Assignment Content
Have you ever been in a situation where smoke was present, or do you know someone who has experience this? Recall the discussion about the hazards associated with smoke and the products of combustion as they spread throughout structures. What are your thoughts on the need for smoke management? Should smoke be controlled? Do you think the strategies of controlling smoke have any implication on occupants or even firefighters responding to a fire? Why, or why not?
UNIT VIII STUDY GUIDE
Special Hazards and Smoke Control
and Management Systems
Course Learning Outcomes for Unit VIII
Upon completion of this unit, students should be able to:
1. Recommend appropriate fire protection systems for protecting life and property.
2. Apply sound ethical principles as they relate to fire protection.
3. Explain how the properties of fire influence design and installation criteria.
4. Recommend appropriate procedures for applying different types of foam systems.
5. Examine emerging technologies related to fire protection.
5.1 Describe the components and accessories common to smoke management and smoke control
systems.
6. Evaluate design specifications for fire alarm systems.
Required Unit Resources
Chapter 7: Non-Water-Based Fire Suppression Systems
Chapter 8: Smoke Management Systems
Unit Lesson
Non-Water-Based Fire Suppression Systems
For some ordinary structures, sprinkler systems may not be enough to extinguish special hazard fires using
water only, as water damage may be detrimental to the contents of the occupancy. In these incidences,
specialized suppression systems are needed to extinguish the fire without unintentionally damaging the
contents. According to Gagnon (2008), non-water-based fire suppression systems protect a variety of hazards
with unique challenges that water-based suppression systems are not efficient at protecting. Brakhage et al.
(2016) categorize special hazards as large quantities of flammable liquids, valuable or irreplaceable
commodities, metals reactive to water, high-tech research, and switching equipment. Specialized or nonwater-based fire suppression systems may include wet chemical, dry chemical, clean agents, and carbon
dioxide.
Wet chemical fire suppression systems use foam systems where two-dimensional fires occur, such as
cooking oils. At room temperature, cooking oils do not produce any flammable vapors to be concerned with
autoignition. However, when heated, cooking oils will ignite spontaneously. The appropriate type of foam
system to protect the hazard is a wet chemical that reacts with the cooking oil, producing saponification. In
addition, the wet chemical will cool and smother the flame (Gagnon, 2008). Wet chemical extinguishing
agents are applied through systems that may be fixed, semi-fixed, portable, or mobile. These systems
extinguish, prevent, and control fires in facilities that store flammable or combustible liquids.
Dry chemical suppression systems use a chemical residue, such as sodium bicarbonate and monoammonium
phosphate, to extinguish fires. Brakhage et al. (2016) suggest that after a dry chemical suppression system is
discharged, the residue left behind creates a cleanup problem and can corrode equipment and hinder the
operation.
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Clean agent suppression systems use inert gases made from a mixture of helium,
argon,
nitrogen, and
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small amounts of carbon dioxide. This mixture of gases was developed to replace
TitleHalon 1301, due to the
environmental concerns and toxicity of halon. Clean agent systems protect computer, telecommunications,
data storage areas, document rooms, art galleries, museums, and other high-valued areas (Brakhage et al.,
2016). Clean agents interrupt the uninhibited chain reaction of the tetrahedron.
Carbon dioxide suppression systems use odorless, colorless, noncombustible, nonconductive gas to displace
oxygen to extinguish the fire. Carbon dioxide is heavier than air and is dangerous to anyone entering the
room or area when it is discharged.
Points to Ponder Scenario
The warehouse fire involved high-pile rack storage of 275-gallon intermediate bulk container (IBC) totes
containing cooking oil that spread pools of fire igniting other IBC totes and combustible products. As the
workers attempted to extinguish the fire with water, the water hit the cooking oil, causing small explosions that
spread the burning oil even further. As the fire increased, the high temperature caused more totes to became
involved, producing thick black smoke, toxic substances, and asphyxiates, which flowed horizontally
throughout the warehouse under the roof. The flow of the smoke started gradually and began to turn more
turbulent near the heated gases. The smoke at the fire near the cooler metal walls of the warehouse began to
drop down, creating layers closer to the floor. In the heated areas, the high velocity driven smoke began to
stratify into layers because of its buoyancy remaining higher than the cooler smoke. Then, the sprinkler
system activated cooling some of the heated smoke near the fire, reducing its buoyancy. In other parts of the
warehouse, the smoke continued to build under the roof area. Once the entire area under the roof was
covered, the smoke started banking down and working its way into the ductwork and openings in the office
area, exposing workers. The smoke from the cooking oil and other products contained sufficient toxic
asphyxiates that began to overtake the workers within just a few minutes. During the investigation, it was
found the warehouse was not equipped with smoke management or smoke control systems.
Did the warehouse in the scenario require a specialized suppression system? Did the warehouse require
some type of smoke control or smoke management system? Warehouses unlike other structures are not
compartmentalized where shutting doors may control smoke and reduce the rapid growth of the fire.
Smoke Management Systems
Smoke management and smoke control systems limit the spread of smoke as though a door was shut in a
compartmentalized structure. Smoke management and smoke control systems use mechanical fans to
produce airflow and pressurize areas removing smoke or limiting the movement to control smoke inside highrise buildings, covered malls, and warehouses with high-piled rack storage. These methods of smoke control
are containment, extricate, or opposed airflow. Controlling smoke and its movement is critical for providing a
tenable environment for these same occupancies allowing safe evacuation and firefighters to be able to
mitigate the fire quickly. The design of smoke management and smoke control systems takes into
consideration the buoyancy and stack effect that influence the spread of smoke and the heat gases.
Smoke management systems utilize mechanical fans, dampers, and other methods to remove smoke from
structures. Smoke management systems’ intended uses are roof hatch ventilation in high atrium spaces,
smoke exhaust fans in parking garages, pressurization fans in stairwells, pressurization fans in elevator
shafts, and smoke exhaust fans in large warehouses (Ventola, 2014). The National Fire Protection
Association (NFPA) 92B: Standard for Smoke Management Systems in Malls, Atria, and Large Areas
describes methodologies for estimating the location of smoke within large-volume space or in an adjacent
space (Gagnon, 2008). Gagnon continues to promote that the standard assists fire protection design
professionals in determining if smoke will stratify or not by using the following formula.
Zm = (14.7) x (Qc1/4) x (?T/?z)3/8
Gagnon (2008) suggests the formula determines the heat release data for different commodities in the
equation of (Qc), and the temperature is measured by (?T/?z).
Smoke control systems operate mechanical fans and dampers to create and maintain a pressure difference
and smoke barrier. Smoke control systems are activated by electronic monitoring, and they control devices to
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inhibit smoke from entering spaces that are a means of egress or areas of refuge
2014).
Brakhage
UNIT(Ventola,
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et al. (2016) suggest that smoke control strategies utilize passive systems, pressurization
systems, exhaust
Title
method, opposed airflow method, dilution, and zone smoke control. NFPA 92A: Recommended Practice for
Smoke-Control Systems describes recommendations for smoke management using smoke barriers, airflows,
and pressure differences to confine smoke movement to the area of origin (Heskestad, 1997).
Large volume warehouse with no smoke control system
allows smoke to spread horizontally beneath the roof
until it reaches an opening.
Smoke removal for a large volume warehouse uses ventilator
fans at the roof line to extract the smoke and ventilator fans
to replenish the atmosphere with fresh air being channeled
by curtains containing the smoke.
Whether pressurization with mechanical ventilators or limiting smoke, control systems utilize two basic
principles through passive and active systems to accomplish the extraction of the heat gases and smoke.
Passive design utilizes smoke curtains and smoke ventilators found typically in warehouses with high-piled
rack storage. Smoke ventilators open allowing the smoke and heat to escape through high-level ventilators in
the roof and smoke curtains create a wall containing or channeling the smoke in one area allowing the smoke
to be extracted. Active design utilizes mechanical means to extract or force the smoke out when the fire
protection initiation device receives a signal activating the ventilators to extract the smoke and replace the air
being extracted with fresh air.
Conclusion
Non-water-based fire suppression systems are required when water-based systems are not effective, react
with materials, or damage equipment. Non-water-based fire suppression systems protect a variety of special
hazards with unique challenges. In most cases, these water-based suppression systems are not efficient at
protecting these special hazards that may be irreplaceable or products that react with water alone.
Smoke management and smoke control systems limit the spread of smoke when the consequences can be
devastating. These systems create a tenable environment allowing occupants to exit the building more quickly
in a clear path of travel where the smoke is kept at a high level. Smoke management and control systems
ensure fires can be located and extinguished sooner, preventing more damage to the contents and structure.
References
Brakhage, C., Abrams, A., & Fortney, J. (Eds.). (2016). Fire protection, detection, and suppression systems
(5th ed.). Fire Protection Publications.
Gagnon, R. M. (2008). Design of special hazard and fire alarm systems (2nd ed.). Delmar Learning.
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Heskestad, G. (1997). Venting practices. In A. Cote & J. Linville (Eds.), Fire protection
handbook
(18th ed.;
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Section 18, Chapter 4). National Fire Protection Association.
Title
Ventola, M. (2014, November 10). Smoke control vs smoke management: An overview [Blog post].

Suggested Unit Resources
In order to access the following resource, click the link below.
This video demonstrates a full-scale smoke control system conducted in a newly constructed 250,000 square
foot furniture warehouse. The system uses vents in the middle of the roof to control fire spread.
Overholt, K. (2008, February 20). Furniture warehouse smoke control and fire demo [Video]. YouTube

Note that the video above does not contain dialogue.
Learning Activities (Nongraded)
Nongraded Learning Activities are provided to aid students in their course of study. You do not have to submit
them. If you have questions, contact your instructor for further guidance and information.
These are manufacturers’ websites that show the types of smoke management and smoke control systems
that could be used to find recommendations for the rebuild of the distribution warehouse assignment. Visit a
few of the websites to become familiar with what they offer.
http://www.airprodsales.com
http://www.ruskin.com
http://www.greenheck.com
http://www.prefco-hvac.com
http://www.ncamfg.com
http://www.unitedenertech.com
http://www.airbalance.com
http://www.arrowunited.com
http://www.louvers-dampers.com

http://www.nailor.com
http://www.safeair-dowco.com
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