Tower Smoke Management -

System Planning, Design &

Testing

Kirk Rosenbaum, CCP, PQP

Senior Commissioning Manager
KEO International Consultants
INTRODUCTION
Kirk Rosenbaum, CCP, PQP
Senior Commissioning Manager

• 30 + Years Experience in Design,

Construction Industry

• 12 + Years Experience Exclusively

in the Area of Commissioning

• 10 + Years Experience in Fire Life

Safety Review and Inspection

• Managed the Commissioning of

Over 2,500,000 m2 of new buildings
and 250,000 m2 of existing
buildings

• Former Director and Treasurer of

the Building Commissioning
Association
Need for Tower Smoke Management

Sample GCC Tower Fire Events 2012

Code & Standard Design Requirements
NFPA 92 – 2012;
Standard for Smoke Control Systems
5.2.1 – Pressure differential across smoke barriers shall be 12.5 Pa for fully
sprinklered buildings.

5.2.2 – Pressure differential across doors shall not cause the force required to open
the doors to exceed 133 N.

5.3 – Stairways are to be pressurized to a minimum of 12.5 Pa and a maximum level

that causes door opening forces to be less than 133 N.

5.4 – Elevators shall be considered a separate smoke zone when smoke control is
required.

5.3.5.1 – Vestibules shall not be required, but shall be permitted as part of a building
smoke management system.
Code & Standard Design Requirements
Qatar Civil Defense
Fire Safety Standards
FSS 2.2.13 – Smoke Stop or Fire Fighting Lobby required when:
(i) Stairway has no natural light or ventilation, or
(ii) Stairway traverses more than 4 stories (incl. basements), or
(iii) Has a habitable height more than 28 meters above Ground.

All Fire Fighting Lifts shall be provided with a Fire Fighting Lobby.

Mechanical Ventilation/Pressurization to be provided at 10 Air Changes per Hour

(ACH).

Mechanical equipment is to be provided with 100% stand-by power.

Smoke Stop Lobbies shall be no less than 3 square meters in area.

Fire Fighting Lobbies shall be no less than 6 square meters in area with no
dimension less than 2 meters.
Code & Standard Design Requirements
Qatar Civil Defense
Fire Safety Standards
FSS 2.2.13 – Basements exceeding one story in depth require a Smoke Stop Lobby
adjacent to the Fire Fighting Lift and its adjacent stairway only. Other basement
stairways do not require Smoke Stop Lobbies.

FSS 6.6.3 – Fire Lift required when building habitable height exceeds 23 meters
above ground level or 9 meters below ground level.

FSS 1.5 – A high-rise building exceeding 30 storeys shall be provided with refuge
floors at an interval not exceeding 20 storeys.

A high-rise building exceeding 30 storeys shall be provided with refuge floors at an

interval not exceeding 20 storeys.

A minimum of 50% of the gross floor area of the Refuge Floor must be a protected
Holding Area.
Code & Standard Design Requirements
Qatar Civil Defense
Fire Safety Standards
FSS 1.5 – The Holding Area is to be ventilated:
(ii) Naturally ventilation requires the total area of the ventilation openings to not
be less than 25% of the gross floor area of the Holding Area.
(iii) Mechanical ventilation is also acceptable as long as the equipment is powered
via 2-hour fire rated cables and 100% stand-by power is available.
Low-Rise
Building

• < 23 meters
above ground
• < 9 meters
below ground

• No smoke
mgmt system
required
Low-Rise Bldg
w/ Deep
Basement
• < 23 meters
above ground
• > 9 meters
below ground

• Fire Lift
Required
• Bsmt Stair
Pressurization
Required
Mid-Rise
Building
• > 23 meters
above ground
• > 9 meters
below ground

• Fire Lift
Required
• Bsmt & Tower
Stairs Require
Pressurization
High-Rise Bldg
w/ Refuge Floor
• > 30 storeys
above ground
• > 9 meters
below ground

• Fire Lift
Required
• Evacuation Lift
may be required
• Bsmt Stairs,
Tower Stairs,
and Refuge
Require
Pressurization
High-Rise Bldg
w/ Fire Floor
Isolation
• Same physical
features as
High-Rise

• In addition to
standard High-
Rise smoke
mgmt, two
floors above
and below the
fire floor are
pressurized.
Typical Floor Plan (No Fire Floor Isolation)
Pressurized Floor (Fire Floor Isolation)
Typical Floor Plan (Fire Floor Isolation)
Code & Standard System Sizing Method
Recommendation and Test Requirements
Document NFPA 92 - 2012 Qatar Civil Defense - FSS
System Sizing SFPE TR 82-4 Designing Stair None Provided
Method Pressurization Systems
Recommendation (Similar to British Standard
Method)

ASHRAE Chapter 52 – Fire and

Smoke Management

System Test Maintain pressure differential None Provided

Requirement across closed doors when
(1) 3* Stairway Doors are
open, or
(2) Lifts parked with doors
open.
* The number of open stairway doors is determined by the local fire authority and is
not NFPA prescribed.
Calculation – ASHRAE 52

QSP = 0.839 * Asb * (Delta-Psb)1/2 + 0.452 * AOD * (Delta-Psb)1/2

Fan Flow Rate for Pressurization of Stairway to
QSP =
Required Static Pressure (m3/s)
Total Height
HS =
of Stairway
Total Flow Area between Stairway and Building (m2) -
Asb =
walls and closed doors
Flow Area through
AOD =
Open Doors (m2)
Primary Pressure Difference between
Delta -Psb =
Stairway & Building (Pa)
Calculations – Industry Leakage Data

• Field tests have

repeatedly
shown that
‘LOOSE’ wall
construction
should be
utilized for
system sizing in
the region.

ASHRAE HANDBOOK 2007

Chapter 52
Select Doors as Appropriate for the Project
(Blue Box Can Be Ignored)
Calculations – Industry Leakage Data
Calculations – Industry Leakage Data

Important Note: If a stairway has a door with double-leafs,

BOTH leaves of the door must be open for testing and it
only counts as One Door Open.
Calculations – Industry Leakage Data

Data from a Tamura and Shaw Study, 1976

 Typical System
Air Injection
Points Layout
• Single point
injection OK for
lifts to approx.
40 storeys

• Single point
injection OK for
stairways of
approx. 15 to 20
storeys, but will
not satisfy Bsmt
Stairways
 Recommended
Air Injection
Points System Layout
• Inject air to Lift
Shafts at top,
bottom, and
approximately
every 40 storeys

• Inject air to
stairways at top
and approximately
every 15-20 storeys

• Inject air to all

basement
stairways
Lessons Learned (Page 1 of 5)
• Pressurization systems to be sized based on
ASHRAE 52 methodology with ‘loose’ leakage rates
and appropriate safety factors.

• Stack effect is negligible based on field test results and

may generally be discounted in system sizing
calculation.

• Wind effects are negligible based on field testing and

may generally be discounted in system sizing
calculation unless stairways or lift shafts are located
against an exterior wall.
Lessons Learned (Page 2 of 5)
• Pressurization system intakes and reliefs should not be
directly exposed to wind pressure and need to have
tightly sealing dampers. Either condition may allow
humid outside air to enter a stairway or shaft and
could result in mould issues.

• Masonry shafts are not appropriate as air plenums for

pressurization systems; excessive leakage and
excessive friction loss.

• For towers taller than 40 storeys single point air

injection at the top of the building is generally
insufficient for pressurizing lift shafts.
Lessons Learned (Page 3 of 5)
• Pressurization system fans should be equipped with
VFDs for the setting of fan maximum speed.

• Pressurization systems should be equipped with

adjustable pressure relief dampers to prevent system
over-pressurization of stairways. Pressure sensor
control may have excessive response time.

• Basement stairs should be equipped with stand-alone

pressurization systems and not combined with tower
pressurization systems.
Lessons Learned (Page 4 of 5)
• Pressurization system fans should be equipped with
VFDs for the setting of fan maximum speed.

• Pressurization systems should be equipped with

adjustable pressure relief dampers to prevent system
over-pressurization of stairways. Pressure sensor
control may have excessive response time.

• Basement stairs should be equipped with stand-alone

pressurization systems and not combined with tower
pressurization systems.

• For towers taller than 15 - 20 storeys single point air

injection at the top of the building is generally
insufficient for pressurizing stairways.
Lessons Learned (Page 5 of 5)

• Construction schedules should prioritize early

completion of pressurization systems and the execution
of pressurization system testing. (Failure to validate
the systems early could result in extensive delays
to the approval for occupancy for the project.)
Questions & Answers

Kirk Rosenbaum, CCP, PQP

Senior Commissioning Manager
KEO International Consultants

Contact Information:
PO Box 27594
Abu Dhabi, UAE

+974 050 642-8969

kirk.rosenbuam@keoic.com