As mentioned in the first part of this series, high-rise buildings provide a variety of complications when it comes to controlling smoke and fire in the event of an emergency. Due to large square footage a combination of systems are often used to create an effective form of smoke control and management.
Very tall buildings have several unique characteristics that increase the severity of potential fire events including higher occupancy, longer evacuation times, access issues for responders and potential water pressure/availability issues. Because of these potential obstacles, integrating adequate smoke control systems during the design process is essential.
Historic Buildings are usually grandfathered in when it comes to building codes. Therefore, fire and smoke protection is usually lacking greatly. That being said, if major renovations are planned there will be the expectation to meet current building codes.