Award

December 2013

Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/218643

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 48 of 95

g gniting A Revolution Advances in smoke-detection and heat-suppression technologies take safety to a whole new level by Stefan Dubowski B uilders, architects and developers who push the envelope on height and other design elements need novel solutions to prevent fire from endangering occupants and destroying property. Just ask the engineers of the Trump International Hotel & Tower, Toronto.  At 65 storeys, the architectural behemoth represents Canada's entry into the global trend of building stupendously tall skyscrapers. No ordinary sprinkler system with a single set of water fire pumps in the basement would do. So, fireprotection firm Vipond Inc. installed two sets of water fire pumps: one in the basement to protect the first 32 floors and another on level 33 for the storeys above. Two 45,000-litre reservoirs of water on the 33rd floor serve sprinklers located throughout the upper part of the building. This makes the tower the first residential project to meet new Ontario-wide sprinkler requirements for condominiums. "We accounted for every possibility," says Zeljko Sucevic, Vipond corporate engineer. "This is downtown and the skyscraper is close to neighbouring buildings on the lower levels. Any fire would be potentially devastating." The fire-protection infrastructure that Vipond designed for the Trump International Hotel & Tower, Toronto could apply to other super high-rises. For example, other buildings could replicate the sprinklers Vipond installed to protect the exterior glass walls and help keep fire from spreading to adjacent buildings. Engineers and architects could draw inspiration from the fire-suppression solution Vipond devised for the tower's unusual parking area too. The garage uses a system that stacks cars atop each other, two vehicles per stall, with Vipond's doubledeck sprinkler system targeting cars on each level. To save time and money, Vipond used plastic pipes for most of the sprinkler infrastructure. That decision reduced material and labour costs considerably because plastic is easier to cut and join than steel, and is not prone to corrosion. According to Ken Peacock, systems specialist at Houle Electric Ltd., fire-protection systems are much more sophisticated than they used to be. Many new fire-protection technologies on the market focus on detection. "A fire could be burning out of control under Fire Protection Systems p46-49Seating_Fire.indd 49 your feet and you wouldn't know it until the concrete collapsed below you," Peacock says. "The best fire-detection systems help occupants and firefighters avoid situations where what they don't know can actually hurt them." Increasingly, property developers opt for firedetection systems that feature detailed interface units. These interfaces enable firefighters to see exactly where a fire is burning and how it has spread. Superior fire detection also helps firefighters plan their attack. At Vancouver Island University in Nanaimo, Houle recently installed a system that automatically maps the fastest route for firefighters to take, unlocking any gates and doors to clear the path. Restoring structures' fire ratings through passive protection, namely firestopping and fireproofing, is a major focus for Adler Insulation & Firestopping Ltd. Adler's fireproofing division uses intumescent and cementitious fireproof coatings to protect the structural steel in a building. The company has developed an excellent reputation as a Underwriters Laboratories of Canada (ULC) qualified firestop contractor that restores fire ratings and barriers to prevent smoke and flames from travelling through a building. But many people don't understand what firestopping is really about, according to Joe Chinyavong, Adler's business development manager. Some people seem to think almost any kind of material makes for an adequate firestop system. "It used to just be about which caulking to apply," Chinyavong says. "Now it's about which products to apply to which firestop system, depending on the project. The industry is regulated by third-party testing now, which is good for life safety." The truth is, firestopping requires specialized firestop systems that include certain sealants applied with an experienced hand and a trained eye. "It's as much an art as a science," Chinyavong says. "It takes time selecting proper systems based on the details of the wall and floor assemblies, penetration items and size of openings. Annular space restrictions play a role, too. And the application of the sealant has to be done such that it provides optimal protection and also looks good when the project is done." Fortunately, firestopping and fireproofing are less of a headache than they used to be for general contractors. According to Chinyavong, in the past, individual subcontractors in charge of electrical, mechanical and other infrastructure would be the ones to contact Adler to firestop their specific systems. Today an increasing number of highprofile contractors call for a single-source firestop contractor to maintain fire ratings on partitions and penetrations for the whole project. Also in the fire-protection industry, Affinity Firestop Consultants Inc. has been uncovering potential fire hazards since 2005. Robert Hlady, company principal, launched the business when he started to notice a disturbing pattern: fire separations in many buildings were being compromised during renovations. "Pop the ceiling tiles and you'll be amazed to see what's there," he says. "New electrical wires, upgraded plumbing, new data network cables – they can all breach a building's fire barrier if installed without attention to fire safety." To curb the problem, Hlady and the Affinity team have embarked on a mission to give owners, designers and builders the information they need to prevent fire-barrier compromises in the future. In addition to remediation services, Affinity offers an identification service, whereby the firm documents information about the barrier – thickness, material involved, fasteners required and other details – and then provides property owners with an electronic maintenance document containing this information. "If the owners alter the building, they know the level of integrity they have to maintain in the future," Hlady says. If decision makers at Affinity have their way, buildings across the country will have robust fire barriers to prevent the spread of heat and smoke. Meanwhile, Houle's electrical experts will have firefighters easily accessing the information they need to extinguish blazes quickly. The teams at Adler and Vipond say both these visions are within reach. Managers at Adler are confident that an increasing number of builders will take firestopping seriously and seek professional expertise. Vipond's team predicts technological advancements will keep pace with exceptional new architecture – even super-tall towers that make Trump Toronto seem a mere walk-up. n december 2013    /49 13-11-15 3:46 PM

Articles in this issue

Archives of this issue

view archives of Award - December 2013