Fire Safety Science Digital Archive

An investigation is being made of the feasibility of keeping escape routes in buildings free of smoke in case of fire by maintaining these areas at higher pressures than the other parts of the building, thus reducing the risk of entry of smoke through connecting doors. This note describes the results of tests conducted in a 3-storey enclosed staircase and provides some preliminary data for the design of a suitable system. The pressurization system may be continuously in use or may be brought into operation in case of a fire either manually or automatically by smoke sensitive devices. The latter appears to offer advantages.