An application of computational fluid dynamics to fire safety design of atria

This paper describes the work carried out by WS Atkins in the use of computational fluid dynamics to rest and help develop strategies for smoke extraction within a very large atrium. The building concerned is the Tower Hotel, part of the Chicago Beach complex currently under construction in Dubai. This building is highly novel and when completed will be the tallest hotel in the world. The central atrium at over 180 metres high presented numerous challenges to the HVAC engineers involved in the project, with the provision of an adequate smoke extraction system vital to the success of the project. The paper shows how CFD has been used throughout the project as a guide to decision making, providing quantitative measures of the effectiveness of a number of different approaches in order to assess relative merit.