University of Tennessee West Campus Dining: Smoke Evacuation

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  • Smoke control system for the University of Tennessee West Campus Dining facility utilizes a combination of louvers and door openings to facilitate smoke removal in the event of a fire.
  • System does not use mechanical ventilation such as fans to force out smoke. Rather, the naturally buoyant smoke produced by a fire plume will move up, passing through the louvers and out of the dining hall.
  • System is designed around a fire with a peak heat release rate of 3,120 kilowatts or 3.12 megawatts, which is representative of a fully involved upholstered couch fire with plastic foam cushions.
  • Opening of louvers and doors is accomplished through the fire alarm system, which is activated by smoke detection, sprinkler waterflow alarms and/or manual pull stations.
  • System designed so the smoke layer would not descend past 6 feet above level 3 to help ensure that occupants are able to evacuate the building.
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