CAL POLY SLO

Fire Protection Engineering Program

FPE 552: Smoke Management and Special Hazards
Winter 2016, Monday Jan. 4th to Wednesday March 9th
INSTRUCTORS:
Frederick W. Mowrer
Building 192, Room 319
Phone: 805-756-7834
fmowrer@calpoly.edu

OFFICE HOURS:

David Rich
Reax Engineering
510-629-4930 x802
dbrich@calpoly.edu
rich@reaxengineering.com

by appointment

COURSE DESCRIPTION
Analysis and design of smoke management systems. Assessment of smoke hazards. Identification of
special hazards. Analysis and design of fire suppression systems used for fire control of special hazards,
including gaseous and chemical agents and systems.

TEXT:

International Building Code, 2012 or 2015 edition, International Code Council

Fire Protection Handbook, 20th edition, NFPA
Handbook of Fire Protection Engineering, 4th or 5th edition, SFPE
Handbook of Smoke Control Engineering, ASHRAE, 2012

LECTURE:

Section 1:

MW

4:10-6:00pm

Room 192-320

Course Learning Objectives

The student will develop an understanding of smoke management principles and systems.
The student will be able to analyze smoke management in large spaces based on nationally
recognized standards.
The student will be able to analyze stairwell pressurization systems and zoned smoke control
systems based on nationally recognized standards.
The student will develop an understanding of special hazards and the fire protection methods
commonly used to mitigate these hazards.

EXAMS
There will be two exams during the quarter. The first exam will occur upon completion of Module 5 and
the second exam will occur at the end of the course. Details of the exams will be established and discussed
before they occur.

GRADING

The course will be graded on the basis of 300 points. Each of the two exams will have a value of 100
points. Other assignments will have a value of 100 points.
Late assignment submittals will be penalized at 10% of the possible grade per day unless special
arrangements are made with the instructor, before the assignment due date, for late submittal.
Grading will be based on the following percentages:
A
B
C
D
F

90 - 100
80 - 89
70 - 79
60 - 69
< 60

+ / - grading scores ending in 7-9 = + and scores ending in 0-2 = - (e.g., a score of 87 = B+)

COURSE PROJECT
There is not a mandatory course project for this course. However, students are encouraged address the
smoke management and special hazard design considerations associated with the students culminating
project building.

POLYLEARN
All prepared course materials will be provided on PolyLearn. Links will be provided in PolyLearn for the
submittal of completed assignments.

BLACKBOARD COLLABORATE
This is a distance learning class; however, if you reside in the San Luis Obispo area you are strongly
encouraged to come to class in person as this will help facilitate better student-instructor interaction. For
those students who will be taking this class at a distance there are two methods available for viewing.
Both methods use the Blackboard Collaborate program for delivery of the lecture material. You can either
watch the class live and participate in the discussion or you can watch the lecture at a later time. Links are
provided in PolyLearn for both the live lecture and the recorded lectures. All students are strongly
encouraged to participate in the live lectures whenever possible.

COURSE OUTLINE
Module 1: Overview of smoke management systems and smoke hazard analysis
Description of Smoke; Smoke Production; Hazard of Smoke; Principles of Smoke Movement; Smoke
Management. Fire and Combustible Materials; Generation of Fire Gases; Toxicity of Fire Gases;
Quantification of Toxic Potency; Test Methods for Toxicity of Smoke; Estimation of Toxic Hazard in Fires;
Development of Toxic Hazards in Full-Scale Fires
Reading assignment:
1. NFPA Handbook chapter on Smoke Movement in Buildings
2. SFPE Handbook chapter on Smoke Control
3. NFPA Handbook chapter on Combustion Products and Their Effects on Life Safety
Assignment: Assignments will be developed to reinforce and evaluate the students understanding of
codified smoke control requirements.
Module 2: Smoke movement forces and airflow analysis
Principles of smoke movement; stack effect; buoyancy forces; wind forces; mechanical forces; elevator
piston effect; computational methods and models; the CONTAM model; Elements of Venting Theory;
Automatic Heat and Smoke Venting in Sprinklered Buildings
Reading assignment:
1. SFPE Handbook chapter on Smoke Control
2. NFPA Handbook chapter on Smoke Movement in Buildings
3. NFPA Handbook chapter on Venting Practices
Assignment: Assignments will be developed to reinforce and evaluate the students understanding of
smoke movement forces.
Module 3: Smoke management in large spaces
Performance objectives for smoke management in large spaces; fire plume entrainment correlations;
enclosure smoke filling; smoke layer interface position; make-up air requirements; calculation methods.
Reading assignment:
1. SFPE Handbook chapter on Smoke Management in Covered Malls and Atria
2. Relevant Sections of NFPA 92
Assignment: Assignments will be developed to reinforce and evaluate the students understanding of the
methods used to manage smoke in large spaces, such as covered malls and atria.
Module 4: Stairway pressurization and zoned smoke control
Performance objectives for stairway pressurization systems; performance objectives for zoned smoke
control systems; calculation methods.

Reading assignment:
1. SFPE Handbook chapter on Smoke Control
Assignment: Assignments will be developed to reinforce and evaluate the students understanding of stairway
pressurization systems and zoned smoke control systems.

Module 5: Smoke management system commissioning and ITM requirements

Requirements for commissioning of smoke management systems. Requirements for inspection, testing
and maintenance of smoke management systems.
Reading Assignment
1. Relevant sections of NFPA 3 and NFPA 92
Exam 1.
Module 6: Overview of special hazards
Fundamentals of Special Hazards; Characteristics of Special Hazards; Types of Gaseous Agents;
Characteristics of Gaseous Agents; Performance-Based Analysis in Agent Selection
Reading assignment:
1. NFPA Handbook chapter on Application of Gaseous Agents to Special Hazards Fire Protection
Assignment: An assignment will be developed to reinforce and evaluate the students understanding of
the fire safety issues and fire protection methods related to different types of special hazards.
Week 7: Halon and Halon Replacements
Background and definitions; Extinguishing mechanisms; Flame suppression effectiveness; Explosion
inerting; Toxicity; Environmental factors; Thermophysical properties; Application systems; Use
considerations for clean agent systems; Clean agent system design.
Reading assignment:
1. NFPA Handbook (20th ed.): Halon and Halon Replacement Agents and Systems
2. SFPE Handbook (4th ed.): Halon Replacement Clean Agent Total Flooding Systems
Assignment: An assignment will be developed to reinforce and evaluate the students understanding of
the uses, analysis and limitations of Halon and Halon Replacement fire suppression systems.
Module 8: Carbon Dioxide and Inert Gases
Usage; Properties of CO2; Extinguishing properties; Limitations; Methods of application; Systems
components; Design considerations; Life safety considerations; ITM
Reading assignment:
1. NFPA Handbook chapter on Carbon Dioxide and Application Systems

Assignment: An assignment will be developed to reinforce and evaluate the students understanding of
the uses, analysis and limitations of Carbon Dioxide fire suppression systems.

Module 9: Dry and Wet Chemicals

Overview of chemical extinguishing agents; Uses and limitations of chemical systems; ITM
Reading assignment:
1. NFPA Handbook chapter on Ventilation of Commercial Cooking Operations
2. NFPA Handbook chapter on Chemical Extinguishing Agents and Application Systems
3. Selected excerpts from NFPA 96, Standard for Ventilation Control and Fire Protection of
Commercial Cooking Operations
Assignment: An assignment will be developed to reinforce and evaluate the students understanding of
the fire safety issues and fire protection methods related to commercial cooking equipment and
operations and the use of dry and wet chemical fire suppression systems for a range of hazards.
Module 10: Construction, alteration and demolition operations
Building Design and Fire Department Operations; Building Design and Fire Suppression; Site Planning;
Exposure Protection; Planning of Construction and Alterations; Supervision of Fire Protection; Demolition
Operations; Asbestos Removal; Underground Operations; Hot Work Operations
Reading assignment:
1. NFPA Handbook chapter on Building and Site Planning for Fire Safety
2. NFPA Handbook chapter on Fire Hazards of Construction, Alteration, and Demolition of
Buildings
3. NFPA Handbook chapter on Welding, Cutting, and Other Hot Work
Assignment: An assignment will be developed to reinforce and evaluate the students understanding of
the fire safety issues and fire protection methods related to construction, alteration and demolition
operations.