Abstract
This study addresses the selection of the pressurization stairwell and the ventilation stairwell for fighting fires in a high-rise structure with multiple stairwells. The specific case of three stairwells, where one is regular and the other are paired scissor stairwells, has been considered in this study and various scenarios have been analyzed. Through simulations of a model that has been validated by on-site pressure tests, it is found that the most effective scenario which provides a safer environment for the rescue-operation is choosing the closest stairwell to the fire apartment as the pressurization stairwell, and the farthest stairwell to the fire apartment as the ventilation stairwell.