Chapter 7 of the International Building Code (IBC)1 requires life safety dampers to protect duct and air transfer openings within building separations — fire walls, fire barriers, fire partitions, horizontal assemblies, smoke barriers, and smoke partitions.
Testing and maintenance requirements are provided in Chapter 19 of NFPA 80 for fire dampers and Chapter 7 of NFPA 105 for motorized smoke dampers and combination fire/smoke dampers.
There is frequent confusion about the types of dampers and their applications. This article explains the differences among the damper types and provides a brief overview of the control system requirements affecting their applications.
Engineered plastic cooling towers outlast metal designs and can be constructed of unique antimicrobial resins, which guard against Legionnaires’ disease and other health hazards.