Code of Massachusetts Regulations
780 CMR - STATE BOARD OF BUILDING REGULATIONS AND STANDARDS
Chapter 9 - Fire Protection Systems
Section 910 - SMOKE AND HEAT VENTS
Subsection 910.4 - Mechanical smoke exhaust

Universal Citation: 780 CMR MA Code of Regs 910.4

Current through Register 1531, September 27, 2024

Where approved by the fire code official, engineered mechanical smoke exhaust shall be an acceptable alternate to smoke and heat vents. [F]

910.4.1 Location. Exhaust fans shall be uniformly spaced within each draft-curtained area and the maximum distance between fans shall not be greater than 100 feet (30 480 mm). [F]

910.4.2 Size. Fans shall have a maximum individual capacity of 30,000 cfm (14.2 m3/s). The aggregate capacity of smoke exhaust fans shall be determined by the equation: [F]

C = A × 300 (Equation 9-4)

where:

C = Capacity of mechanical ventilation required, in cubic feet per minute (m3/s).

A = Area of roof vents provided in square feet (m2) in accordance with Table 910.3.

910.4.3 Operation. Mechanical smoke exhaust fans shall be automatically activated by the automatic sprinkler system or by heat detectors having operating characteristics equivalent to those described in Section 910.3.2. Individual manual controls of each fan unit shall also be provided. [F]

910.4.4 Wiring and control. Wiring for operation and control of smoke exhaust fans shall be connected ahead of the main disconnect and protected against exposure to temperatures in excess of 1,000°F (538°C) for a period of not less than 15 minutes. Controls shall be located so as to be immediately accessible to the fire service from the exterior of the building and protected against interior fire exposure by not less than 1-hour fire barriers constructed in accordance with Section 707 or horizontal assemblies constructed in accordance with Section 712, or both. [F]

910.4.5 Supply air. Supply air for exhaust fans shall be provided at or near the floor level and shall be sized to provide a minimum of 50 percent of required exhaust. Openings for supply air shall be uniformly distributed around the periphery of the area served. [F]

910.4.6 Interlocks. In combination comfort air-handling/smoke removal systems or independent comfort air-handling systems, fans shall be controlled to shut down in accordance with the approved smoke control sequence. [F]

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