910.4 Mechanical Smoke Removal Systems

Mechanical smoke removal systems shall be designed and installed in accordance with Sections 910.4.1 through 910.4.7.

The building shall be equipped throughout with an approved automatic sprinkler system in accordance with Section 903.3.1.1.

Exhaust fans that are part of a mechanical smoke removal system shall be rated for operation at 221°F (105°C). Exhaust fan motors shall be located outside of the exhaust fan air stream.

The mechanical smoke removal system shall be sized to exhaust the building at a minimum rate of two air changes per hour based upon the volume of the building or portion thereof without contents. The capacity of each exhaust fan shall not exceed 30,000 cubic feet per minute (14.2 m³/sec).

Makeup air openings shall be provided within 6 feet (1829 mm) of the floor level. Operation of makeup air openings shall be manual or automatic. The minimum gross area of makeup air inlets shall be 8 square feet per 1,000 cubic feet per minute (0.74 m² per 0.4719 m³/s) of smoke exhaust.

The mechanical smoke removal system shall be activated by manual controls only.

Manual controls shall be located so as to be accessible to the fire service from an exterior door of the building and protected against interior fire exposure by not less than 1-hour fire barriers constructed in accordance with Section 707 of the California Building Code or horizontal assemblies constructed in accordance with Section 711 of the California Building Code, or both.

Wiring for operation and control of mechanical smoke removal systems shall be connected ahead of the main disconnect in accordance with Section 701.12E of the California Electrical Code and protected against interior fire exposure to temperatures in excess of 1,000°F (538°C) for a period of not less than 15 minutes.

Where building air-handling and mechanical smoke removal systems are combined or where independent building air-handling systems are provided, fans shall automatically shut down in accordance with the California Mechanical Code. The manual controls provided for the smoke removal system shall have the capability to override the automatic shutdown of fans that are part of the smoke removal system.