HIGH-RISE BUILDING

Variable Refrigerant Volume(VRV) air-conditioning system is more liable to meet thermal environment problem than other systems such as split-type air-or window-type air-conditioner because its capacity of outdoor unit is much higher. When used in high-rise building, hot air dissipated by the outdoor units will induce buoyant airflow and increase the working temperature of units at high floor when these heat can not be dispersed in time. High working temperature could not only degrade the total efficiency, but also cause stoppage of the system.

Refuge floor is specially designed in high-rise buildings for the purpose of supplying a temporarily safe place for evacuees under emergency situations. The provision of such designated refuge floor is a prescriptive requirement in the fire code of Hong Kong. Such a provision appears to be desirable by the regulators as it relates to simple rules and has administrative convenience. In order to fulfill its function, the refuge floor should be a safe place for the evacuees.

Effects of vertical shaft venting on smoke movement in tall buildings are examined in order to obtain conditions for minimum smoke filtration into upper floors, stairways, and elevator shafts during fires. Results show that sufficient bottom venting will nearly eliminate flow of air into shafts, while top venting reduces flow from shafts. Either should reduce smoke transfer between levels. Multiple shaft buildings benefit from top ventingsome and bottom venting others, reducing necessary vent size for sufficient ventilation.

A computer analysis of stack effects in a large multi- storey building was performed, comparing the air flow (and consequent hypothetical smoke concentrations at higher floors) with and without a smoke shaft. Additionally, tests were performed on one building using one of two stairwells as a smoke shaft. Results indicate that a smoke shaft can be effective in limiting smoke movement to upper stories, as long as the fire floor is not open to outside air (such as by a broken window), or the smoke shaft is not open to a floor higher than the fire floor.

The purpose of this research project is for the Thermal Engineering Section of NBS to conduct air leakage measurements on selected large buildings tovalidate calculation formula developed by Shaw and Tamura, (see Shaw, C.Y., and Tamura, G.T., 'The Calculation of Air Infiltration Rate Caused by Wind and Stack Action for Tall Buildings', ASHRAE Trans., Vol. 83 part 2).

A comprehensive computer program for the prediction of air flow and smoke migration in the building was applied to the 11 story administration building of the National Bureau of Standards. Natural air leakage rates under various climatic conditions for several ventilation system operations were obtained. The computed results were compared with measured air leakage rate by using the sulphur hexafluoride tracer gas technique. Smoke migration was simulated for the selected pressurization conditions.