High-Rise Apartments
High-rise buildings present several unique challenges not found in traditional low-rise buildings: longer egress times and distances, evacuation strategies, fire department accessibility, smoke movement, and fire control. The multiple floors of a high-rise building create the cumulative effect of requiring large numbers of people to travel long vertical distances on stairs to evacuate the building. The public, code bodies, local, regional, and federal governments, as well as the design, build, and ownership communities, are all affected by high-rise building safety.
SMA has experience in the following areas of particular concern with respect to High Rise Building Design:
- Egress (lighting and signage)
- Fire Resistance Construction
- Area of Rescue
- Incoming Water Pressure
- Water Booster Pumps
- Fire Pumps and Stand Pipes
- Stairwell and Elevator Lobby Pressurization
- Smoke Evacuation Systems
- Fire Alarm and Detection
- Emergency Power
- HVAC System Strategies and Air Movement
- Tenant Metering
HIGH-RISE PROJECT LIST
SMA employees have significant high-rise project experience. A list of these projects that were designed by SMA employees while employed with other firms are available upon request.