EN 12153:2023

Curtain walling - Air permeability - Test method

This document defines the method to be used to determine the air permeability of curtain walling, both its fixed and openable parts. It describes how the specimen shall be tested under positive and negative air pressure.
This document applies to any curtain walling product as defined in EN 13830.

Vorhangfassaden - Luftdurchlässigkeit - Prüfverfahren

Dieses Dokument definiert das Verfahren zur Bestimmung der Luftdurchlässigkeit der feststehenden und zu öffnenden Teile von Vorhangfassaden. Es wird dargestellt, wie der Prüfkörper unter Aufbringung von positivem und negativem Luftdruck geprüft werden muss.
Dieses Dokument ist anwendbar für alle Vorhangfassadenelemente nach EN 13830.

Façades rideaux - Perméabilité à l'air - Méthode d'essai

Le présent document définit la méthode à utiliser pour déterminer la perméabilité à l'air des façades rideaux, et de leurs parties fixes et ouvrantes. Il décrit la façon dont le corps d'épreuve doit être soumis à essai sous des pressions d'air positives et négatives.
Le présent document s’applique à tout produit de façade rideau tel que défini dans la NF EN 13830.

Obešene fasade - Prepustnost zraka - Preskusna metoda

Ta dokument določa metodo, ki se uporablja za ugotavljanje prepustnosti zraka obešene fasade, tako njenih fiksnih kot premičnih delov. Opisuje, kako je treba vzorec preskusiti pod pozitivnim in negativnim zračnim tlakom.
OPOMBA:   Ta dokument se uporablja za vse proizvode obešene fasade, kot je določeno v standardu EN 13830.

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 25-Jul-2023
• ICS: 91.060.10 - Walls. Partitions. Facades
• Technical Committee: CEN/TC 33 - Doors, windows, shutters and building hardware
• Drafting Committee: CEN/TC 33/WG 6 - Curtain walling
• Current Stage: 6060 - Definitive text made available (DAV) - Publishing
• Start Date: 26-Jul-2023
• Due Date: 15-Jun-2023
• Completion Date: 26-Jul-2023
• Ref Project: SIST EN 12153:2023 - Curtain walling - Air permeability - Test method

Relations

• Replaces: EN 12153:2000 - Curtain walling - Air permeability - Test method
• Effective Date: 14-Apr-2021

Overview

EN 12153:2023 - "Curtain walling - Air permeability - Test method" (CEN) specifies the laboratory procedure to measure air permeability (air leakage) of curtain walling systems, covering both fixed and openable parts. The standard defines how to test specimens under positive and negative pressure, the required test apparatus, measurement accuracies, and how to express results for classification and performance reporting. EN 12153:2023 applies to curtain walling products as defined in EN 13830.

Key topics and technical requirements

• Scope and specimen: Tests apply to full-size, representative specimens (or at least two typical units wide) built and mounted to simulate real connection conditions; profiles used to mount in the test chamber are excluded from specimen area.
• Test principle: Apply stepped positive and negative differential pressures and record steady-state airflow into a sealed test chamber to quantify leakage.
• Pressure sequence: Incremental pressure steps (50 Pa increments up to 300 Pa, then 150 Pa increments up to the selected maximum test pressure) with pre-conditioning pulses (three pulses at 500 Pa or 10% above the selected maximum).
• Apparatus requirements: Rigid test chamber capable of withstanding test pressures without affecting specimen performance; means to apply controlled pressure pulses; calibrated airflow and pressure measurement instruments (airflow and pressure measurement accuracy ±5%).
• Test variants:
  • Fixed-element tests (openable joints taped)
  • Openable-element tests (openable joints untaped, after cycling windows/vents)
  • Both positive and negative pressure tests are required.
• Result expression: Measured flows Qc (chamber leakage), Qfc (specimen with openables sealed), Qtc (openables unsealed). Results are reported as:
  • Air permeability per unit area for fixed panels (m3/h·m2)
  • Air permeability per unit length for openable or fixed joints (m3/h·m)
  • Graphs of airflow vs. test pressure to support classification.
• Reporting: Test report requirements and optional bibliography references are defined to support classification per EN 12152.

Applications and practical value

• Provides a standardized, repeatable method for assessing curtain wall air leakage for:
  • Product manufacturers validating design and production quality
  • Independent test laboratories performing type or compliance tests
  • Facade engineers and architects specifying performance in tender documents
  • Certification bodies and regulators requiring objective data for building envelope performance
• Useful for minimizing uncontrolled infiltration, improving thermal performance, and meeting regulatory or project-specific airtightness targets.

Who should use this standard

• Curtain wall manufacturers and fabricators
• Accredited test laboratories and QA teams
• Façade consultants, architects, and structural/thermal engineers
• Product certifiers and building code compliance authorities

Related standards

• EN 13830 - Product definition and performance requirements for curtain walling
• EN 12152 - Air permeability performance requirements and classification
• EN 13119 - Curtain walling terminology
• EN 1026, EN 12207 - Tests and classification for openable elements (referenced for openable joint testing)

Keywords: EN 12153:2023, curtain walling, air permeability, test method, CEN, air leakage, positive pressure, negative pressure, test chamber, EN 13830.

Standards Content (Sample)

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-oktober-2023
Nadomešča:
SIST EN 12153:2001
Obešene fasade - Prepustnost zraka - Preskusna metoda
Curtain walling - Air permeability - Test method
Vorhangfassaden - Luftdurchlässigkeit - Prüfverfahren
Façades rideaux - Perméabilité à l'air - Méthode d'essai
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: EN 12153:2023
ICS:
91.060.10 Stene. Predelne stene. Walls. Partitions. Facades
Fasade
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

EN 12153
EUROPEAN STANDARD
NORME EUROPÉENNE
July 2023
EUROPÄISCHE NORM
ICS 91.060.10 Supersedes EN 12153:2000
English Version
Curtain walling - Air permeability - Test method
Façades rideaux - Perméabilité à l'air - Méthode d'essai Vorhangfassaden - Luftdurchlässigkeit - Prüfverfahren
This European Standard was approved by CEN on 5 June 2023.

CEN members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations which stipulate the conditions for giving this
European Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration. Up-to-date lists and bibliographical references
concerning such national standards may be obtained on application to the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre or to any CEN
member.
This European Standard exists in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other language made by
translation under the responsibility of a CEN member into its own language and notified to the CEN-CENELEC Management
Centre has the same status as the official versions.

CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia,
Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway,
Poland, Portugal, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye and
United Kingdom.
EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION

EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG

CEN-CENELEC Management Centre: Rue de la Science 23, B-1040 Brussels
© 2023 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. EN 12153:2023 E
worldwide for CEN national Members.

Contents Page
European foreword . 3
1 Scope . 4
2 Normative references . 4
3 Terms and definitions . 4
4 Symbols and abbreviations . 5
5 Principle . 5
6 Apparatus . 5
7 Test methods . 6
7.1 Test specimen . 6
7.2 Test preparation . 6
7.3 Test procedure . 7
7.3.1 General . 7
7.3.2 Positive pressure test: fixed elements . 7
7.3.3 Negative pressure test: fixed elements . 7
7.3.4 Pressure test: openable elements . 8
7.3.5 Expression of results . 8
8 Test report . 9
Bibliography . 14

European foreword
This document (EN 12153:2023) has been prepared by Technical Committee CEN/TC 33 “Doors,
windows, shutters, building hardware and curtain walling”, the secretariat of which is held by AFNOR.
This European Standard shall be given the status of a national standard, either by publication of an
identical text or by endorsement, at the latest by January 2024, and conflicting national standards shall
be withdrawn at the latest by January 2024.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. CEN shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
This document supersedes EN 12153:2000.
The main changes compared to the previous edition are listed below:
— added a new test of air permeability at negative pressure and re-adapted the details of test report
accordingly;
— editorial modifications to definitions, in order to make them compliant with the definitions of
EN 12152.
This document contains a bibliography which provides for the inclusion of additional information in the
expression of the test results.
This document is part of a series of European Standards dedicated to curtain walling products.
This document forms part of a series of curtain walling performance requirements as defined in the
product standard EN 13830.
Any feedback and questions on this document should be directed to the users’ national standards body.
A complete listing of these bodies can be found on the CEN website.
According to the CEN-CENELEC Internal Regulations, the national standards organisations of the
following countries are bound to implement this European Standard: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia,
Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland,
Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of North
Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye and the United
Kingdom.
1 Scope
This document defines the method to be used to determine the air permeability of curtain walling, both
its fixed and openable parts. It describes how the specimen shall be tested under positive and negative
air pressure.
This document applies to any curtain walling product as defined in EN 13830.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For
undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
EN 12152, Curtain walling - Air permeability - Performance requirements and classification
EN 13119, Curtain walling - Terminology
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions given in EN 13119 and the following apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminology databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https://www.iso.org/obp
— IEC Electropedia: available at https://www.electropedia.org/
3.1
test pressure
differential pressure between the two faces of the test specimen, expressed in pascals (Pa)
3.2
positive pressure
when outer face is subjected to higher air pressure than the inner face
3.3
negative pressure
when the outer face is subjected to lower air pressure than the inner face
3.4
air permeability
passage of air through the construction of the curtain walling when subjected to air pressure
Note 1 to entry: The volume being expressed as a rate in cubic metres per hour (m /h), this rate being related to
the overall area of the curtain walling. Alternatively, the rate can be related to the metre length of joint.
3.5
fixed joint
all joints except those between openable parts of the curtain wall (see Figure 3)
3.6
fixed joint length
sum of the length of all fixed joints within the curtain walling measured along the line of the air
seal/barrier
Note 1 to entry: Where a window is incorporated in the specimen it shall be considered as a panel for the purpose
of the fixed joint calculation (see lines 1 in Figure 3).
3.7
openable joint length
perimeters of all moving casement or sash, in accordance with EN 12207
3.8
overall area
sum of the areas of all the faces measured parallel to all fixed and openable panels (see Figure 2)
Note 1 to entry: It shall be expressed in m .
Note 2 to entry: Profiles for mounting the specimen in the test stand shall not be considered.
4 Symbols and abbreviations
For the purposes of this document, the following symbols and abbreviations apply.
P maximum positive and negative pressure [Pa]
max
Q
the airflow into the test chamber, measured with the specimen sealed airtight [m /h]
c
Q
the airflow into the test chamber, measured with only the openable joints sealed [m /h]
fc
Q
the airflow into the test chamber, measured with the openable joints unsealed [m /h]
tc
Q
the air permeability for the fixed panels [m /h]
f
Q
/h]
the air permeability for the openable joints [m
j
Q
the air permeability for fixed panels at each test pressure [m /h]
t
A the overall area of the test specimen
L the total length of openable joints
L length of fixed joint
f
5 Principle
Application of increasing and decreasing pressure steps (positive or negative) with measurements of air
flow at each test p
...