New firm to take over inspecting SSPA Building

A mechanical engineering firm will take over inspecting the Social Sciences/Public Affairs Building following an April report from an air-quality company.

Healthy Buildings International, an international independent air-quality company, tested the building in March after the building's faculty had complained about the air quality in the building.

To look at possible solutions and conduct more tests, mechanical engineering firm P2S Engineering will look into the mechanical aspects of HBI's findings, said Scott Charmack, vice president of Cal State Long Beach's Physical Planning.

After a month of testing the building, HBI issued a report, noting airflow into the basement as the biggest problem. Only one third of the air supposed to reach the basement actually got through.

HBI recommended in its April 12 report that the air handler fans be checked and possibly upgraded. That is just one thing P2S will do, Charmack said.

"They'll look at the findings in the HBI report and see what they can do about it," he said. "We do need to increase the air flow into the building."

HBI also recommended the air-duct filters be changed and the air ducts be cleaned for dust and dirt. The company found fungi known to be allergenic in the air ducts, but only in minor deposits.

The report also addressed the bad-odor problem in the basement, suggesting that the sub-basement be better ventilated to remove some of the odors. The sewer-like odors are mainly caused by groundwater intrusion into the sub-basement and the current repairs to the elevator.
HBI suggested this be fixed by tapping into the restroom exhaust duct and upgrading the fan to handle the extra workload. The restrooms on the first and second floors showed a neutral airflow prone to leakage and odor migration, so a new fan might be necessary.

"I know they recommended tapping into other air ducts," Charmack said. "But unfortunately, HBI is not a mechanical engineering firm. What they suggest isn't always possible. That's why we're bringing in P2S Engineering."

Charmack said much of the odor in the basement will disappear after the elevator repairs are done, but he doesn't think the air quality will be good enough without the help of students and faculty.

"Ironically, if people keep the doors to the outside open, the air flow goes down because the building is depressurized," he said. "Unfortunately, faculty insists on keeping the doors open. And therefore it's hard to get the air flow going."

To the faculty, this presents a bit of a dilemma.

"We're forced to keep the doors open because of the putrid smell in here," said Emma Daugherty, associate professor in the journalism department. "It causes the eyes to run, you cough and can't breathe well. You can't expect students to work in this environment. We'd keep the doors closed if they could get rid of the smell first."

The building will be retested in March 2001.