Evaluation of Positive Pressure Ventilation for High-Rise Buildings in Compartment Fire Situation

An alternate means for protecting high-rise stairwell enclosures using the positive pressure ventilation is evaluated. An analysis performed by using the Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS) model shows that the positive pressure ventilation can be an effective method for protecting the stairwell enclosure. Three types of ventilation methods are compared in the same fire condition and the best one is determined based on the decrease of temperature in the stairwell. The optimal rate for ventilating the stair requires optimization of the airflow rate according to postulated fire scenarios for the building and the desired performance with respect to tenability conditions within the stair.