAV box next to a RA duct)!

I hope this information helps with this question. I did my best given my limited experience which may be more than enough given my particular background working with a PE for five years regarding this question type, as I recently took the CDS exam and failed it. I'm on my second attempt. Its not an easy test and think sometimes you almost have to get lucky on it?

Good luck and keep studying as much as possible, you will succeed.

Re: VAV location in a room

PostPosted: Fri Feb 16, 2018 8:40 am
by thd7t
First of all, I don't think that this question/type of question will show up on this exam. It's more of a Building Systems question.

Second, for the purposes or ARE's (and rule of thumb), the center of the room is more appropriate than the corner. It allows shorter duct runs and therefore lower cost (either due to less duct or smaller fan size). This kind of question is at the conceptual level and while locations are determined by Mechanical Engineers, Architects should understand the reasoning for basic placement of elements within their basic services, which include Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing and Structural systems.

Re: VAV location in a room

PostPosted: Sun Feb 18, 2018 7:36 am
by amxarch
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Re: VAV location in a room

PostPosted: Mon Feb 19, 2018 7:44 pm
by Bimman9
of course it doesn't go IN the room but if it is above the ceiling then where shall it be placed? Corner, above an entrance, in the middle where everyone else wants to be?

Re: VAV location in a room

PostPosted: Wed Feb 21, 2018 6:46 am
by thd7t
Bimman9 wrote:of course it doesn't go IN the room but if it is above the ceiling then where shall it be placed? Corner, above an entrance, in the middle where everyone else wants to be?

Again, for the purpose of AREs, put it in the middle. See my response above for explanation.