AIA Middle East

A309

Life safety- engineering

means of egress
Bahrain

Allan Comello
April 17, 2013

Copyright Materials
This presentation is protected by US and International Copyright laws.
Reproduction, distribution, display and use of the presentation without written
permission of the speaker is prohibited.

Trinity Bahrain 2013

Course
Description
1) Illustrates the safety challenges posed by high-rise buildings
2) Describes the requirements for fire protection and prevention
3) Describes system & design requirements, as per the standards,
of Smoke Management Systems
4) Explains stair pressurization, components, and its working
5) Discusses passive fire safety elements in the building as a first line of
defense in fire emergencies
6) Proposes strict adherence to standards and quality procedures for design,
specification, installation and maintenance of stairwell pressurization components
for a safe means of egress

Learning
Objectives
1. Participants will learn about safety challenges posed by high-rise buildings
2. Participants will have an understanding of the design specifications and
systems requirements of stairwell pressurization system as per the safety
codes and standards
3. Participants will gain knowledge about stairwell pressurization as an effective
smoke management method in high-rise buildings
4. Participants will learn from the on-site experiences and examples provided

LIFE SAFETY
Engineering Means of Egress

Presenter: Allan Comello

High-rise building
"Any building greater than 23 meters (75.5 ft) in
height, where building height is measured from the
lowest level of fire department vehicle access to the
floor of the highest occupiable story.
- NFPA 101 Life Safety Code (LSC) 3.3.27.7

NFPA : Height > 23m

I.B.C.: Height > 23m

High- rise buildings- Fire statistics

Each year, an estimated 15,500 high-rise structure fires cause
60 civilian deaths, 930 injuries, and $252 million
in property loss
Three-quarters of high-rise fires are in residential structures
The leading cause of all high-rise fires is cooking (38%)
Four property types make up 50% of the high-rise fires
reported (Apartments 44%, Hotels 2%, Hospitals, Clinics,
doctors offices 2%; Other offices 2%)
69% of high-rise structure fires originate on the 4th floor or
below; 60% occur in apartment buildings; 43% originate in the
kitchen
High-rise fires are inherently more difficult for occupant
evacuation
Sources: NFPA and NFIRS

Challenges posed by high-rise fires

Temperature gradients leading to varying pressures throughout

the structure result in rapid spread of smoke and flame

Fire fighting in multiple types of occupancies, including

residential, commercial, restaurant, and underground parking,
need to be approached differently

By design, exits from high-rise structures are limited. This

makes the movement of people out of a building difficult in
an emergency

Improper Installation, sequencing and irregular maintenance

of HVAC, Fire Fighting System & Fire Detection System

High-rise structure fires require significantly more personnel

and equipment to extinguish than do other types of fires

Engineering means of egress

Safe egress concerns
Fire extension & smoke spread
Stack effect
Inadequate systems
and evacuation method

Fire extension & toxic smoke spread

Vertical design of high-rise buildings is susceptible to rapid fire extension
Common avenues for fire spread

Poke-thru construction
Lapping
Radiated heat through flooring
HVAC ducting
The gap between the exterior panels
and interior beams

Fire & smoke spread rate

Fire can travel up to 70mph.

Smoke can travel at a speed of over 2m/s, this is

faster than the probable escape speed of an occupant

Stack effect
Stack effect is defined as "the vertical, natural air
movement throughout a high-rise building caused
by the difference in the outside and inside air
temperatures.

Positive stack effect

Negative stalk effect

Influencing factors:
Airtight exterior walls
Air leakage between floors
Air temperature between floors
Differences between inside and outside
air temperature

Inadequate Systems
Smoke management systems are required to meet specific
building codes for fire resistance. Failure of these systems can
hinder fire department operations resulting in a large fire.
Active fire protection systems

Passive fire protection systems

Smoke detectors
Fire alarms systems
Sprinkler systems
HVAC systems

Stair & lift lobby pressurization

Fire resistant doors
Fire walls/ barriers
Fire dampers
Motorised Smoke & Fire Damper
Smoke Exhaust System at fire floor

Methods of smoke control

Pressurization
Dilution
Airflow (HVAC)
Buoyancy
Compartmentation
Smoke exhaust at fire floor

Purpose of Smoke-Control Systems

Inhibiting migration of smoke out of the source compartment
Inhibiting smoke from entering means of egress (maintaining
tenable environment for evacuees)
Maintaining a tenable environment outside of the source
compartment for emergency personnel
Protecting life
Reducing damage to property
-NFPA 92A (2000)

Stairwell pressurization
A type of smoke-control system in which

stair shafts are mechanically pressurized,

with respect to the fire area, with outdoor
air to keep smoke from contaminating
them during a fire incident.
- NFPA 92 A

Components
Stair Pressurization Fans
Ductwork and Accessories
Pressure Relief Dampers
Fire Alarm Systems
Fire rated doors
Building Automation Systems (BAS)
Source: NFPA

Bypass Duct

Roof

Working of Stairwell
Pressurization

Staircase

Starter / Control
Panel

Fire Alarm Panel

Fire Mans smoke

1)
2)

3)
4)
5)

Source: Trinity

Under normal conditions, the pressurization fan should not run and the dampers on the air
intake and bypass ducts shall be closed
In a fire situation, through a signal from the fire alarm panel, the damper on the air intake
shall open . An end switch on the damper actuator shall signal the fan to run when the
damper is open
A pressure sensor installed in the stairwell shall control the bypass damper to maintain a
constant pressure of 50Pa within the stairwell
The fan should be wired for manual stopping
It should be possible to override all controls and run the system through the firemans smoke
control panel

Stair pressurization fans

Stair pressurization systems utilize a single
fan with a ducted shaft to multiple injection
points or multiple fans distributed over the
height of the stair. Smoke exhaust fans must
be rated and certified by the manufacturer for
varying temperatures to which they are
exposed. The fans must have smoke
detectors in their inlets to stop them from
injecting smoke into a protected compartment.
Fan status and on-off-auto override switches
are required at the firefighters smoke control
panel. Excess pressures could deactivate fan
systems, making them unusable for smoke
control.

HVAC operation during smoke control

When an HVAC system serves
multiple floors and each floor is
a separate zone, the following
sequence provides smoke control:
1. In the smoke control zone, the smoke
damper in the supply duct closes and the
smoke damper in the return duct opens
2. In adjacent or unaffected zones, the
smoke dampers in the return ducts close
and smoke dampers in the supply ducts
open.
3. If the system has a return air damper,
it closes
4. Supply and return fans activate

Egress system design, installation & coordination

Coordination between fans and dampers in smoke control systems
requires consideration of the installation geometry, control sequence of
operation, and sensor locations.
Mechanical and electrical concerns:
Fan volume and pressures
Damper tolerance to the pressures
Straight duct entrances to the equipment

NFPA standards for HVAC equipment

HVAC equipment used for smoke control purposes shall be
permitted to be located within the conditioned space, within
adjacent spaces, or within remote mechanical equipment rooms.
HVAC systems used for smoke-control purposes shall be
provided with outside air for pressurization.
Where supply and return air systems are interconnected as part
of normal HVAC operation, smoke dampers shall be provided to
separate the supply and exhaust during smoke-control operation.
Smoke dampers used to protect openings in smoke barriers or
used as safety-related dampers in engineered smoke-control
systems shall be listed and labeled in accordance with UL 555S.
Standard for Smoke Dampers. 92A

Motorised Smoke & Fire Dampers (MSFD)

The dampers used in smoke control systems must
be Motorised Smoke & Fire Dampers and listed to
UL555S. They need to be evaluated for their ability
to operate under anticipated conditions of system
operation. The connections to and from fans and
dampers must take system effect into account. High
pressure losses due to construction geometry can
cause insufficient pressure. Motorised Smoke & Fire
Dampers actuate with pneumatic actuation and
electrical actuation.

Emergency lighting
In buildings where artificial lighting is provided for
normal use and occupancy, exit lighting and the
illumination of the means of egress is required to
assure occupants can quickly evacuate the building.
All emergency lighting must be installed and tested in
accordance with NFPA 111 (Full 1 hour test annually
and 30-second test every 30 days.)

Compartmentation &
Fire resistant doors
Fire rated doors ensure adequate
compartmentation of buildings to
contain fire in the compartment in
which it starts providing a means of
escape .
Fire Doors are regulated by the
building code and NFPA throughout
design, specification, installation
and occupancy permitting.

Fire rated doors- codes and standards

Doors from the building to the smoke proof enclosures vestibule must be 1 -hour fire rated.
-IBC 1020 and NFPA 101
Doors from the smoke proof enclosures vestibule to the stairwell must be not less than 20-minute fire rated.
-IBC 909 and 909
Stairwell doors, which can be locked, must be provided with automatic electrical unlocking from the central
station. Telephones or other two-way communication systems must be provided at not less than every fifth
floor inside the stairwell.
-IBC 403
Provide a sign at each floor level landing five feet above the landing that is visible when the door is opened
or closed. The sign must indicate the floor level, the terminus of the top and bottom of the stair enclosure,
and the identification of the stair.
-NFPA 101
Doors located in smoke barriers shall be self-closing or shall be arranged to close automatically upon the
activation of the smoke control system.
- NFPA 92A-5
Stairwell pressurization systems shall be designed to achieve the required pressure difference with a single
door open to the interior of the building.
- NFPA 92A-5

Design & engineering of egress components

The components of the means of egress should
strictly adhere to quality standards and NFPA
specifications
It is critical that on an outbreak of fire the
components of the means of egress have the
capacity to withstand fire and pressure variations
Openings in smoke barriers, number of doors open,
door capacity and resistance are integral to safe exit
Guidelines to be followed for installing fire doors,
frames and hardware at the stairwell opening

The required capacity of the pressurization fans

increases as area created by a partially open
stairwell door increases
Designs shall incorporate the effect of outdoor
temperature and wind on the performance of the
smoke management system.
A door in a means of egress should be sidehinged and must swing in the direction of the
exit
Locks on doors in the means of egress shall
open the door with not more than one releasing
operation
A latch or other fastening device on a door shall
be provided with a releasing device that can be
readily operated under all conditions.

 Facility Managers should keep vigil on the

use of quality fire safety items
manufactured by certified and experienced
companies.
Fire alarm system to be designed, installed,
inspected, tested, and maintained per
NFPA 72
Luminescent markings to egress paths
as per NFPAs Life Safety Code will help
building occupants reach an exit faster

27

Lessons learnt from on-site experience

There should be separate ducts for stairwell pressurization rather than using
Masonry Shaft for air to avoid air leakages and get proper pressurization.

All ducts used for Pressurization and Smoke Exhaust System shall be fire
rated, many contractors are using normal GI Ducts which defeats the
purpose.

Elevator hoist ways have proved to be readily available conduit for movement
of smoke throughout buildings in past fires. This is because the leakage
through elevator doors and elevator hoist ways. The building stack effect has
provided the driving force that has readily moved smoke into and out of the
loosely constructed elevator hoist ways. Methods of correcting this problem
include:
1) Exhaust of the fire floor
2) Pressurization of elevator lobbies
3) Construction of smoke tight elevator lobbies
4) Pressurization of the elevator hoist way
5) Closing elevator doors after automatic recall

Lack of periodical testing and maintenance of the egress components lead to

system failure. A written record of the inspection shall be signed and kept for
the annual inspection of the local authorities.
Functional testing of fire door and window assemblies shall be performed by
certified companies.
Adequate latching and closing force need to be maintained for doors

Inadequate or faulty Smoke Management Systems often lead to

large fire
Commonly observed flaws include:

The failure of one component often leads to the failure of

other fire protection systems
Improperly set pressure reducing valves
Electrical system failure

It is paramount that local legislation imposes strict rules for the proper
installation, maintenance and service of fire safety items that are part of
the means of egress

References

NFPA 101- Standards for Life Safety

NFPA 80 - Fire door assembly inspection
NFPA 80- Fire Doors and other opening
NFPA 101- Occupancy classification
AHRAE Chapter 52- Fire and Smoke Management.
NFPA 90 A- Standard for Installation of Air Conditioning and Ventilation Systems
NFPA 92A- Recommended practice for smoke control systems
NFPA 105- Standard for Smoke Door Assemblies and Other Opening
NFPA 252- Standard Methods of Fire Tests of Door Assemblies
Wild, J.A., Fans for Fire Smoke Venting, Woods Air Movement Ltd
Technical Paper WTP20,1989
Klote, J.K. and Milke, J.A., Design of Smoke Management Systems,
American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-conditioning
Engineers, 1992.
Felker, Larry, Heating/Piping/Air Conditioning Engineering, 2004.

This concludes The American Institute of Architects

Continuing Education Systems Course

Allan Comello
+971509204011