Fire in a High‐Rise Building: Study of the Behaviour of Burnt Gases in a Ventilated and Unventilated Upper Compartment

Abstract

This paper presents a comparative study between natural and mechanical smoke extraction during fire in a high‐rise building. Experiments were conducted in a small scale F + 1 building with dimensions 1.23 × 1.23 × 2.0 m. A stair‐well of dimensions 0.22 × 0.22 m allowed the passage between the first floor and the second floor. This experimental device was operated under two configurations. Configuration 1 which studied the natural extraction of smoke through the window of Floor 1, and Configuration 2 which focused on the mechanical evacuation of smoke owing to an extractor located on the main side at 1.95 m above the floor. Fire tests were performed in both configurations with a constant fire source. Results reveal that the temperature variation over time shows a maximum smoke temperature of 145°C in Configuration 1 compared to 85°C in Configuration 2. Furthermore, at time t = 400 s, temperature reaches 90°C in Configuration 1 compared to 64°C in Configuration 2. All these results highlight the role of mechanical extraction in improving the evacuation of smoke and hot gases. This process facilitates both occupant evacuation and emergency response as part of a fire safety strategy.