Making light work of Smoke Control and Ventilation

Rooflight, smoke vent and access hatch installation is becoming an increasingly important element of multioccupancy buildings, with products from specialist manufacturers continuing to be the subject of technical and design innovation. Delivering high specification design and meeting stringent certification requirements are crucial and the demands of both contemporary and historic conservation projects has impacted on glass and polycarbonate products.

When considering daylight solutions, the emphasis has moved away from traditional domed profiles, glass rooflights having been designed with sleeker frames and flat glazing in square, rectangular and circular shapes. These products are supported by modular ridgelights and bespoke rooflights to meet project-specific requirements and increasingly demanding environmental and thermal performance standards. The Whitesales Em-Glaze range extends from high-quality, aesthetically pleasing flat glass modular units to the life-saving FR30, a unique rooflight with certification of 30 minutes’ fire resistance both internally and externally.

In contrast to glass rooflights those of polycarbonate construction can now be supplied in continuous barrel vault profile over surfaces such as single ply, felt, asphalt, liquid coatings, GRP and lead. Spanning widths of several metres and of unlimited length, products such as Em-vault and T-vault have been designed specifically for roofs such as that of Kirkby indoor market in Liverpool. Its interior has been transformed from one relying on artificial lighting into what is now essentially a covered daylit street. This was achieved despite changes in levels and installation of access panels within the glazing for maintenance purposes.

T-Vault continuous rooflights provide a similar function and are constructed from a series of interlocking curved and profiled GRP panels. They provide high light transmittance and an outer protective Melinex® film protects against UV degradation, weather erosion and air-borne pollutants. Offering scope for installation in widths of up to four metres with a range of glazing and ventilation options, Whitesales can provide the added support of top-view drawings and detailed installation instructions for any project.

Smoke and heat exhaust ventilation systems (SHEVS) are an essential means by which the potentially fatal build-up of smoke and heat can be reduced. They enable an area of breathable air to be maintained above the floor and with 53% of all fatalities resulting from inhalation of fumes SHEVS delay spread of flame and prevent flashover.

Such products can also provide natural ventilation, maximise natural light and provide a means of roof access, the Em-Vent range being available with various multiwall polycarbonate glazing options or, in the case of the Em- Vent GL, a high performance flush glazed glass rooflight. Automatic smoke vents can be networked within building management systems and supplied with sensors, control panels and accessories to provide integrated smoke control. For roof maintenance, products with an internal arrest grid also provide protection, when open, against falls from height.

The role of rooflights and smoke control systems is one which clearly benefits from the R&D committed by specialist manufacturers. With hundreds of sizes available in addition to those manufactured to bespoke requirements specifiers can be confident that products will offer the highest level of performance and compliance. For flat roofs they offer the most efficient means of daylight provision, up to three times better than a comparable vertical window.

For historic conservation projects subject to the most stringent planning requirements, products not only fulfil the required visual aesthetic but offer greatly enhanced overall performance. On conventional buildings, the contemporary edge that rooflights now provide invariably makes a major contribution to interior styling and in combination with high performance smoke vents make buildings that much safer.

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