A smoke control system for a protected corridor / lobby is installed to facilitate escape in corridors / lobbies. The smoke control system should be designed to ventilate the protected corridor / lobby for means of escape. The smoke control system should be activated by means of an appropriate fire detection and alarm system.

The smoke control system should consist of (a), (b), or (c), as follows:

(a) an automatic opening vent having a clear openable area of not less than 1 m2 fitted at the top of the stairway enclosure, and an automatic opening vent(s) (AOV) from the protected corridor / lobby to the exterior of the building, which should be in accordance with the following:

(i) it should have a minimum free area of 1.5 m2,

(ii) it should be fitted as close to the top of the ceiling of the protected corridor / lobby as is practicable, but be at least as high as the top of the door connecting the protected corridor / lobby to the stairwell or lobby.

Where there are multiple AOV’s due to multiple corridors, the system should be designed to activate the relevant AOV only. The AOV’s from the common protected corridors / lobbies on all other floors should remain closed.

(b) an automatic opening vent having a clear openable area of not less than 1 m2 situated at the top of the stairway enclosure, and an automatic opening vent to a natural smoke shaft, which should be in accordance with 1.7.3 below.

(c) a mechanical smoke control system which has a proven equivalent performance to (a) or (b) above.

In a building with a floor level at more than 20 m above ground level, the provision of an adequate smoke control system to a protected corridor / lobby may be sufficient to ventilate the firefighting lobby (see 5.3).

Where any smoke control system is powered by electricity, the system should be capable of operating at all material times.

1.7.2 Smoke Control System for Protected Corridors / Lobbies

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