Natural Shaft Ventilation

We are Natural Shaft Ventilation Experts

Our teams are highly experienced in Natural Shaft Ventilation with years of experience in the design, service and maintenance of these systems. We also manufacture a wide range of state-of-the-art control systems, dampers and AOV actuators to create and accommodate the integration of Natural Shafts Ventilation systems in any application. Natural Shaft Ventilation systems from Kingspan Light + Air are designed to meet strict building regulations, ADB and BS9999, the code of practice for fire safety in the design, management and use of buildings.

Understanding Natural Shaft Ventilation

Multi story Buildings legally require a Smoke Ventilation System, and a Natural Shaft Ventilation system is often the preferred method for ventilating lobbies and corridors. These Natural Shaft Ventilation systems pass through multiple floors via a vertical shaft and typically contain dampers or AOVs (Automatic Opening Vents) serving each floor level with a smoke vent positioned at the head of the shaft to extract smoke.

Designing Natural Shaft Ventilation Systems

Smoke control systems are critical in buildings with many occupants such as residential complexes, commercial office buildings and retail outlets. Suitable for low to mid-rise buildings, natural shaft ventilation systems are designed to efficiently extract smoke through the vertical shaft to create smoke free evacuation routes via corridors and staircases, and to control the direction of smoke flowing from the smoke source through the shaft and dampers and finally out of the building.

Maintenance of Natural Shaft Ventilation Systems

Our dedicated service and maintenance team also work to ensure that shaft systems (natural & mechanical) are working correctly, compliant with current legislation and regulations. They service all types of shaft systems, including those designed by others and provide a full maintenance plan for all components and equipment, and also perform full system tests to check and adjust for correct pressure and flow rates to ensure that the system will be operated as intended in the event of a fire.

Natural Shaft Ventilation FAQs

What is the difference between a Natural Shaft and Mechanical Shaft Smoke Control solution?

A Natural Shaft is a simple system that operates like a chimney, the natural buoyancy of the hot smoke allows it to travel up the shaft to the atmosphere, while in contrast a Mechanical Shaft uses a set of extract fans mounted at the top of the shaft to “pull” the smoke from a lobby or corridor.

What are the benefits of a Natural Shaft Ventilation system?

While Mechanical Shaft Systems may be a better fit in some instances, the benefits of adopting a Natural Shaft Ventilation System include the fact that they do not require a fan which would require cabling, controls, and add to costs; they are virtually silent, are relatively cost-effective when compared with other solutions and require no rooftop plant

What is a smoke damper?

A smoke damper is a metal bladed device installed, typically, in ductwork. They are used to control the spread of smoke during a fire. They may open to provide smoke ventilation or close to prevent smoke entering another area and generally maintain the required safety rating of fire rated barriers (walls, partitions, floors) when they are penetrated by ductwork.

View our range of Smoke Management Products

How do Smoke Dampers work in the event of a fire?

Smoke dampers are typically electrically operated via an actuator. Smoke Dampers can be “failsafe open”, “failsafe closed” or “fail in position”, that is to say, the position the damper will achieve on electrical failure. A dedicated control panel will signal the dampers to open or close based on fire alarm or smoke detector signals received and the site-specific cause and effect.