On safety systems for underground car parks

Safety systems including ventilation systems and fire protection systems for an underground car park to be constructed in Hong Kong, are discussed and their design illustrated The thermal environment at the occupied zone was assessed by using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The predicted air speed was used to calculate the mean age of the air and the percentage of people dissatisfied with the air quality. The probable fire environment was studied by using a fire zone model. Designs for smoke control and the thermal sensitivity of the sprinkler heads were evaluated Based on the investigations, designs on the fire protection and ventilation systems are recommended for providing a healthy and safety environment in this underground car park. A field survey of 27 enclosed car parks was carried out, and correlation equations fitted from this paper were used to assess the fire safety aspects of those car parks. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.