Heat build-up in corridors or lobbies of residential and hotel buildings is a common problem with a simple solution: use the smoke shafts already in place. These are typically positioned in a way that also provides effective environmental ventilation, so they can serve a dual purpose of evacuating smoke in case of fire and providing day-to-day ventilation. However, the design and controls need to be well thought through and there are some pitfalls to avoid for the solution to deal with overheating effectively. We have listed 3 key considerations below.

1. Avoid overheating in common areas of residential buildings and
hotels: 3 key considerations
Heat build-up in corridors or lobbies of residential and hotel buildings is a common problem with a
simple solution: use the smoke shafts already in place. These are typically positioned in a way that
also provides effective environmental ventilation, so they can serve a dual purpose of evacuating
smoke in case of fire and providing day-to-day ventilation. However, the design and controls need to
be well thought through and there are some pitfalls to avoid for the solution to deal with overheating
effectively. We have listed 3 key considerations below.
1. Inlet air will be required. Buildings with a two-shaft system can be configured to provide inlet
and extract air, however where does inlet air for a single smoke shaft come from? You could
look to provide this from the stair, but note that this would require a weathered roof smoke
vent for the stair and also fire rated smoke dampers between the stair and lobby/corridor.
2. Attenuation. When providing environmental ventilation, the fans will now be running more
often, so you will need to consider attenuating them to prevent noise complaints.
3. Controls and balancing the system. If all dampers open fully on all floors, then most of the
ventilation will come from the upper levels with insufficient ventilation on the lower levels.
Adding balancing dampers and a control system that can open either individual levels or
banks of levels will prevent this from happening. Modulating the fans to prevent the heat from
building up in the first place will also provide a more satisfactory result.
If you want to know more about preventing overheating in your building with a dual purpose
shaft system, you can attend our recorded webinar, which is available from this link:
https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/220923814
© 2013 Colt International Licensing Ltd.