The following article was published in ASHRAE Journal, December 2004.

Copyright 2004 American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, Inc. It is presented for educational purposes only. This article may not be copied and/or distributed electronically or in paper form without permission of ASHRAE.

Smoke Control
By John Clark, P .E., Fellow/Life Member ASHRAE

In Malls With Atria & Restaurants

he Model Building Codes1 and the International Building Code (IBC) 20002 require a smoke control system in a covered mall building occupancy that contains an atrium. A restaurant in this type of mall

represents a case of mixed occupancy. The general mall occupancy areas are Mercantile Group M (retail) and Assembly Group A-2 (restaurant). Each restaurant space is required, therefore, to have a dedicated smoke control system. Contrast this to the retail areas that can be zoned with one exhaust fan serving a zone.
The smoke control system in this article is the mechanical exhaust method described in the International Building Code 2000.909.8. The amount of exhaust can be calculated using the computer re model Fire Protection Engineering Tools (FPETool).3 This computer model is available from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and can be downloaded from www.bfrl.nist. gov/866/fmabbs.html at no cost.
Purpose

safely evacuate or relocate from the area containing smoke. The activation devices for the smoke control system are either ceiling-mounted smoke detectors in the dining area, air-handling unit supply duct smoke detectors or a signal from the zone sprinkler ow switch. The sprinkler zone is the entire restaurant area, which also covers the kitchen area. However, the kitchen hood system will remove smoke that develops in the kitchen area.
Computer Model Results

to actuate the smoke control system. The NFPA 13 Standard states for Ordinary Group 2 Hazard occupancy use 1,500 ft2 (140 m2) for sprinkler system design. But, the entire remote area is used to arrive at a conservative value. The rate of fuel growth is based on a T-squared fuel noted as a fast re in Appendix C of NFPA 92B.4 The convective heat release rate calculated by FPETool is plugged into the exhaust method equations from IBC 2000, and the result is the required exhaust rate.
About the Author John Clark, P .E., is vice president of Hammel, Green and Abrahamson in Minneapolis.

The design intends to provide an environment for the dining area occupants to
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FPETool calculates the approximate time, in seconds, for the smoke detector
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December 2004

Each restaurant space is required to have a dedicated smoke control system. Contrast this to the retail areas that can be zoned with one exhaust fan serving a zone.

Smoke Exhaust Requirements

The calculations for the mechanical exhaust volumetric ow rate are based on the formula shown in the IBC909.8.2 for axisymmetric plumes. The typical assumption used for the height from the top of the oor level fuel surface to the bottom of the smoke layer is 10 ft (Table 1). The limiting ame height is determined by: zl = 0.533 Qc 2/5 where mp = Plume mass ow rate, lb/s (kg/s). Q = Total heat output (calculated from FPETool). Qc = Convective heat output, Btu/s (kW). (The value of Qc must not be less than 0.70 Q) (calculated from FPETool).
December 2004

= Height from top of fuel surface to bottom of smoke layer, ft (m). zl = Limiting ame height, ft (m). The zl value must be greater than the fuel equivalent dia. (Section 900.99) For z > zl mp = 0.022 Qc 1/3 z 5/3 + 0.0042 Qc For z = zl mp = 0.011 Qc For z < zl mp = 0.0208 Qc 3/5 z To convert mp from lb/s of mass ow to a volumetric rate, use the following formula: V = 60 mp / where mp = mass ow rate, lb/s and = density of air at the temperature of the smoke layer, lb/ft3. z
Smoke Detector Activation

Use area smoke detectors in the dining seating space to activate the smoke control system (because they react the fastest
ASHRAE Journal 19

in the occupied area). Return air duct detectors Number of Sprinkler Sprinkler Total Heat can be used in the kitchen and serving areas of Sprinkler Head Head Rate at Convection the restaurant because an area smoke detector Heads Activation Temperature Sprinkler Heat Release Operating Time Rating Activation Rate is too sensitive to cooking smoke. Entire Remote When the re alarm system is activated from Calculated Calculated Calculated Area Usually 155F Seconds Btu/s Btu/s any smoke detector, the dining room supply air 1,500 ft2 Area system stops. This prevents smoke dispersion Table 1: FPETool input and output data. that slows the clearing of the smoke. The alarm signal opens the gravity inlet path and starts the smoke control Kitchen Hood Exhaust System The kitchen hood system with its replacement air system system. The gravity inlet path is the replacement air system for the smoke exhaust system. The replacement air is introduced operates independently of the smoke control system. However, from low sidewall grilles into the exhausted spaces at velocities when an alarm is in the dining area, the kitchen hood replacement air system will be turned off, as will the other supply air not exceeding 200 fpm (1 m/s). units. If the hood re alarm is activated, the dining area operates in the normal mode. The hood re alarm trips the hood Sprinkler Head Activation The sprinkler heads are installed to comply with NFPA 135 suppression system, maintains the exhaust ow, and stops the for Ordinary Group 2 occupancy (0.20 gpm/ft2 [0.14 L/s per replacement air system to the hood. m2] over the most remote 1,500 ft2 [140 m2] area). Restaurant seating areas are Light Hazard occupancy, and the restau- Special Inspection The designed smoke control system requires special inrant service areas are Ordinary Group 1 Hazard occupancy. However, the covered mall is considered the most demanding spection to review the design of the system, to inspect the hazard classication, which is why Ordinary Group 2 Hazard construction, and to test its operation after nal construction is used. Water ow in the zoned sprinkler system will activate (IBC 909.3 & 1704.14). The role of the special inspector begins with a contract between the inspector and the owner. The the smoke control system. special inspector must be qualied in the area of re protection engineering, mechanical engineering and air balancing. The special inspector also must be acceptable to the authority having jurisdiction because the inspectors test approval is part of the nal certication process. The duties of the special inspector are to review the elements of the system design prepared by the restaurants design team. The design elements are: Exhaust airow required; Intake path, gravity or a fan-delivered system; Activation devices, including type and location; Advertisement formerly in this space. Communication interface with the mall security system, which alerts the security personnel to call the re department; Temperature rating of the exhaust fan equipment; and Requirement for the re alarm wiring to either in conduit or in plenum-rated wire.
Pretesting

The acceptance testing often is close to the day scheduled for sign-off for the certicate of occupancy. Therefore, pretesting of the critical coordination parts of the entire system is important. The following is a list of critical pretesting tasks. The ductwork for the smoke control system must be leak tested to 1.5 times the designed pressure. Test early in the construction before the air inlet or outlets are installed. The smoke control system must be supplied and tested with two sources of power. The primary power source is the normal building power, and the secondary power is from an approved standby power source.
20 ASHRAE Journal ashrae.org December 2004

EVENT Status to Mall Security Normal Operation Fire Under Hood Sprinkler Flow Space Detectors RTU Discharge Detectors Normal Alarm Alarm Alarm Alarm Hood Exhaust Fan On On On On On Hood Makeup Air Unit On Off On On On Fire Protection System Standby Trip Standby Standby Standby

ACTION Smoke Control Fan Off Off On On Off Replacement Air Dampers Closed Closed Open Open Closed Horns/ Strobes Off Off On On Off

RTU On Off Off Off Off

Table 2: Event/action matrix denes interface between the kitchen exhaust hood system and the smoke control system.

The fan systems must be tested and balanced to their design airows. Fan and damper modulation should be tested to allow for full operation before the space conditions exceed design smoke conditions.
Acceptance Testing

Verify during pretesting that the HVAC supply devices are blowing smoke away from the ceiling smoke detectors. The detectors may have to be relocated.
Summary

The smoke control system modes of operation should be described by means of an event/action matrix as shown in Table 2. The re alarm smoke detectors can be activated manually to verify activation of the smoke control system. The manual trip mode is either by means of a magnet or a puffer can of smoke. The sprinkler ow switches can be tripped manually to simulate a sprinkler discharge, which activates the smoke control system. Communication links to mall security should be veried as to alarm condition and alarm zone. The type of nal test (in this example), as negotiated with the local code authority, was by means of burning wet cardboard in a galvanized trash can to simulate a smoking re event. An alternate method is to release chemical smoke above an electric or propane heater. The hot rising smoke plume should activate the dining area smoke detectors. If all goes well, the smoke control system activates, and the smoke will be cleared within a short time.
Typical Problems

A smoke control system for a mall restaurant requires an experienced engineer to design a typical restaurant HVAC system, kitchen exhaust system, and a retail mall-type smoke removal system. All three systems have design intents that must be integrated. The trade contractors that install the HVAC, re alarm, security and sprinkler system may not be accustomed to this degree of integration. On-site meetings are required to inform all the contractors about the integrated design requirements. The local code authorities also may not be aware of the interrelationships of the various systems, which is why the special inspector is required. The codes1 recognize this complex system and require special inspection and testing. The designer, the client, the contractors and the code authorities must recognize the special inspector as a qualied expert. The systems are complex and require pretesting because the nal acceptance test always closely precedes the signing of the certicate of occupancy, which precedes opening for business. Good communication between the parties involved and attention to details is important in this nonstandard project.
References
1. Uniform Building Code-2000, Sections 402 and 905 by International Conference of Building Code. www.iapmo.org. BOCA National Building Code-1999, Section 922 by Building Ofcials and Code Administration International, Inc. www.bocai.org. SBCCI -1997 Sections 413 and 414 by Southern Building Code Congress International, Inc. (merged with International Building Code) www.icbo.org. 2. International Building Code-2000, Sections 404 and 909 by International Code Council. www.icbo.org. 3. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Fire Modeling Programs. www.nist.gov. 4. NFPA 92B 2000 (Guide for Smoke Management Systems in Mall, Atrium and Large Areas), National Fire Protection Association. www.nfpa.org. 5. NFPA 13-2002 (Standard for the Installation of Sprinklers) National Fire Protection Association. www.nfpa.org. ASHRAE Journal 21

This type of a project is based on mixed occupancies and the various subcontractors may not be aware of the total smoke control system design intent. The special inspector should inform the entire construction team of their roles in the nal smoke control operations system. The interface between the kitchen exhaust hood system and the smoke control system should be well dened by the event/action matrix, Table 2. Coordination is required between the smoke detection system and the sprinkler system because the zone coverage must be the same. During review of the equipment shop drawings, it must be veried that the temperature rating of the smoke control equipment is appropriate. Also, verify that the smoke control exhaust fan contains a minimum of two drive belts or 1.5 times the number of belts required for the design duty.
December 2004