Smoke Control Systems in New York City Buildings

DESIGN | BUILDING CODE | FIRE PROTECTION ENGI NEERING | FIRE PROTECTION | NYC

BUILDING CODE

When there is fire in a building, our instinctive reaction is to escape.

However, the general public is less aware of the risks associated with
smoke. First of all, smoke limits visibility, making it difficult to escape from a
building in flames and also hindering rescue efforts by the NYC Fire
Department. Many people are also unaware that smoke can kill just like
fire, due to the toxic substances it contains; carbon monoxide is of special
concern, since it can cause unconsciousness within seconds and death
within minutes when highly concentrated.
Section BC 909 of the NYC Building Code provides the requirements for
smoke control systems. These are categorized as life safety systems, and
their main purpose is to provide suitable conditions for escape and rescue
when there is fire inside a building. Smoke control systems should not be
confused with post-fire smoke purge systems, which are not considered
life safety systems, and have the goal of exhausting indoor smoke and
restoring suitable conditions for occupancy after a fire is controlled.

Smoke control systems can be either mechanical or passive, just like

ventilation systems. A mechanical smoke control system uses fans to
establish an airflow that prevents migration of smoke into means of egress
or other key building areas, while passive smoke control features use
physical barriers to prevent smoke migration between different zones.

Importance of Pressure Differences in Smoke Control

Smoke control systems achieve their purpose by creating pressure
differences between indoor spaces. If key areas such as elevator shafts
and staircases are kept at a higher pressure than rooms containing smoke
sources, it is impossible for smoke to move against the pressure difference
by itself. There are three main ways to achieve this effect:

• Injecting fresh and clean air into the space where positive pressure is
required.
• Exhausting air from the room containing a smoke source, creating
negative pressure with respect to the smoke-free area.
• Combining injection at the smoke-free enclosure with extraction at
the source.

General Design Requirements for Smoke Control Systems

It is important to note that smoke and fire cause several physical effects
that are not present during normal building operation, and they must be
taken into account when designing a smoke control system. The minimum
design requirements specified in the NYC Building Code are summarized in
the following table:

Physical
Importance
Effect
Conditioned indoor spaces have a temperature difference
with their surroundings, and this induces bulk air
movements that increase in magnitude according to
building height.

• Indoor air is warmer in the heating season, and it

1) Stack
Effect tends to leak out of upper floors, while outdoor air
infiltrates lower floors.

• The opposite effect occurs during the cooling season,

when the temperature difference between indoor and
outdoor air is reversed.

During a fire, the localized heating effect causes air

2) Fire-
expansion and buoyancy, and this behavior interacts with
Induced
the stack effect. Smoke control systems must also account
Heating
for this.
3) Wind Smoke control system design must consider the effect of
Effect outdoor air patterns on air injection and extraction systems.
HVAC systems influence the spread of fire and smoke
throughout indoor spaces. Depending on operating
4) HVAC
conditions, the effect of HVAC systems during a fire can be
Operation
beneficial or detrimental, and this must be analyzed when
specifying smoke control systems.
Air inlets and outlets used by the smoke control system
5) Local
must be located in a way that prevents obstruction by ice or
Climate
snow during cold weather.
 The NYC Building Code requires smoke control systems to
6) Operating be operational for a minimum period after fire detection.
Schedules The required time is 20 minutes or 1.5 times the estimated
evacuation period, whichever is longer.
The ducts used by smoke control systems must be capable of withstanding
the expected temperatures under a fire, and tested at 1.5 times the
maximum design pressure. In addition, the maximum leakage allowed is
5% of design flow.

Fans used in smoke control systems are required to have 1.5 times the
number of belts needed to operate at design conditions (at least two). The
motors used to drive these fans must have a minimum service factor of
1.15.

In general, smoke control systems must be designed to withstand seismic

loads according to the ASCE 7 standards. Mechanical smoke control
systems must be fully automated, but also provided with a manual override
at the Fire Department control panel.

Power Requirements for Smoke Control Systems

The NYC Building Code also establishes minimum power supply
requirements for smoke control systems. The primary power supply should
be the electric service entrance, and a standby power system should be
used as a secondary supply.

Smoke control system elements that use memories or other sensitive

electronic components must be equipped with an uninterruptible power
supply, of enough capacity to tolerate 15 minutes of primary power
interruption. The system must also include adequate surge suppression,
and power conditioning if needed.
Testing Requirements for Smoke Control Systems
The NYC Building Code also establishes the periodic testing requirements
for smoke control systems:

• Weekly verification using the automatic control system.

• Yearly inspection of sensors, dampers, fans and controls.
• Full testing every 5 years, by an inspector qualified by the NYC
Department of Buildings.

Smoke and Heat Vents

There are specific types of occupancies where the NYC Building Code
requires the installation of smoke and heat vents on the rooftop.

• Occupancy Group F-1 (Moderate-Hazard Industrial) with a floor area

above 50,000 ft2.
• Occupancy Group S-1 (Moderate-Hazard Storage) with a floor area
above 50,000 ft2, excluding aircraft repair hangars.
• Buildings and building portions with high-piled combustible stock or
rack storage, regardless of their occupancy classification.

These smoke and heat vents must be labeled and listed according to the
UL 793 Standard for Automatically Operated Roof Vents for Smoke and
Heat. These vents must be automated just like smoke control systems, but
provided with a manual override as well.

Final Recommendations
Smoke control systems play a critical role in ensuring occupant safety.
Uncontrolled smoke can increase the difficulty of escaping from a building
in flames, it becomes life-threatening when large amounts are inhaled.
Given that NYC fire protection requirements are among the most
demanding in the world, working with experienced design professionals
from the start of the project is strongly recommended.