Brymec has supplied the cast iron drainage package for White City Living Phase 4, a 28-storey residential development in west London. Amendments to Approved Document B, coming into force this September, are prompting a wider reassessment of material selection on high-rise residential schemes. Non-combustible performance is now a specification requirement
Bournemouth and Poole College, the largest provider of further education and apprenticeships in the Dorset area, has installed Hochiki’s ESP addressable fire detection range across its four-storey site, protecting a diverse mix of teaching environments including IT suites, kitchens, workshops and engineering bays. The installation was specified and delivered by
Ten years after launching its pioneering “Inspector” app, Siderise has unveiled the next generation of this digital tool. Named “Siderise Inspection App,” it has been developed to help installers verify the quality of passive fire protection and acoustic installations, maintain robust records of competency and meet their obligations under the
Fred Nicholson School in Norfolk serves 162 pupils, all of whom have Education, Health and Care Plans identifying learning difficulties and associated complex needs. A number of pupils receive specialist Autistic Spectrum Condition (ASC) provision. The school operates a personalised curriculum with high staff-to-pupil ratios, and also provides residential accommodation
FireAngel announces new Spec+ range incorporating a complete portfolio of domestic safety solutions, including multi-sensor and single-sensor smoke, heat and carbon monoxide alarms. FireAngel has announced the launch of its brand-new Spec+ range, an evolved solutions offering of mains-powered fire and domestic safety alarms designed to support professional installations, improve
By Tom Roche, Secretary of the Business Sprinkler Alliance Twenty years ago, a piece of regulatory guidance quietly set a ceiling, quite literally, on what a warehouse could be without sprinklers. That 18 metre height limit in Approved Document B was, at the time, an outer boundary to signal a
Siderise has launched its new PC-FS Firestop and PC-CB Cavity Barrier product range – a passive fire protection package developed specifically for precast concrete cladding systems. Siderise previously supported precast concrete façade applications with its CW-FS Firestop, delivering a fully compliant solution. However, due to growing demand for these durable
Siemens Smart Infrastructure today unveiled its new Cerberus Nova fire detector portfolio, set to transform traditional fire safety into a proactive, smart, and connected approach, part of the foundation of technologies that pave the way toward autonomous buildings. The new portfolio enhances operational safety, streamlines service team efficiency, allows for
Updated certification positions Sertus smoke control damper among the few solutions able to meet the full performance intent of the latest residential fire safety standard. The updated certification for the SLD smoke control damper, aligns the product with the performance expectations set out in the newly revised BS 9991:2024 standard. When
A bespoke Hochiki Europe fire detection solution has been installed at Willis Aviation Services Limited’s extensive maintenance base at Teesside International Airport, setting a new benchmark for safety across specialist aviation environments. Spanning 45,000 m² of hangars, workshops and office space, Hangars 7 and 8 house multifunctional facilities where engineers
Brymec has supplied the cast iron drainage package for White City Living Phase 4, a 28-storey residential development in west London. Amendments to Approved Document B, coming into force this September, are prompting a wider reassessment of material selection on high-rise residential schemes. Non-combustible performance is now a specification requirement at every stage of design, including drainage. At 28 storeys, White City Living Phase 4 falls within scope. The project is being developed by St. James Group, part of Berkeley Group. The scheme comprises 503 apartments across three residential blocks, with completion expected in December 2027. Berkeley Group PLC is the main contractor and A&J Ryan Mechanical Services Ltd is the MEP contractor. Cast iron drainage was specified for its fire performance, durability, acoustic properties and long operational lifespan. Brymec’s system is rated non-combustible and achieved an A1 fire classification when tested to BS EN 13501-1 as a system. Brymec was subsequently appointed to manufacture, supply, and deliver the cast-iron drainage package, following a technical submittal process. Installation began in December 2025, with Brymec supplying 642 metres of cast iron pipe to site across more than 30 deliveries to date. Once installation was complete, Brymec’s Specification Director inspected the work on site and provided A&J Ryan with a formal quality assurance report for Berkeley Group. Jeremy Douglas, Specification Director at Brymec, said: “On a building of this height, the drainage system has to perform as one certified system, not a collection of individually tested components. Cast iron’s A1 fire rating and its acoustic and durability credentials made it the right specification for White City Living. We documented the technical case from the design stage, so the project team had the assurance they needed throughout.” Gary Thorp, Projects Manager, A&J Ryan Mechanical Services Ltd, said: “Berkeley Group’s standards on this development are exceptionally high, which demands the same standard from every supply chain partner involved. Brymec provided a well-supported technical solution from the outset and has delivered consistently throughout the project.” For more information, please visit Brymec. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Bournemouth and Poole College, the largest provider of further education and apprenticeships in the Dorset area, has installed Hochiki’s ESP addressable fire detection range across its four-storey site, protecting a diverse mix of teaching environments including IT suites, kitchens, workshops and engineering bays. The installation was specified and delivered by SFA Fire and Security, working closely with the college to design a system capable of handling the varied fire risks found across further education provision. Subjects such as catering, automotive maintenance, construction and engineering carry a higher risk of nuisance alarms from dust and fumes, while IT and digital media spaces rely heavily on electrical equipment. A tailored approach was needed to protect the site without interrupting learning. ESP’s common mounting base allowed SFA’s installers to work through the site using a single standard base across most devices, reducing the range of parts held on site and helping installation stay on schedule despite the complexity of the building. In kitchens and workshops, LPCB and VdS approved heat sensors were used to distinguish genuine fire risk from cooking activity and dust, reducing false alarms and protecting valuable teaching time. ESP’s textual identifier gives staff the exact location of an activated device, supporting fast and accurate evacuation decisions in a large site with high footfall. Wall-mounted VADs, certified to EN 54-23, added audio and visual alerts throughout the college, ensuring alarms reach staff and students regardless of location or impairment. Where cabling access was limited by drop beams, wireless technology was integrated onto the ESP loop, avoiding extensive drilling and preserving the building’s original structure. Naomi Fell, Projects Director at SFA Fire and Security, said: “This project presented numerous challenges due to the complexity of each room and storey within the college. Our extensive experience with Hochiki’s products, combined with the consistently positive feedback from our end-users, made Hochiki the clear choice for this project. We met the college’s stringent deadlines with minimal disruption to teaching and learning.” Ryan Baulcomb, Regional Sales Manager at Hochiki, added: “Hochiki and SFA have a strong, long-term partnership, built on years of successful projects together. This installation shows what that partnership can deliver on a genuinely complex site. We’re proud that our products continue to give installers and end-users the reliability and support they expect.” Bournemouth and Poole College now benefit from a fire detection system tailored to the specific demands of each corridor, room and storey across the site, with the flexibility to adapt as the college continues to grow. Learn how Hochiki products could help protect your educational building. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Ten years after launching its pioneering “Inspector” app, Siderise has unveiled the next generation of this digital tool. Named “Siderise Inspection App,” it has been developed to help installers verify the quality of passive fire protection and acoustic installations, maintain robust records of competency and meet their obligations under the Building Safety Act. Gateway 3 requires contractors to demonstrate that they have carried out installations competently and in accordance with the plans, specifications and documents approved at Gateway 2. In practice, this means embedding evidence-gathering into the construction process from the outset. The Siderise Inspection App enables users to document installations in real time using mobile devices. Captured photographs and key project data are then compiled into structured reports that are reviewed by Siderise’s technical team, to confirm alignment with manufacturer installation guidelines. This not only reduces the time spent waiting for in-person inspectors but also ensures any remedial actions are identified early in the construction process, preventing issues either being missed or repeated across multiple areas of the project. The reports can also be incorporated as part of the Golden Thread of information and as evidence of installations being carried out in accordance with manufacturer guidance, as required in Gateway 3 compliance reports. “Before developing the Siderise Inspection App, we undertook a comprehensive research programme to better understand the challenges our customers face on site every day,” explained Lee Nichols, Technical Director at Siderise Group. “Those insights have directly influenced its functionality, creating a truly unique tool that is not only easier to use in busy site environments, but also integrates seamlessly with wider project documentation and workflows. “All interactions with Siderise through the new App now feed directly into our wider project management system, enabling us to generate comprehensive reports where required and identify customer-specific trends, such as recurring installation issues. This allows us to take a more proactive approach to support, whether through targeted training, additional site inspections or provide feedback to the Principal Contractor about installation team competency. Available to download for free from Google Play and Apple App Stores, The Siderise Inspection App is part of the technical support ‘wrapper’ that surrounds the manufacturers’ highly tested product ranges, including technical advice, in-person inspection services, product, application and installation training, benchmark installations and more. This holistic support makes it easier for all Siderise customers to demonstrate their competence and assist them in delivering high-quality outcomes at every project stage and Gateway. For more information, visit Fire safety – Inspection app | Siderise or email app.support@siderise.com Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Fred Nicholson School in Norfolk serves 162 pupils, all of whom have Education, Health and Care Plans identifying learning difficulties and associated complex needs. A number of pupils receive specialist Autistic Spectrum Condition (ASC) provision. The school operates a personalised curriculum with high staff-to-pupil ratios, and also provides residential accommodation to support the development of independent living skills. That residential function is what makes this project specification particularly instructive. A single site was required to meet two different levels of fire detection coverage: L2 across the general school estate, and full L1 coverage in the dormitory accommodation, where automatic detection is required across all areas including roof spaces and voids. The L1 requirement places the residential element in the same category as hotels and healthcare buildings: any system design had to reflect that distinction clearly across a unified installation. Addressing the full site with a single specification TP Fire & Security was appointed to design and deliver the upgrade, replacing an existing conventional two-wire system with a modern addressable life safety installation. Hochiki’s ESP addressable range was specified throughout, providing high-performance sensors, input and output modules, and ancillary devices calibrated to the coverage requirements of each zone. The school’s mobile and outdoor teaching provision presented a separate challenge. Extending the addressable system to those spaces without structural cable runs required a wireless solution, and a hybrid-wireless element was incorporated to interface with the main addressable system via a loop-powered translator module. This allowed the detection coverage to follow the teaching activity rather than being constrained by fixed building infrastructure. Minimising disruption in a sensitive environment For any occupied school, installation disruption is a practical constraint. For a school with a high proportion of pupils with ASC, it is a clinical one. Unnecessary noise, unfamiliar activity, or physical disruption to the building environment can cause genuine distress to pupils. The specification had to account for that from the outset. Kevin Harris, Technical Design Manager at TP Fire & Security, explains what shaped the product choice: “A big plus with Hochiki products is how simple they are to install. It’s why they’ve become our go-to supplier for the past 20 years. Many other manufacturers only offer hardwire solutions, and for locations such as schools and care homes, keeping the installation simple and reducing on-site time is a huge win as this helps ultimately to reduce the disruption to both staff, and the day-to-day occupants.” The ease of installation across the ESP range allowed the team to work efficiently across a complex, occupied site without extended periods of intrusive activity. The Fred Nicholson School project illustrates how a carefully specified addressable system can address tiered coverage requirements across a single site with distinct occupancy types. Where the main teaching estate required L2 protection, the residential accommodation demanded L1 coverage consistent with hotel and healthcare standards. Wireless capability extended the system to mobile and outdoor teaching spaces without structural disruption. The result was a compliant, site-wide life safety installation completed with minimal impact on a vulnerable pupil population. Explore the ESP addressable range, including product datasheets and technical documentation. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
FireAngel announces new Spec+ range incorporating a complete portfolio of domestic safety solutions, including multi-sensor and single-sensor smoke, heat and carbon monoxide alarms. FireAngel has announced the launch of its brand-new Spec+ range, an evolved solutions offering of mains-powered fire and domestic safety alarms designed to support professional installations, improve ease of replacement, and to keep more people safe in their homes today and in the future. Classified as Grade D1 alarms in line with BS 5839-6, the range comes with a 10-year sealed rechargeable lithium backup battery, making them suitable for most residential applications under current legislation and standards. Domestic safety solutions for evolving needs Developed for the UK professional market, the Spec+ range brings together smoke, heat, carbon monoxide and multi-sensor protection in a flexible new product family, with anticipated changes to legislation and consumer habits considered in its development. It includes dedicated smoke and heat alarms, as well as multi-sensor alarms offering smoke, heat and CO detection in a single device. Designed with professional installers, landlords, housebuilders and housing providers in mind, the new Spec+ products ensure long-life performance and interconnection capability, and a practical base plate design to make installation and replacement as straightforward as possible. The smoke alarms combine Thermoptek™ and UltraSense™ technology, which work in parallel to improve response to fire risk whilst reducing ‘nuisance alarms’ due to lifestyle factors and contaminants. Improving on previous products, Spec+ incorporates bug mesh and dust compensation components to increase device longevity and minimise interference or contamination which can cause false alarms. The alarms have built-in Bluetooth (BLE) as standard, supporting the optional interlinking of up to 50 Spec+ devices either wirelessly, via hardwired connection or a mix of the two, without the need for additional costly modules. Standards, testing and certification for domestic safety solutions All core alarms in the Spec+ range are designed for a 10-year lifespan and come with a leading 10-year warranty, providing peace of mind for residents. Smoke, heat and carbon monoxide alarms typically have a 10-year working life and despite often functioning beyond this, FireAngel advises all alarms should be replaced after 10 years to ensure continued protection. Nick Rutter, Chief Executive Officer at FireAngel, said: “Our new Spec+ range represents a significant product portfolio for FireAngel that will enable a step-change for the future of domestic safety. Spec+ has been designed around real installation needs, quality-first design principles and trusted protection for residents.” “The launch comes at an important time for the fire safety sector, where innovation and healthy marketplace competition are essential to continuously improving protection in homes across the UK. FireAngel believes that bringing new products to market plays a vital role in giving specifiers, contractors and housing providers greater choice, while ensuring safety-critical technology continues to evolve.” The Spec+ range includes: Find out more about FireAngel professional services and the Spec+ range: https://www.fireangel.co.uk/specplus Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
By Tom Roche, Secretary of the Business Sprinkler Alliance Twenty years ago, a piece of regulatory guidance quietly set a ceiling, quite literally, on what a warehouse could be without sprinklers. That 18 metre height limit in Approved Document B was, at the time, an outer boundary to signal a building that was going taller than perhaps the norm. Two decades on, warehouses look very different. The question is whether our thinking about protecting them has kept pace. I wrote recently about the sky’s the limit mentality driving speculative warehouse development. Buildings pushing past 18 metres that are designed apparently without full awareness of what the regulatory guidance requires and what fire protection can actually deliver at those heights. But height alone is not the whole story. The warehouses being built and occupied today present a more challenging fire risk than those the guidance was written for, and it is time the industry faced that honestly. The fuel load alone tells a story in itself. Modern logistics is driven by density. Automated storage and retrieval systems, multi-level mezzanines, and high-bay racking have transformed what sits inside these buildings. Where a warehouse twenty years ago might have held palletised goods with some degree of spacing and emerging plastics, today’s equivalent is a tightly packed, vertically stacked environment designed for maximum efficiency. Some systems extract every cubic metre of value from the building envelope. More goods are stored higher and closer together creating a predominance of plastic items and containers. The fire load has grown substantially, and with it, the potential rate of heat release in a fire. Electrical complexity Then there is the question of ignition sources. Where 20 years ago we were seeking to keep electrical installations out of the storage array. The electrification of the internal logistics environment has accelerated sharply in another direction. Automated guided vehicles, battery-charging infrastructure, conveyor systems and increasingly sophisticated control electronics are now embedded throughout the storage array itself, not just in ancillary areas. Each represents a potential ignition source, and unlike a forklift in an open aisle, many of these systems operate in and around the racking, in close proximity to the very commodity they are supposed to move efficiently. The electrical complexity inside a modern warehouse bears little resemblance to the relatively simple environments that informed earlier thinking on fire risk. Multi-level working adds another dimension. Intermediate floors and mezzanine structures, increasingly common as operators seek to maximise usable floorspace, create environments where fire behaviour becomes harder to predict and harder to suppress. Sprinkler design standards have kept pace with these configurations and the installations are complex. The result is a growing number of buildings where the occupier’s aspirations for how the space will function, and the technical capability of available fire protection systems need careful coordination otherwise they will be moving in opposite directions. A similar lesson It is worth recalling the lessons being learned, somewhat painfully, in the car park sector. Research commissioned by the Health and Safety Executive1 and incidents such as the Addenbrooke Hospital car park fire have confirmed that modern car park fires behave very differently from those the existing regulatory guidance was written for. Higher vehicle fire loads, greater parking density and the growing presence of electric vehicles have changed the risk profile significantly. The conclusion being drawn in that sector, that regulations built on historic assumptions are no longer sufficient, applies equally here. Warehouses twenty years on are not the warehouses the guidance was designed for. The fuel loads are heavier, the ignition sources more numerous, the configurations more complex. The industry needs to acknowledge that compliance with historic guidance is a floor, not a ceiling, and that the fire protection challenge has changed. Running out of road in silence is not an option. For more information about the Business Sprinkler Alliance visit www.business-sprinkler-alliance.org Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Siderise has launched its new PC-FS Firestop and PC-CB Cavity Barrier product range – a passive fire protection package developed specifically for precast concrete cladding systems. Siderise previously supported precast concrete façade applications with its CW-FS Firestop, delivering a fully compliant solution. However, due to growing demand for these durable and efficient-to-build external wall systems, Siderise reapproached this application to develop a dedicated solution that has been comprehensively tested, whilst addressing the practical challenges associated with these systems, such as tight tolerances, limited access, complex interfaces and construction sequencing. The stone wool Lamella core provides built-in compression and, alongside a bracket-free fix for narrow voids, contributes to faster installation times compared to less compressible barriers. PC-FS Firestop and PC-CB Cavity Barrier can also be fit from above or below the slab — making them ideal where topside access is restricted, or when sequencing requires alternative installation approaches. Both products are tested to EN 1366-4 (Resistance to fire) and EN 13501-1 (Reaction to fire) standards, with supplementary fire test evidence for precast concrete panel bracket penetration, end of flexible wall configuration, and firestop bracket securement to the underside of the slab edge to support a wider range of project conditions. The firestopping products, PC-FS60 and PC-FS120, offer third-party certified 1 and 2 hours of fire resistance, respectively, with the cavity barrier, PC-CB30, offering 30 minutes. As with all Siderise solutions, PC-FS Firestop and PC-CB Cavity Barrier are supported with comprehensive technical services and a suite of resources to assist with the specification process, including a specification pack containing all necessary technical information, and guidance on joints and complex details, such as blade column interfaces and other challenging geometries. Enquire today about the range and how it can benefit your project enquiries@siderise.com For more information about Siderise, visit siderise.com Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Siemens Smart Infrastructure today unveiled its new Cerberus Nova fire detector portfolio, set to transform traditional fire safety into a proactive, smart, and connected approach, part of the foundation of technologies that pave the way toward autonomous buildings. The new portfolio enhances operational safety, streamlines service team efficiency, allows for ease of system upgrades, and unlocks data-driven digital services through its cloud-connectivity. With their advanced technology, these systems are designed to meet various needs across industries such as healthcare, higher education, data centres and commercial real estate. In healthcare facilities, where patient safety and operational efficiency are both essential, Siemens new fire detectors ensure performance with continuous, autonomous detection. The automated Disturbance-Free Testing (DFT) technology runs self-checks around the clock, reducing systems’ potential downtime. With support of the Smoke Entry Supervision (SES) technology, which monitors smoke entry points in real time, safety teams can intervene immediately before risks escalate. Additionally, the ASAplus technology, incorporating multi-wavelength optical and dual thermal detection, minimises false alarms – decreasing unnecessary evacuations. The fully IoT-enabled detectors are compatible with cloud-based applications, such as Siemens Building X Fire Apps. These capabilities provide facility teams and service providers with shared, actionable data insights and allow for real-time monitoring, remote diagnostics, and predictive maintenance. Data centres’ high density of electrical systems and the need for continuous operations create unique fire safety risks, including overheating and electrical failures. Siemens Cerberus Nova detectors not only help maximise uptime of critical IT and electrical infrastructure, but also provide transparency on system conditions. Automated self-checks, cloud-based monitoring, and predictive maintenance allow facility teams to respond quickly and proactively, reducing disruptions and protecting these critical assets efficiently. Other industries, such as higher education and commercial real estate, often operate multiple, widely distributed buildings, making centralised fire safety management essential. Siemens Cerberus Nova detectors help facility teams maintain consistent protection standards across all sites by providing continuous monitoring, reducing the risk of unnecessary disruptions, and supporting proactive maintenance. This holistic approach provides an oversight of widely dispersed facilities and ensures reliable and resilient operations across the entire building portfolio. “The launch of our Cerberus Nova fire detection portfolio is a game-changer in ensuring all alarms are accurate. By moving from periodic checks to continuous, data-driven, self-supervising systems, we’re laying the foundation for truly human-centric, autonomous buildings. By automating testing, delivering real-time insights, and enabling remote action, these solutions protect people while freeing up staff to focus on strategic priorities. This shift isn’t just about innovation – it’s about smarter, safer, and more efficient operations,” said Peter Nebiker, Head of Fire Safety at Siemens Smart Infrastructure Buildings. No matter the industry, the best-in-class Siemens Cerberus Nova detectors represent a transformative approach to fire safety. They allow for stepwise upgrades while ensuring continuous protection, making them suitable for both green- and brownfield projects. Existing fire panels remain compatible, eliminating the need for a rip-and-replace approach. By allowing for plug-and-play integration including automatic transfers of configured settings, these systems offer seamless modernisation while reducing installation time and risk. Carrying an environmental product performance label – Siemens EcoTech – for enhanced sustainability transparency, the detectors are not only made of recycled plastics, but also promote environmentally responsible design, resource efficiency, and circular economy principles. The Cerberus Nova fire detectors are part of the Siemens Xcelerator portfolio, an open digital business platform that enables customers to accelerate their digital transformation easier, faster and at scale. The offering has been developed in Switzerland, where it is also being produced. For more information on the new Cerberus Nova fire detection portfolio, please see https://www.siemens.com/en-us/products/fire-detection/cerberus-nova-fire-detectors/ For more information on Siemens Smart Infrastructure, please see https://www.siemens.com/global/en/company/about/businesses/smart-infrastructure.html Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Updated certification positions Sertus smoke control damper among the few solutions able to meet the full performance intent of the latest residential fire safety standard. The updated certification for the SLD smoke control damper, aligns the product with the performance expectations set out in the newly revised BS 9991:2024 standard. When the changes to BS 9991:2024 were introduced, the SLD product underwent additional fire and performance testing, without making any design modifications. The result: the SLD successfully met the enhanced performance requirements demanded by the updated standard. This is critical for both new and existing projects. For customers, consultants and contractors who have already specified or installed the Sertus SLD, this updated certification provides reassurance that those installations remain compliant with BS 9991:2024. In short, no redesign, no replacement, no uncertainty – just verified performance aligned with current guidance. Richard White, Commercial Director at Sertus, said: “The update to BS 9991 is a significant moment for the smoke control sector. For the first time the standard clearly sets out how smoke control dampers should perform within a system. Our updated certification shows that the Sertus SLD fully aligns with these requirements, giving consultants and contractors confidence they are specifying a solution that meets the intent of the new guidance.” What’s changed and why it matters BS 9991:2024 reinforces and clarifies the requirements set out in Section F.5.5, removing ambiguity around how smoke control dampers should be tested, classified and specified within a system. While the principles have always existed, the updated standard is more explicit, closing potential loopholes and reducing the risk of non-compliant interpretations. Dampers are no longer treated as simple components – they are now expected to perform to the same standard as the fire-resisting elements they sit within, including compartment walls and smoke control ductwork. To meet the intent of the standard, dampers must now demonstrate: All verified against recognised European standards including BS EN 12101-8, BS EN 1366-10 and EN 13501-4. Steve Knight, Technical Director at Sertus, said: “The key change is that dampers must now demonstrate performance across several classifications, including fire resistance, leakage and operational durability.” “Achieving EI120, S1000 and C10,000 – while also proving performance from both fire directions – is technically demanding. Our updated certification confirms that the SLD has been tested and classified to meet these expectations.” Fire resistance – What it actually means Fire resistance is not a vague “fire rated” label – it is a measured, classified performance. In line with guidance from the Association for Specialist Fire Protection (ASFP) and industry bodies such as ADB (Approved Document B), fire resistance is defined using three key criteria: Meeting all three of these criteria is critical for any passive fire safety product – including smoke control dampers. BS 9991 reinforces the importance of maintaining the fire performance of the compartmentation into which products are installed. Dampers must not weaken this barrier – they must preserve it. In reality, fire is an unpredictable, dynamic event. While modelling plays a role in system design, relying solely on theoretical scenarios to justify reduced performance introduces risk. The updated BS 9991 guidance helps remove this ambiguity, making expectations around product classification clearer and more robust. Put simply, if a damper does not achieve an appropriate EI classification, it risks compromising the fire-resisting performance of the compartment it is installed within. A clear message to the industry: Know what to look for It’s important to recognise that not all dampers on the market are currently able to demonstrate compliance with these requirements. If you are reviewing products for Gateway submissions, technical documentation or compliance checks, these are the classifications you should be actively looking for: If a manufacturer cannot clearly demonstrate all of the above with test evidence and classification reports, then the product is unlikely to meet the intent of BS 9991:2024. For installers and contractors, the benefit is straightforward: a clearly tested, fully classified solution that simplifies compliance. For building owners and asset managers, it delivers something even more important – confidence that both new and existing installations are aligned with current fire safety expectations. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
A bespoke Hochiki Europe fire detection solution has been installed at Willis Aviation Services Limited’s extensive maintenance base at Teesside International Airport, setting a new benchmark for safety across specialist aviation environments. Spanning 45,000 m² of hangars, workshops and office space, Hangars 7 and 8 house multifunctional facilities where engineers work with high-value aircraft and potentially flammable materials, a combination that demands uncompromising fire protection. To meet these demands, Willis Aviation partnered with local life-safety specialist Render Alarms to design and install a fully tailored system built around Hochiki’s advanced intelligent detection technology. At the heart of the installation is Hochiki’s ESP intelligent fire detection system, offering open-protocol flexibility and future-proof performance aligned with the forthcoming BS 5839-1 2025 standard. Across office environments, adjustable smoke and heat detectors provide highly reliable detection while helping to reduce unwanted alarms, an essential factor in maintaining operational continuity. In busy workshop areas, wall-mounted sounder beacons deliver clear visual alerts in high-noise conditions, ensuring warnings are both seen and heard. For the expansive and structurally complex hangar voids, Hochiki’s FIRElink aspirating detection system was specified, using laser-based technology to monitor large areas efficiently with enhanced sensitivity and reduced maintenance requirements. Render Alarms’ installation team also utilised specialist design software to optimise the aspirating pipe network around the hangar’s structural framework, ensuring complete coverage and compliance. Luke Render, from Render Alarms, and the lead engineer on the project commented “Hochiki’s bases are a game changer, one base fit all devices. The sensors effortlessly twist-fit onto the bases, which significantly reduced the install and commission time, without compromising quality.” The result is a robust, intelligent fire safety solution that protects people, aircraft and infrastructure, while minimising disruption and supporting long-term operational resilience. As safety standards continue to evolve across aviation and industrial sectors, this project demonstrates how carefully specified, expertly installed detection technology can deliver confidence today and adaptability for tomorrow.Learn more about this story and the ranges featured. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals