NFPA 92 Smoke Control Systems Standard

The "NFPA 92 Smoke Control Systems" standard, developed by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), describes the requirements for the design, installation and ongoing periodic testing of smoke control systems used to reduce the effects of smoke from fires. This standard is very important in terms of protecting life safety and reducing material losses.

The purpose of this standard is to specify the requirements for smoke control systems to achieve one or more of the following:

• Preventing smoke from entering stairwells, exit routes, smoke shelter areas, elevator shafts or similar areas
• Providing a sustainable environment in smoke shelter areas and exit routes for the duration required for evacuation
• Preventing smoke migration from the smoke area
• To provide conditions outside the smoke zone that enable emergency response personnel to conduct search and rescue operations and to locate and control the fire.
• Contribute to ensuring life safety and reducing property loss

The requirements specifying the conditions under which a smoke control system shall be provided are addressed by other codes and standards. Specific design objectives are specified in other codes and standards.

Unless otherwise stated, the provisions of this standard are not intended to apply to facilities, equipment, structures or installations existing or approved for construction or installation prior to the effective date of this standard.

Retrospective application of the provisions of this standard is permitted where the competent authority determines that the existing situation presents a significant risk to life or property. If a smoke control system is being modified, extended or replaced, the requirements of this standard apply only to the work undertaken. Verification is required to ensure that new or modified systems do not adversely affect the performance of existing smoke control systems.

Nothing in this standard is intended to preclude the use of systems, methods or devices of equivalent or superior quality, durability, fire resistance, effectiveness or safety to those required in this standard. Technical documentation shall be submitted to the competent authority to demonstrate equivalence. The system, method or device shall be approved by the competent authority for the intended purpose.

The definitions in this standard apply to the terms used in this standard. If terms are not defined in this section or elsewhere, they are defined using their generally accepted meanings in the context in which they are used.

A few NFPA official definitions are as follows:

• Labeled: Equipment or materials to which is affixed a label, symbol, or other identifying mark from an organization that is acceptable to the competent authority and relevant to product evaluation, maintains periodic audits of the production of labeled equipment or materials, and demonstrates compliance with appropriate standards or performance in a specified manner by the manufacturer's labeling.
• Listed: Equipment, materials or services included on a list published by an organization that is acceptable to the competent authority and is concerned with the evaluation of products or services, maintains periodic audits of the production of listed equipment or materials, or periodic evaluation of services, and whose list indicates that the equipment, material or service meets appropriate established standards or has been tested and found suitable for a specified purpose.
• Atrium: A large volume space formed by a floor opening or series of floor openings connecting two or more floors, closed from the top of the series of openings and used for purposes other than closed staircase, elevator shaft, escalator opening, or a plumbing shaft used for plumbing, electrical, air conditioning or communication facilities.
• Ceiling jet: A smoke stream extending radially from the bottom of the ceiling, from the point where the fire smoke hits the ceiling.
• Design pressure difference: The desired pressure difference between the protected area and the adjacent area under a specified set of conditions when the smoke control system is operating.
• Draught curtain: A fixed or automatically deployable barrier that projects downward from the ceiling to channel, retain, or prevent the migration of smoke.
• Fuel-limited fire: A fire with a heat release rate controlled by the combustion of the material.
• Fixed fire: A fire with a constant heat release rate.
• t-squared (t2) fire: A fire with a heat release rate that increases proportionally to the time squared from ignition.
• Unstable fire: A fire with a heat release rate that varies with time.
• Fire with limited ventilation: A fire in which any object in the fire comparison is completely involved in the fire and the rate of heat release depends on the air flow through the openings in the fire comparison.
• Growth time (tg): The time interval from the effective ignition of the fire to the heat release rate.

NFPA 92 calculations are to provide estimates for fire protection/mechanical designs based on limited criteria to provide an acceptable level of life safety.

In general, the NFPA 92 standard includes design fundamentals, smoke management calculation procedures, building equipment and controls, smoke control system documentation, and test methods. It also includes extensive explanatory material filled with tables, graphs, and state-of-the-art calculations; techniques for estimating heat release rates from fires; information on computer-based models for atriums and shopping malls; guidance on additional design goals; information on smoke stratification; types of stairwell pressurization systems; information on heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems; and more.

The NFPA 92 standard combines the requirements of the previous standards “NFPA 92A Smoke control systems using barriers and pressure differentials” and “NFPA 92B Smoke management systems for shopping centers, atriums, and large areas.”

Our organization has a strong staff that closely follows the developments in the world in the field of science and technology and constantly improves itself. Among the numerous test, measurement, analysis and evaluation studies provided for businesses in various sectors, there are also test services in accordance with the "NFPA 92 Smoke Control Systems" standard.