In a 5000 sq ft office space designed for 50 employees what

In a 5,000 sq. ft office space designed for 50 employees, what is the calculated minimum required ventilation rate in cfm/person of outside air to the occupied zone?

Solution

For an office space, as per IMC( International Mechanical Code),the minimum required ventilation rate is 20cfm/person. Thus, as per IMC, the minimum required airflow for the given office is is 50*20 = 1000 cfm. However, as per ANSI/ASHRAE standards, the minimum required ventilation rate is 6 cfm/person Thus the minimum required airflow for the given office, as per ANSI/ASHRAE standards, is is 50*6 = 300 cfm.