"fire protection"

Products used: CW-FS | Perimeter Barriers and Firestops for Curtain WallingWhen it came to providing a proven range of fire protection solutions for a revitalised building in London highlighted by a sweeping and technically ambitious curved façade, Siderise was able to meet the challenge with its CW-FS curtain wall fire stop system.

The distinctive, semi-elliptical shape of the new 90m high glass and steel office building at 70 St Mary Axe in London required proven passive fire protection and acoustic solutions that could fit with the unique curved frame. Leading manufacturer of fire, acoustic and thermal insulation products, Siderise, met the challenge.

The Redmonds Building provides the university with a state-of-the-art home for the Faculty of Business and Law, the Liverpool Screen School and the university’s new Professional Centre. The work is taking places in phases over a two-year period and will replace the cladding on the outside of the building. The external works are scheduled to be completed in summer 2021. Fire protection is a main concern for this project and Effisus Breather FR, a fire-resistant breathable membrane, was the chosen membrane for protection of the new façade against moisture, driving rain and wind.

The SYSTEMGLAS® fire resistant, butt-jointed glazing system range from Promat has been expanded with a host of new configurations and additional performance capabilities to meet the growing demand from architects for assured fire protection. Detailed in the new 2019 SYSTEMGLAS® Specifiers Guide, the new options supplement an already expansive product range of fire-resistant glazing screens offering protection of between 30 and 120 minutes. The range’s four systems provide framing options in steel, timber and two which utilise the fire-resistant calcium silicate PROMATECT® H to allow for over-cladding or concealment for a virtually ‘frameless’ effect.

Here East involved the transformation of the former Media Campus.  The team at Laing O’Rourke were tasked with designing the building’s fire protection scheme that also accommodates building movements such as movement between floors and in services.

Following the building expansion of more than 47,000 m2 the grade-II listed Stanford Hall Estate facility required further fire protection measures to be installed in order to reset its resistance to fire. Nullifire were on hand to recommend the use of FB750 Coated Batts, FS702 Water-Based Intumescent Acrylic Sealant, and FS709 Intumescent Sealant. The combination of these products ensures the fire safety of the building.

False fire alarm numbers continue to rise post-pandemic causing major issues for the economy by wasting vital time and resources.The latest Home Office figures from year ending September 2022 reveal fire and rescue services attended 238,885 fire false alarms, the largest total of false fire alarms in over a decade, an increase of 10% compared with the previous year.With an 18% increase from the previous year for malicious false fire alarms, 6,473 false alarms were determined, the number still rising post-COVID.False fire alarms continue to be the largest proportion of incidents attended at 38% and so it is increasingly important to minimise false alarms to ensure both the safety of individuals and the efficient use of emergency services.A teenager was arrested in Aberdeen after setting off fire alarms more than a dozen times, which police investigated as ‘deliberate and malicious’. Firefighters attended calls and wasted time and resources, meaning they could not respond to real emergency calls.False alarms are costly and disruptive, amounting to around £1 billion a year for the UK they often require emergency responders to mobilise and respond to a non-existent emergency, wasting resources and time.False fire alarms can be costly for building owners with fines introduced for repeated false alarms from emergency services, as they may have to attend multiple times, causing a drain on resources that could be better used elsewhere.They can also cause panic and confusion, particularly if they occur frequently, making it harder for people to take the necessary steps to evacuate safely in the event of a real fire. Frequent false alarms can lead to complacency among building occupants, who may not take real fire alarms seriously, potentially putting themselves and others at risk.Firefighters attended false alarms a considerable number of times at Basset Lodge, an independent living facility for many elderly and disabled people. False fire alarms are not only disruptive for staff and residents, but also pose a risk to their safety, and place additional strain on fire and rescue services. These repeated false alarms can lead to complacency in the public, lowering the sense of urgency in real evacuations.Protective covers can help to control the number of accidental and malicious fire alarms, but there are many ways in which you can reduce false alarms, for example regularly checking and testing equipment to ensure it is not faulty is one approach to preventing unnecessary risk for the fire department and public from false alarms.As the original call point cover manufacturer, Safety Technology International manufacture tough covers have been specifically designed to help deter false fire alarms and to prevent malicious or accidental activation of manual call points. The strong, durable construction of our polycarbonate call point protectors means they can withstand the toughest knocks, whilst offering lasting protection against false fire alarms. With various models available in a range of sizes and colours, and multi-language or custom text options, we have covers suitable for most applications or devices. Sounder models help to deter malicious activations with an audible alarm that draws immediate attention to the area. Waterproof models also allow for outside application, protecting devices and manual call points against the ingress of dust or water.

Despite the potentially catastrophic consequences of changing a specification for fire resistant glazing, doors and windows, specifications are still being routinely altered just to save a few pounds or due to a lack of technical understanding, according to leading fire, thermal and acoustic insulation manufacturer Promat UK Promat UK is supporting the market with a campaign to raise awareness of the significant risks of changing even the tiniest detail in the specification of building elements that are designed to protect lives and properties.

To comply with passive fire protection requirements, Nullifire worked with trusted contactor Protek Interiors to install both SC602 Intumescent Base Coat (On-Site) and SC802 Water Based Intumescent Base Coat (On-Site) to this 2500m2 project. The combination of these projects worked well given the challenging circumstances and allowed for Protek Interiors to fully adhere to the fire strategy of the building.

The modern hotel is just one of several new developments being constructed, as the existing town centre is being physically moved and relocated a few miles away.Working with Glasfasader Norr AB, we supplied our Pyroguard Protect toughened fire safety glass throughout the hotel’s internal atrium.

Coopers solution was to install over 100 SmokeStop smoke curtain barriers. Concealed within the ceiling voids of each of the 39 floors, the SmokeStop smoke curtain barriers were developed to deploy in the event of fire, channelling smoke away from occupant and out of the building. This effective strategy for containing and channelling smoke would ensure that Gherkin’s 41 floors were protected from filling with smoke and provide occupants with a safe means of escape.

A programme of works carried out at a Nottinghamshire hospital has seen a number of products from the FIREFLY range employed to upgrade the passive fire protection throughout the roof spaces, with the manufacturer providing site specific design details to assist the highly experienced contractor complete the project on time. DC Fire Protection Ltd., based at Wellingborough in Northamptonshire, works right across the country covering multiple sectors of the construction industry, installing active as well as passive fire protection systems.  For its 10 week contract at the Ashfield Health and Wellbeing Centre at Kirby in Ashfield, the specialist installed dozens of rolls of the Titan Lite™ fire barrier as well as the Apollo Horizontal barrier, Collaroll and two of the 1200 x 600mm FR120 Access Panels to link some of the safety zones being created. Built in 2007, Ashfield Health and Wellbeing Centre is conjoined to the existing Ashfield Community Hospital and offers extended health services to the local community, supplementing the current services by providing purpose-built rehabilitation facilities, physiotherapy, occupational therapy and other community health services.  It also offers consulting rooms, treatment rooms and an activities of daily living suite, rehabilitation and gym areas.A Director of DC Fire Protection, Daniel Mabbott, commented: “We have been dealing with FIREFLY for a number of years, including buying large quantities of the Titan Lite™ and Apollo Lite , which we use for commercial contracts as well as other work.  We often propose the use of FIREFLY systems to clients and in this instance, where we were simply given the performance standard the client required, we proposed the use of Titan Lite plus Apollo Horizontal to upgrade the exiting fire walls which no longer comply with current requirements.” “There were a number of plastic PVC-U soil stacks rising through the roof in what was specified as a Controlled Zone, for which FIREFLY provided us with a bespoke detail to protect them where they passed through the barriers, while we installed a couple of their FR120 Access Panels in addition to the fire doors which we fitted in a number of locations throughout the roof.  The project was completed on time and we have now moved onto another contract where we are again using a number of FIREFLY products.”Third party approved, FIREFY Apollo Horizontal 30:30 provides 30 minutes integrity and insulation to exceed the minimum requirements within the Building Regulations relating to fire barriers.  In common with other FIREFY products, Apollo Horizontal is manufactured using specially treated woven glass fibre fabric, being flexible and lightweight making it easy to install. Specifiers and specialist fire contractors wishing to find more information about the full range of products available from FIREFLY can visit www.tbafirefly.comImages shown are taken during installation and some sections of the installation might be incomplete.

Fully compatible products from the range of TBA FIREFLY™ have been chosen to compartmentalise roof voids between apartments and communal lobbies of a large apartment building in the London Borough of Lewisham, providing 120 minutes fire integrity protection as part of a wide ranging refurbishment programme carried out earlier this year.The contract on Lewisham Homes’ Commodore Court in Albyn Road has been led by the sector specialist construction company, Mulalley & Co. with London/Sevenoaks based CLM Fireproofing carrying out the installation of the TITAN Lite™ 120:60 barrier system, in combination with Collaroll and the use of ancillary products from the FIREFLY™ range.CLM Fireproofing was founded 30 years ago by Clive Miles and has established a reputation as a leader in the fields of both passive fire protection and fire-stopping; working in a variety of sectors on projects right across the UK. A regular user of the FIREFLY™ range, many of its operatives have attended courses at the company’s premises in Rochdale to become trained FIREFLY™ installers.The Site Agent for CLM, Virginijus Pasvenskas, commented: “There was initially an intention to use a mineral wool flexible fire barrier, but the product was not tested for the scenario installed around the services such as a downpipe and it was upgraded to the use of the FIREFLY™ system by the client/project team. The installation of the TITAN Lite™ and the Collaroll to wrap the trusses and the services went very well and, as well as supplying specific details for the work, FIREFLY's technical team came to site to inspect the works. We completed our contract on schedule back in the summer.”TITAN Lite™ 120:60 has been developed for use in vertical separation or compartmentation situations, offering 120 minutes integrity and 60 minutes insulation and is able to be sealed around penetrations. It is widely specified to form fire barriers within roof voids and floor voids in many different property types, including tower blocks and other HMOs.The flexible woven material is easy to cut and fix, and is chemically treated to improve its cooling properties and therefore prevent temperatures rising in adjoining areas. The system has been fully tested to BS 476 Parts 20 & 22 and is third party certified by IFC. The six metre long rolls of TITAN Lite™ 120:60 have a minimum thickness of 6mm and are installed using special staples as well as high temperature adhesive.Employed as part of the FIREFLY™ System and also to wrap the services which penetrate barriers such as PHOENIX, ZEUS Lite™ and APOLLO Lite™, Collaroll comes in a roll which unwraps to 10m long x 300mm wide with a sewn in concertinaed skirt. The skirt can be moulded to shape to seal it neatly to the upright barrier, which is usually at 90 degrees to the Collaroll and fixed into place using the FIREFLY™ high temperature adhesive. The R31 Staple Gun and Staples are used to staple the Collaroll to itself tightly around the penetration.

The $18.8 billion Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge, the longest open-sea fixed link on earth, is now protected by fire panels from from global industry leader, Advanced.A network of 31 Advanced ExGo gas extinguishant control panels were installed as part of the active fire protection protocol for one of South East Asia’s most ambitious infrastructure projects. The Advanced network protects the artificial island gateway in Hong Kong that serves as an entry and exit point for the new 34-mile bridge-tunnel hybrid system, used by over a 15 million people a year.The ExGo panels were selected to protect critical server rooms in 10 different structures on the purpose-built island, including police and fire stations ,as well as customs and administrative buildings. Each extinguishing system was designed, installed, configured and commissioned by Peak Trade International Limited, with every ExGo panel connected to at least one remote status indicator unit.

This student residence hosts the capicity to house students as well as offering 380m2 of office space. In order to comply with passive fire protection requirements Nullifire recommended the use of FB750 fireproof panels, FS702 flame retardant acrylic sealant, On-Site Water-Based Intumescent Basecoat SC801, and On-Site, Water-Based Intumescent Basecoat SC802. The combination of these products provided all of the necessary safety measures for occupants in case of a fire.

One of Scotland’s most famous whisky distilleries is undergoing an ambitious redevelopment project in order to meet increased demand from overseas. The steelwork for the new build elements of the work are being given fire protection using Nullifire’s revolutionary new one coat intumescent SC902 system.

HAG was entrusted to provide a range of fire protection products, including fire curtains and Fire shutters to HSBC UK’s head office, One Centenary Square, in Birmingham. This state-of-the-art ten-storey building conversion represented a £200m investment in the West Midlands. This project presented a challenging work environment, operating at great heights over the 1.5m sq ft plot. However, HAG rose to the challenge, ensuring optimum safety at all times. As one of the greenest buildings in Birmingham, their new head office will now better reflect their renowned brand with high levels of fire safety from HAG.

A QuickZone conventional fire alarm system from UK manufacturer, Advanced, has been installed at BlocHaus Climbing, Manchester’s newest bouldering wall.BlocHaus Climbing boasts an array of facilities at its East Manchester site, including 130 climbable boulders, routing roof and on-site café. As part of the active fire protection for the site, the 4-zone QuickZone conventional fire panel from Advanced has been installed alongside Hochiki conventional heat/smoke detectors, Apollo conventional call points and Roshni conventional sounders.Responsible for the design, installation and commissioning of the fire system at BlocHaus Climbing were Manchester-based, Surefire Protection Ltd. Surefire installed the QuickZone panel alongside music shutdown integration to ensure clear audible notification for all building users in scenarios where the system goes into alarm.

Have you ever wondered how a commercial grade loft ladder is made? Read our blog to learn about how the Supreme F30 fire rated loft ladder is made. The Supreme F30 with wooden hatch box is a great choice for commercial and industrial use where fire protection is required. The heavy duty loft ladder offers both strength and durability, yet remains very easy to operate (just 3 kg operating load).

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) have announced their new policy on Unwanted Fire Alarm Signals (UFAS) that came into effect at the start of this month.The policy affects all calls to the fire control operators who will confirm a fire before the incident requires the fire service to be dispatched.Scotland have a continuously high rate of false alarms attended by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, with over 57,000 unnecessary journeys a year. This is why the new policy adopts a ‘call challenge’ policy to reduce the number of false fire alarms attended by the service.False fire alarms cause disruption in various ways, from impacting the time and resources of fire and rescue services, implicating people’s safety and harmfully impacting the environment. False alarms are also costly procedures, not only for the Fire Service but also businesses where the false alarm takes place.These UFAS have many detrimental effects:They impact on resources available to attend real fires.They impact on time available for other valuable work, such as training and community safety activities. Where fire crews comprise on-call (retained) fire fighters, the crews may be unnecessarily taken away from their place of work.They impact on road safety, as a result of fire appliances travelling under emergency conditions.They impact on the environment from the number of appliance journeys. The new guidance on safe investigation of unwanted fire alarm signals aims to challenge calls to confirm fire or signs of fire in order to ensure resources and time are being used effectively. However, the SFRS will continue to attend calls received from automatic fire alarm systems and if the signal has been initiated by a manual call point (MCP), heat or smoke detector or sprinkler system, in premises in which people sleep. There will also be fire service attendance in non-sleeping risks if there is physical signs or technological indication of a real fire, such as the fire alarm signal triggered by a manual call point.Although the policy will significantly reduce the number of false alarms attended by fire crews, there is still more to be done to decrease the vast number of unnecessary call outs.Protective covers from STI help to reduce both malicious and accidental activations of manual call points, available in various sizes, mounting options and custom text available to suit all applications. The tough polycarbonate covers have been specifically designed to help deter false alarms and prevent vandalism of various devices. The range of Call Point Protectors are highly effective without restricting legitimate operation of the devices, meaning they are easily accessed in emergency situations.For more information on the new policy, visit the FIA website here: https://www.fia.uk.com/news/guidance-on-safe-investigation-of-fire-alarm-signals-in-scotland.html?utm_source=Fire%20Industry%20Association&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=14001136_June%202023%20MMU

Safety Technology International have donated protective covers to help a local community charity with false alarms at a time when they need it most.Wildgoose Rural Training is a charitable care farm in Hallow, just outside of Worcester, that supports adults and young people with a variety of learning disabilities.Starting in 2000 with just a handful of students, Wildgoose has grown into a 42-acre site with a thriving 6-acre farm where students from all backgrounds can learn horticulture, animal care, woodworking, arts and crafts, and carry out conservation work.Wildgoose supports students in a ‘happy and inclusive family atmosphere’ and focuses on teaching practical and meaningful land-based skills.One student had recently taken a liking to setting off the fire alarms in the main building at Wildgoose, resulting in frequent unnecessary evacuations.Not only did this cause a great deal of upheaval in having to evacuate the students from their buildings to the fire assemble points, but in students with sensory sensitivity and hearing issues these fire alarms caused a great deal of distress, panic and shock.On contact with STI, Wildgoose were recommended the Euro Stopper® call point covers with a sounder alarm to discourage the student from setting off the fire alarm. The protective covers were duly installed over the call points in their main building to prevent accidental or malicious tampering with the fire alarm without restricting legitimate operation in an emergency.Managing director of Wildgoose Rural Training Centre, Jim Hidderley said: “The call point covers provided by STI have reduced our regular false fire alarms from a weekly occurrence down to 0, the covers with sounders prove to be a sufficient deterrent from any mischievous hands.”“More importantly, the cover has ensured that our students are not put under any stress that is unwarranted due to false fire alarm triggering”The Euro Stopper® is a tough polycarbonate cover that can withstand the toughest of knocks and has an optional 96dB integral sounder that draws immediate attention to the area to dissuade unwanted activation of call points, therefore reducing false fire alarms.

Speedwell Baths were originally opened in 1937, and quickly became a beloved recreational spot for hundreds of Bristol City dwellers for more than 7 decades. Unfortunately, in 2005, Bristol City Council made the decision for the Baths to close. Subsequently, the site remained abandoned for several years until their demolition in 2019.This paved the way for a new five-storey complex comprising 31 affordable homes, featuring a mixture of 1 & 2 bedroom apartments.This signifies the successful conclusion of a vital revitalization initiative for the local community, bringing much-needed affordable housing to Bristol. PARTNERSHIPThe architectural design for this development was entrusted to Angus Meek Architects, a Bristol based firm, who worked alongside Bristol City Council & property developer, Crossman Homes, to bring the project to fruition.HAG Ltd was successfully awarded the contract & crucial responsibility of delivering security and fire protection door solutions throughout the five-story building, leveraging our expertise and track record. THE PROJECTWork on site began in 2019, starting with the dramatic demolition of the historic swimming pool and the building was eventually completed & handed over to Abri Housing Association in January 2022.The front of the building is designed as an "art moderne" style but incorporating elements of art deco detailing from the original Baths, demonstrating that the development has been thoughtfully designed to enhance the area, reflecting the style & shape of the existing building in a contemporary way.HAG Ltd. were delighted to have been chosen to work on such ground-breaking local development and were keen to assist in the design & installation of high-end security & fire protection products that could aesthetically compliment the design & style of the building.Steel doorsets are versatile, can provide high levels of security, as well as fire protection tested to BS EN 1634, and offer excellent value for money. Bespoke options that were utilised on his project, were louvered doors, communal doors & insurance certified doors, which conform to LPS1175.Louvered doors allow for bi-directional airflow, a medium level of security and can be fully customisable to meet your specification. This was key in this project, to allow ventilation to various secure plant rooms across the site and offer a bespoke colour option, so doors can blend seamlessly into their surroundings.In a busy City complex of 31 apartments, secure yet robust communal entrance doors are a necessity to allow for a high level of pedestrian traffic throughout the day. Double glazing panels allow for through vision and locking systems can be adapted to include access control.Our Fireguard Fire Resisting steel doors gave Speedwell Baths fire protection & high levels of security. Fire protection can be guarantee from 60 to 240 minutes and these doors are certified to BS EN 16034. HAG Ltd. hold the CERTIFIRE certification as well as being FIRAS installation certified – one of only a few installers in the UK to hold such a highly sought after accolade. Sean Gill, management company manager at Abri, one of the largest housing providers in the south, said: “Our new development on the Speedwell Swimming Baths sites will provide further much-needed affordable housing in the city."

Protecting detection systems is vital to fire safety with only a functioning smoke alarm able to protect you in an emergency.Landlord regulations and Government policesLandlords have responsibilities to keep tenants safe in their properties by providing functioning life safety equipment.Regulations introduced in 2015 require private sector landlords to ensure they ‘have at least one smoke alarm installed on every storey of their properties’ as a legal requirement.There is also a proposed change to this regulation, coming into effect later this year, which will mean social housing is also included, making it mandatory that all rented accommodation must have working smoke alarms fitted. It will also be compulsory for landlords to repair or replace any faulty alarms as soon as they are made aware of defects.Fines up to £5000To protect their tenant, it is the landlord’s responsibility to ensure detectors are fitted and working at the start of every new tenancy agreement. Failure to comply with The Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm Regulations introduced in 2015 can result in a hefty fine of up to £5000.One exasperated landlord wrote online that in one of his properties “Two of the detector heads have been tampered with, presumably so that the tenants can smoke in their rooms”. Consequently, this had been causing false fire alarms and it is up to the landlord to repair or replace the alarm.In some extreme cases, landlords have discovered that smoke alarms have been removed all together from properties, due to disturbances when cooking, smoking, etc. It is then up to the landlord to replace the alarm, and so it is advisable to invest in measures to prevent the alarms removal; some recommendations have been made in government legislations such as BS 5839-6:2019.Ultimately, landlords should feel obligated to ensure regular testing of smoke alarms and the replacement of batteries in their properties to reduce the risk of void insurance or a remedial notice. Simply testing smoke alarms can also help to prevent any danger to tenants and damage to properties should a fire occur.BS 5839-6:2019The latest recommendations in BS 5839-6:2019 are primarily concerned with saving lives and reducing injuries caused by fire, but also covers reducing property damage, which can be extremely costly to landlords in the case of fires.The guidance in BS 5839-6:2019 suggests that in environments such as HMOs, where multiple occupants can be disturbed by false alarms, landlords could alter their smoke alarms systems to have delays before the signal is sent to all tenants for the occupier to investigate the cause. This can help to reduce complacency during false fire alarms or the temptation to dangerously compromise smoke alarms.The recommendation also states that landlords should seek alternative smoke alarms that can alert to intervention or disablement of the alarm in the event of tenants continually tampering.Tenants’ responsibilityAlthough it is the landlords legal duty to provide working smoke alarms in all properties, tenants must not tamper with smoke alarm, remove them, cover them up or in any other way damage or prevent them from operating in their intended manner. Failure to comply with this could result in the tenant facing a substantial fine, or termination of their tenancy agreement.It falls to the tenants to take their own safety into consideration and should contact landlords if there are any issues with smoke alarms, such as false fire alarms, so their landlord can test and replace the batteries, or alarms themselves if necessary. Preventing alarms from effectively detecting fires can result in fatal incidents and also fines for misconduct falling to the tenants.One student at Edinburgh University covered the smoke alarm in his room with bubble wrap whilst living in student accommodation. Preventing the smoke detector from working effectively proved a dangerous mistake when a fire started in his room and he had to be pulled to safety after being found struggling to escape the flames while the building was being evacuated. As a consequence for this reckless behaviour, he was fined and ordered to pay £1000 in compensation after being arrested and pleading guilty.Steel Web Stoppers®  Safety Technology International is a specialist manufacturer of a range of fire, safety and security products; their wire cages help to prevent tampering with essential life safety equipment, such as smoke alarms.STI’s Steel Web Stoppers®  are designed to protect against vandalism, misuse and damage to smoke and fire detectors. Constructed from plastic coated, heavy-duty galvanised steel rod, the Steel Web Stoppers can withstand the severest of abuse from vandalism or accidental damage. It also prevents tampering with the alarm, without hindering legitimate use, therefore still allowing the landlord to service the device and replace batteries when appropriate.

The decision by the British Museum to move a substantial part of its collection of historical artefacts from storage in London to a new state-of-the-art facility in Reading has led to a major fire-stopping contract for a specialist sub-contractor; featuring the use of the FIREFLY™ TITAN Lite™ 120:60 from the TBA FIREFLY™ range.The development at Cutbush Lane East, in the Shinfield district, has seen main contractor Graham Construction awarded a £30million contract for the erection and fit out of the new facility and while the original specification for the well proven and widely used FIREFLY product came from project architects, John McAslam + Partners, the installation and on site expertise was provided by St. Albans based Loftus Construction Solutions Ltd. in installing the 60 rolls of TITAN Lite™ in line with the manufacturer’s standard details and project specific guidance.The Project Manager for Graham Construction, Andrew Gardner, commented: “The British Museum is closing down its storage facility in central London and moving it here to the new research and storage building in Reading, which we expect to complete early next summer (2022). In terms of the fire barriers these have been designed with both life safety and asset protection prioritised: preventing break out of fire from places like plant rooms, and also the protection of dividing walls from both sides.“This has meant the use of in excess of 30 different details including bespoke ones which has led to TBA/Loftus assisting in further developing the initial specification by JMP to suit the unique site conditions. FIREFLY made several visits to site and offered a lot of useful technical guidance and assisted with alterations being made, while Loftus Construction Solutions Ltd has done very good work on the installation of these complex solutions.”Patrick Loftus, MD of Loftus Construction Solutions Ltd, added: “As an ASFP accredited contractor in conjunction with our FIRAS and LPCB Accreditation’s for Passive Fire Protection System we are familiar with the FIREFLY range and have, in fact been using another product from the range (PHOENIX) for three years in work at Whitechapel Station as part of the overall Crossrail Scheme. Again this has enabled us to be meet our Clients’ needs for multiple unique details on another complex project. TBA complements our on-site activities with their excellent technical support which ensures we can deliver on all aspects of projects to our Clients requirements.Combined with all the site reports, our operatives have undergone training from FIREFLY, including training delivered on-site. The work here in Reading is progressing very well in terms of all the compatibility of connection details and all stakeholders involved are pleased with the results and suitability of the products and installation work carried out.”As a flexible, woven material TITAN Lite™ is easy to cut and fix and is chemically treated to improve its cooling properties, meaning it will prevent temperatures rising in adjoining areas when used to create compartmentation. It is installed as a three-layer, staggered system to achieve 120 minutes integrity and 60 minutes insulation. The system has been fully tested to BS 476 Parts 20 & 22 and is third party certified by IFCC.

Fireshield® vapour permeable membrane, which is designed specifically to improve the fire protection behind cladding has been chosen for a new Science Centre at Bevington Primary school in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London.The project includes a brand new Science Studio, plus before and after school club buildings.SIP Build UK was appointed as frame subcontractor for the project and chose the Fireshield membrane as part of the SIPS panelling system. Chris Duckworth from SIP Build UK explains: “We chose Fireshield as it provided the project with a number of really important benefits. Fireshield is a high-performance breather membrane which enables us to achieve the requirements in terms of fire protection without compromising on vapour control.Fireshield was also ideal because it is easy to use and allowed us to achieve the requirements in one process, using just the membrane, rather than the typical approach of two, cement board and a membrane.”Fireshield is the culmination of leading research to produce a vapour permeable membrane with a intumescent coated surface, which has a unique composition that actively reacts to help protect the materials underneath. The intumescent coating helps protect the substrate by reducing the risk of fire taking hold and significantly reduces the formation of droplets and smoke.The BBA Certificate awarded to Fireshield confirms that it has enhanced performance in relation to reaction to fire classification, will reduce the risk of interstitial condensation, and will have a life equal to that of the building in which it is installed.Fireshield complies with BS5250, BS4016 and NHBC requirements for vapour permeable walling underlays. It is installed and fixed to the substrate in the same manner as standard breather membranes using mechanical fixings. Applications include both commercial and residential buildings including apartments and student accommodation, as well as Rainscreen cladding and applications over 18m high (11m in Scotland).

Designed by architect Renzo Piano, the new Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Centre (SNFCC) in Athens has created homes for the National Library of Greece and Greek National Opera, which include a 1,400-seat auditorium. With significant steel structures involved, Nullifire SC902 Fast Track, On-Site Intumescent Steel Coating was used extensively to provide passive fire protection.

Does the new library bring the Bilbao effect to Alexandrina?The cultural centre Bibliotheca Alexandrina opened in April 2002 was built under the auspices of UNESCO, and aims to build on the glorious past of the ancient library.dormakaba's contribution to the projectOnly 30 metres separate the library from the Mediterranean. Its deepest sections lie 18 m underground and 12 m below sea level, calling for sophisticated structural measures. Library stocks had to be wellprotected against both water and fire.To guarantee this protection and user comfort, the architects turned to dormakaba. The fire protection and smoke check concept includes TS 93 cam-action door closers and ITS 96 integrated door closers, some with electromechanical hold-open, plus BTS 80 and BTS 80F floor springs.

The Natural History Museum is protected by a network of cutting edge MxPro 5 fire panels from Advanced.Established in 1881 and renowned for its collections of life and earth specimens, London’s Natural History Museum is widely recognised as the pre-eminent centre for natural history and related research. The Museum is the third most popular in the United Kingdom and its irreplaceable 80 million strong collection is of global importance and includes numerous specimens collected by Charles Darwin.At the heart of the active fire protection for the Museum is a network of 24 MxPro 5, intelligent, multiprotocol panels, plus remote control terminals, BMS interface and a bespoke PC based graphical user interface. The network was designed, configured and commissioned by Pacific Security Systems, a long-time partner of Advanced.

Located in the heart of Paris, La Samaritaine is one of the city’s most iconic department stores. When LVMH Group set about restoring the beautiful building, it faced a major challenge: how to marry the latest safety requirements with the building’s classic Art Nouveau and Art Deco design.Our solution was a passive fire protection coating system based on Hempacore One. Applied to structural steel, Hempacore One expands when exposed to high heat to insulate the steel beneath. In a fire, this can extend the steel’s load-bearing capacity for up to three hours.

Mace Group purchased the units directly and free-issued them to the steel frame contractor, VBH JV (a joint venture ofHollandia and Victor Buyck). Some of the units were 7m x 1.5m wide which Ambar Kelly designed to incorporate horizontal fire protection and drylined fire walls as part of the RiserSafe® system. This allowed for a group of shafts, or openings, to be combined into one unit, which reduced the number of trimmer steels and concrete beams required for walls, thereby reducing crane lifts and construction time. (Courtesy of James Reid Photography.

Contractors building new offices and warehouses in Staffordshire have used Nullifire’s SC902 to complete the passive fire protection of the exposed steel frames successfully despite harsh winter conditions. Main contractor, McLaren Construction, is building the new Redhill Business Park in Stafford for Staffordshire County Council. The 40-acre greenfield site comprises seven plots earmarked for industrial, manufacturing and warehousing development.

Whilst certainly not the most iconic or largest project the A1S Group has ever been involved with, 125 Deansgate in Manchester in many ways represents for us "a bread and butter project", the like of which we are involved with throughout the UK on an almost monthly basis. Despite the doom and gloom of office rationalisation during the pandemic, high end office new build and cat A and B refurbishment continues to be one of our strongest sectors. We have completed literally hundreds of office projects over the last decade including We Work premises throughout London and the UK, Goldmann Sachs, Barclays at Canary Wharf and Norfolk House in St James Square, London. Fire and smoke curtains continue to be integral to modern office design, allowing for more open spaces within the building's wider fire strategy framework. The A1S Group manufactured, installed 54 Flameshield fire curtains, all with smoke seals and multi function panels. For us, the 125 Deansgate building was noteworthy as it was the first time that we installed our high performance Flameshield EW120 fire curtain to provide a minimum of EW90 compartmentation. We also manufactured and installed our a Flameshield fire and smoke curtain system to provide 120 minutes integrity and 15 kw/m2 to protect the lift and lift shaft. This striking building is clad in a rich red terracotta with 12 storeys of flexible office and retail space all achieving BREEAM 'excellent' and is now considered one of Manchester's premier offices. The A1S Group have a long term planned preventative maintenance in schedule in place to comply with the 2005 Regulatory Reform Order.

Following in the footsteps of a string of successful installations at the Northern General Hospital, Sheffield, Yeoman Shield products were again chosen as part of the refurbishment of the hospital’s Firth C & D floor corridors.With the need to refresh the interior walls and doors, as well as future proof them from further damage and marking, a variety of products from Yeoman Shield’s range were employed.Corridor doors, which are on the frontline when it comes to impact damage, were fitted out with Yeoman Shield Door Edge Protectors and PVCu clad glazing beads, both in a graphite colour. Contrasting Mid Grey Door Protection Panels were installed to both sides of the doors with vulnerable architrave and framework also protected by Yeoman Shield products.This comprehensive, fire rated, door protection system will extend the life cycle of expensive fire doors helping to keep them in good working order.Yeoman Shield Guardian Handrails in the same colour scheme were fitted along the hospital passageways. Bespoke metal brackets were manufactured by Yeoman Shield to implement the spanning of the rail over pillars though out a glazed corridor.Beneath the handrail 2mm thick FalmouthEx Wall Protection Panels were fixed to offer low level protection. A cream colour was chosen for the panels accompanied by Mid Grey Corner Protection Angles to keep a light and airy feel to the scheme.Pete Trenchard, who specified and project managed the scheme on behalf of Sheffield Teaching Hospitals added “When carrying out improvements and refurbishment of the corridors, in line with the STH standard colour scheme and standard fit out, I was keen to incorporate the Yeoman Shield range of products to achieve a long-term solution.“The specification of Yeoman Shield products on corridor walls, vulnerable corners, doors, frames & architraves, protects the fabric of the corridors without detracting from the visible aesthetic appearance expected of a hospital environment.“I worked closely with the Yeoman Shield team through the design and specification phase, drawing on their expertise to find a cost-effective fit for purpose solution. The site survey and installation offered a start to finish package which has been contributory to the successful and well received outcome of the project”.

OverviewThe Burrell Collection in Glasgow reopened in March 2022 after over 5 years of being closed for a significant restoration project. The ProjectBritish door specialist HAG Ltd. supplied & fitted fire shutter systems & fire curtains across the building to meet stringent fire regulations and also provide significant peace of mind in protecting the ensuring the safety of the priceless collections housed within the building. The museum houses a world class array of treasures, exhibited in an architecturally significant home, set in the Pollok Country Park which is a few miles outside of central Glasgow. The building & collection is known as one of the flagship cultural venues in Scotland, and an extensive restoration project has seen a £68million investment to significantly increase both museum & gallery spaces. Our bespoke designed fire shutters & curtains offer an exceptionally high standard of specification, performance, and protection for your premises. Fire compartmentalisation allows the building to be split into smaller areas or units to withstand fire and smoke for a much longer period of time. Fire shutters can limit the spread of fire & smoke, ensure safe escape routes for human lives, and limit the damage to property and its contents. Our Complete Guide to Fire Protection Products can tell you more about up to date fire legislation and regulations, as well as how products can be used to meet your needs. As part of the guide, there is a RIBA CPD approved on-demand video to assist you.Sir Angus Grossart, chair of Burrell Renaissance, said: "The Burrell Collection has a reputation as being one of the finest in the world. The wonderful new displays have enhanced and informed what visitors will see. They will find great cultural diversity, much beauty and wonder and the great achievement of one enquiring and questioning mind, that of Sir William Burrell."

Vega is a 37-storey new build property in Vauxhall, South London ideally located near to Kings College London, University College London, University of London, and University of Westminster.  The building houses a variety of 841 studio and shared student apartments and has a roof garden terrace, an on-site gym, cinema room, private dining area, and gaming zone all for student use, as well as a six-storey open-plan office. As the student accommodation had cooking facilities which included a hob, fire safety protection was considered to be of particular importance. Due to its unique benefits and ease of use for the students and the fact that other Downing Student properties across the UK had requested it, the Firechief Kitchen Stove Guard was chosen to be installed as standard in 497 apartments to complement the passive fire products which had also been fitted.

Fire resistant, multi-directional, high movement, structural joint sealing of floor slabs from below for 120minutes, EI Fire ratings using Emshield-DFR from NCC Movement joints Limited.St William is a division of Berkely Homes, predominantly working on some of the most technically complex regeneration projects on brownfield sites, at the heart of communities across London, and typically with a landscape-led approach. Riverside Park and Gardens is being developed on the former Leven Road Gasworks in Poplar, East London, forming part of the 20 acres Aberfeldy Village scheme. This is an ambitious regeneration project in the borough of Tower Hamlets, with around 3000 new homes, plus shops, offices, cafes, bars, and a cinema, as well as extensive landscaped gardens, play areas, and riverside walks.On this important development by the River Thames, the structural floor slab joints ranged from only 15mm to 25mm wide, but they were subject to high multi-directional movement requirements, plus they required a minimum 120-minute EI Fire Rating to protect the future residents. To add to the complexity, there were shear connectors within the floor slabs that also needed protection to ensure their structural integrity in the event of a fire.An “E120” denotes that the system will not allow flames and hot gases from physically passing through the element for 120 minutes, which also explicitly denotes that the system will achieve 120 minutes ‘Integrity’ (E) and ‘Insulation (I), known as EI120, which therefore also achieves 120 minutes ‘Stability’ (R) in fire.Emshield-DFR-2 provided the ideal solution, and one which could also be rapidly installed from below in a single operation. This specialist work was completed by specialist fireproofing contractors, Gould Sealants Limited, working for Main Contractor, Morris Roe. Emshield-DFR/WFR is an EN-1366-4 tested, fire-rated movement joint, designed to be used in movement joints in exterior and interior walls where a combination of watertightness, fire-rating, sound attenuation, and thermal-efficiency are required. Key performance parameters include:-       Up to 100% joint movement (+/- 50% capability);-       100% watertight joints; -       No mechanical fixings to the structure;-       Accommodate changes in direction between the horizontal and vertical plane;-       Accommodates 3-Dimensional movements (including in shear & vertical, as well as joint expansion and contraction;)-       no additional sound concrete cut-outs required;-       Up to 4-hour fire integrity rating to EN1366-4; -       Up to 4-hour thermal Insulation rating to EN1366-4;-       High acoustic insulation & barrier performance; -       CE Approved and MarkedFor more information:Contact: David Mackay Tel: 01257 266696NCC Movement Joints Limited