Modeling — Smoke Control Engineering
Hughes Associates’ experienced staff of engineers, scientists, and technicians has earned a reputation worldwide for solving facility, corporate, and governmental smoke movement and smoke control system engineering problems with state-of-the-art scientific, engineering, and decision-analysis techniques and technologies. Computer modeling often plays an important role during the design phase by enabling the prediction of hot smoke and toxic gas movement through a building. Modeling of smoke movement in atria and other large open spaces such as stadiums, airport terminals, and malls, has become increasingly sophisticated. At Hughes Associates we typically make use of both computer based fire models and computational fluid dynamics models. For the pressurization smoke control systems typically designed for high-rise buildings, use of building airflow models allows for the consideration of stack and wind effects, temperature effects of fire, and the impact of HVAC systems. Our staff typically develops these models prior to building construction to evaluate or develop a design of a smoke control system. These designs, in turn, form the basis for confirming the proper installation of the system via commissioning testing. Through pre-construction modeling, system performance can be refined and optimized prior to the procurement and installation of equipment.
Selected Project Examples
- Four Seasons Hotel and Residences – San Francisco, CA
- Thompson Library, Ohio State University – Columbus, OH
- San Francisco International Airport, International Terminal Building – San Mateo, CA
- AT&T Central Station – Phoenix, AZ
- University of Chicago Graduate School of Business – Chicago, IL
Four Seasons Hotel and Residences – San Francisco, CA– Utilized the CONTAM building air flow and contaminant dispersal model to design the smoke control system for the multi-use 35-story high rise, structure. The building contained hotel rooms, residential suites, a parking garage, health club and retail spaces. The model was used to evaluate wind and stack effects on the pressurization smoke control system designed for the building. Hughes Associates also performed the commissioning testing to verify the operation of the smoke control system once the building was constructed.
Thompson Library, Ohio State University – Columbus, OH – Utilized Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS) to develop the basis for a smoke control system design that utilized a reduced atrium exhaust quantity. This was based on a timed egress analysis showing occupants exposed to the upper volume of the atrium being able to exit the atrium prior to the development of hazardous conditions. The reduced exhaust quantity enabled the entire quantity of make-up air to be provided via operable exterior doors/windows in lieu of providing dedicated supply air ducting, resulting in a significant cost savings.
San Francisco International Airport, International Terminal Building – San Mateo, CA – Utilized performance based design approach to design smoke control systems in various areas of the high-rise terminal building. Atrium exhaust and pressurization smoke control systems were designed to limit the effect of a fire on occupant safety. Design fires were developed for the airport spaces and timed egress analysis was performed.
AT&T Central Station – Phoenix, AZ – Utilized Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS) to optimize the smoke control system design for telecommunications equipment rooms located within the building. The modeling enabled exhaust quantities and exhaust locations to be designed to limit the thermal damage from an equipment fire on other co-located equipment within each space.
University of Chicago Graduate School of Business – Chicago, IL – Performed commissioning testing for the atrium smoke control systems . Constructed a smoke test apparatus for testing atrium smoke control systems that utilizes a cold smoke stimulant using induced buoyancy. This apparatus has since been used to test the atrium smoke control system performance in buildings throughout the U.S.
For more information contact:
Mike Ferreira
mferreira@haifire.com
410-737-8677 x284
