Why do Buildings have Smoke Control Systems?

 

One of the most perilous situations that can be faced in a building is smoke. Fires are destructive but, it is smoke that can cause maximum injuries according to a leading smoke control testing service in California. 

 

For protecting a building’s occupants, as well as furnishings and equipment that may be damaged by smoke, a smoke control systems service in California is required. It’ll help to control the flow of smoke in a building during a fire. It keeps smoke from spreading throughout the building and gives the building’s occupants a clear evacuation route, apart from preventing more damage to the building’s interior. 

 

Building Pressurization 

 

The basic means of controlling smoke movement is by forming air pressure differences between smoke control zones. The main concept of building pressurization is to create higher pressure in adjacent spaces than in the smoke zone. This way, air moves into the smoke zone from the adjacent areas and smoke is prevented from dispersing throughout the building. 

 

Dedicated and Non-Dedicated Systems 

 

Smoke control systems are either dedicated or non-dedicated. According to one of the best fire pump systems service in California, a dedicated smoke control system is installed in a building to control smoke. It is a different system of air moving and distribution equipment that does not function under usual building operating conditions. Dedicated systems are used for specific areas, like elevator shafts and stair towers that need special smoke control techniques. 

Non-dedicated smoke control systems are systems that share components with some other systems like the building automation (HVAC) system. When activated, the system changes its mode of operation to achieve the smoke control objectives. 

 

Fire Control Systems 

 

The goal of a fire control system according to a leading fire alarm systems in California is to contain and extinguish the fire as fast as possible. Fire control systems stop the fire, but not the smoke, and are often triggered automatically by the heat of the fire. These systems depend on water supply, like sprinklers, whereas smoke control systems usually depend on electricity to run fans and dampers. 

 

The smoke control system is normally different from the fire control system as they have different goals. But the smoke control system should be developed to work with the fire control system and not interfere with its operation. For example, if the building has a sprinkler system, then the smoke control system does not have to regulate a large quantity of smoke as the size of any fire should be smaller. 

 

Stairwell Pressurization Systems 

 

Stair towers are stairwells with a ventilation system and are separated from the main building. Stair towers are the most common type of dedicated smoke control system. The sole connection between the building and the stair tower is the fire-rated doors on each floor. As the building’s occupants should use the stair tower to leave during an evacuation, keeping the stair tower smoke free is important.  

 

Elevator Smoke Control 

 

Elevator shafts face a specific problem with smoke control. The elevator shafts form ideal chimneys to draw the smoke into the upper levels of a building. As elevators normally have openings on each floor, and the seals on elevator doors are often poor, the elevator shaft can become a mechanism to spread smoke throughout a building. 

 

To have a usable elevator during a smoke emergency, the elevator shafts have to be pressurized similarly to the way a stair tower is pressurized. But, pressurizing the elevator shaft presents a number of problems. You can fit the elevator doors with better seals and rubber sweeps. Shafts are often constructed of porous material that cannot control the air pressure. Shafts are not developed for inspection after the elevators are installed, so finding and repairing cracks that would allow smoke to infiltrate or pressure escape is difficult. 

 

Floor Protection 

 

Pressurized stairwells are intended to control smoke to the extent that they inhibit smoke infiltration into the stairwell. But, in a building with only a pressurized stairwell, smoke can flow through cracks in floors and partitions and through other shafts to threaten life or damage property at locations away from the fire. The idea of zoned smoke control is intended to restrict this kind of smoke movement from within a building. 

No building big or small, private or commercial, can ignore the pertinence of smoke control systems.