A new research partnership between the University of Hertfordshire and fire safety solutions provider Ambar Kelly aims to improve understanding of how fire and smoke spread through vertical service shafts in multi-storey buildings.

The project will investigate the 'chimney effect', a phenomenon in which hot gases and smoke travel rapidly through vertical openings within a building, potentially contributing to the spread of fire.

The research brings together specialists from the University of Hertfordshire's School of Physics, Engineering and Computer Science and Welwyn Garden City-based Ambar Kelly, which develops fire safety solutions for service risers in multi-storey buildings.

University researchers will contribute expertise in thermodynamic analysis, simulation, structural design, heat transfer modelling and fire safety engineering. The project will explore how the design and materials used within riser shafts can be optimised to help limit the spread of fire and smoke.

Understanding the 'chimney effect'

The chimney effect presents a significant consideration in the fire safety design of multi-storey buildings. Vertical spaces, including lift shafts, stairwells, service risers, ductwork and cladding cavities, can provide pathways for the movement of heat, smoke and fire where appropriate fire stopping and compartmentation measures are not in place.

Service risers, which accommodate essential building services such as electrical cables and pipework, are common features in multi-storey buildings. Their design, installation and maintenance are therefore important considerations in maintaining effective fire compartmentation.

The Grenfell Tower fire in June 2017 highlighted the devastating consequences of rapid fire and smoke spread. Evidence examined during the Grenfell Tower Inquiry demonstrated the importance of construction materials, building design and effective fire safety measures in limiting the spread of fire.

Research into the behaviour of fire and smoke within building cavities and service shafts can support the development of improved fire safety solutions and contribute to safer building design.

Proven expertise  

Dr Antonios Kanellopoulos, director of the Centre for Engineering Research at the University of Hertfordshire, said: “This new partnership will leverage the University of Hertfordshire’s proven expertise in structural engineering, construction materials science and thermofluids for commercial problem-solving. The aim is to provide a comprehensive and multidisciplinary approach in order to deliver a product which will provide a step change in terms of managing fire hazards within riser shafts.  

Dr Kanellopoulos added: “Long-term knowledge integration and future collaborative innovation will be at the core of the partnership as this state-of-the-art project evolves.”

In practice, Dr Kanellopoulos and his team use facilities including a high-performance computing cluster for advanced thermodynamic simulations and materials characterisation equipment and can facilitate structural testing procedures at elevated temperatures.

Poorly understood

Alex Bardett, managing director of Ambar Kelly, explained: “Currently, fire safety in riser shafts is poorly understood. The Grenfell Tower tragedy has precipitated the removal of combustible cladding from residential buildings, but riser shafts remain overlooked, despite their role in vertical fire spread.”  

Bardett continued: “This project will significantly advance fire safety in high-rise buildings by addressing critical gaps in current regulations. Ambar Kelly will gain advanced expertise in fire behaviour within riser shafts, particularly so the ‘chimney effect’, in turn positively influencing building safety standards.”  

Further, Bardett observed: “Through this approach, we will seek to focus on advanced fire simulation, materials, testing and manufacturing capabilities. We want to provide the industry with the skills, knowledge and products it needs to ensure that the conditions experienced at Grenfell Tower and elsewhere are never replicated again.”

Supporting innovation through industry collaboration

The research is being delivered through a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP), which brings together academic expertise and industry knowledge to support innovation and the development of practical solutions.

Professor Tim Vorley OBE, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Hertfordshire and lead executive for research and enterprise, commented: “This partnership demonstrates how university research can help to address real-world challenges with significant public benefit. By combining our expertise in engineering, materials science and advanced modelling with Ambar Kelly’s industry knowledge, we have an opportunity to tackle what is a critical, but often overlooked aspect of building safety.”

Vorley concluded: “The ultimate measure of success will be creating safer buildings and helping to prevent the kind of fire and smoke spread that has had such devastating consequences in the past. We’re proud to be working with an innovative Hertfordshire-based business on a project with the potential to deliver meaningful impact both locally and nationally.”

The University of Hertfordshire has previously delivered more than 112 Knowledge Transfer Partnerships across a range of sectors, including electronics, digital health, agriculture, manufacturing and management science.

Through this collaboration, the University of Hertfordshire and Ambar Kelly aim to advance understanding of fire and smoke movement within riser shafts and explore engineering solutions that could help improve fire safety in multi-storey buildings.

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