Smoke Ventilation Solutions for Public Buildings by SE Controls India

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Airport PTBs and train stations play a pivotal role when it comes to nation-building and mass movement of passengers safely and securely from one location to another. In recent times the government in India has tracked such projects as part of increasing India’s infrastructure capacity and owing to a rise in demand in travel, for both work and leisure.

Until 2014, only 74 airports were operational in the country. By March 2023, the Government operationalised another 74 Airports/Helicopters/Water Aerodromes, and the Government also aims to take the total to 220. During last 9 years since 2014, 11 more Greenfields Airports have been operationalized.

In 2023, over 327 million passengers passed through Indian airports, including close to 57 million international passengers. Many new Airports (both green and brownfield) and large public infrastructure projects, including the much-awaited High-Speed Rail Network are being built across India in a large way to facilitate future growth demand. With this traffic set to grow, we will see heavy passenger movement owing large crowds moving in and out of such public spaces. Safety and Security are to be in prime focus here.

The system example shown below will allow for early detection and smoke ventilation of such large public spaces, by which the panic situation and the suffocation caused by inhaling smoke can be greatly reduced. Smoke also traps heat, and causes toxic gases to enter our system, causing difficulty to breathe, see and generally perform during an emergency. Hence, it is crucial for such public buildings to have a robust smoke ventilation and clearance strategy.

The Best Practice – Below will briefly explain a mixed method of ventilation using Top Hung Make up air vents in the Curtain Wall glazing along with Bottom Hung Smoke vents or Roof Ventilation using hatches to remove the smoke in the incipient stages of the fire life cycle.

Applicable in – Airports, rail stations, closed-in concert/events arenas, large-scale public infra buildings.

Our Goal for Ventilation – Large footfalls calls for the most efficient smoke ventilation and control strategy making sure to have the most effective evacuation planned for the occupants in case of a fire emergency, with the least smoke stagnation possible.

In spaces with tall stacks, it is beneficial to design the smoke ventilation strategy using a two-pronged approach, giving us a price optimum, yet effective solution to ventilation of such spaces.

The stack effect works like your typical chimney, hot air rises the stack and travels quicker when ventilated from the lower section for fresh air, creating a pressure differential causing the escape of hot gases and smoke.

The use of make-up air vents in the glass facade allows to bring in the fresh air required as per calculations made using CFD modelling. Actuators and Compatible controls tested and certified to EN only are to be used.

Best Global Practice – Vents are to be tested to EN12101-02 along with all necessary hardware and automation kit intact thereby becoming a harmonised and #TestedSolution.

Smoke Hatches on the roof will allow the escape of hot gasses and smoke. Care is to be taken to the sizing, quantities and placement of the vents and area of smoke exhaust, also known as, the Geometric and/or Aerodynamic Free areas, whichever is applicable/asked for.

The vent was manufactured by Ventline, Dubai (our partners for Smoke Hatches, Louvers, with Actuators and Controls by us tested to EN standards).

The vent is to be furnished with such details, along with system tested to EN12101-02, including the motors which are to be used, providing a harmonised and #TestedSolution.

In Airports such as the new Mopa, Goa Airport make use of this ventilation strategy, thereby making it safer for the public visiting and transiting such airports by us. Maintenance is key to such systems functioning when required, and only the authorized OEMs must be given the contract to maintain such systems from the get go.

Airports having similar systems in India– Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru, Manohar International Airport, Goa, Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport, Indira Gandhi International Airport T1A, New Delhi, Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Hyderabad, Noida International Airport, Noida, Navi Mumbai International Airport, Navi Mumbai.