Selection Considerations of Exterior Wall Leakage Values for Smoke Control Systems Design

Smoke control in buildings is crucial for ensuring occupant safety during fire incidents. Exterior wall leakage can significantly impact the performance of smoke control systems. This review paper investigates the relationship between various building parameters and exterior wall leakage, aiming to enhance selection guidance for building leakage assumptions used for smoke control design. In addition, this review paper underscores the significance of optimizing building characteristics for smoke control design. Improved guidance on exterior wall leakage will allow designers to better estimate input values for smoke control designs, thereby yielding improved fan capacity selections and reducing the potential for fans and ductwork overdesign. Having a source for improved input data will also benefit AHJs, building owners, and policymakers. In addition, it offers invaluable insights for engineers to more accurately design smoke control systems to ensure efficient and reliable systems.