Problem:
Aside from life safety, one of the most essential goals of fire protection is to preserve operational continuity. Most high-rise skyscrapers, particularly those with mixed-use spaces, feature a lift shaft in the center of the structure and employ glass doors and partitions in the lift lobby on each floor. When the lift lobby is not "compartmentalized" with fire-resistant doors and partitions, flames and smoke travel to all levels of the building via the elevator shafts. Because of the huge pressure differential within the shafts, they function as chimneys, and the fire spreads quickly throughout the building.
