CH-77-03-1 -- Smoke Control by HVAC Sytem Design PDF

As a result of several fires in the early 1970s in high-rise buildings, in which there were multiple fatalities as well as major property damage, the General Services Administration (GSA) initiated a special program for high-rise firesafety. In April, 1971, the International Conference on Firesafety in High-rise Buildings was conducted. Approximately 70 persons with particular interest and expertise in a number of disciplines related to the subject took part in the conference. The outcome of this week-long meeting at Warrenton, Virginia, was a report containing broad recommendations for attacking the problem as a total system to cover all its facets.

Task groups were established on fuel load, extinguishing systems, building integrity, life support systems, personnel movement, emergency communications and controls, occupant self-protection systems, and other factors. These groups developed a design catalog of a1ternatives as the initial step in the preparation of a firesafety systems guide which was later expanded into the GSA goa1-oriented systems approach to building firesafety.

In October, 1971, at a reconvened session of the original conference, in Washington, D.C., Mr. Arthur F. Sampson, then Commis-sioner of GSA's Public Buildings Service, announced that the design of the Seattle Federa1 Building would incorporate a system of the fire-safety concepts which had been developed. Portions of the building design were modified, with both additions to and reductions from the original design. At its dedication in November, 1974, the building was described as a prototype of the systems approach to high-rise fire-safety. This initial app1ication of systems methodology resulted in the following design features: cpmp1ete automatic sprinkler protection throughout the building, smoke detection in air returns, voice alarm communication system, integration of emergency, security, and environmental systems in an emergency control center, special features for fire department, communications and operations support, automatic capture of elevators, reduction in some structural fire resistance requirements, elimination of fire dampers in air ducts, and arrangement of HVAC systems for smoke control.

While all of the design features were eva1uated and selected in total for their interacting effects of fire-safety, this paper emphasizes the smoke control aspect of the systems method, and discusses several applications of smoke control by HVAC system design.