Telgian Engineering & Consulting (TEC) offers engineering and design services for smoke control systems including passive smoke compartmentation, shaft/zone pressurization, atrium/floor smoke exhaust, and post-fire smoke purge. TEC has extensive experience in specifying engineered smoke control systems for complex building environments with an in-depth understanding of the underlying fire science and human behavior. TEC utilizes state-of-the-art modeling tools to simulate smoke development and human evacuation while working closely with clients on control system consulting to develop cost-effective smoke control engineering solutions that enable a higher level of architectural design freedom.
The primary objective of a smoke control system is to maintain a tenable environment for a sufficient amount of time to allow safe egress of building occupants. Secondary objectives are to minimize property damage and business interruption. There are various performance objectives that must be evaluated and require expert analysis for a properly designed smoke control system. TEC fire protection engineers are ready to help develop iconic buildings that stretch the limits of conventional design.
During conceptual building design, achieving prescriptive compliance with the numerous requirements for egress can be challenging while trying to balance form with function. Many variables contribute to the ability of a building to provide the Required Safe Egress Time (RSET) & smoke evacuation system requirements including walls and openings, the areas and volumes of rooms, ventilation, climate, and building contents. TEC fire protection engineers focus on the impact of these variables through the performance-based design process, which then aides in achieving the architectural features that often violate prescriptive code requirements. The smoke control services TEC offers can be divided into the following phases:
Pre-Design Phase
- The owner’s project requirements
- The scope and budget for the commissioning process
- An initial commissioning plan
Smoke Control Design Phase
- Coordination with stakeholders including the building owners, design professionals, and code authorities
- Building code and life safety code consulting
- Fire/Smoke modeling
- Egress modeling
- Rational analysis of smoke control systems
- Development and continuous review of design documents
- Development of test and acceptance criteria
Construction Phase
- Site installation reviews to ensure compliance with the established basis of design
- Permit coordination
- Continuous coordination with Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJ)
- Resolution of site liability issues
- Special inspection and final commissioning of integrated system
Post-Construction Phase
- Operational training of building staff on systems
- Coordination and verification of close-out documentation