Professional Documents
Culture Documents
PDF Sprinklers and Smoke Management in Enclosures 1St Edition Dalia E E Khalil Author Ebook Full Chapter
PDF Sprinklers and Smoke Management in Enclosures 1St Edition Dalia E E Khalil Author Ebook Full Chapter
PDF Sprinklers and Smoke Management in Enclosures 1St Edition Dalia E E Khalil Author Ebook Full Chapter
https://textbookfull.com/product/break-volume-1-study-break-
tough-break-1st-edition-lucy-smoke-smoke/
https://textbookfull.com/product/the-smoke-in-our-eyes-1st-
edition-james-grady/
https://textbookfull.com/product/designing-electronic-product-
enclosures-serksnis/
https://textbookfull.com/product/the-egyptian-military-in-
popular-culture-context-and-critique-1st-edition-dalia-said-
mostafa-auth/
First Strike: Educational Enclosures in Black Los
Angeles 1st Edition Damien M. Sojoyner
https://textbookfull.com/product/first-strike-educational-
enclosures-in-black-los-angeles-1st-edition-damien-m-sojoyner/
https://textbookfull.com/product/the-philosophy-of-cosmology-1st-
edition-khalil-chamcham/
https://textbookfull.com/product/advances-in-treatments-for-
aortic-valve-and-root-diseases-khalil-fattouch/
https://textbookfull.com/product/pretty-little-savage-sick-
boys-1-1st-edition-lucy-smoke/
https://textbookfull.com/product/natural-born-killers-sick-
boys-3-1st-edition-lucy-smoke/
Sprinklers and Smoke
Management in
Enclosures
Taylor & Francis
Taylor & Francis Group
http://taylorandfrancis.com
Sprinklers and Smoke
Management in
Enclosures
Reasonable efforts have been made to publish reliable data and information, but the author and
publisher cannot assume responsibility for the validity of all materials or the consequences of
their use. The authors and publishers have attempted to trace the copyright holders of all material
reproduced in this publication and apologize to copyright holders if permission to publish in this
form has not been obtained. If any copyright material has not been acknowledged please write and
let us know so we may rectify in any future reprint.
Except as permitted under U.S. Copyright Law, no part of this book may be reprinted, reproduced,
transmitted, or utilized in any form by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or
hereafter invented, including photocopying, microfilming, and recording, or in any information
storage or retrieval system, without written permission from the publishers.
For permission to photocopy or use material electronically from this work, access www.
copyright.com or contact the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc. (CCC), 222 Rosewood Drive,
Danvers, MA 01923, 978-750-8400. For works that are not available on CCC please contact
mpkbookspermissions@tandf.co.uk
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are
used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe.
Typeset in Palatino
by codeMantra
Contents
Preface.......................................................................................................................ix
Acknowledgments..................................................................................................xi
List of Abbreviations and Symbols................................................................... xiii
Authors....................................................................................................................xv
1 Introduction...................................................................................................... 1
1.1 Sprinklered Car Parks .......................................................................... 1
1.2 Smoke Control ....................................................................................... 2
1.2.1 Underground Car Park Smoke Control................................. 2
1.3 Hazards of Building Fire ..................................................................... 4
1.3.1 Convected
Heat ........................................................................ 4
1.3.2 Radiant Heat.............................................................................. 5
1.3.3 Toxic Gases................................................................................ 5
1.3.4 Smoke Obscuration.................................................................. 6
1.4 Elements of Fire and Smoke Management Systems.......................... 7
1.4.1 Jet
Fans....................................................................................... 7
1.4.2 Sprinkler
System ...................................................................... 8
1.4.2.1 Wet Pipe System........................................................ 9
1.4.2.2 Dry Pipe System........................................................ 9
1.4.3 Detection System...................................................................... 9
1.4.3.1 Smoke Detectors ..................................................... 10
1.5 Objectives of the Present Book .......................................................... 11
........................................................
2.1
General .................................................................................................. 13
2.2 Ventilation and Smoke Management Systems ................................ 13
2.2.1 Smoke Ventilation Systems................................................... 13
2.2.2 Natural Ventilation Systems................................................. 14
2.2.3 Mechanical Ventilation Systems .......................................... 14
2.3 Sprinklers Activation Effect .............................................................. 20
2.4 Design Approach ................................................................................ 25
2.5 Hydraulics of Sprinklers .................................................................... 25
2.6 Concluding Remarks .......................................................................... 27
v
vi Contents
....................................................
4.1
Introduction ......................................................................................... 45
4.2 Grid Sensitivity.................................................................................... 46
4.3 Assessment and Validation ............................................................... 49
4.3.1 Fire Source .............................................................................. 50
4.3.2 Smoke Temperature Measurements.................................... 51
4.3.2.1 Plume Temperature Measurements..................... 51
4.3.2.2 Smoke Temperature Measurements .................... 52
4.4 Computational Results for Design Options .................................... 53
4.4.1 Geometry
................................................................................ 53
4.4.2 Boundary Conditions and Input Data ................................ 54
4.4.2.1 The Mesh.................................................................. 54
4.4.2.2 Smoke Management System ................................. 55
4.4.2.3 Car Fire..................................................................... 55
4.4.2.4 Sprinkler
System .................................................... 56
4.4.3 Simulated Base Cases ............................................................ 57
4.4.4 Results of Base Cases............................................................. 58
4.4.4.1 Impulse Ventilation System without
Sprinkler Modeling (Case S1a) �����������������������������. 58
4.4.4.2 Impulse Ventilations System with Sprinkler
Modeling (Case S1b) ����������������������������������������������� 60
4.4.4.3 Ducted System without Sprinkler Modeling
(Case S2a)����������������������������������������������������������������� 61
4.4.4.4 Ducted System with Sprinkler Modeling
(Case S2b) ����������������������������������������������������������������� 65
4.5 Discussion and Conclusion for Base Cases...................................... 68
5.1.1.1
Jet Fan Performance Study .................................... 70
5.1.1.2
Jet Fans in Series Study.......................................... 72
5.1.1.3
Effect of Distance between Jet Fans on the
Visibility at a Vertical Plane through the Fans ������74
5.1.1.4 Effect of Distance between Jet Fans on
the Visibility in the Horizontal Plan at
Occupant’s Level���������������������������������������������������� 76
5.1.1.5 Effect of Distance between Jet Fans on
Temperature in the Horizontal Plan at
Occupants’ Level���������������������������������������������������� 77
5.1.2 Results
of Design Option 1a.................................................. 81
5.1.3 Design Option 1b: With Ducted System.............................. 84
5.1.4 Results
of Design Option 1b.................................................. 84
5.1.5 Design Option 1: Discussion and Conclusions.................. 84
5.2 Design
Option 2: Increasing Sprinklers Operating Pressure........ 86
5.2.1 Design
Option 2 Input Data.................................................. 86
5.2.2 Results of Design Option 2.................................................... 86
5.2.3 Discussion and Conclusion of Design Option 2................. 87
5.3 Design
Option 3: Application of Fire Decay Curve........................ 89
5.3.1 Application
of ASHRAE Fire Curve Decay Equation.......90
5.3.1.1 Stages
of Fire Development................................... 90
5.3.1.2 Sprinkler
Effect on HRR........................................ 92
5.3.1.3 Sequence
of Operation............................................ 93
5.3.2 Results
of Design Option 3: Ducted Exhaust System........ 96
5.3.3 Results
of Design Option 3: Impulse Ventilation System...... 97
5.3.4 Design
Option 3: Discussion and Conclusions.................. 99
...............................
6.1 Atrium
Design.................................................................................... 101
6.1.1 Atrium Model Description.................................................. 101
6.1.2 Fire Description..................................................................... 101
6.1.3 Design Cases.......................................................................... 102
6.1.4 Effect of Using Exhaust Fans for Smoke Extraction........ 102
6.1.4.1 Effect
of Make-Up Air Velocity........................... 106
6.1.4.2 Effect
of Make-Up Air Inlet Height.................... 109
6.1.5 General
Remarks................................................................... 110
6.2 Design of Smoke Management of Car Service Centers................ 111
6.2.1 Visibility................................................................................. 113
6.2.2 Temperature........................................................................... 117
6.2.3 Air Speed............................................................................... 117
.........................
7.1 Fire
Curve Modeling......................................................................... 119
7.2 Smoke Management System Modeling........................................... 120
viii Contents
7.3
Sprinklers System Modeling............................................................ 120
7.4 Proposed Future Work...................................................................... 121
Appendix.............................................................................................................. 123
References............................................................................................................ 141
Index...................................................................................................................... 145
Preface
Over the past few years, sprinklers have become vital parts of the firefighting
systems in underground car parks, atrium, and car service centers. Fire sprin-
klers not only control/extinguish the fire but also protect the occupants and
the properties. Therefore, there are codes and standards in many nations
now to enforce the use of fire sprinklers in underground environments.
This book aims to investigate the effect of sprinkler activation on the
behavior of fire-induced smoke and the interaction of water particles with
the smoke layer.
In this book, a flow, heat, and chemistry modeling application software
(Fire Dynamics Simulator, FDS) will be utilized, which simulates fire and
smoke propagation through computational fluid dynamics (CFD) techniques
to model fires and other flows that are important to fire safety engineers and
fire investigators.
The present book uses FDS that has offered breakthroughs on several
fronts and helped bring the power of CFD modeling to smaller practitioners
through a user-friendly, front-end package called Pyrosim. This software
was developed by Thunderhead Engineering and can be licensed for a rea-
sonable annual fee. The program can be run on Windows-based desktop
and laptop computers, so there is no need to purchase expensive hardware.
Two base case design models are described where the effect of sprinklers
on the fire curve was taken. In one case, the physical effect of sprinklers was
modeled, and in the other case, sprinklers were not modeled. This base case
was critically analyzed with two smoke extraction systems, namely, ducted
system and impulse ventilation system.
From the above design cases, we found that sprinkler activation drasti-
cally decreased the visibility at occupants’ level. When activated, water
particles from the sprinklers dragged the smoke layer downward due to its
momentum.
To better understand the parameters that cause visibility to decrease
less than the acceptable tenability levels, a section is devoted that high-
lights the effect of ceiling height, sprinkler operating pressure, and the
fire curve.
For a single car fire, a 4 MW heat release is used through the book as indi-
cated hereafter
ix
x Preface
When ASHRAE fire curve decay equation was utilized, the maximum
obtained heat release rate was 1.5 MW. The interaction of water particles with
the smoke layer also led to a decreased visibility in the vicinity of the fire but
only in the first 5–10 minutes before the fire starts to decay and extinguish.
When the fire started decaying, the smoke production rate decreased and
consequently the visibility increased.
In conclusion, the commonly used (according to the British code)
4 MW design fire is a very conservative approach when designing smoke
management systems for fires in car parks, leading to several difficulties
when the physical effect of sprinklers’ activation is taken into consideration.
When a 4 MW fire is used in car parks, the constant fire-induced smoke
will be dragged with the downward motion of water particles, leading to
decreased visibility at occupants’ level.
Although increasing the ceiling height and the sprinkler operating
pressure may help reduce the problem, experimental work must be
conducted on the sprinkler extinguishing effect to obtain accurate fire
curves that can then be modeled to study the tenability within car parks.
Acknowledgments
The authors thank their colleagues and collaborators for useful discussions
that led to the elaboration of this book. The authors also express their
special thanks and gratitude to their family legends, the late Dr. Khalil
Hassan Khalil and the late Dr. Galal Shawki of Cairo University, for their
teaching and mentoring. Dr. Dalia Essam Khalil extends her gratitude
to her husband, Eng. Mohammed M. Marzouk, without whose support,
this book would not have been possible. Prof. Dr. Essam E. Khalil extends
his gratitude to his wife, Prof. Dr. Doaa M. Elsherif, for her everlasting
support and encouragement.
The authors also thank the publishers for their advice and support
throughout the publishing process. Finally, the authors thank one and all
who inspired this work by posing questions or probing existing problems
that required new research to realize new concepts and solutions.
xi
Taylor & Francis
Taylor & Francis Group
http://taylorandfrancis.com
List of Abbreviations and Symbols
Abbreviation Description
ACH Air changes per hour
AHJ Authority having jurisdictions
ASHRAE American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air-Conditioning Engineers
CFD Computational fluid dynamics
CPU Central processing unit
DNS Direct numerical simulation
EXP Experimental
FDS Fire dynamic simulator
FFL Finished floor level
Gpm Gallons per minute
HRR Heat release rate
HVAC Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning
IVS Impulse ventilation system
LES Large eddy simulation
NFPA National Fire Protection Agency
SIM Simulation
Symbol Description
A Surface area
Ai Area vector of a cell face
c Nondimensional constant characteristic for every type of object being
viewed through the smoke
E Energy
fb Body force
K Light extinction coefficient
k Turbulent kinetic energy
kc Thermal conductivity
keff Effective thermal conductivity
kt Turbulent thermal conductivity
mo Mass flow rate, kg/s
Mt Turbulent Mach number
N Newton
P Pressure, Bar
Pr Molecular Prandtl number
Sφ Source term for the scalar quantity, φ
Sij Symmetric rate-of-strain tensor
T Temperature, K
t Time, s
(Continued)
xiii
xiv List of Abbreviations and Symbols
xv
Taylor & Francis
Taylor & Francis Group
http://taylorandfrancis.com
1
Introduction
FIGURE 1.1
Suppression system effectiveness [3].
1
2 Sprinklers and Smoke Management in Enclosures
1.2 Smoke Control
By definition, smoke control systems (or smoke management systems) are
mechanical systems that control the movement of smoke during a fire. Most
systems aim to protect occupants while they are being evacuated or being
sheltered in place. The most common systems referenced in current codes
are atrium smoke exhaust systems and stair-pressurization systems. In some
specialized cases, zoned smoke control systems may be provided. These fea-
ture zones or floors that are either pressurized or exhausted to keep smoke
from spreading. The International Building Code (IBC) contains manda-
tory provisions for smoke control systems. Designers can find National Fire
Protection Agency (NFPA)’s detailed provisions in two nonmandatory docu-
ments, the Recommended Practice for Smoke Control Systems (NFPA 92A)
and the Guide for Smoke Management Systems in Malls, Atria, and Large
Areas (NFPA 92B).
The manual controls required or provided for smoke control systems are a
primary consideration for the fire service. These manual controls can override
automatic controls that activate these systems. When fire department person-
nel arrive, they can assess whether the automatic modes are functioning as
intended. Incident commanders may then use the manual controls to select a
different mode or to turn any given zone off. It is imperative that these con-
trols override any other manual or automatic controls at any other location.
A simple, straightforward control panel with manual switches for the smoke
control system(s) will assist a firefighter trying to decipher how the controls
work just after awakening in the middle of the night. In addition, similar to
annunciators, the fire department may have specific requirements or recom-
mendations, and may prefer uniformity of panels within their jurisdiction.
Both the IBC and NFPA 92A call for status indicators for each fan, damper,
and other devices. The International Code Council (ICC) requires individual
controls for each of these devices, but permits them to be combined for com-
plex systems. A system need not be very large to be considered complex.
A good, simple panel layout might feature a single switch for each system
or zone (Each different position of the switch places the system in a given
mode, and the corresponding activation or setting of the individual devices
would be configured “behind the scenes.” For example, a stair-pressurization
system might contain a three-position switch for each of the three modes:
“automatic,” “pressurize,” and “off.”
height, which will consequently reduce the smoke-free layer depth avail-
able for occupants to escape. Furthermore, some sources of fire can be very
hard to fight as smoke can easily fill the entire car park and reduce visibility,
as well as hamper the ability of fire brigades to access the fire bed which
may cause fatalities by asphyxiation. Nevertheless, car park fire costs from
human, environmental, and economic aspects can be countless. Therefore,
a smoke management system design is vital to fulfill one or more require-
ments within a car park [4].
• Temperature control
The smoke exhaust is designed to achieve a particular smoke gases
temperature in the buoyant smoke layer. This permits the usage of
materials that can be otherwise damaged by hotter gases.
• Protection of means of escape
The purpose of a smoke management system is to maintain a clear
smoke-free layer underneath the smoke layer. This smoke-free layer
allows for uninterrupted escape of occupants through the escape
routes located within the space where the fire event is occurring.
This is normally achieved by using smoke extraction systems.
The smoke generated from the fire is thermally buoyant, and
it forms a layer beneath the ceiling that increases with time if not
extracted. Therefore, the smoke exhaust (whether natural smoke
exhaust or mechanical smoke exhaust) is calculated to be large
enough to keep the smoke at a safe height above the head of people
using the escape routes for a given design fire size, even while the fire
is still burning. It is essential that the system is operational as early as
possible during the fire, and it is usual to initiate the operation auto-
matically upon receiving a signal from a smoke detection system.
• Property protection
Smoke exhaust ventilation by itself does not prevent a fire from
growing larger. On the contrary, it aids in supplying more oxygen to
the fire which leads to more growing fire. Therefore, smoke extraction
system can only be used to protect property by keeping a smoke-free
layer until the fire brigades’ arrival and by allowing the intervention
of fire services to be quicker and more effective. Depending on the
materials present, a property protection philosophy is usually based
on maintaining the hot buoyant smoke layer above sensitive mate-
rials, or maintaining the smoke layer below a critical temperature.
Property protection can also be aided by the use of sprinkler system,
as will be further demonstrated throughout this study.
• Assisting firefighting operations
For fire brigades to successfully handle fire in a building, it is first
necessary for them to drive their fire appliances to the interior of the
building up to 10–15 m from the bed of fire. The firefighters’ efforts
4 Sprinklers and Smoke Management in Enclosures
1.3.1 Convected Heat
Exposure to hot environments for more than 15 minutes may lead to heat
stroke. Nevertheless, during exposure for short duration, high temperatures of
hot smoke may cause skin pain or skin and respiratory tract burns. Figure 1.3
further illustrates the effect of convected heat exposure on humans.
Introduction 5
FIGURE 1.2
Building fire hazards [5].
FIGURE 1.3
Tolerance to convected heat [5].
1.3.2 Radiant Heat
Even without direct contact with flames or hot smoke, skin pain or burns can
still occur when exposed to fire or due to high levels of radiant heat in the
smoke. Figure 1.4 demonstrates the relation between the radiant heat expo-
sure and human tolerance time [5] (Figure 1.4).
1.3.3 Toxic Gases
The exposure limits of toxic gases that cause incapacitation depend on the
gas species, concentrations, and duration of exposure. The most common
asphyxiant in building fires is CO and, to a lesser extent, hydrogen cyanide
6 Sprinklers and Smoke Management in Enclosures
FIGURE 1.4
Tolerance to radiant heat [5].
(HCN), which is more toxic. Other irritants and toxic species are also pro-
duced in fires but in varying quantities depending on the fuel, environmen-
tal conditions, and other combustion characteristics. However, the toxicity
is generally dominated by asphyxiant gases (CO and HCN). Another com-
mon effect of toxic gases is the loss of consciousness that may occur due to
hypoxia at low oxygen levels, or due to narcotic effects at high carbon diox-
ide levels and low oxygen. High carbon dioxide concentrations also impact
breathing rates which increase the uptake of toxic gases (Figure 1.5).
1.3.4 Smoke Obscuration
Soot contained in smoke obscures light and reduces visibility. This visibility
reduction is not as life-threatening as heat or toxic gas exposure; however, it
may affect the walking speed of the occupants and hence their escape time.
FIGURE 1.5
Tolerance to HCN and CO [5].
Introduction 7
FIGURE 1.6
Walking speed versus visibility [5].
The gases found in smoke can also cause irritation to the eyes. These include
acidic gases (HF, HCl, HBr, SO2, and NOx) and organic irritant gases (acro-
lein, formaldehyde, and croton aldehyde). Their effects are very similar to
reduced visibility. If the occupants are located at a substantial distance from
an exit and the visibility drops significantly, they may be unable to find their
way out of the building. This will lead to a prolonged exposure to heat and
toxic gases, which needs to be taken into account (Figure 1.6).
In this system, extract fans are still required to extract the air to comply with
local regulations for pollution and emergency smoke extract. Provision for
fresh air inlets must also be maintained via shafts, louvers, access ramps,
or provided by supply fans. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is usu-
ally employed with this system to ensure effective air movement for both
smoke clearance and control in the event of a fire, as well as for pollution
control. CFD tools can, therefore, provide a perception into air and smoke
movement within car park. Jet fans produce a high-velocity air jet that in
turn moves a larger amount of air surrounding the fan through a process
known as entrainment. The amount of air entrained by a single fan increases
with the velocity and the quantity of air being discharged by the fan. These
characteristics are directly related to the thrust rating of the fan, which is
measured in Newton (N).
FIGURE 1.7
Sprinklers with different temperature ratings.
Introduction 9
1.4.3 Detection System
A vital aspect of a fire protection system is the early discovery of a devel-
oping fire emergency and to alarm the building’s occupants and firefight-
ing brigades. This is where the role of fire detection and alarm systems is
FIGURE 1.8
Typical wet pipe system.
10 Sprinklers and Smoke Management in Enclosures
FIGURE 1.9
Typical dry system.
1.4.3.1 Smoke Detectors
Smoke detectors are devices that are used to detect the smoke particles cre-
ated by a fire. Their principle of operation is based on the cloud chamber,
photoelectric, ionization, or other smoke particle analysis. Spot-type smoke
detectors apply either the photoelectric principle or the ionization principle
of operation. Smoke detectors can detect smoke particles in early stages of
fire where they are located if they are properly installed.
Detection system in this study is used along with the deluge system that
relies on a signal to activate. The smoke detectors are installed in the same
area as the sprinklers, with each deluge valve connected to one smoke detec-
tor or more. When the detection system is activated, a signal is sent to the
deluge valve, and water discharges through all the sprinkler heads con-
nected in the same network.
Introduction 11
• CFD simulation for an enclosed car park with and without sprinkler
system modeling for ducted system and impulse ventilation system.
• CFD simulation of sprinkler spray pattern to obtain sprinkler
sequence of operation during a car fire in an enclosed car park.
• Study the interaction of water particles and their downward move-
ment with the smoke layer.
• Investigate the tenability criteria in an enclosed car park provided
with sprinklers and smoke management system.
• Jet fan performance throw and spread study for different opera-
tional modes.
• Jet fan series configuration parametric analysis to get hold of the
effect of distance from ceiling, distance from each other, and flow
rate on their performance.
• Study the effect of increasing the distance between the sprinklers
and smoke layer on the visibility levels.
• Investigate the effect of increasing the sprinkler operating pressure
on the smoke behavior.
• Calculating and implementing fire decay equation after sprinkler
activation.
The following will be achieved by the FDS version 6.5.3 where the user-
friendly tool Pyrosim will be utilized to solve the model. Due to the dif-
ficulty of validating this study experimentally, the numerical setup will be
validated based on the experimental data of a similar case. For verification
of the above simulations, grid sensitivity will be conducted according to best
practice guidelines.
Another random document with
no related content on Scribd:
l’auteur partis, que c’était insupportable de travailler dans ces
conditions-là.
Le soir de la générale, le premier acte, qui inspirait quelques
craintes, marcha admirablement. L’auteur, aux nombreux amis qui
vinrent sur le plateau, se bornait à dire : « Ceci n’est qu’un acte
d’exposition. Attendez mon deux. »
Après le deux, les admirateurs revinrent, mais en moins grand
nombre. Ils dirent à l’auteur que ça marchait très bien, mais :
Qu’on avait eu tort d’allumer le calorifère,
Que la robe de l’héroïne était trop mauve,
Qu’il y avait dans une baignoire une bande de gens ivres qu’on
aurait bien dû expulser.
L’auteur attendait d’autres constatations. Il vit venir à lui un
parent complaisant, qui affirma que c’était un triomphe. Il oublia
volontairement que ce cousin était un bénisseur invétéré.
D’ailleurs, il comptait beaucoup sur le trois, qui était très gai, très
en dehors.
Cet acte fut écouté par le public avec une satisfaction plutôt
intérieure. Ce calorifère abominable empêchait les grosses
manifestations. Après la chute du rideau, il y eut une récolte
suffisante d’applaudissements pour le nom de l’auteur. On ne le
demanda pas sur la scène, et il n’eut pas à faire triompher sa ferme
résolution de n’y venir à aucun prix.
Deux amis seulement apparurent sur le plateau. Le directeur
regardait l’auteur, ma foi ! très amicalement.
L’auteur lui dit : « Hé bien ! je crois qu’on peut s’embrasser. »
Le directeur avança sa grosse joue piquante.
L’auteur lui dit : « Enfin, tu es content ? »
Le directeur répondit : « Très content, mais tu as quelques amis
dans la salle, qui sont venus te complimenter et qui sont de fameux
salauds. »
— Qui ça ? qui ça ?
Le directeur battit en retraite.
— Je ne sais pas leurs noms, mais je sais que ce sont des amis
à toi.
Le lendemain, à trois heures, l’auteur était au théâtre. La dame
de la location travaillait à un très joli ouvrage de broderie.
— Comment ça va-t-il, madame Bouvet ?
— Moi, je vais bien… Ma feuille de location, c’est tout doux.
— Vous n’êtes pas contente ?
— On ne peut rien dire avant le premier samedi.
A quatre heures, le premier samedi, on avait cinq mille francs. Le
directeur déclara que le soir on jouerait à bureaux fermés.
L’auteur vint de bonne heure pour jouir de ce spectacle. Mais il
constata que les arrivants trouvaient tout de même des places. La
recette se montait à 9.322 francs.
— C’est le plein ? demanda-t-il à l’administrateur.
— C’est le gros maximum… à peu de chose près.
— C’est le plein ? demanda-t-il un peu plus tard au secrétaire
général.
— Oui, c’est tout ce qu’on peut faire.
Une demi-heure après, il rencontra le contrôleur-chef. Il se fit
répéter le chiffre de la recette.
— C’est le plein ?
— Pas tout à fait. Nous pouvons faire onze mille.
… Quelle rage de poursuivre ainsi les enquêtes, et de ne pas se
contenter de la première affirmation !
La recette était belle, mais l’indication n’était pas entièrement
satisfaisante. En cas de succès, le directeur l’avait déclaré, on
atteignait toujours le maximum le premier samedi.
La matinée, le lendemain, fut médiocre. Mais allez donc lutter
contre Auteuil et ce match de rugby à Colombes !
Le dimanche soir, ce fut assez maigre ; ce n’était pas un théâtre
populaire.
— Nous n’avons pas de location pour demain lundi, dit le
directeur, on louera dans la journée. C’est le genre du théâtre. Nous
ne ferons pas plus de 6.000.
On fit 2.400. Le directeur déclara que c’était très beau, étant
donné le temps désagréable. Il était tombé du grésil. D’autre part, à
la Bourse du commerce, il y avait un petit krach… Les gens se
réservaient.
Ils montrèrent la même réserve les jours suivants. On garnissait
les salles avec des faveurs, mais le théâtre était décidément un peu
grand. L’auteur souriait vaillamment. Quelques compensations lui
arrivaient, des louanges bien filtrées : la sœur d’une habilleuse avait
déclaré que c’était la plus jolie soirée qu’elle eût passée au théâtre
depuis trente ans…
Le samedi, la recette fut assez bonne… dans les neuf mille…
huit mille quatre cents exactement. Et, pourtant, un boxeur poids
moyen anglais de grande valeur rencontrait ce soir-là le champion
de France au Cirque de Paris… « Ils ont fait deux cent mille francs
de recette, dit le directeur. C’est de l’argent pris aux théâtres comme
avec la main. »
Le dimanche fut un petit peu supérieur au dimanche précédent.
L’auteur arriva le lundi après-midi dans le cabinet du directeur. Il le
trouva en conférence avec un autre auteur. La conversation s’arrêta
brusquement à son entrée. Tous deux lui serrèrent la main avec
effusion.
— Croyez-vous que sa pièce est exquise ? dit le directeur à
l’autre auteur. Quel talent il a cet animal-là ! Mais ce n’est pas tout à
fait la pièce d’ici…
Le confrère joignit sa voix louangeuse à celle du directeur. Puis la
conversation s’arrêta à nouveau. L’auteur du Désir d’Henriette prit
congé, et s’en alla vers des arbres, au bois de Boulogne. C’était la
première journée de printemps ; avec un léger effort et de la
littérature, il lui trouva un certain charme.
Le spectateur de la “Générale”
Mais le plus difficile n’est pas d’« allumer » le public sur une
pièce ; il est autrement plus malaisé d’y intéresser un directeur.
Devant ce souverain juge, quelle est la situation la plus
favorable ? Etre un peu connu ou tout à fait ignoré ?
La plupart des directeurs aiment bien le véritable auteur inconnu.
Car, même lorsqu’ils ne sont pas des directrices, ils ont l’âme très
féminine. Ils aiment mieux supposer et imaginer que connaître. Ils
préfèrent l’espoir confus et illimité à la réalité trop strictement
évaluée et définie.
C’est pour cette raison qu’une pièce non encore écrite les
intéresse beaucoup plus qu’un manuscrit achevé. Nous avons
maintes fois recommandé aux jeunes auteurs, s’ils arrivent à obtenir
une entrevue, de ne jamais apporter au directeur le manuscrit de
leur pièce. Il vaut mieux raconter le sujet avec entrain et ne remettre
le manuscrit que beaucoup plus tard, au moment où le directeur,
pressé par les circonstances, n’a plus le temps matériel de refuser
votre ouvrage.
Mais partez bien de cette idée qu’il est extrêmement dangereux
de laisser un directeur en tête-à-tête avec un manuscrit.
Même s’il ne le lit pas, c’est très grave.
La seule présence sur son bureau d’un gros cahier à couverture
orange ou bleue suffit à le dégoûter de la pièce et de l’auteur.
A Pierre Veber.
PERSONNAGES :
ELLE, fille du directeur ;
LUI, mari d’Elle ;
L’HOMME DE PAILLE.
SCÈNE PREMIÈRE
Lui, Elle
Lui
Elle
Pourquoi c’en est-il fait ?
Lui
Elle
Lui
Elle
Lui
Elle
Lui
Elle
Lui
Que dis-tu ?
Lui
Elle
Lui, douloureusement
Elle
Lui
Ah ! de grâce, écoutez !
Elle
Lui, suppliant
Restez !
Elle
(Elle sort.)
Lui
(Fanfare.)
Lui,
qui renonce, vu l’urgence, à s’expliquer en vers.
L’Homme de paille
Lui
Tu es sociétaire ?