scope:

General

The provisions in this standard provide prescriptive minimum requirements for the construction of any building intended for human occupancy, except for 1 and 2 family dwellings^4,5 in order to reduce occupant exposure to radon and other hazardous soil gases.

This standard and informational supplements address construction of buildings that include, among others, the use of a building or structure, or a portion thereof for multifamily or congregate residential occupancies, educational occupancies, and commercial occupancies.

Significance of Use

This standard of practice stipulates requirements to:

a) ensure buildings are capable of mitigating soil gas entry;

b) provide a means for qualified personnel to inspect and evaluate installed mitigation systems; and

c) provide responsible practices that can be recommended or adopted for use as requirements of a contract or local jurisdiction.

Applicability

This standard can be adopted as requirements for contractual relationships or as recommendations or requirements of an authority or jurisdiction.

Limitations

1- and 2-family dwellings and townhouses

While this standard expands into technological specifics associated with any radon resistant construction effort, more simplistic minimum requirements for dwellings with a footprint of less than 2,500 square feet are provided in other standards⁵.

Action levels and guarantees

Compliance with provisions herein do not guarantee reduction of soil gas entry to the degree needed to achieve compliance with federal, state, or local jurisdiction action levels for radon or soil gas hazards.

Passive qualities for reducing soil gas entry

Informative-Building designs intended to optimize passive benefits can require more soil gas vent systems than the minimum requirements herein. In 1994, EPA recommended to rough-in active soil depressurization (ASD) systems during construction of schools and large buildings but did not recommend using passive systems. ⁶

Hazardous soil gases other than radon While methods and techniques employed in this standard are applicable for most soil gases, this standard does not include all design and safety features that can be required for soil gas or vapors other than radon.

For additional health and safety considerations when the purpose of soil gas control is chemical vapor intrusion, see ANSI/AARST SGM-SF (Soil Gas Mitigation in Existing Homes).

Sources other than soil gas

This standard does not address mitigation techniques for hazards other than soil gas, such as airborne radon that results from radon in water, building materials or other less common radon sources.

Changes to structure

Effectiveness witnessed as a result of specifications in this standard cannot be guaranteed or be sustainable where modifications, alterations, structural changes or additions to a building occur.

Prior systems

This standard shall not apply to systems installed prior to the effective date of this standard.

Safety

This standard is not intended to address all safety concerns associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

⁴ As point of reference, see (as published by the International Code Council) the International Building Code (IBC) for occupancy groups A, B, E. F, H, I, M and R unless regulated by the International Residential Code (IRC).

⁵ For 1 & 2 Family Dwellings, see ANSI/AARST CCAH "Reducing Radon in New Construction of 1 & 2 Family Dwellings and Townhouses"

⁶ "Radon Prevention in the Design and Construction of Schools and other Large Buildings" EPA/625/R-92/016