Case Studies
This 1960s office building was being converted to a residential building for the majority of the floors. The conversion required a stair pressurization system to be added for both staircases. The inclusion of the stair pressurization system was going to require substantial amounts of two hour rated ductwork that would decrease the available ceiling height in the corridors and be difficult for the system to achieve pressure differentials throughout the height of the building.
At the end of the schematic design, the architect asked Goodhead to offer alternative approaches to maintaining a smokeproof enclosure and stopping smoke from ingressing to the stairs. Ultimately, Goodhead replaced the fire/life safety consultant on the project and provided a comprehensive alternative approach.
The resulting system achieved multiple design and value benefits, including:
Removing ductwork from the corridor
Increased the safety within the corridors for both egress and firefighting activities
Maintained smokeproof enclosures
Decreased construction costs by 7 figures based on design development pricing packages
Approval from the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) was immediate given the increased levels of safety provided to multiple stakeholders, and the achievement of the code intent.
Analysis used to demonstrate the outcome included fire modeling using computational fluid dynamics and egress modeling using calibrated egress data. Additional analysis for the building included occupant loading of assembly spaces on the rooftop and timed egress analysis for the assembly space.
Goodhead was able to provide a substantially higher design solution, step into a project midway through design, develop alternative approaches to a prior consultant, deliver increased value to the developer, and decrease construction complexity.
Developing unique solutions and achieving stakeholder buy-in and authority approval is a specialty of Goodhead. What are the potential solutions that you do not know about? How are we able to help you? Contact us today to find out.
A high-design architecture firm contacted Goodhead for a high-profile amphitheater project. The request was to ensure the steel structure remained unprotected and if possible, sprinklers be omitted from the stage and seating areas. Goodhead undertook a number of analyses and through the use of the architectural design were able to demonstrate several key aspects that aided the design intent, overall construction cost, and ongoing maintenance. The key features included the following:
Steel remained unprotected without fireproofing
Sprinklers were omitted at the steel structure above the stage and seating areas
Smoke venting was not required over the stage based on the architectural design of the canopy
Fire scenarios for the stage and seating area included LED screen fires, large-scale stage fires, and stacks of seats in the seating area. The combination of fire scenarios gave the owner the greatest flexibility for the use of the amphitheater.
Through the use of virtual reality and detailed smoke and fire analysis using computational fluid dynamics, Goodhead was able to show the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ), the design-build contractor, and the design team the impact of multiple fire scenarios on the lighting rigs/catwalks, stage areas, and seating areas for the overall design.
The outcome of the analysis was agreed by all parties to meet the intent of the code requirements for each of the above design features.
Project Name: Health Amphitheater, Macon, GA
Client Name: TVS
Photo Credit: Nigel Marson Photography, Inc.
The Department of Aviation for an international airport contacted Goodhead regarding an analysis of their existing smoke control system serving the public terminal. The request was to provide airport ownership with an understanding of why the 1980’s smoke control (air change) system was installed and the volume it was originally designed to protect. The HVAC equipment, generators, and ATS required upgrades which could not happen until an understanding of the connected smoke control system was achieved.
Goodhead conducted a record document analysis, historic code research, and numerous site visits to determine the intent of the original system and the reasons for its configuration. Understanding these items allowed the owner to take the next steps to perform a performance-based comparative analysis to determine the performance of the existing system as it performs today versus the performance of allowing a natural smoke-filling system utilizing the building’s architectural features to provide equivalent protection to the building’s occupants.
The key features of the performance-based comparative analysis included the following:
Egress analysis using calibrated data for the occupants specific to the non-secure/public side of the terminal at this airport
Fire scenarios specific to the fuel loads identified at the airport during site visits
The key features resulting from the performance-based comparative analysis included:
Decommissioning the existing smoke control system
Allowing the owner to upgrade their HVAC equipment, generators, and ATS to modernize these systems
Addition and upgrades to existing beam detectors with modern technology
Airport now has earlier detection for investigative purposes and enhanced coverage of high-ceiling areas throughout the terminal
