What are large voids that pass through multiple floors, allowing smoke and heat to move vertically through the building called?

The correct answer is atriums. Atriums are large open spaces within a building that can extend from the ground floor to higher levels, effectively creating a vertical passageway. In fire scenarios, these spaces can facilitate the rapid movement of smoke and heat upward through the building due to the enhanced airflow created by the open area. This characteristic makes them significant in terms of fire behavior and building design, as they can contribute to the spread of smoke and fire throughout multiple floors, impacting evacuation strategies and firefighting operations.

While chimneys and vents are also vertical structures that can transport smoke, they are typically designed for specific purposes related to smoke and exhaust removal and do not necessarily represent large open voids passing through multiple floors in a building. Openings, though they allow some degree of air movement, are not specifically structured to facilitate the vertical passage of heat and smoke like atriums do.