New Airflow Topologies Hide Fire Risks

Last week, we introduced four trends we see affecting IT and telco facilities and explored the first regarding higher air-change rates.

Today, we want to focus on the second emerging trend: new airflow topologies that are hiding fire risks.

If you are implementing efficient new cooling strategies like cold-isle, hot-isle containment or in-row cooling, then your existing code-mandated smoke detection and suppression systems may no longer be effective or code compliant.

All of these strategies affect how smoke detectors and suppression systems do their job.

For example, a cold-isle containment system might not be properly “sprinklered,” and a hot-isle containment system might not have active smoke detection in the protected space.

Designers need to address these issues, and ASD provides many cost-effective and reliable options. These issues should be dealt with before your insurer or AHJ requests a “please explain.”