Smoke Control Design and Activation CFAA NCA Technical Seminar 2015
2 Overview Principles of smoke control Codes CACF controls Programming Commissioning Testing Goals To provide an introduction to smoke control To share best practices Format Open format. Questions and comments are welcome during the presentation.
3 Principles of smoke control Maintain tenability for occupant evacuation and firefighting activities - Occupant Evacuation... shall be designed so that, during a period of 2 h after the start of a fire will not contain more than 1% by volume of contaminated air from the fire floor, assuming an outdoor temperature equal to the January design temperature on a 2.5% basis... Contaminated air is taken to mean air with products of combustion The difference in temperature between the outside and inside of a building affects the pressure difference between contaminated air and clear air.» affects the maximum height that a system can maintain both a minimum and maximum pressure difference across doorway boundaries.
4 Why is Smoke Control required in buildings? Smoke spreads quickly in a fire - Station Nightclub (2003) Recreation with sprinklers Recreation without sprinklers Smoke affects occupants remote from a fire - MGM Grand (1980) 68 of 85 deaths at levels 13-23 stories above the fire How are we doing with implementation? Not well understood Not well implemented Poorly maintained
5 How is smoke control implemented? Compartmentation Dilution Pressurization Buoyancy Airflow Compartmentation Design rooms and floor areas with a limited amount of leakage and the strength to withstand pressures developed in a fire. Dilution Exhaust contaminated air and introduce fresh air into a space - Used for interconnected floor spaces - Used for venting by firefighters after extinguishment
6 How is smoke control implemented (cont.)? Dilution Example - How long would it take to reduce the concentration of contaminated air to 1% of its post fire concentration using a flow rate of 6 air changes per hour? t = 1 α ln C 0 C t Where a = air changes per minute t = time in minutes C t = concentration at time t C 0 = initial concentration t = 1 6 60 ln 1 0.01 = 46 minutes
7 How is smoke control implemented (cont.)? Pressurization Use fans to keep protected spaces and higher pressures than fire areas. Buoyancy Smoke shafts open to the exterior that depend on the buoyancy of smoke. Airflow Maintain minimum air flow speeds to overcome the buoyant forces developed by a fire and keep smoke from spreading. Used in tunnels
8 Codes High Buildings [subsection 3.2.6] - Stair pressurization - Elevator/Shaft protection - Zoned smoke management - Smoke venting Interconnected Floor Areas [subsection 3.2.8] Both prescriptive and performance options are available to designers
9 Code prescriptive requirements High Buildings [subsection 3.2.6] OBC Supplementary Standard SB-4, NBCC Appendix B - Below grade stair pressurization [SB-4 & 3.2.6.2.(2)] At the bottom with 0.47 m 3 /s for each storey served by stair Vent at the top with 0.1 m 2 of vent area for each storey served by stair Vent area reduced by the number of doors open to stair. - Above grade stair venting [3.2.6.2.(3)] At the bottom to be opened manually and remain open 0.05 m 2 per door opening into the stair but not less than 1.8 m 2 in area
10 More code prescriptive requirements High Buildings [subsection 3.2.6] OBC Supplementary Standard SB-4, NBCC Appendix B - Connected buildings [3.2.6.3.(1)] Vented to outdoors or pressurized to maintain min DP 12 Pa - Venting to aid firefighting [3.2.6.6] Windows, panels, dedicated smoke shafts or the building HVAC system can be used Where HVAC system used, 6 air changes per hour from any floor to be maintained during venting operations (example previous slide) Where smoke shaft is used, smoke detector in shaft to operate opening to exterior at the top of the shaft. Smoke damper into shaft on fire floor controlled at CACF.
11 Even more code prescriptive requirements Interconnected Floor Spaces [subsection 3.2.8] - Smoke exhaust at 4 to 6 air changes per hour - Makeup air speed 1 m/s (4000 cfm/door) - Stair venting for lower buildings (18m + ) - Stair vestibules vented or pressurized for higher buildings (75 m + ) - Group B sleeping room vestibules pressurized - Zoned smoke exhaust at 6 air changes per hour option Permits reduction in volume of smoke exhaust in atrium Parking garage vestibule ventilation [3.3.5.7.(4)] - Naturally with vent to the outdoors, with min area of 0.4m 2, or - Mechanically with 14m 3 /h flow for each m 2 of vestibule floor area Smoke protected seating areas [3.3.2.4.(14)] Vertically separated buildings [3.2.6.2.(6) SB-4 Measure K] - For unsprinklered buildings - Vestibules for firefighters elevators - Areas of refuge
12 Code performance options Zoned smoke control - Pressurize non-fire floors (either all or just those adjacent) - Exhaust fire floor causing negative pressure and therefore, relative positive pressure on non-fire floors Stair pressurization instead of venting - Pressure modulation using barometric dampers, or variable flow fans Smoke layer height management - For large volume spaces like arenas - Maintain smoke layer height above the highest level of occupants not protected from smoke.
13 Equipment for smoke control - Fire alarm controls
14 Equipment for smoke control - ULC listed for smoke control [category UUKLC]. - Testing criteria are ULC-S527, Control Units for Fire Alarm Systems, and ULC/ORD-C100-13, Smoke Control System Equipment. Supervision of inputs and outputs Confirmation of operation
15 Equipment for smoke control Is one better than the other? - Fire alarm for simple on/off controls - Automation equipment for everything else - Example HVAC used for venting to aid firefighting
M3-32 PRIMARY C10W1 G10 ELEVATOR RECALL RELAY M6-3 PRIMARY C10WB J8 ELEV MACH. RM - RECALL M3-92 RELAY C10W1 ELEVATOR MACH. ROOM M6-6 RELAY C10WB J9 ELEV MACH. ROOM M1-97 RELAY C10E1 B19 CONTROL GND EAST NORTH SMK EXH M7-54 RELAY C10E1 C16 GND EAST NORTH SMK EXH#15 M1-96 RELAY C10E1 E23 GND EAST SOUTH SMK EXH#19 ON M1-98 RELAY C10E1 D19 CONTROL GND EAST SOUTH SMK EXH M5-101 RELAY C10WP J4 SMOKE EXHAUST EF-20 START-UP M8-55 RELAY C10W1 G5 LIEBERT SHUTDOWN M3-45 RELAY C10W1 K5 AC UNITS SOUTH SIDE FAN S/DOWN M3-46 RELAY C10W1 M5 EXHAUST SOUTH SIDE START-UP M3-80 RELAY C10W1 H5 RM 1079 NORTH HI TEMP DC S/DOWN M3-81 RELAY C10W1 H5 RM 1079 SOUTH HI TEMP DC S/DOWN M2-79 RELAY C10EP D16 A03- AHU01,A03-RAF01 SHUTDOWN M2-91 RELAY C10EP D20 A03- RAF01,A03-AHU02 SHUTDOWN M5-77 RELAY C10WP K5 A01- RAF01,A01-AHU01 SHUT DOWN M5-81 RELAY C10WP K8 A01- RAF02,A01-AHU02 SHUTDOWN Smoke Control Design and Activation 16 Programming for smoke control Specifications Control Matrix (don t forget the manual controls) Don t wait until installation to test the matrix ADDRESS ELEV RECALL SMOKE EXHAUST DC SHUT AHU SHUTDOWN ALARM &SMOKE CONTROL OPERATION SYSTEM RESET OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF OFF L18 GENERAL FIRE ALARM L18 ACTIVE ACTIVE M3-31 C10W1 G10 ELEV.MACHINE RM SMOKE M3-31 ACTIVE M6-2 C10WB J8 ELEV MACH. RM SMOKE M6-2 ACTIVE LAB 10 EAST NORTH MANUAL SMOKE EXH SWITH LAB 10 PULL STATION EAST NORTH 12-83 UP/DOWN ON/OFF ON/OFF ` M1-80,M7-20,M7-36 ANY TWO FIRE IN LIST144 L144 ON ON LAB 10 EAST SOUTH MANUAL SMOKE EXH 12-84 UP/DOWN ON/OFF ON/OFF SWITH LAB 10 PULL STATION EAST SOUTH M1-70,M1-26 ON ON ANY TWO FIRE IN LIST145 L145 ON ON LAB 10 WEST NORTH MANUAL SMOKE EXH 12-81 UP/DOWN ON/OFF ON/OFF SWITH M3-65,M8-56, LAB 10 PULL STATION WEST NORTH ON ON M8-57,M8-63 ANY TWO FIRE IN LIST146 WEST NORTH L146 ON ON ACTIVE LAB 10 WEST SOUTH MANUAL SMOKE EXH 12-82 UP/DOWN ON/OFF ON/OFF SWITH LAB 10 PULL STATION WEST SOUTH M3-49 M3-67 ON ON ANY TWO FIRE IN LIST147 WEST SOUTH L147 ON ON ACTIVE M2-81 C10EP C16 DUCT SMOKE A03-RAF01 M2-81 ACTIVE ON M2-89 C10EP C20 DUCT SMOKE A03-RAF01 M2-89 ACTIVE M5-76 C10WP J4 A01-AHU01 DUCT SMOKE M5-76 ACTIVE ON M5-80 C10WP J8 A01-AHU02 DUCT SMOKE M5-80 ACTIVE
17 Commissioning for smoke control Integration with other systems to be commissioned together [3.2.4.6] CAN/ULC S1001-11, Standard for Integrated Systems Testing of Fire Protection and Life Safety Systems Fan # Operation During Alarm Point # Occupied Operation Location Supply Return Supply Rtrn. Supply Return West 1 st Floor 22 22 M1-1 On On Shut down West - 23 n/a M1-36 On On Shut down Mezzanine West - 2 nd Floor 24 24 M1-57 On On Off Shut Down West 3 rd Floor 25 25 M1-91 On On Shut On Down West 11 th Floor 33 33-1 M4-61 Off On West 12 th Floor Smoke Evac. * 33 33-2 On Shut Down of both fans, supply should have remained operational West 12 th Floor 34 34 M5-1 On Shut Down both fans West - Penthouse 52 M5-61 Off Started West - Penthouse 50, 51 M5-62 Off Started x 2
18 Commissioning for smoke control Integration with other systems to be commissioned together [3.2.4.6] CAN/ULC S1001-11, Standard for Integrated Systems Testing of Fire Protection and Life Safety Systems
19 Testing for smoke control NBC and OBC [3.2.6.9], NFC and OFC [Part 7] Establish requirements for prescriptive solutions Where alternate measures are implemented - NFC leaves it to the fire safety plan - OFC requires professional engineer or architect who designed the system to seal the testing procedure Caution: don t let the design professional get away without developing a test protocol to be sealed and included in the fire safety plan
20 Further reading SFPE Handbook of Fire Protection Engineering (fifth edition to be published soon). Principles of Smoke Management, J.H. Klote + J.A. Milke Questions? William Kuffner, M.A.Sc., P.Eng, PMP Director, Fire Protection Engineering william.kuffner@wspgroup.com (613)829-2800 ext 19247