Gaseous Suppression
THE CHALLENGE
No.1 Tanfield House, Edinburgh
No. 1 Tanfield House is an attractive, ultra-modern office facility and, amongst others, is home to two businesses operating in the e-commerce sector and active in a globally connected ethernet world that mandates business continuity and safeguards for vital electronic equipment. Craneware and Dell are located on the 2nd and 1st floor levels respectively and gaining access to these offices with fire suppression system equipment played a part in the decision making process.
THE SOLUTION
FM-200® was ultimately chosen by both companies . FM-200® would offer benefits such as speed of suppression, cylinder footprint and safety. Stored as a liquid rather than a gas, it requires less storage containers than inert gas systems and moving containers during periodic testing was a major consideration. Where business continuity is important in electronic environments, gaseous agents are usually the preferred choice.
THE CHALLENGE
The Roslin Institute at the University of Edinburgh
The Roslin Institute is a Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) National Institute. In March 2011, the Roslin Institute moved to a new £60 million state-of-the-art building located on the University of Edinburgh’s Easter Bush campus. Vipond were called in to provide proposals for protecting the computer server rooms on the Ground Floor and Level Three of the new building. These facilities are dependent on secure computer services and if these services were interrupted due to an outbreak of fire the direct consequences could be immeasurable.
THE SOLUTION
Within the new building two computer server rooms would be built, one on the ground floor and the other on level three. These would demand automatic fixed firefighting systems which would not interfere with the data processing if a fire occurred. Due to the nature of the electronic areas to be protected, a high hazard design concentration would be required in accordance with BS EN15004. An IG-55 gaseous fire suppression system was selected for each room. IG-555 is an equal blend of Nitrogen and Argon, both naturally occurring gases, ensuring that this system has essentially no effect on the environment.
THE CHALLENGE
Tovi Eco Park
Tovi Eco Park is part of a 28 year contract awarded to Urbaser Balfour Beatty by both Essex County Council and Southend-on-Sea Borough Council, to manage waste from households across Essex and Southend. The mechanical biological treatment (MBT) facility will treat all residual waste as well as complementing existing recycling and composting services within the region. The client required the contracts to be compliant with industry specific guidance, including Property Damage Fire Prevention for Energy from Waste Plants.
THE SOLUTION
Vipond’s systems design department closely tracked those requirements during the design process to provide the solutions demanded by the client. The scope of works extended to a wide range of fire suppression systems throughout including an automatic fire sprinkler system in accordance with BS EN12845, gaseous fire extinguishing systems to BS EN15004, water spray systems and the provision of water cannon to protect deep bunkers. Sprinklers.
Sprinklers
The scope afforded property protection with 6 installations covering over 12 distinct areas throughout the facility. With the exception of the car park these systems were almost entirely to High Hazard category.
IG55 Gas Suppression
Automatic/manual IG55 systems were installed within the Generator room, Transformer room and Electrical Switchrooms. The 300 bar systems are designed deliver a uniform concentration of extinguishing agent throughout the protected areas within 1 minute in accordance with BS EN15004.
Water Cannon
Water cannon and hydrant supply were facilitated by a 45m3 tank with 2 electric Fire Pumps and Jockey pump. The manually operated cannons enable an operator from the security of the control room to direct a water stream at a fire within the bunkers. All in all a comprehensive series of fire protection measures are provided for by a wide range of Vipond suppression systems at Tovi Eco Park. This allows an integrated approach to the fire safety plan and the safety of the premises.
THE CHALLENGE
South Glasgow University Hospital, Glasgow
The new South Glasgow University Hospital opened in May 2015. The 14 floor multiplex has over 1100 adult beds and in excess of 250 beds in the children’s hospital plus state-of-the-art Critical Care, Theatre and Diagnostic Services, 29 theatres and a dedicated helicopter landing pad. Both the Adult and the Children’s hospital each have a computer room. Failure of the equipment in the rooms following a fire could be catastrophic thus they required a comprehensive and sensitive detection and suppression system.
THE SOLUTION
With outline system features established, the decision to use a gas suppression system was finalised. Cost savings in consequential losses made by using clean agent systems would be substantial. The decision now fell to a choice between a halocarbon system such as FM-200® or an Inert gas system. Halocarbon systems are stored as liquids but discharge from the nozzles as a vapour in the same way as Inert gases but the halocarbon systems offer more compact storage for the cylinders and consequently have a smaller storage footprint thus FM-200® was the customer’s system of choice.
THE CHALLENGE
The National Library, Aberystwyth, Wales
The National Library of Wales is a listed library in Aberystwyth. The internal atrium was infilled to create an archive store, the structure of which was a steel frame with concrete floors and block work walls across six levels. The items in storage were of a sensitive nature that would result in huge losses both financially and culturally should it be subject to a fire. Storage would have been paper based literature that would be valuable to the foundation of the library’s history and finances. Fire protection for the area would need to be a system that would limit damage not only from fire, but from the fire protection system itself.
THE SOLUTION
Vipond fire protection provided a bespoke solution that would meet the customers above referenced needs. An Inergen (IG-541) inert gas suppression system was provided. This was a centralised bank of gas suppression cylinders stored on the ground floor which fed, through a selective valve piping network, to each of the six floors. Our design team took time to engineer a solution that would limit storage footprint of cylinders but ensure the efficiency of the system was not compromised, which allowed the system to be zoned per floor via each selector valve. The installation period took place of a period of circa 6-8 weeks including commissioning and installation of the associated detection system that would automatically actuate the gas system on confirmed receipt of a signal showing a fire.
THE CHALLENGE
Museum Collection Centre, Aberdeen
The new Museums Collections Centre has been built in one of Aberdeen’s regeneration areas and will house publicly-owned works of art which are not normally on display in other galleries. Rather than just build a new storage facility the council wanted to create a venue where historical objects and artworks, not on display in other galleries, will continue to be seen by the community.
THE SOLUTION
Protecting sensitive works of art from fire needs careful consideration. A clean fire suppression agent which has a high safety factor and a compact storage footprint in a building already crammed with other building services was needed. Other requirements were approved fire equipment and a third party certificated fire company for design installation and commissioning of the gas suppression systems. With global warming an issue, an important consideration in the decision process was the environment. Sapphire Suppression Systems were proposed for the Centre.