Scale model studies of smoke filling in the lift shaft of an old high-rise building

Fires safety in older high-rise buildings is of great concern to the general public as a result of a large fire which recently occurred in an existing high-rise building in Hong Kong. Further to the preliminary analysis on three points identified earlier, another key point is the smoke movement in the lift shaft. This information is important as it would affect the fire safety requirements in these class of buildings. The smoke movement pattern in a lift shaft was studied with a scale model. Three cases were considered with the fire at the bottom of the lift shaft; in a compartment next to the lower part of the lift shaft; and in a compartment next to the upper part of the lift shaft. Empirical correlations of smoke travel time were derived from the results reported in this study.