Installation in parking garages of smoke evacuation, basic regulations

Do you know the basic regulations for the correct installation of smoke evacuation in parking garages? According to current regulations, Technical Code for Buildings and RITE, “ventilation systems must be designed, calculated, executed, maintained and used in such a way that an acceptable indoor air quality is obtained for people, and to eliminate the pollutants produced habitually, a sufficient flow of outdoor air is provided, and the extraction of contaminated air is ensured. In case of fire, moreover, these installations must guarantee the extraction of the generated smoke in order to facilitate evacuation and extinction tasks.”

Regulations and type of air

According to the classification of the different types of exhaust air established by the RITE 2013, the air in buildings intended for parking is categorized within category AE 4. This means that the air in these facilities has a very high level of pollution, as a result of the odoriferous substances and the pollutant particles it contains. The regulation reminds that high concentrations of these substances and particles can pose a risk to the health of the occupants. Because of this, air of this category cannot be used to ventilate other areas, so sharing the ventilation system of these parking facilities with other premises is strictly prohibited. Storage areas that are part of the parking area could share ventilation.

Smoke evacuation, basic regulations

According to the CTE DB HS 3, Indoor air quality, the minimum air supply in areas intended for parking is 432 m3/h per space, that is, 120 l/s. In the CTE DB SI, Fire safety, it is established that the installed ventilation system must allow the extraction of an air volume of 150 l/s per parking space. In this way, the required depression ventilation mandated by the regulation is achieved, as the extractor (fan) is installed such that more air is expelled from the area than is blown in. In the case of motorcycle parking spaces, it is agreed that two motorcycle spaces correspond to one car space.

Buildings intended for parking (which are not open) must have smoke control systems resulting from combustion, ensuring the safety of the occupants while they are evacuated. In the event of a fire, the system must be automatically activated, thanks to the installation of smoke detection devices. In the case of so-called robotic or intelligent parking systems, the ventilation system must incorporate a mechanical smoke extraction device that performs three air changes every hour.

Mechanical ventilation

As mentioned earlier, the mechanical ventilation must be done through depression. If the installation project includes an air extraction that could cause a significant depression within the area, we must ensure that a minimum necessary airflow for proper air renewal is provided and that the proper functioning of the extractors is ensured. Likewise, we must ensure that there are no undesired air inflows through uncontrolled openings or grills.

As for the fans for supply and extraction, and all connections of the ventilation system, the space they occupy must be taken into account. Given their large dimensions, it is advisable to place them in a room, to avoid representing an obstacle in people's paths and putting their evacuation at risk in case of fire.