Most smoke control systems will only operate a few times in their life cycle, during commissioning, testing and maintenance. Only a very few will ever have to work in a fire, but when this happens, someone’s life could depend on its ability to operate at the limits of its capacity. It is for this circumstance that the system needs to be properly designed.

Smoke control is a ‘wide science’: it requires in-depth knowledge of the building layout, the technical aspects and the bewildering array of regulations in force. Each type of building has its own peculiarities and some have specific regulations and guidance on smoke control.

Specifying a smoke control system is not always easy, and you can’t afford to get it wrong. These are life-saving systems and their failure could have dramatic consequences. And a lack of confidence or knowledge can lead to over-specification with consequent unnecessary costs.

I received some excellent questions during the Q&A section during the recent webinar that I presented. Here you can see my answers to these questions, slightly edited for clarity.

The prevention of smoke spread through buildings is of critical importance.

The Smoke Control Association (SCA) has published Revision 2 to its ‘Guidance on Smoke Control to Common Escape Routes in Apartment Buildings (Flats and Maisonettes)’, which is available for download from www.feta.co.uk/smokecontrol. This revision became necessary largely owing to the ever increasing complexity in the design of buildings, and also to fall in line with amendments to the recently published BS 9991.

A major update to BS 9991 “Fire Safety in the Design, Management and Use of Residential Buildings - Code of Practice” has been published by BSI and will come into effect on 31 December 2015. The Smoke Control Association, which I chair, played an instrumental role in this update.

Dual power supplies for smoke control systems are mandated. However this Standard now permits a lot more flexibility in their provision, which is very welcome given how often it is difficult to obtain them.

I received some excellent questions during the Q&A section during the recent webinar that I presented. Here you can see my answers to these questions, slightly edited for clarity.

The background to the webinar is provided on our recent blog. In this blog we refer to Revision 2 of ‘Guidance on Smoke Control to Common Escape Routes in Apartment Buildings (Flats and Maisonettes)’ from The Smoke Control Association (SCA), which is available for download from www.feta.co.uk/smokecontrol. This is an important revision to the Guidance.

There is also a recording of the webinar available.

At the design stage it is necessary to pay attention to the detailing of side guides and bottom bars for smoke and fire curtains.

At our recent webinar on the ventilation solutions for overheated corridors in apartment buildings webinar, I received some excellent questions during the Q&A section. Here you can see my answers to these questions, slightly edited for clarity. 

There is also a recording of the webinar available.

The EU EcoDesign Energy Efficiency Regulation for Fans 327/2011, which sets EcoDesign requirements for fans, is going through its final stages of preparation. It has raised an important issue that impacts on car park ventilation schemes.

In this blog we don’t usually write about our products, but we have recently worked on a project that we think will provide interesting insights about preventing overheating in the common corridors of taller apartment buildings.

Part 3 - Opening up the Closed Protocol Debate

Control systems for smoke ventilation need to meet the demand for increasing complexity of modern building complexes, such as large-scale residential schemes or high-rise tower buildings. As a property owner or developer, when making your choice of a fire alarm control system for your building, you will have to decide between an HVAC/BMS control system or one specifically designed for smoke ventilation, and between open or closed protocol.

As you make your considerations, it is important to keep in mind the key requirements your control system has to meet.

Part 2 - Why are there more complex demands these days?

The debate about the relative merits of open and closed control protocols is relatively recent. It has arisen because of the evolution of the smoke ventilation market towards more complex systems.

Part 1 - Selecting the right solution to control smoke ventilation systems

As a property owner or developer, when you have to select the best solution to control your building’s smoke ventilation system, you will most likely encounter the debate about the pros and cons of open and closed control protocols. This is the first in a series of articles that I hope will help you navigate the bewildering amount of information that is available on the subject.

I will start with the basics: what is a protocol and what does it mean when we say it is open or closed. 

When specifying a smoke control system, designers devote a lot of attention to choosing the right equipment - fans, vents and smoke barriers - for the job. They follow the standards set by EN 12101 for fans, vents and smoke barriers so that when the time comes, whatever the circumstances, the equipment will be capable of the job expected.

Electrical wiring – the vital link

But if this equipment relies on power supplies and signals to operate and continue operating during a fire, specifying the right equipment is not enough: designing and specifying the cabling linking the elements of the smoke control system requires just as much attention. Electrical wiring is the vital link between the control system and the equipment, the source of power and backbone of the smoke control system on which success or failure depends.

Mechanical shaft systems have plenty of advantages compared to a BRE Shaft or any natural system but they suffer from one major disadvantage compared to natural shaft systems.

Why depressurisation can be an issue with with mechanical shaft systems