New Olympic-standard sports park is protected by Apollo
Surrey Sports Park, a new £36 million sports facility built to
international standards, has been equipped with an Apollo-based
fire detection system. Designed by internationally renowned
architects Faulkner Browns, Surrey Sports Park has already been
selected as a training venue for the Paralympic and Olympic Games
and is part of the University of Surrey.
Fire Bright Solutions Limited, based in Cheshire, won the
contract to supply and install the BAFE certified fire detection
system for Surrey Sports Park. The high specification,
multi-purpose sports venue presented a complex set of challenges
from a fire safety perspective; demanding the expertise of the Fire
Bright team to fulfil the strict BAFE design requirements.
Surrey Sports Park contains both wet and dry sports facilities,
including a 50m swimming pool, a health and fitness centre for
cardio and weight training and three multi-purpose sports halls. In
addition, there are six international standard, glass-backed squash
courts (including two show courts with seating for 160 spectators),
an indoor climbing centre and exercise studios.
As well as the main sports facilities, Surrey Sports Park offers
consultation and treatment rooms, team meeting rooms and dedicated
changing facilities for the wet and dry indoor sports, as well as
changing facilities for outdoor sports which include football,
rugby, cricket, tennis and hockey. With regard to post-exercise
facilities, Surrey Sports Park is the first sports centre to
incorporate a Starbucks Café and also has the Bench Bar, which
serves meals and can be hired out for private functions.
Fire detection requirements
Given the complex nature of the new sports complex, the client
required a fire detection system that was reliable in a diverse
range of environmental conditions. Surrey Sports Park also has
ambitions to become a leading centre for disability sport in the
UK, so meeting the requirements of the Disability Discrimination
Act (DDA) was a critical part of the brief.
In addition, the construction programme was run to very tight
deadlines. Fire Bright Solutions therefore had to work closely with
other contractors on the site to co-ordinate access and working
times so that the project could be completed on time and to
budget.
Fire solution
Fire Bright Solutions recommended a fire detection system based
on Apollo analogue addressable technology and designed around a
Morley ZXe four-loop control panel. A combination of XP95 optical
and heat detectors was specified to meet the main fire protection
requirements, with Apollo Discovery multisensors being used in the
changing room areas to reduce false alarm incidents caused by
transient levels of steam from the showers.
Angela Atkin, System Designer for Fire Bright Solutions,
said:
"Apollo's analogue addressable technology gave us the product
choice and flexibility to meet the client's requirements on this
demanding project. Its open protocol also enabled us to select
specialist products like self-aligning beam detectors and carbon
monoxide detectors where necessary to meet localised conditions,
such as high open spaces and confined spaces like the beer
cellars."
The audio visual alarm requirements for Surrey Sports Park were
met using a mixture of Apollo integrated base sounders and
integrated sounder beacons, so that detection and warning functions
could be combined at a single point, with wall-mounted sounder and
beacon equivalents used where necessary.
Apollo interfaces were used to enable the fire detection system
to link with other essential plant and equipment as part of the
cause and effect strategy for the complex.
Evacuation procedures
A phased evacuation was agreed upon through a series of strategy
meetings between Fire Bright, the client, the building control
officer, architect, main contractor and local fire officers. The
evacuation sequence has two phases: one for the wet area (which is
defined as the swimming pool and its associated changing rooms and
plant rooms) and one for the dry area (the rest of the
complex).
The dry area evacuation sequence follows two stages. If a single
fire detector is activated, a pre-alarm stage activates a buzzer
and visual indicator on the control panel and a pulse sounder in
reception. There is an option for other staff areas to receive the
pulse sounder indication as well, should this be deemed desirable
in future. The pre-alarm will also send a signal to security via
the building management system, as well as releasing magnetic door
holders and the door access system.
If the system is not reset within five minutes, or should a
second fire detector or a single manual call point be activated in
the dry area, the fire system will proceed to raise a full alert by
activating all sounders and beacons continuously. Sounders in the
wet area will be pulsed as a stand-by signal and shut-down
sequences for critical plant and equipment will also be
initiated.
The wet area evacuation follows the same pattern, with sounders
in the dry area being pulsed as a stand-by signal if there is a
full alert in the wet area.
Surrey Sports Park opened on 19 April 2010 and is already
attracting first class sports interest. It is now the official
training ground for the Harlequins rugby team and has been
designated as the London and South East Centre for Squash and
Racketball.
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