Enhancing Indoor Environmental Air Quality through Smoke Ventilation in Buildings

Abstract

Safety is the primary concern throughout a building’s lifecycle, from its initial design to its eventual occupancy. It is widely acknowledged that in the event of a structural fire, the resultant smoke presents a far greater danger to human life than the flames themselves. Smoke, a complex aerosol generated by the incomplete burning or thermal breakdown of materials, comprises minute particles suspended within emitted gases and the surrounding air. Consequently, “smoke management,” often encompassing both active and passive techniques for “smoke control,” involves strategically applying methods to limit and direct the movement of smoke within a building during a fire emergency. A critical contemporary need exists for the fire safety measures of factories in the ready-made garments industry, a sector particularly susceptible to fire incidents, to be bolstered. While fire suppression systems are indispensable, they cannot assure complete safety alone, as the smoke produced by a fire can swiftly incapacitate and endanger individuals. This underscores the vital function of a smoke ventilation system, through which smoke is extracted, thereby creating safer egress routes for occupants when a fire breaks out. The aims of effective smoke control systems are multifaceted, including the safeguarding of life, the establishment of less perilous evacuation paths, the limitation of smoke spread to unaffected areas of the building, the protection of assets, the facilitation of firefighting efforts, and the simplification of post-fire remediation. The operational principles and the fundamental necessity of integrating smoke ventilation systems into comprehensive fire safety provisions are articulated by this research. Furthermore, the potential for this infrastructure to be leveraged for the enhancement of routine indoor environmental air quality will be explored, presenting a dual benefit of these critical building systems.