The operational requirements of many large buildings are in conflict with the solutions recommended in the building regulations, for example:
- Atria penetrate floors preventing compartmentation into fire separated floors.
- Escape distances from shops via covered malls may exceed recommended escape distances
- Large open plan warehouses and factories may exceed maximum recommended compartment sizes
- Covered and basement car parks may have no perimeter ventilation and minimal air inlet facilities
These and many other problems can be overcome by adopting a fire engineered approach to solving the problems.
Balconies can be protected by automatic smoke curtains and smoke ventilation systems can be designed on a negative pressure basis, to minimise smoke flow from an atrium into the building.
Compartmentation into smoke zones and smoke ventilation will compensate for extended travel distances for escape in shopping centres.
Warehouses can be provided with overhead and in-rack sprinkler systems to contain potential fires. High level smoke barriers and smoke ventilation can reduce the spread of smoke and these can compensate for larger open building areas. Large factory units may have similar provisions.
Covered and basement car parks may be provided with mechanical extract systems and Jet Fans as a more practical solution to the traditional ducted systems. These systems may create virtual smoke zones, allowing larger open areas. The performance of these systems may be proved by computer modelling (CFD).