House of Commons (ventilation). Report on an investigation of the ventilation of the debating chamber of the House of Commons / by Dr. M.M. Gordon.

  • Great Britain. Office of Works and Public Buildings.
Date:
1905-06
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: House of Commons (ventilation). Report on an investigation of the ventilation of the debating chamber of the House of Commons / by Dr. M.M. Gordon. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    262/286 (page 204)
    Floor of Debating Chamber, Galleries. 204 Inference. The present extraction from the Ladies’ and Speaker’s Gallery is not sufficient when these galleries are crowded, as they sometimes are. The extraction from the Debating Chamber, however, is at present very active on all four sides of the ceiling. It has been previously shown that the area of outlet from the Debating Chamber is far in advance of the area of inlet as regards general air-flow. Distribution (8). 8. THE RESULT OF SMOKE TESTS. The method employed has been to generate smoke at the Terrace inlet immediately before the washing screen the water of which was turned off. After a minute or two, the smoke-tinged Terrace air reaches the Debating Chamber, and its distribution can then be observed. (1.) THE DISTRIBUTION OF TERRACE AIR WITHIN THE DEBATING CHAMBER IN CIRCUMSTANCES SUCH AS THOSE UNDER WHICH THE HOUSE USUALLY sITs. [Smoke test photograph No. 1.] With both fans at medium speed, and conditions generally such as those under which the House usually sits, it has been found invariably that the smoky air from the Terrace inlet first appears in the Debating Chamber along the centre gangway; and that it is not until this smoky air has ascended to a height of 12 feet or so above the gangway, that smoke is seen issuing from the inlets at the Benches. Gradually, however, smoke issues from the inlets of all the benches; from the back benches as well as those in front. The Permanent Officials’ seats, at each end of the Debating Chamber, under the gallery, get comparatively little of the smoky air by reason no doubt of the impervious carpet which is here laid over the grating of which the floor consists. If that carpet is lifted up, however, good velocity readings can be obtained with the anemometer over the grating at this part. According to the smoke tests, the best ventilated part of the Debating Chamber floor area under present conditions when the House is sitting 1s the centre gangway. al | The Ladies’ and Speaker’s Gallery escapes the Terrace smoke to a creat extent. Pe i | auld _. The Press Gallery is also shown by the smoke test to get comparatively, little Terrace air. : The Members’ Galleries, on either side of the Debating Chamber, are somewhat better off than the other galleries, although a good deal of the Terrace air that reaches them descends from the ceiling rather than ascends from below. The Distinguished Strangers’ Gallery, and the Strangers’ Gallery, behind it, do not appear to derive the advantage from the extraction that. had been anticipated from their nearness to the extract fan. The smoke appears to hang about over these galleries for some time; and it also lingers at the corners of the Chamber at the opposite end by the grille of the Ladies’ Gallery. Even when a panel of the ceiling over the Strangers’ Gallery was raised, the smoke over the Strangers’ Gallery did not. disappear so speedily as might have been expected.