Past disasters have shaped current codes and standards (Sidebar). Operating parameters for these systems have been formulated by studying fires and the physical conditions encountered in spaces engulfed in thermal smoke. Because no value can be assigned to a human life, systems must be designed, constructed, and maintained such that past failures are not repeated and additional human life and property is not lost.
Some of the most common smoke control system requirements and recommendations for high-rise buildings by local and model building codes, the NFPA, and ASHRAE include: