A substantial amount of research material exists establishing a variety of smoke control system philosophies that have been manifested in a number of successfully engineered smoke control systems. This background has been instrumental in the formulation of new and revised standards, such as UL 555S on "Leakage Rated Dampers" and NFPA 90A on the "Installation of Air Conditioning and Ventilating Systems."

Such a process gives rise to the need for new and improved hardware to support new approaches to smoke control. In the past, hardware development has, perhaps, lagged in new systems; however, new air control devices will reportedly assist, rather than retard, improved system designs. A variety of dampers and related controls will be reviewed here in the light of new smoke control provisions.