Smoke Control Smoke Smoke Control in Shopping Centres Colt Design Service Front Cover Golden Square,Warrington. Jetstream impulse fans for the car park, Cyclone induction fans and reversible Jetsream impulse fans for the service road tunnel. OPV Seefire and Labyrinth ventilators for natural ventilation of the malls. Defender dampers, Seefire ventilators and Doorman door operators for the firefighting shafts.All the equipment controlled by an OPV system. INTRODUCTION DESIGN SERVICE In retail premises such as shopping In city centre developments, where space You will be reassured to know that Colt centres, the Building Regulations have a is a premium, many of these projects have has a wealth of experience in designing strong emphasis on the provision of life an underground car park, which may also smoke control systems for shopping safety systems such as smoke control. require smoke and day to day ventilation. centres and has an impeccable track Colt can provide all manner of Car Park record to match. A well designed smoke control system Ventilation systems. Please see the Colt should be able to maintain smoke free Car Park Ventilation Systems leaflet. Colt Colt offer a complete package - including escape conditions at low level to allow is also active in the design and supply of a free design service with technical advice the building to be evacuated with Tunnel Ventilation schemes. at the initial design stage, through to the minimum risk of smoke inhalation, injury service and maintenance of the system. or death. Many developments may also require one or more fire fighting shafts, which may You will receive a fully detailed report Colt has considerable experience in the require smoke ventilation. Colt can complete with CAD. design and implementation of smoke provide these. Please see the Smoke control systems in Shopping Centres and Control in Apartments leaflet. CONFIDENCE a vast number of installations have been carried out throughout the UK. When choosing a smoke control supplier you need reassurance that the company Colt products are specifically designed to you select has sufficient track record, blend into the building structure, experience and after sales service. concealed until needed and compliant with all relevant codes and standards. By investing in innovation, products, services and people, Colt has established itself as a world leader in smoke ventilation control. 2 “A product range, design capability and a service standard to rival anyone in our field.” UK TRACK RECORD Aberavon Shopping Centre, Aberavon The Meridian Centre, Havant Gunwharf Quays, Portsmouth Kingsbury Court, Aylesbury Princes Quay, Hull Broad Street, Reading BHS Castle Quay, Banbury St Stephens Retail, Hull The Oracle, Reading Castle Quay, Banbury Bluewater Park, Kent Kingfisher Centre, Redditch Festival Place, Basingstoke Regency Arcade, Leamington Spa Market Hall, Rochdale Brunel Centre, Bletchley Corn Exchange, Leeds Churchside Arcade, Rugby Bull Ring, Birmingham Merrion Centre, Leeds Runcorn Shopping Centre, Runcorn Pavillions, Birmingham St Johns, Leeds Crystal Peaks, Sheffield Perry Bar, Birmingham The Bridges, Leeds Meadowhall, Sheffield Star City, Birmingham White Rose, Leeds Orchard Square, Sheffield Wades Building, Birmingham The Shires, Leicester Touchwood Court, Solihull Castlepoint, Bournemouth Retail Unit Sports World, Lewisham Marlands Centre, Southampton Rawson Market, Bradford Swan Centre, Lincoln West Quay, Southampton The Baytree Centre, Brentwood Metquarter, Liverpool The Forum, South Shields Coopers Square, Burton-on-Trent Paradise St, Liverpool Elmsleigh, Staines Union Arcade, Bury Ludgate West, London Swadlincote Shopping Centre, Swadlincote Grafton Centre, Cambridge Stratford, London Tamworth, Tamworth Grand Arcade, Cambridge Nicholson Centre, Maidenhead Telford Shopping Centre, Telford Cannock, Cannock Trafford Centre, Manchester Lakeside, Thurrock Eagle Centre, Derby Debenhams, Stamford Quarter, Manchester The Chimes, Uxbridge Corn Exchange, Doncaster Next Retail, Stamford Quarter, Manchester Ridings, Wakefield Frenchgate Centre, Doncaster Central Milton Keynes Shopping Centre, Saddlers Centre, Walsall Merry Hill, Dudley, West Midlands Milton Keynes Golden Square, Warrington Milburn Gate, Durham IKEA Thurrock, Brent Park, Milton Keynes The Heart, Walton-on-Thames Swan Centre, Eastleigh Midsummer Place, Milton Keynes Queens Square, West Bromwich Ocean Terminal, Edinburgh Milton Keynes Food Centre, Milton Keynes Peacocks, Woking Princesshay, Exeter Eldon Square, Newcastle Upon Tyne Mander Centre, Wolverhampton Callender Square, Falkirk Kingsway, Newport The Wulfrun Centre, Wolverhampton Retail Unit Tesco, Galashiels Grosvenor Centre, Northampton McArthur Glen, York Metro Centre, Gateshead Weston Favell, Northampton Eastgate Centre, Gloucester Chapelfield, Norwich Oak Mall, Greenock Victoria Centre, Nottingham Victoria Centre, Harrogate Tesco, Pollok The Cornbow, Halesowen Dolphin Quays, Poole New Cross, Hamilton The Cascades, Portsmouth Jacksons Landing, Hartlepool Hastings Shopping Centre, Hastings 3 Introduction HOW DO FIRES START? In recent years, the development of the The cause of all fires can be generally shopping centre concept has grown in divided into two categories, accidental or significance and complexity due to the malicious ignition (arson). Arson is still phenomenal increase in the number of the largest cause of fire in occupied proposals being submitted for buildings, and the main cause of death consideration. Today, practically every and casualties is smoke. major town and city has at least one such centre. SMOKE To the design teams, each project Killer facts: represents a new challenge and an opportunity to be creative and innovative, Over 4,000 fires occur in retail outlets but it can also mean significant problems. every year. The principal task of the team is to create On average, large fires cause over 5 a building on time and within budget million pounds of damage every year in which fully meets the requirements of the shops. (This excludes fires under client. However there are many other £250,000). influences, such as Building Regulations and Codes that could have a major impact Following the outbreak of a small fire in a on the design. shop, it can take less than three minutes to fill a mall with smoke. It can take 30 minutes to evacuate a mall, taking into account parents with children, the elderly and the disabled. An alarm is often not heard. When it is, people often ignore it or misunderstand the situation. Once the alarm has been raised, people do not necessarily react as expected. 4 “Experience shows it can take 30 minutes to totally evacuate a shopping centre.” GUIDANCE AND REGULATIONS SPRINKLER SYSTEMS Many regulations and codes must be met Sprinklers and smoke control do different, and the safety and comfort of the but complementary jobs. A sprinkler building’s occupants have to be the system will control the size of the fire and priority. thus reduce the amount of smoke generated. Reference can be made to the following; In shopping centres it is generally BS 5588 Part 10 recommended to protect shop units with Fire precautions in the design, sprinklers to control the fire size, but not construction and use of buildings. to install sprinklers in the malls to prevent Code of practice for shopping complexes. overcooling of smoke and the risk of wet and slippery surfaces on escape routes. BS 5588-12:2004 Fire precautions in the design, construction and use of buildings. Managing fire safety. BR 186 Design principles for smoke ventilation in enclosed shopping centres BR 368 Design methodologies for smoke and heat exhaust ventilation BS 7346 Components for smoke and heat control systems EN12101 Smoke and heat control systems 5 Protection of People (means of escape) THE PROTECTION OF PEOPLE MEANS OF ESCAPE Total Escape Period With as many as 100,000 people in one Regardless of the location of a fire, once day visiting some of the largest Shopping people are aware of it, they should be able Centres, the burden of responsibility to proceed safely along a recognisable carried by the Design Team is awesome. escape route to a place of safety. In order Each scheme presents its own complexity to achieve this, it may be necessary to of design problems that relate to the protect the route. protection of those evacuating from the building in a fire situation. In large or complex Shopping Centres, a smoke control system is an effective way The problem is particularly acute with of keeping means of escape routes clear Shopping Centres that incorporate a of smoke. central atrium or those which have multi- storeys. Smoke ventilators are installed to help Time Detection Time to Calculated Stragglers maintain smoke free escape routes and time begin escape stairwells to enable occupants to evacuate escape time the building quickly and safely. Most significant factors concerning fire - such as evacuation time and rate of fire growth - are time dependent, and subject to a high degree of variation. 6 “An alarm is often not heard. When it is, people often ignore it or misunderstand the situation.” BUILDING DESIGNERS Building owners and designers share a responsibility to limit the potential for damage and tragedy caused by fire. Choice of building materials, the layout of escape routes, the number of exits and the installation of alarms, together with the installation of a smoke control system, are all key building design considerations. Using the principles of ventilation and containment, designers can ensure