Advanced Smoke Group Live Fire Demonstration At The Service College
PR125/24-R1
Figure 1 - The live fire demonstration was carried out in the Indy A Building at the Firs Service College.
18 months ago, Advanced Smoke Group conducted a major demonstration of the capability of a pressurization system to control smoke in high rise buildings at the Fire Service College at Moreton in Marsh.
The demonstration was conducted as part of a seminar held at the college focused on pressurization and the improved benefits it brought to occupants of high rise buildings in the event of fire.
Since that event, the company have witnessed a significant growth in the level of interest shown in pressurization systems and the benefits it provides to the escaping occupants of a burning building, and the aid given to fire service personnel entering the building for search and rescue and fire fighting operations.
The Hi.Protect smoke control system has been of particular interest.
The benefits of pressurization are already recognised in the draft revision of BS9991, which states that pressurisation should be installed as one key fire safety measure in single stair buildings over 18m in height.
Delegates from national and local government departments, the fire service and representatives of other fire safety institutions attended the Fire Service College event and were able to witness first hand, how a pressurization system was able to hold back the heat and smoke from a real fire and enable occupants of the building evacuate safely and in clear air.
For many years, those employed in the smoke control industry have been reluctant, and, in some cases, even outright resistant to the installation of a pressurization smoke control system. Why?
Of course, it has not only been the influence of the published guidance that has adversely impacted on the popularity of pressurization, the control mechanisms available have been a problem in meeting the standards of performance demanded by standards, such as system response times to changing conditions. Also the available equipment has made commissioning and maintenance of the systems difficult.
Such negative influences have caused engineers less experienced in smoke control design to shy away from embarking upon the use of pressurization as the most reliable and safe solution of smoke control for high-rise buildings.
As was witnessed by delegates to the live fire demonstration and seminar event, pressurization is proven to be a highly effective tool in protecting the principal escape routes such as lobbies and stairwells.
What is an equally important message to those who have, until now, resisted embarking on the design and installation of a pressurization system, modern control technology makes that type of system just as easy to design, install and commission as a depressurization system; and it gives better and safer results.
Figure 2 - Delegates attending the Smoke Control in Tall Buildings Event.
Figure 3 - Delegates to the event were able to witness the performance of the pressurization system from the stairwell.