Challenge
To meet the requirements of the fire safety report as well as deliver a cost-effective, yet compliant solution to the need for effective smoke ventilation on the 6th and 7th floors of the building.
Solution
A key component of the installation is the glazed louvres designed to vent smoke from the building in the event of a fire. In this installation, they activate automatically via a volt-free signal from the fire alarm.
Each individual installation is controlled via an OS2 SHEVTEC Controller mounted locally to the window and linked to the buildings fire detection system.
A Tamperproof MCP is located at the head of the stairwell which allows the louvres to be reset from an activated state or tested locally open and closed via an engineer’s key.
Along with this Tamperproof MCP, a Standard MCP is also located at the Fire and Rescue Service access level to allow for control of the louvres and vent smoke from the floors to not only facilitate the rapid location of the source of the fire but also create a safe exit for occupants should it be required.
A Straightforward Project?
At first glance this appears to be a straightforward project, however, it created additional challenges for the team in several areas some of which were unprecedented.
First, the timing of the project coincided with the start of the COVID Pandemic in 2020 and the lockdowns which followed meant the site was closed with the project being put on hold on more than one occasion.
The location of the installation on the 6th/7th floor of the building meant the team was working externally at a height of 30+ metres. This required additional working at height safety measures along with the introduction of specialist equipment, a truck-mounted cherry picker, for instance to the project.
On several occasions, the ‘Great British Weather’ intervened with high winds resulting in working at height and the operation of the cherry picker having to be curtailed until it was safe to resume installation.
Along with these challenges, it should also be remembered that the team was working in a Hospital environment. This meant that much of the installation had to be conducted at the weekend with noise and movement around the site being kept at a minimum.
With these challenges, regular two-way communication was essential in ensuring the delivery of the project to the satisfaction of the client.
The Result
Despite the challenges of the project, the hospital staff and public have the reassurance should there ever be a fire situation the building has a fully compliant smoke ventilation system.
The installation of the glazed louvres on the 6th and 7th-floor stairwells delivers three key benefits:
- Provides effective smoke ventilation and heat extraction within high-windnd environment.
- Increases natural daylight within stairwells.
- Provides both thermal and weatherproofing when compared to the traditional timber windows delivering potential cost savings.