Award

D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 2 | 47 Fire Protection Systems demonstrate compliance with the objectives and functions of the building code they work collabora- tively to develop alternative solutions. These alternative solutions often involve aspects of the automatic sprinkler systems. "As fire protection engineers we support the development of these alter- native solutions with practical solutions, and onsite water storage – a backup water supply – has been a newer component of various alternative solutions." Onsite water tanks provide an enhanced reli- ability of the building sprinkler system and aid to limiting the growth of a fire event. The tank is sized to provide anywhere between 60 to 120 minutes of adequate water supply to the most demanding design area, and it increases the reliability of the automatic sprinkler systems by providing a backup water source during and after a seismic event. MCW has been involved in several projects to date involving onsite water tanks, with total tank volume varying between 28,000 and 170,000 litres, depending on the duration of time required and most demanding design area. "In several alternative solutions, the onsite water tank is used in con- junction with other mitigating features to address unprotected openings; often when buildings abut one another at property lines," Gregg says. It takes time and effort not only to calculate tank size but also its location on site. "For an office building we incorporated the tank in two levels of the under- ground parkade, constructed as part of the building structure and therefore invisible to occupants," Gregg says. "For a heritage project the owner was determined not to relinquish valuable leasing space to a tank, so it and pump wound up being installed under the slab on grade around the elevator core." Umbra Engineering, a sister company to Williams Engineering, continues to focus on promoting and teaching the particulars of the National Standard of Canada's CAN/ULC-S1001 Integrated Systems Testing of Fire Protection and Life Safety Systems process. S1001 learning seminars have received enthusiastic feedback for drilling down into specifics such as smoke control and door hold-open devices. The reason for such a focus is simple: S1001 will play a huge role in how fire protection systems are documented and tested, a welcome development considering at present the different people respon- sible for the different components wind up testing their own particular component, with no guarantee all elements of the entire system will work together. S1001 will go a long way in fully integrating the test- ing process and properly document all the lifesaving systems contained in a facility (also a huge asset when systems need to be replaced or upgraded). Overall, Umbra Engineering's services include fire alarm system engineering design; fire suppres- sion and sprinkler design; documentation for permit application and construction; fire alarm verifica- tion; Integrated Systems Testing; VESDA (Very Early Smoke Detection Apparatus); and sapphire system monitoring and interfacing, in addition to hazardous location design plus multi-system maintenance and long-term lifecycle replacement forecasts. Finally, Affinity Firestop Consultants specializes in passive fire protection systems and their specific roles in fire containment. As such, Affinity principal Rob Hlady, feels compelled to comment on phenom- ena he has observed as his company consults with clients in major Canadian cities. "We're concerned that with the expansion of these urban centres there seems to be a lacking focus with regard to fire resis- tance and separation and stopping," he says. "We tend to be retained after something has gone wrong, when ideally our services should be utilized while a building is in the design stages." Hlady elaborates that standards are inconsistent depending on the city. "In Edmonton we worked on everything from the Stantec Tower to Rogers Place Arena and a host of housing projects, and the city expected third party reviews of installed systems, including firestopping. But other cities aren't so dil- igent in maintaining the continuity of life safety separations, which admittedly takes time and effort on the part of qualified professionals. "The irony is that the bar of standards was raised years ago: in 2003 in Calgary, for example, that city produced a document called Firestopping Service Penetrations in Buildings, and then in 2007 the National Research Council released a best prac- tices guide on firestopping and fire blocks. Five years ago, we offered an update of this guide, but the Council decided to rely on a U.S. manual instead. And since then, we've seen a slide in stan- dards in many cities. We think it's important to point out these shortcomings, in the spirit of draw- ing attention to the vital importance of focusing on best practices that have already been estab- lished, and to apply them in order to ensure the best possible outcomes of fire protection." A umbraeng.com Engineering specialists in life safety, security and fire detection and protection. Umbra provides design, engineering, and commissioning solutions in virtually every building sector. we are... Engineering.indd 1 Engineering.indd 1 2021-11-18 3:14 PM 2021-11-18 3:14 PM

• Cover