SA Roofing March 2018 // Issue 98 | Page 31

REGULARS: QUALITY MATTERS T he purpose of a smoke and heat exhaust ventilation system is to ensure that a smoke-free clear layer of at least 2.5m above the highest occupied space is maintained to ensure the occupants are safely evacuated, therefore it minimises the risk of smoke inhalation that may cause injury or death. Compliance to the latest codes and design may have a major bearing on whether someone lives or dies. Compliance can be broken down as follows: • Design compliance – Have the installed smoke ventilators been correctly designed to achieve compliance? Is the system backed with the required test reports that support any such claims? • Specification compliance – Does the system that is going to be installed, fully mirror what was claimed in the test report? • Installation compliance – Have the smoke ventilators been correctly installed with all the compliant components, to achieve the design, as per the test report? • Performance compliance – Have the smoke ventilators been inspected and maintained every year to achieve the required performance when required? All levels are key to ensure the smoke ventilators perform exactly the way they are intended to perform. Design / specification compliance There are many areas to design compliance that need to be considered for test certificates to be made available. The project engineer should always be asked about the wind loading compliance of the smoke ventilators. Many people will ask about the imposed load, such as the weight of the smoke ventilator