RP-899 -- Design Approach for Atrium Exhaust Effectiveness ✓ Most Recent

Smoke management systems, designed specifically for atria, have become common in recent years. However, a number of situations exist that may impact the effectiveness of the atrium smoke management system. Such situations include obstructions in the smoke plume, the formation of a pre-stratification layer in the atrium and "plugholing", which is the subject of the research discussed in this report. Obstructions in the smoke plume may direct the smoke into adjacent spaces or cause smoke to mix with air in a zone for which tenable conditions are required. When a prestratification layer exists, smoke produced by the fire may not reach the ceiling where it would be vented to the outside and smoke build-up could occur where it can migrate into the communicating spaces.