Influence of Stairwell Ventilation State on Fire Behavior and Smoke Temperature Distribution in a Full-scale High-rise Building

In this study, a set of experiments were carried out in a 21-story full-scale building varying stairwell ventilation state to investigate the fire behavior and smoke temperature distribution in the stairwell. Results demonstrate that the ventilation state of top vents has a great influence on the fire behavior and smoke temperature distribution than the bottom vents. The flame inclines to the stairwell with top vents open during the steady stage, while with top vents closed, it just tilts slightly to the side wall. The mass loss rates and temperature attenuations with top vents closed are larger than those with top vents open. In addition, the open of bottom vents can cause a reduction in the smoke temperature. These unique full-scale experiments provide crucial experimental data that help the design of safer smoke ventilation systems for stairwells in a high-rise building.

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