Effect of Automatic Sprinkler Protection on Smoke Control Systems

LiP design = 0.05 in. H20 (12.5 Pa) in NFPA (1988)for zoned smoke control in sprinklered buildings(ceiling height < 9 ft [2.7 m]) is more than sufficientto prevent smoke movement, provided the door to thefire floor remains closed.6. Recommended practice for design <strong>of</strong> zoned smokecontrol systems should allow for some airflow into thestairshaft to prevent the spread <strong>of</strong> smoke into thestairshaft if the door to the fire floor is opened.7. The assumption that smoke will never become a threatto life safety in a fully sprinklered building needs to hereexamined. The seriousness '<strong>of</strong> the hazard posed by ashielded fire should be assessed relative to the probability<strong>of</strong> occurrence <strong>of</strong> other impediments to sprinklerperformance, such as closed water supply valves.ACKNOWLEDGMENTSThis research was carried out as a joint research projectsupported by funding from the American Society <strong>of</strong> Heating,Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, Inc.(ASHRAE), and the National Fire Laboratory (NFL),which is part <strong>of</strong> the Institute for Research in Construction,National Research Council Canada. Appreciation is extendedto NFL technical <strong>of</strong>ficers D. Carpenter, R.A. MacDonald,G. Crampton, and M. Kanabus-Kaminska for theirwork in conducting the full-scale fire experiments and tostudent K. McCorvie <strong>of</strong> the Technical University <strong>of</strong> NovaScotia for her work in plotting the data.REFERENCESAlpert, R.L. 1984. 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