Spotlight on Safety
Smoke Under Control How ventilation, dampers + compartmentation work to improve fire + life safety By Nick Gromicko CCPIA
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n basic terms, smoke control systems manage the movement of smoke and air within a building and vary based on its design, use and occupancy. These systems contain or exhaust smoke, heat and other toxic gases. The goal is to maintain tenable conditions long enough for occupants to reach safety, support firefighter visibility and reduce property damage during an emergency. Casing
Flanges
Side seals
Stairwell ventilation
Actuator
To control smoke in exit stairwells, buildings incorporate natural or mechanical smoke ventilation systems. Natural smoke ventilation uses thermal buoyancy and wind pressure to remove smoke, often referred to as the chimney effect. This is typically achieved through automatic opening vents (AOVs), façade windows or roofmounted louvers. Alternatively, mechanical smoke ventilation is often used when natural ventilation is not feasible or sufficient. Smoke and heat are removed using fans and ducts, while dampers control airflow and isolate areas as needed. Make-up air is introduced to maintain balanced pressure and controlled airflow.
Fire + smoke dampers
Seals CRITICAL COMPONENTS Fire dampers are installed where HVAC ducts pass through firerated walls or floors. When activated by heat or the fire alarm system, they automatically close to help prevent the spread of fire and smoke.
to the exterior, while dampers close to control its movement. Smoke vents are typically found at the top of interior exit stairwells or
closing to prevent the spread of smoke and fire. Although dampers and vents can be operated manually, they are primarily designed to automatically activate by a fusible link, a fire alarm system or a combination of both, depending on the building design and level of system integration. Fusible links are heat-sensitive devices that activate a component when they melt.
Smoke control systems in commercial buildings consist of both active and passive fire protection elements. Active elements include vents, dampers and detectors, while passive elements include fire doors and fire-resistant walls, floors and ceilings in stairwells and corridors.
In commercial building fire and life safety systems, vents and dampers serve different roles. Smoke vents are part of natural ventilation systems, while dampers are containment components used within mechanical and overall smoke control systems. In essence, vents open to release smoke 54
Blades
other areas as roof-penetrating components, while fire and smoke dampers are installed where ducts pass through fireresistive construction. Dampers serve a containment function by automatically
Barriers + compartmentation
Other forms of containment include barriers such as fire-rated walls, fire doors and smoke curtains. The concept of containment in fire and life safety is based on compartmentation, which divides a building into sections to help prevent the spread of fire and smoke to other areas. Barriers Properties | August 2026
Image courtesy of CCPIA
Smoke control systems in commercial buildings consist of both active and passive fire protection elements. Active elements include vents, dampers and detectors, while passive elements include fire doors and fire-resistant walls, floors and ceilings in stairwells and corridors. Detectors and control panels act as the “brain” of the system, coordinating system responses and signaling the activation of connected active elements.