Which type of building is most susceptible to the stack effect?

The stack effect refers to the phenomenon where warm air rises and creates a difference in pressure that can influence air movement within a building. This effect is most pronounced in tall structures as the height of the building allows for more significant temperature differences between the bottom and the top, which enhances airflow.

High-rise buildings are particularly susceptible to the stack effect because they often have greater vertical distance between their top and bottom floors. As warm air rises from lower levels, it creates a low-pressure zone at the base, which can draw in colder air from outside. This can lead to increased ventilation demands and impact fire dynamics within the structure. This is crucial for firefighters to understand, as the stack effect can facilitate smoke movement during a fire, making it critical for tactics used in fire suppression and ventilation.

In contrast, cold-storage facilities, shopping malls, and warehouses typically do not present the same level of vertical space to create a significant stack effect. Cold-storage facilities tend to maintain consistent temperatures throughout, shopping malls often have extensive horizontal layout rather than vertical, and warehouses, while potentially tall, may not have the same conditions or temperature differentials as high-rise buildings. Therefore, high-rises are recognized as the type of building most influenced by the stack effect in firefighting scenarios.