Which option best describes passive smoke control?

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Multiple Choice

Which option best describes passive smoke control?

Passive smoke control relies on the building’s own design and construction features to limit smoke movement without using mechanical systems. It relies on compartmentation and physical barriers—fire-rated walls and doors, self-closing doors, smoke barriers, and enclosure of stairwells—to contain smoke near the fire and slow its spread. This non-mechanical approach is what the term passive is all about. In contrast, a zoned approach is about dividing areas for control but doesn’t inherently describe how smoke is contained; pressurization uses fans and pressure differences (an active method); and “opposed air flow” isn’t a standard, defined method for describing passive smoke control.

Passive smoke control relies on the building’s own design and construction features to limit smoke movement without using mechanical systems. It relies on compartmentation and physical barriers—fire-rated walls and doors, self-closing doors, smoke barriers, and enclosure of stairwells—to contain smoke near the fire and slow its spread. This non-mechanical approach is what the term passive is all about. In contrast, a zoned approach is about dividing areas for control but doesn’t inherently describe how smoke is contained; pressurization uses fans and pressure differences (an active method); and “opposed air flow” isn’t a standard, defined method for describing passive smoke control.

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