When it comes to smoke, control, depressurisation has been the industry standard for decades. Many seem to assume that this is the only way to do things.

Yet as recent tragic events have demonstrated, depressurisation can prove ineffective at keeping protected escape routes clear of smoke. And when these systems fail, people die.

Pressurisation is the safest and most effective smoke control system for tall buildings. And yet, many designers still choose to work with depressurisation systems.

Why?

It’s partly because many still seem to think that pressurisation systems are more costly and complicated than depressurisation systems. But this is simply not the case.