Where does it say (code) that parking garages need smoke control systems?
OK, structure below grade, more than 30 feet deep require smoke control per IBC. But if your parking is less than 30 feet deep, why do you provide smoke control?
I also noticed that most people use ducted smoke control with low exhaust points, this defeats the purpose of smoke removal, as the exhaust is enabled, it will pull the air DOWN to the floor instead of having a plume or layer build-up at ceiling which leaves time for people to crawl out of the space instead of having a buoyant smoke all over teh place.
I also see make-up air fans provided in garages that are 2 floors below grade. Why can't the ramp be used as make-up air?
1. we do not provide smoke control for parking less than 30 feet deep
2. we do not provide make-up air fans for parkings that are standard size (say about 120 feet long), air comes form the ramp - for long parkings, we provide intake shafts and/or jet fans.
3. Actually, we do not provide ducted parking exhaust neither, we just provide several exhaust fans connecting to exhaust shafts.