Updating Smoke Control Systems in a Southeast Convention Center for Safety and Compliance

By Brian Estill, Director of Healthy Buildings, Building Solutions North America, Johnson Controls

Time for a change: a costly and outdated smoke control system needs an update

A southeast convention center’s smoke control system was outdated and no longer code compliant, so the facility team needed to update it to bring them into compliance and simplify operations. In addition, the system was very costly to maintain and test. By making this investment, they sought to reduce operating costs and fines associated with not adhering to industry codes while creating a healthier and safer building.

Getting the job done: simplified operations, updated systems

The convention center enlisted an architect and engineers, which engaged Johnson Controls’ expertise in smoke control systems to assist with simplifying operations and ensuring that measures taken were appropriate for a facility of that size. They began by extricating the existing system from the Building Automation System (BAS) and simplifying the zones and sequence. Through a strong partnership, the team was able to reduce the number of zones to be monitored from hundreds down to just 20. Equipped with a new performance management agreement, the customer will now be notified if they fall out of compliance so action can be taken sooner rather than later.

Compliant, automated, and cost-effective smoke detection brings peace of mind

The UL listed smoke control equipment is now fully automated, reporting on and self-testing thousands of points. This allows the customer to know the full status of their system daily without the need for manual inspections. This brought them into code compliance and alleviated the worry associated with potential fines.

In addition, there is a full-time Johnson Controls technician assigned to them to provide full coverage and make the necessary notifications and modifications in the case of planned and unplanned system issues.

To learn more about how Johnson Controls helps create healthier buildings, check out this page.