Sprinkler tank refurbishment is the most cost-effective way to deal with a range of common water tank problems. Though not always possible, it is the preferred remedy because refurbishment delivers a long-term solution. If a tank is identified during an independent inspection as suitable for remedial works, this is the
A pioneering project to install lifesaving sprinklers and ground source heat to 364 flats in Sunderland has launched, involving what is thought to be the largest gas replacement in high rise tower blocks in the UK. The project, named ‘Core 364’, is being delivered by Sunderland-based housing association, Gentoo, with
The recent destruction of a state-of-the-art warehouse highlighted the issue of fire safety within highly automated buildings. The growth of e-commerce is impacting the global economy and will continue to do so as industry 4.0 further develops. Rapid development of delivery hubs to meet consumer needs and the resulting demand
Bull Products, a manufacturer of life-saving fire protection equipment, is enhancing high-rise safety on the Wardian London development, thanks to its Cygnus wireless alarm system. Wardian London is a prestigious residential development in Canary Wharf. Combining modern architecture with innovative landscaping, it sets a new standard for the high-rise living
Alpine Fire Engineers are celebrating a series of recent successes – 36% YOY growth to over £19m, office relocation to accommodate a doubled workforce, and several award nominations in recognition of their impressive achievements and employee-focused initiatives. Alpine Fire Engineers are specialist providers in Design, Project Management and Maintenance of
A devastating fire at the Beechmere retirement development in Crewe has resulted 150 elderly residents losing their homes as the three storey timber framed building has collapsed. 70 firefighters from Cheshire, Staffordshire, Shropshire and Merseyside worked for more than 12 hours to fight the blaze. Asst Ch Fire Officer, Gus
As the consumer continues to move away from the high street, impacting the UK retail property market, distribution centres are evolving into huge large-volume order fulfilment premises with multi bay racking, mezzanines and narrower isles to utilise every square inch. The warehouse market has doubled in the last 10 years.
Bull Products, a manufacturer of life-saving fire protection equipment, is protecting the construction of one of London’s most prestigious residential developments, No. 1 Palace Street. Due for completion by 2020, the 3,900 sq m luxury apartment development comprises 72 apartments in a six-storey Grade II-listed building. Located opposite Buckingham Palace,
Sherwin-Williams coatings were chosen for the fire protection of steelwork at Tottenham Hotspur’s new showpiece stadium where up to 62,000 fans will be seated for the club’s home games. Having examined the priorities to protect the steel structure in the event of a fire with such large numbers of people
Thousands of fire doors in blocks of flats across Brighton and Hove have failed fire safety tests and will need to be replaced, costing the council over £2.5 million. Dozens of council flats in the area were found to be using fire doors that could not withstand heat for the
Sprinkler tank refurbishment is the most cost-effective way to deal with a range of common water tank problems. Though not always possible, it is the preferred remedy because refurbishment delivers a long-term solution. If a tank is identified during an independent inspection as suitable for remedial works, this is the course of action that should be followed. As well as delivering durable repairs, it will offer cost savings and limit disruption. Many site owners and municipalities don’t recognise the benefits of refurbishing a fire sprinkler tank. Others don’t even know it is possible. They simply assume an old, corroded or leaking LPCB tank has reached the end of its life. While sometimes a tank will need to be replaced, discarding one that can be repaired is bad for the environment and the more expensive option. There are lots of good reasons why refurbishment is the better choice. So, is it worth having your water tank repaired? Water tank refurbishment The fact is that water tank refurbishment is worth it – if your tank is considered a suitable candidate. Not only will it save money, it will ensure a tank carries on storing water for a fire sprinkler system for many years to come. Other benefits include: Deals with the presence of any corrosion Stops water from being wasted Reduces short and medium-term disruption of water supplies to a sprinkler system Negates the need for a tank to be decommission and removed Minimises on-site hassles Keeps insurers happy Many sprinkler tank refurbishment projects are carried out to reduce downtime. Refurbishment is a much quicker process than draining, dismantling and removing an existing tank ahead of the installation of a new one. Concrete, galvanised steel and GRP tanks are routinely refurbished across the UK. Less expensive than the sometimes-complicated removal process, repairs take a fraction of the time. Fire sprinkler tanks suitable for refurbishment may present with any of the following common problems: Weak spots in tank walls Presence of corrosion Blisters of rust inside the tank Leaks Splits If caught in time, all these issues can be effectively remedied with refurbishment. Sprinkler tank refurbishment process The processes involved in sprinkler tank refurbishment mean a tank will have to be drained before work can start. A contractor will always give a clear indication of how long this is likely to take. Once a tank is empty, the repairs can begin. A typical works schedule will include: Closure of the inlet valve Isolation of electrics Pumps tagged Tank draining Installation of ventilation and other safety equipment Removal of sediment with specialist wet vacuums Repair of tank’s internal surfaces Application of surface tolerant coating Once this work has been completed, and following a necessary ‘curing’ period, a tank can be refilled and put back into service. This type of refurbishment is guaranteed to last for a decade by reputable contractors. They will ensure that a project is completed to the very highest standards. In addition, all those working on the project will have the necessary safety training. Always use a contractor accredited by CHAS. This help you save time at the tendering stage and limits the amount of paperwork that will need to be duplicated. Other things to look out for are links to recognised trade associations, such as the British Automatic Fire Sprinkler Association. The last thing you want is an unqualified, unaccredited contractor working on a vital component of your life saving sprinkler system. Extending the life of an LPCB sprinkler tank Because an LPCB sprinkler tank forms an integral part of loss prevention strategies, it makes sense to ensure they are properly maintained. Routine checks can flag up early warning signs and ensure sprinkler tank refurbishment is a viable option. Experts recommend yearly inspections from an independent contractor. As well as helping you to save money, this process is convenient and economical. All inspections below the water line should be carried out with ROV equipment. This will ensure a tank does not have to be drained for the process. A fire sprinkler system will be fully operational throughout. If you are ever approached by an inspection team that wants to drain your tank, call another contractor. It is not necessary and significantly adds to the cost. It also wastes water and time. Importantly, it will knock out your sprinkler system’s water supply. Sprinkler tank refurbishment is a savvy move. If you are told by a qualified expert that your water tank is suitable, get the work done. It will be guaranteed and last for at least a decade. At a time when the risks posed by fire are very rarely out of the headlines, now is the time to act. Ignoring problems can make them worse and significantly add to the final cost of putting things right.
A pioneering project to install lifesaving sprinklers and ground source heat to 364 flats in Sunderland has launched, involving what is thought to be the largest gas replacement in high rise tower blocks in the UK. The project, named ‘Core 364’, is being delivered by Sunderland-based housing association, Gentoo, with its energy and regeneration partner, ENGIE, as part of a £9million investment in the tower blocks. Residents in Gentoo’s seven blocks are set to benefit from significant energy bill savings as a result of uniquely heating both their home and water with renewable heat from the Earth’s core. The move, which aims to maximise the fire safety of these seven tower blocks, will also see upgrades to the fire alarm and smoke detection systems in each of the blocks, as well as the installation of a state of the art sprinkler system. ENGIE will manage all aspects of this project, working in partnership with contractor Kensa Heat Pumps Contracting, to install the new low carbon, high efficiency and cost-effective Ground Source Heat Pump system. Andrew McIntosh, Regional Managing Director at ENGIE, said: “We have a great partnership with Gentoo and are delighted to help bring this innovative and energy efficient solution to all residents involved in this project. Our expertise in wide scale regeneration and energy projects will ensure this project is delivered effectively, providing North Tower residents with a modern heating system and enhanced fire safety features.” Gentoo’s Chief Executive Officer, Nigel Wilson, said: “Gentoo is committed to providing safe and affordable housing for its tenants and I’m delighted to welcome the start of this important work, delivering real savings for our tenants and generating renewable heat for their homes.”
The recent destruction of a state-of-the-art warehouse highlighted the issue of fire safety within highly automated buildings. The growth of e-commerce is impacting the global economy and will continue to do so as industry 4.0 further develops. Rapid development of delivery hubs to meet consumer needs and the resulting demand for prime space has resulted in the need for maximised utilisation of every square foot. Even as distribution centres become regional hubs and move closer to consumers to achieve rapid delivery, they must also have systems for storing, handling and picking to get product out of the door as efficiently as possible. This requires more and more automation, the development of which, will eventually touch every aspect of our lives from autonomous vehicles to advanced storage solutions and robotics. The recent destruction of a state-of-the-art warehouse highlighted the issue of fire safety within highly automated buildings. Whilst an award-winning advanced fire suppression system was in place, it took 200 firefighters and several days of intense fire-fighting efforts to extinguish the blaze. This building was a prototype with over 1100 robots swarming over a 3D frame called the ‘grid’ to locate goods, from tins of baked beans to toilet rolls. Travelling at up to four metres a second, the robots would fulfil a typical consumer order in around five minutes. Whilst the cause is still usunder investigation, early reports suggest that it may have been caused by a malfunctioning robot and the configuration of the high-density rack-ing. This reportedly made accessing and fighting the fire physically challenging. The fire is a red flag indicator that critical life safety and protection systems must keep pace with the development of these highly automated spaces. Sprinkler systems are a highly effective form of fire protection that detect, act and initiate an alarm in response to a fire event. The National Fire Chiefs Council and the National Fire Sprinkler Network worked together to investigate the ‘Efficiency and Effectiveness of Sprinkler Systems’. The findings indicate, that where installed, sprinkler systems operate on 94% of occasions. Furthermore, it is evident that when they do operate, they extinguish or contain the fire on 99% of occasions. There was not a single report of a death in a non-domestic building where sprinklers were recorded as being present and sprinklers could be expected to work. Sprinkler systems have demonstrated their value in protecting life and property in industrial and commercial applications for many years. The importance of fire suppression sprinklers in the new ecommerce world has never been more relevant. Alpine Fire Engineers have been heavily involved supporting the move to these highly automated buildings which is reflected in their impressive year on year growth. Steven Nanda, Alpine’s CEO states, “Alpine continues to be at the forefront of fire suppression design within the distribution, food, manufacturing and pharmaceutical sectors. Using the very latest VR and BIM technology we are leading the way with bespoke solutions designed to deliver optimal performance in the event of an activation. Our collaboration with key designers in the automation world ensures that we are delivering cost effective and operationally efficient systems.” Alpine is an LPC level 4 accredited company which ensures that their clients receive accurate, up to date and invaluable information at whatever stage of the process. The Project Engineering team, who are fully conversant with both LPC BS EN 12845 and FM Global specifications, engage early to support their customers from the initial planning stage right through to interpreting employer’s requirements. They will also comfortably liaise directly with insurers to ensure design standards and specifications are met whilst delivering a cost effective and high-performance solution to mitigate their customers risk In the aforementioned report, ‘Efficiency and Effectiveness of Sprinkler Systems’, it was identified that in the cases where sprinklers system did not operate, there were two main reasons. Firstly, there was a fault in the system which had not been identified/rectified through planned maintenance and secondly, the system was switched off. Accordingly, and as recommended within the LPCB guidelines, it is critically important that the system undergoes a strict regime of planned and preventative maintenance on an ongoing basis by appropriately trained personnel or a certified company. This ensures that the building is adequately safeguarded in the event of a fire hazard, that assets are insured and the system is compliant. Alpine Fire Engineers directly employs a nationwide team of highly trained Service Engineers who will inspect automatic fire suppression systems as part of a planned and preventative maintenance regime, which is vital to ensure deployment and optimal performance when the system is needed Planned maintenance schedules are tailored to the needs of each site ensuring that the requirements of LPCB 1048 guidelines and those of the insurers are met. for more information on Alpine Fire, please visit www.alpinefire.co.uk
Bull Products, a manufacturer of life-saving fire protection equipment, is enhancing high-rise safety on the Wardian London development, thanks to its Cygnus wireless alarm system. Wardian London is a prestigious residential development in Canary Wharf. Combining modern architecture with innovative landscaping, it sets a new standard for the high-rise living experience in the heart of London’s new financial centre. Once complete, it will include two iconic apartment towers with 764 rooms, restaurants, shops and a cinema. In partnership with Wingate Electrical, M&E contractor for Ballymore, Bull has supplied its Cygnus Fire Call Point Alarm System – a range of devices that have been designed to provide temporary fire protection on construction sites. Thanks to the alarm system’s high-strength signal and connectivity, the alarms can communicate despite signal interference and obstacles such as concrete and steel, ensuring workers are notified immediately in an emergency. Bradley Markham, director at Bull Products, says: “Our wireless alarm system is the ideal solution for residential developments such as this as it can be moved around as the site changes or grows, saving time and money. There’s no compromise on site safety as our innovative technology offers maximum protection to workers around the clock. “With high-rise buildings in particular, there is a real need to protect all levels from a fire during construction – the Cygnus system is the ideal solution to provide end-to-end fire safety.” Providing comprehensive fire safety protection through a fully linked network of detectors and call points, wireless fire alarm systems are the most effective and safest solution for construction sites and workers. For more information, please visit www.bullproducts.co.uk or email enquiries@bullproducts.co.uk
Alpine Fire Engineers are celebrating a series of recent successes – 36% YOY growth to over £19m, office relocation to accommodate a doubled workforce, and several award nominations in recognition of their impressive achievements and employee-focused initiatives. Alpine Fire Engineers are specialist providers in Design, Project Management and Maintenance of active fire suppression systems. May 2019, their operations were moved from the village of Littleborough where they employed 30 people, to the new premises in Bury to accommodate the fast growth of their expert team. Now in excess of 60 colleagues, the team includes a number of home-grown talents in both the design and service engineering teams. The move was celebrated in July 2019 when the family-focused business opened its doors to friends and family, revealing their newly refurbished open plan ‘connected’ space where knowledge share and camaraderie is encouraged. Their new location was based on the analysis of all existing employees to minimise any impact on their journeys – an important consideration for a company that values the wellbeing of its employees. Figures for financial year 18/19 show the business has already exceeded growth expectations against their five-year business plan. Steven Nanda, CEO commented: “Alpine has invested heavily in creating a dynamic and progressive environment for all to thrive in readiness for our aspirational growth plans. Whilst we have delivered outstanding financial results our greatest success is the creation of trainee roles and development pathways for all our staff – reconnecting engineering with the young talent of today and embracing the very latest technology in delivering life safety and risk management for our customers…’’ In recognition of the impressive achievements, they have been nominated for local business awards, alongside Steven Nanda being nominated for Transformational Leader and Empowering Potential Leader in the Northern Leadership Awards 2019.
A devastating fire at the Beechmere retirement development in Crewe has resulted 150 elderly residents losing their homes as the three storey timber framed building has collapsed. 70 firefighters from Cheshire, Staffordshire, Shropshire and Merseyside worked for more than 12 hours to fight the blaze. Asst Ch Fire Officer, Gus O’Rourke said he was “extremely shocked” at how quickly the fire had spread and, once everyone was evacuated, crews had worked to protect neighbouring properties. He said a “stay put” policy for residents in the complex was quickly abandoned due to the speed with which the fire spread. The retirement complex contained 132 high quality ‘extra care’ apartments plus a range of facilities. According to the local paper the Crewe Chronicle it boasted containing “the most timber used in any residential development in Europe” “What was significant about this fire was the speed at which it spread, giving residents little time to evacuate”, said Steve Elliott, Chairman of the British Association of Reinforcement. “Following on from the major fire in Barking earlier this year, this latest fire underlines the real dangers of timber frame construction”.
As the consumer continues to move away from the high street, impacting the UK retail property market, distribution centres are evolving into huge large-volume order fulfilment premises with multi bay racking, mezzanines and narrower isles to utilise every square inch. The warehouse market has doubled in the last 10 years. In 2018, the third largest number of warehouse transactions took place with the average new build warehouse now reaching 300,000 square feet. Market specialists are projecting an additional requirement for at least 44million square feet in the UK by 2021**. Alpine Fire Engineers have also experienced growth, in excess of 30% in 2018 as they continue to support the sector and the new challenges that are being presented. The demand and availability in key arterial locations is resulting in ground-breaking thinking to maximise the use of precious land banks held by developers. In a bid to offer new and innovative ways to keep up with increasing delivery volumes in shorter time periods, one provider, Gazeley, is to offer its clients a multi deck, 3-storey warehouse which is the first of its kind. The facility will comprise 426,000 square feet of space over the three levels, allowing for either multiple or single customer occupancy. As buildings become more complex with high density racking and automation the risk for property and life safety due to fire is increased. A mechanical fire suppression system is an active method of protection and is often a requirement of insurers and building control to mitigate that risk. The most commonly used consists of a water supply and pipework distribution system with strategically positioned sprinkler heads. Fire sprinkler systems are extensively used worldwide, with over 40 million sprinkler heads fitted each year. Key industry facts are that there has been no loss of life in a fire where the property has had sprinklers installed and in buildings with 100% protection, 96% of fires were controlled by the sprinklers alone. A sprinkler system can be linked to a fire alarm remaining on standby 24/7 and whilst the reduction of risk is the most compelling factor, insurance premiums can often be dramatically reduced and the loss to trade minimised, even after activation. One system does not suit all types of warehouse; therefore, it is essential to choose the right level of protection such as a roof-only system, in-rack sprinklers or both. It is also imperative that consideration to the ongoing use of the storage facility is thought through to ensure positions of sprinklers and likelihood of changing layouts is planned. In-rack sprinklers systems are most effective when careful thought is given to the goods to be stored, type and size, in addition to the shelving specification to ensure water can pass through if required. Steven Nanda, Alpine’s CEO, states ‘… Alpine work extremely hard to keep pace with our customers. Our latest projects involved extreme height solutions and have demanded that we use the latest in VR and BIM system design technology. This use of technology, ensures we are able to integrate and co-ordinate with other services, reduce on site challenges and deliver on time and to budget for our customers…’ Alpine Fire Engineers have unrivalled experience in the Logistics and Distribution sector delivering highly integrated bespoke fire protection solutions. With regulatory reforms, various insurance requirements, numerous design standards and a constantly evolving service sector it is vital that a project is supported and commissioned by an accredited company. Alpine are an LPC level 4 accredited company which ensures that their clients receive accurate, up-to-date and invaluable information at whatever stage of the process it is required. The Project Engineering team, who are fully conversant with both LPC BS EN 12845 and FM Global specifications, engage early to support their customers from the initial planning stage right through to interpreting employer’s requirements. They will also comfortably liaise directly with insurers to ensure design standards and specifications are met whilst delivering a cost effective and high-performance solution to mitigate their customers risk. As important as the design and commissioning is the ongoing planned maintenance and testing of the system by appropriately trained personnel or certified companies as noted by the LPCB guidelines. Alpine directly employs a nationwide team of highly skilled Service Engineers who will inspect automatic fire suppression systems as part of a planned and preventative maintenance regime, which is vital to ensure deployment and optimal performance when the system is needed. Planned maintenance schedules are tailored to the needs of each site ensuring that the requirements of LPCB 1048 guidelines and those of the insurers are met. Alpine provide specific sprinkler training and awareness courses for employees, delivered at the site where they work, with programmes to suit each business and complement our planned maintenance products. For more information on our design, project management and aftercare solutions please contact Louise Plant on 0161 791 4500, or l.plant@alpinefire.co.uk or visit www.alpinefire.co.uk
Bull Products, a manufacturer of life-saving fire protection equipment, is protecting the construction of one of London’s most prestigious residential developments, No. 1 Palace Street. Due for completion by 2020, the 3,900 sq m luxury apartment development comprises 72 apartments in a six-storey Grade II-listed building. Located opposite Buckingham Palace, this development will be the only residential building to directly overlook the Palace gardens. The full residential scheme involves the refurbishment of the existing Grade II listed building, construction behind the retained facades as well as the build of a four-storey basement offering additional luxury facilities. Bull Products has supplied its Cygnus Wireless Alarm System combined with its 3G Auto Dialler for heightened out of hours protection. The Auto Dialler ensures that the site manager is notified if an activation or intrusion has occurred onsite. It allows the user to identify the cause of the alarm, whether it be a fire, first aid or intrusion emergency to ensure a quick response. A major innovation in wireless emergency fire, first aid and intruder alarms for construction sites, the Cygnus alarm is the most successful and adaptable system on the market. Bull has also supplied its Fire First Responder Stations – a fully customisable and central point for all fire safety equipment including fire alarms, extinguishers and signage. Bradley Markham, Director at Bull Products, says: “Our proven ability to protect listed buildings and construction environments in busy city centres means we are well suited to protecting this prestigious development. Given the high-profile location near Buckingham Palace, No. 1 Palace Street required superior security and fire protection which our Cygnus alarms and Auto Dialler have provided.” For more information, please visit www.bullproducts.co.uk
Sherwin-Williams coatings were chosen for the fire protection of steelwork at Tottenham Hotspur’s new showpiece stadium where up to 62,000 fans will be seated for the club’s home games. Having examined the priorities to protect the steel structure in the event of a fire with such large numbers of people moving about, Sherwin-Williams experts selected FIRETEX C69 Epoxy blast primer, followed by FIRETEX FX2003 solvent-based intumescent coating with a top coat of Acrolon C237 acrylic urethane sheen finish. The Sherwin-Williams Macropoxy C123 coating was used for the surface below the second synthetic pitch, achieving low curing down to 5°C. The coating is easy to apply by airless spray; compatible with a wide range of Macropoxy, zinc clad epoxy primers and build coats; and compliant with Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) standards. Steel fabricator for the project was Severfield. “This project demanded the highest specification standards for stadia using only the best products. We’re proud to have been involved to ensure only the highest levels of fire protection measures are in place where the lives of people and the safety of property are at stake,” said Mark Lockhart, Sherwin-Williams UK Sales Manager. Macropoxy C400V3 epoxy zinc phosphate coating was selected and applied after blast cleaning of the terrace steelwork, a system suitable for the protection of steelwork in a range of exposure environments from C1 to C5 as defined in ISO12944, including buildings, car parks, petrochemical plants, breweries and power stations. Projects using fire and corrosion protection coatings delivered by Sherwin-Williams across EMEAI include London’s The Shard, Azerbaijan’s Flame Towers and the Leadenhall Building, known as The Cheesegrater. For more information see the Sherwin-Williams website.
Thousands of fire doors in blocks of flats across Brighton and Hove have failed fire safety tests and will need to be replaced, costing the council over £2.5 million. Dozens of council flats in the area were found to be using fire doors that could not withstand heat for the required 30 minutes. The doors in question are all at least 10 years old and were made by a company called Masterdor, which recently went bust. In high-rise blocks, the total number of faulty fire doors reached 1585 and there were 669 noted in ‘other flats.’ Councillor John Allcock, the new chair of the council’s Housing and New Homes Committee, said: “We have been in constant contact with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government since they told us that Masterdor fire doors failed the 30-minute fire resistance standard in their tests. “We want to reassure residents that our highest priority is their safety.” The council are working with the East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service to reviewing their fire safety practices. John Allcock continued, “The advice we’ve been given on these fire doors is that the risk to public safety remains low as a building’s fire protection uses a range of measures and a failure of one should not significantly change the overall safety. “We’ve carried out additional fire risk assessments on the high-rise buildings where these doors are fitted to look specifically at the potential impacts of the doors failing within 30 minutes and the assessments confirm that the risk remains low.” Original SourceBrighton and Hove News
