- Author
- Klote, J. H.
- Title
- Design of Smoke Control Systems for Areas of Refuge.
- Coporate
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD
- Sponsor
- General Services Administration, Washington, DC
- Report
- NISTIR 5132, March 1993, 25 p.
- Distribution
- Available from National Technical Information Service
- Keywords
- smoke control | refuge | elevators (lifts) | evacuation | handicapped | life safety
- Abstract
- There is a rising concern for the safety of persons from fire who cannot travel building emergency exit routes in the same manner or as quickly as expected of able persons. One proposed solution for providing safety for persons with mobility limitations is the concept of areas of refuge (AOR) where they can "safely wait" until they can be assisted in leaving the building. This paper presents information about the design of smoke control systems to prevent smoke infiltration into an AOR. Pressure differences produced when windows break both with and without wind can be significant, and the design of a smoke control system for an AOR needs to address these pressure differences. The paper identifies that wind data specifically for the design of smoke control systems is needed. The pressure fluctuations due to opening and closing building doors during fire situations can also be significant, and the design of a smoke control system for an AOR needs to address these pressure fluctuations. An example analysis incorporating the pressure effects of broken windows, wind, and open doors illustrates the feasibility of designing smoke control systems for areas of refuge.