CHAPTER 9 -FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEMS

4. The minimum positive pressure of 25 Pa of 470 liters per second per door, or that specified by a
water and a maximum positive pressure of 67 registered design professional to meet the
Pa of water with respect to occupied floors requirements of a designed pressurization system.
are not required at the floor of recall with the
doors open.
909.21.5 Standby power . The
pressurization system shall be provided with
909.21.1.1 Use of ventilation systems. standby power in accordance with Section 2702.
Ventilation systems, other than hoistway supply air
systems, are permitted to be used to exhaust air from
adjacent spaces on the fire floor, two floors 909.21.6 Activation of pr essur ization
immediately below and one floor immediately system. The elevator pressurization system shall be
above the fire floor to the building’s exterior where activated upon activation of either the building fire
necessary to maintain positive pressure alarm system or the elevator lobby smoke detectors.
relationships as required in Section 909.21.1 during Where both a building fire alarm system and
operation of the elevator shaft pressurization elevator lobby smoke detectors are present, each
system. shall be independently capable of activating the
pressurization system.

909.21.2 Rational analysis. A rational

analysis complying with Section 909.4 shall be 909.21.7 Testing. Testing for performance
submitted with the construction documents. shall be required in accordance with Section
909.18.8. System acceptance shall be in accordance
with Section 909.19.
909.21.3 Ducts for system. Any duct
system that is part of the pressurization system shall
be protected with the same fire-resistance rating as 909.21.8 Mar king and identification.
required for the elevator shaft enclosure. Detection and control systems shall be marked in
accordance with Section 909.14.

909.21.4 Fan system. The fan system

provided for the pressurization system shall be as 909.21.9 Control diagr ams. Control
required by Sections 909.21.4.1 through 909.21.4.4. diagrams shall be provided in accordance with
Section 909.15.

909.21.4.1 Fire resistance. Where located

within the building, the fan system that provides the 909.21.10 Control panel. A control panel
pressurization shall be protected with the same fire- complying with Section 909.16 shall be provided.
resistance rating required for the elevator shaft
enclosure.
909.21.11 System response time. Hoistway
pressurization systems shall comply with the
909.21.4.2 Smoke detection. The fan system requirements for smoke control system response
shall be equipped with a smoke detector that will time in Section 909.17.
automatically shut down the fan system when
smoke is detected within the system.
SECTION 910 SMOKE AND HEAT
REMOVAL
909.21.4.3 Separate systems. A separate fan
system shall be used for each elevator hoistway. 910.1 General. Where required by this code,
smoke and heat vents or mechanical smoke removal
systems shall conform to the requirements of this
909.21.4.4 Fan capacity. The supply fan shall section.
be either adjustable with a capacity of not less than

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CHAPTER 9 -FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEMS

910.2 Where required. Smoke and heat vents or surface of the story is not a roof assembly, a
a mechanical smoke removal system shall be mechanical smoke removal system in accordance
installed as required by Sections 910.2.1 and with Section 910.4 shall be installed.
910.2.2.

910.3 Smoke and heat vents. The design and

Exceptions: installation of smoke and heat vents shall be in
accordance with Sections 910.3.1 through 910.3.3.
1. Frozen food warehouses used solely for
storage of Class I and II commodities where
protected by an approved automatic sprinkler
910.3.1 Listing and labeling. Smoke and heat
system.
vents shall be listed and labeled to indicate
2. Smoke and heat removal shall not be required compliance with UL 793 or FM 4430.
in areas of buildings equipped with early
suppression fast-response (ESFR) sprinklers.
3. Smoke and heat removal shall not be required 910.3.2 Smoke and heat vent locations. Smoke
in areas of buildings equipped with control and heat vents shall be located 6 m or more from
mode special application sprinklers with a adjacent lot lines and fire walls and 3 m or more
response time index of 50 (m · s)½ or less from fire barriers. Vents shall be uniformly located
that are listed to control a fire in stored within the roof in the areas of the building where
commodities with 12 or fewer sprinklers. the vents are required to be installed by Section
910.2 with consideration given to roof pitch,
sprinkler location and structural members.
910.2.1 Gr oup F-1 or S-1. Smoke and heat vents
installed in accordance with Section 910.3 or a
mechanical smoke removal system installed in 910.3.3 Smoke and heat vents area. The required
accordance with Section 910.4 shall be installed in aggregate area of smoke and heat vents shall be
buildings and portions thereof used as a Group F-1 calculated as follows:
or S-1 occupancy having more than 4645 m2 of
undivided area. In occupied portions of a building For buildings equipped throughout with an
equipped throughout with an automatic sprinkler automatic sprinkler system in accordance with
system in accordance with Section 903.3.1.1 where Section 903.3.1.1:
the upper surface of the story is not a roof assembly,
a mechanical smoke removal system in accordance ‫ܣ‬௏ோ  ൌ ܸȀʹ͹Ͷͷ 9-3
with Section 910.4 shall be installed.
where:
AVR = The required aggregate vent area
Exception: Group S-1 aircraft repair hangars. (m2).
V = Volume (m3) of the area that
910.2.2 High-piled combustible storage. Smoke requires smoke removal.
and heat removal required by Table 3206.2 of the
SBC 801 for buildings and portions thereof
containing highpiled combustible storage shall be For unsprinklered buildings:
installed in accordance with Section 910.3 in ‫ܣ‬௏ோ  ൌ  ‫ܣ‬ி஺ ȀͷͲ 9-4
unsprinklered buildings. In buildings and portions
thereof containing high-piled combustible storage where:
equipped throughout with an automatic sprinkler
system in accordance with Section 903.3.1.1, a AVR = The required aggregate vent area
smoke and heat removal system shall be installed in (m2).
accordance with Section 910.3 or 910.4. In AFA = The area of the floor in the area that
occupied portions of a building equipped requires smoke removal.
throughout with an automatic sprinkler system in
accordance with Section 903.3.1.1, where the upper

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CHAPTER 9 -FIRE PROTECTION SYSTEMS

interior fire exposure to temperatures in excess of

538°C for a period of not less than 15 minutes.
910.4 Mechanical smoke removal systems.
Mechanical smoke removal systems shall be
designed and installed in accordance with Sections
910.4.7 Controls. Where building air-handling and
910.4.1 through 910.4.7.
mechanical smoke removal systems are combined
or where independent building air-handling systems
are provided, fans shall automatically shut down in
910.4.1 Automatic spr inklers required. The accordance with SBC 501. The manual controls
building shall be equipped throughout with an provided for the smoke removal system shall have
approved automatic sprinkler system in accordance the capability to override the automatic shutdown of
with Section 903.3.1.1. fans that are part of the smoke removal system.

910.4.2 Exhaust fan constr uction. Exhaust fans 910.5 Maintenance. Smoke and heat vents and
that are part of a mechanical smoke removal system mechanical smoke removal systems shall be
shall be rated for operation at 105°C. Exhaust fan maintained in accordance with the SBC 801.
motors shall be located outside of the exhaust fan
air stream.
SECTION 911 FIRE COMMAND
910.4.3 System design criteria. The mechanical
CENTER
smoke removal system shall be sized to exhaust
the building at a minimum rate of two air 911.1 General. Where required by other sections
changes per hour based upon the volume of the of this code and in buildings classified as high-rise
building or portion thereof without contents. buildings by this code, a fire command center for
The capacity of each exhaust fan shall not civil defense operations shall be provided and shall
comply with Sections 911.1.1 through 911.1.6.
exceed 14150 liters per second .
910.4.3.1 Makeup air. Makeup air openings
shall be provided within 1.8 m of the floor level. 911.1.1 Location and access. The location and
Operation of makeup air openings shall be manual accessibility of the fire command center shall be
or automatic. The minimum gross area of makeup approved by the fire chief.
air inlets shall be 0.74 m2 per 470 liters per second
of smoke exhaust.
911.1.2 Separ ation. The fire command center shall
be separated from the remainder of the building by
910.4.4 Activation. The mechanical smoke not less than a 1-hour fire barrier constructed in
removal system shall be activated by manual accordance with Section 707 or horizontal assembly
controls only. constructed in accordance with Section 711, or
both.

910.4.5 Manual contr ol location. Manual controls

shall be located so as to be accessible to the fire 911.1.3 Size. The room shall be not less than 19 m2
service from an exterior door of the building and with a minimum dimension of 3 m.
protected against interior fire exposure by not less
than 1-hour fire barriers constructed in accordance
with Section 707 or horizontal assemblies 911.1.4 Layout appr oval. A layout of the fire
constructed in accordance with Section 711, or both. command center and all features required by this
section to be contained therein shall be submitted
for approval prior to installation.
910.4.6 Control wiring. Wiring for operation and
control of mechanical smoke removal systems shall
be connected ahead of the main disconnect in 911.1.5 Stor age. Storage unrelated to operation of
accordance with SBC 401 and be protected against the fire command center shall be prohibited.

SBC 201-CR-18 361