Atomic Golf planned a four-story, 100,000-square-foot golf entertainment facility on the Las Vegas Strip with open sides facing the golf range and interactive putting area. During the permitting process, Las Vegas raised concerns under the 2018 IBC (with local amendments) about the lack of a mechanical smoke control system for the atrium and height limitations tied to the building's occupancy classification.
Performance Based Fire (PBF) performed two types of analyses to address the issues with the building design: a smoke control rational analysis and a fire modeling analysis. For the smoke control rational analysis, PBF used Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS) to model smoke movement and Pathfinder to assess egress safety under various fire scenarios. In the fire modeling analysis, PBF used a performance-based design approach to address occupancy classification and construction-type challenges. Fire modeling simulated the impact of design fire scenarios on the steel roof and structural components, ensuring temperatures remained within safe limits to prevent structural failure.
PBF’s engineering services helped Atomic Golf secure city approval, avoid delays and reduce costs. The smoke control analysis proved natural ventilation could maintain atrium tenability, eliminating the need for expensive mechanical systems. The performance-based design approach provided flexibility for bars and lounges on the fourth floor, bypassing prescriptive height limits and removing the need for unnecessary fireproofing on exposed steel. These strategies minimized construction and maintenance costs while keeping the project on schedule for the grand opening. Cost savings are estimated between $600,000 and $1,000,000.
Section 909, Smoke Control Systems, 2018 International Building Code
NFPA 92, Standard for Smoke Control Systems
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