HVAC Ductwork Requirements for Modular Building

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4.5 HVAC Ductwork

The HVAC external ductwork shall be fabricated from galvanised steel type with appropriate thickness as per
SMACNA standard. Ductwork shall be designed and constructed to give the required airflow rates, and to withstand
the extreme environmental conditions prevalent in the Arabian Gulf.

The HVAC internal ductwork shall be fabricated from Hot Dip galvanised steel sheet. Galvanisation shall be minimum
32 micron on each face Class Z275 The gauge / thickness of the ductwork sheet steel are dependent on its location,
specific routing and penetration requirements and are defined elsewhere in this specification.

Supply and extract air distribution ductwork within enclosed, dedicated spaces shall be of the low velocity type
system. Supply air ductwork external to enclosed, dedicated spaces shall be either high or low velocity type systems.

Low velocity systems shall be defined as those ventilation systems operating with duct air velocities of 10 m/s or less,
with a maximum static pressure of 500Pa.

Distribution ductwork mounted externally shall be designed such that the ductwork is subjected to minimal wind
loading, to reduce additional stiffening requirements.

All externally mounted insulated ductwork shall be weather proofed and jacketed with 0.5 mm galvanised steel sheet.

All externally mounted non-insulated ductwork and fittings shall be painted to withstand the extreme environmental
conditions prevalent in the Arabian Gulf.

Manual balancing dampers shall be provided in all branch ducts to accurately adjust final air volume requirements.

Test holes shall be located at all necessary points throughout the distribution systems to enable accurate balancing
of ductwork distribution systems. Test holes shall be provided with plugs /lids readily accessible following installation
to ensure ease of commissioning and checking during system operation.

External ductwork if any shall be limited to fresh air ductwork in case fresh air inlet shall be located far from building
HVAC room to be in a safe area at 2m minimum distance from any hazardous area.

Gaskets between connecting flanges shall be of the sheet or strip type from an approved flameproof material, of a
minimum thickness of 3 mm. Any cleated and socket / spigot joints or lapped seams shall be sealed with an
approved heat shrink bonding material or other approved method.

Vendor shall ensure that all joints, seams, fastening and connection to all plant items and space barrier penetrations
are effectively airtight and weather sealed.

Ductwork stiffeners shall maintain the true rectangular cross section of the duct. Spacing of stiffeners for rectangular
section ductwork shall be in accordance with DW 144, as a minimum, and due consideration shall be given to
additional stiffening of ductwork which is subject to external wind loading.

b. Supports

Ductwork supports shall be sized to bear 300% of the ductwork net weight and shall be designed to accommodate
wind loading.

Ductwork supports shall be connected to local civil structure components and shall consist of steel channel section,
beam clamps or other approved specialist attachments. They shall ensure a rigid support for all ductwork and
component sections during operations, including expected wind loading for the position of duct under consideration.
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Supports directly connected to ducting with rivets, screws, welding shall not be accepted. Where there is a possibility
of vibration being transmitted through the ductwork systems, care shall be taken to isolate the ductwork from the
supports or the module structure by means of an approved vibration absorbing material or specialist components.

c. Test Holes

Threaded cap test holes shall be 13 mm diameter throughout, the number of which shall be suitable for accurate
airflow measurement in the duct by standard test instruments, i.e. Pitot tube and electronic manometer, in locations
as required to measure pressure drops across each item in the system, e.g., O.A. louvers, filters, fans, coils,
intermediate points in duct runs, etc.

Test holes shall be provided with suitable sized sealing plugs/lids to ensure air tightness during systems operation
and shall have easily removed covers labelled “Ventilation Test Holes”. Provide extensions to allow for insulation and
cladding thickness.

d. Access

Access covers shall be fabricated from similar material as that of the duct and shall be at least of the same gauge
sheet of the ductwork. Covers shall be provided with heavy-duty hinges and industrial type quick release latches.
Glass fibre cord gaskets shall ensure an airtight/watertight seal between the cover and ductwork.

Access covers shall be provided at all locations in the distribution ductwork system where fire dampers are installed
and/or where access is required for maintenance/adjustment of instruments, sensors etc. Installed in the ductwork
and as per NFPA 90A.

In thermally insulated and fire rated ducts access covers shall be double skin type fitted with thermal and fire
insulation

Access covers adjacent to HVAC equipment shall provide a minimum clear opening of 500 mm x 500 mm and
access covers located elsewhere within the ductwork systems shall provide a minimum clear opening of 400 mm x
300 mm. Where this is not possible due to duct sizes, the access covers shall be of the maximum size permitted by
the ductwork dimensions and configuration.

Duct openings and access covers shall be adequately reinforced to prevent distortion with respect to the size of
opening, the gauge thickness of the steel sheet and the pressures developed within the duct.

e. Instruments

Provisions shall be provided throughout, the number of which shall be as per Duct and Instrument Diagram (D&ID),
in locations as required to measure humidity, temperature, pressure, air flow in the system. Provide extensions to
penetrate through insulation and cladding thickness.

f. Earth Bonding

Earth bonding throughout the HVAC systems and ductwork installation shall be achieved with straps across all
component section and equipment flanges.

g. Ductwork Insulation

Vendor shall be responsible for the supply and installation of all insulation materials required for ductwork. Insulating
materials shall be inert, asbestos free, non-hygroscopic, rot and vermin proof, and shall not support bacteriological
growth.

Insulating materials shall be applied in accordance with the Manufacturer’s recommendations. Mastics, sealant, and
adhesives shall be as recommended by the insulation Manufacturer, and applied in accordance with Manufacturer’s
recommendation. All types of sealant, mastics, and sealing strips are to be non-combustible.

Thermal and Fire Insulation shall not be applied until the ductwork systems have been pressure / leak tested.
Thermal insulation shall be applied to all air conditioning supply and return air ductwork, and shall comprise resin
bonded mineral wool slabs of minimum thickness 25 mm for internal and 50mm for external ducts and an approved
vapour barrier. The insulation materials shall be rated non-combustible complying with BS 476 Part 4, and NFPA
90A. The maximum declared thermal conductivity at the relevant temperatures shall be 0.04W/m°C. The density of
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mineral wool slabs shall be minimum 48 kg/m³.

Insulating material shall be applied to surfaces in large slabs to maintain maximum continuity of insulation. Bends
and fittings shall be formed from mitred and trimmed sections cut to ensure that a good contact with the surface to be
insulated is made.

Continuity of insulation shall be obtained by firm butting together with adjacent slabs and sealed with a self-adhesive
vapour barrier type tape. The joints shall be staggered. All rigid sections shall be accurately matched for thickness,
with no steps or undulations in the surface. No sections having damaged ends or edges shall be used. The insulating
material shall cover all flanges. Volume control dampers shall be insulated, but with cut-outs around dampers
handles and linkages so that no cut ends of the insulation are exposed, and where necessary vapour barriers are to
be sealed. This shall also apply to fire dampers, damper supports, openings around access doors and test hole
positions.

The vapour barrier and the insulation shall not be pierced or damaged by supports. Load distribution sleeves shall be
provided where necessary. Points of discontinuity and the ends of sections of the vapour barrier shall be returned
and sealed to the ductwork to prevent moisture from entering the insulation at the edges.

Thermal insulation to externally mount and the HVAC plant room ductwork shall be covered with stainless steel
cladding. The total cladding shall be weatherproofed and all joints sealed. The cladding to the ducts within the HVAC
room could be galvanised steel.

h. Identification Of Ductwork
Identification of ducts for ventilation and exhaust systems shall be for the benefit of the Operators.

To be effective the identification must be placed where it can be easily seen and at positions where identification may
be required. To ensure, that the symbols are seen, the following points should be considered; the symbols should be
on the surfaces, which face the positions of normal access to the completed installation. The symbols should not be
hidden from view by structural members, other ducts, plant or other distribution system. The symbols should be
placed where there is adequate natural or artificial light.

The symbols should occur frequently enough to avoid the need for ducts to be traced back. Symbols should be
placed at any inspection and access points to the system and at branch duct positions.

i. Direction Of Flow

The duct identifying symbol shall be a 150-mm long equilateral triangle with one apex pointing in the direction of air
flow. Where boundaries of the duct are not visible, more than one triangle should be arranged to indicate direction of
flow.

The triangle shall be complete with a system identifying code; the letters and numbers of which should be in black,
referencing the system fan equipment number. The size of the figures should not be less than 25 mm high and
should be clearly marked on the colour symbol.

j. Ductwork Leakage Test

• External ductwork

Pressurised to 2000 Pa with maximum air leakage equivalent to 0.14 litres per second per square metre of surface
area over minimum period of 15 minutes.

• Internal ductwork

Pressurised to 500 Pa with maximum air leakage equivalent to 0.60 litres per second per square metre of surface
area over minimum period of 15 minutes.

Testing shall be completed before any insulation or enclosures of the ductwork and before terminal devices are fitted.
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The air leakage rate for any section shall not be in excess of the permitted rate for that section. If a first test produces
leakage in excess of the permitted maximum, the section shall be re-sealed and re-tested until a leakage not greater
than the permitted maximum is achieved.

k. Grilles, Diffusers, Louvers

Grilles, diffusers and louvers shall be fabricated throughout from galvanized steel, painted steel or stainless steel in
accordance with the associated ductwork sheet metal and false ceiling characteristics.

Grilles and diffusers shall be designed to give the correct air distribution and throw without generation of undue noise
or static pressure loss. Adjustable damper shall be provided with each grille or diffuser.

Fresh air inlet louvers shall be inertial separation type consisting of vertical channel separator vanes mounted in a
frame with self-emptying moisture and sand discharge opening in the base.

Louvers shall be selected to have a maximum face velocity of 2.5 m/s for inlet louvers and 3 m/s for outlet louvers.