I have a 10 storey atrium with medium fire loading at the base. Its a large building with many thousands of occupants. The floors overlooking the atrium separated by FR glazing and smoke extract fans are installed with automatic louvre intake vents at ground floor level to operate with the AFD.
There are a number of extract fans located at roof level. Due to construction work, it will be necessary to remove all extraction fans for around 6 weeks leaving the atrium without any high level ventilation.
As a risk reduction measure, some reduction (temporary removal) of the atrium fire loading is possible, but not all of it. I would estimate as much as 60 to 70% would be removed.
I am also considering changing the evacuation strategy to simultaneous from phased as holding staff on an upper floor with no extraction in the adjoining atrium concerns me
Smoke control is not an area I am familiar with, and of course there are no drawings or fire strategy available to help me understand the rationale or operation of the system. Even after reducing the fire load & adopting a simultaneous all out evacuation strategy, I am uneasy to have a 6 week period (which is bound to end up 8 weeks + as it always does!!) without smoke extraction
Can anyone suggest any additional control measures as the clock is ticking
