Analysis of Smoke Production and Movement in Shopping Malls/Centers

Abstract

Malls, like any other retailing centre, are vulnerable to a variety of hazards, including fire, which is a common occurrence in shopping malls. Fires at crowded malls can result in many fatalities as frantic people rush to escape the flames, as well as significant property damage. This computational study explores the possibility of smoke spread and evacuation from dangerous fires in large shopping centers. Large enclosed areas or voids are common in buildings that serve sporting, entertainment, apparel and fabric stores, kiosks, food outlets, and food courts. In the case of a fire, these structures frequently necessitate the adoption of a smoke control system to ensure that the building's occupants have a safe way out. By absorbing and scattering light, smoke obscures direct vision, reduces visibility of escape signs, and can induce eye and respiratory tract suffering. Due to limited vision and thermal risks, smoke may significantly reduce or eliminate the ability of building inhabitants to escape.

The following study has been done to analysed the smoke effect in context of smoke propagation and movement in shopping mall/complexes. Smoke production and movement is a part of the whole fire scenario on which special focus has been given. Smoke is the main killer in fire scenarios incapacitating victims long before fire reaches them. Shopping malls provide a unique challenge as evacuation is not always possible because of mobility constraints on the victims. Also deals with a review of existing prescriptive codes based on above identified principles and shows a gradual transformation towards development of prescriptive analysis methodology based on the inferences from codes.

The current findings explain how quickly smoke can spread in such structures and how it moves from one floor to the other. The architecture of the structure and the sort of activities that take place inside have a significant impact on smoke propagation and movement.