Numerical Simulation of Smoke Movement in Vertical Shafts during a High-Rise Building Fire

Abstract

A numerical study on the smoke flow in a shaft, representing the stairwells, the elevator shafts and warehouses, is conducted during a high-rise building fire. It is of vital importance to predict the movement of smoke throughout the tall structure, because smoke is the major and leading cause of fatalities. The stack effect takes place due to the temperature differences between the smoke in shafts and the environment. The cold air enters in at a lower opening and exhausts at a higher ones, and this leads to the concept of the horizontal elevation called the neutral pressure plane, where the air flow equals zero. The location of neutral plane plays a key role on the management of smoke. The numeral results obtained with the FDS (Fire Dynamic Simulator) illustrate how the smoke movement can be managed in order to mitigate dangerous conditions within the structure.