What is the Difference Between a Smoke Control and Smoke Management System?

 

Smoke control systems are one of the most difficult and often misunderstood systems within a facility, and rightfully so. Any smoke management system service in California will confirm that a true Smoke Control System vs a post-fire Smoke Management System are two completely different concepts. 

 

To use an example from the animal kingdom which demonstrates the differences between these two systems let's assume the use of water by a fish as a Smoke Control System and a camel as a Smoke Management System. Both the fish and the camel can’t survive without water, but a fish utilizes the water as a medium in which to survive while the camel exploits its water as fuel to travel great distances.  Similarly, a Smoke Control System controls the medium of smoke to increase departure times so that occupants can escape smoothly. Contrarily, Smoke Management Systems are used for post-fire events for removing smoke from a facility and/or control smoke from entering particular areas of a facility during general evacuation. 

Even the best fire pump systems service in California makes note of the two different concepts. 

A Smoke Control System can be defined as an engineered electro-mechanical system that employs mechanical fans and dampers along with electronic monitoring and controls to produce pressure differences across smoke barriers that inhibit or help smoke movement. A smoke-control system is used to fulfill one or more of the following design objectives: 

-Deter smoke from entering stairwells, means of egress, areas of refuge, elevator shafts, or similar areas 

 

-Maintain a tenable environment in places of refuge and means of egress during the minimum needed evacuation time 

-Stop the migration of smoke from the smoke zone 

-Provide conditions outside the fire zone that allow emergency response personnel to conduct search-and-rescue operations and to find and control the fire like fire alarm systems in California 

 

-Contribute to the security of life and to the decrease of property loss 

A Smoke Management System can be defined as an engineered mechanical system that, based on its intentions, employs mechanical fans, dampers and other procedures to remove smoke from a facility under post-fire condition. A smoke management system is applied to one or more of the following intended uses: 

-Roof hatch ventilation for smoke removal in high atrium spaces 

-Smoke exhaust fans in parking garages 

-Pressurization fans in stairwells and/or elevator shafts 

Comprehending the Smoke Control design and installation process can be challenging at each phase of the project.  These systems are usually code mandated based on occupancy type, architectural construction methods, occupancy loads and many other factors. With no single entity or trade being totally responsible for the complete solution, the interdependency across all professional engineering and installation trades is crucial for a successful project. 

It all begins with the architects building design. The facility must be developed for safety and for proper egress for an emergency. Once the structure shape, size and materials are pinned down, the mechanical, electrical and life safety systems are developed. Coordinated efforts are made at this stage to create a scope of work and specifications that categorically describe with great details the system's performance criteria along with materials to be used. Rounding out the process is the Fire Protection Engineer and Authority Having Jurisdiction.  Both the parties are to ensure that proper engineering designs are being deployed, codes are being met and the contractors executing the work are delivering the proper solution as specified. 

 

The installation, or execution phase of the system, is conducted by various trades either sequentially or concurrently during the project's construction.  Coordination between these trades is significant for the timely completion of these difficult systems.  More importantly, is the communication that takes place between the project managers of each trade and the crews that do the physical work. During the initial stages of the project, cross-functional meetings are not as regular as towards the end of the project when final testing and commissioning occurs.  Particular milestone meetings at each major phase of the project are important to keeping all trades connected to each other.  These checkpoints ensure everyone is moving in the right direction and has everything they require to finish their project scopes on time. 

This high-level analysis of smoke control and smoke management systems provided above is enough for our readers to know about the responsibilities of different parties for these complicated systems.