| Hostel Accommodation, Leeds |
When a building comes forward for a change of use, it often provides challenges for the Fire Service. This was undoubtedly the case with a Hostel in Leeds. The building had previously been an old people’s home, which had been closed for about six months. The property was now to be reopened as a 34 bedroom hostel. It soon became evident that a substantial amount of fire protection work would be required to bring the building up to modern standards. It would be necessary to replace 55 doors sets; an internal staircase from the first to ground floor would have to be enclosed and the fire alarm system would need to be upgraded.
The proposal was to install a residential sprinkler installation. Not only was the installation of the sprinkler system less expensive than replacing the doors or carrying out the additional fire protection works, which would otherwise be required, but it also would have additional benefits. It is likely that in the event of a fire, only one sprinkler would operate minimizing the amount of water discharged on to the fire and thus reducing the consequential loss and inconvenience. In fact, it is expected that a room protected with a sprinkler can be cleared out and reused in a matter of hours. The water spray itself would remove large smoke particles and reduce the smoke density and risk of smoke logging. In fact, sprinkler installations are so successful in stopping fire growth that it would be possible to put in place a “stay put” fire policy and only evacuate the room of origin of the fire. Residential sprinkler installations are relatively new in the UK although there are a growing number of fire authorities, which are actively supporting their use, together with interest from national government, particularly where houses of multiple occupation (HMO’s) are involved. Many other countries throughout the world have recognized the benefits of residential sprinklers, particularly the United States where such installations are commonplace. A survey carried out by the Operational Life Safety organisation in the United States collected information on more than 600 fires in residential accommodation protected by sprinklers. Out of all these fires, there was not one reportedfatality. This is compelling evidence that fire sprinkler systems can protect life as well as property. With the increasing interest from the Fire Service in specifying residential and domestic sprinkler installations as a method of fire protection, it was necessary for a British Standard to be formulated. This has been partially satisfied by DD 251: 2000 which is a draft British Standard for Development, it is hoped that this document can be taken forward to enable a British Standard to be published later next year. It is generally recognized that DD251:2000 is the best standard for use within the UK and it was this standard which was adopted for the hostel. However you will find some other standards are still in use mainly the LPC TB 14 and the NFPA 13R. There are two main worries, which concern people who are new to fire sprinklers. These are the water damage when sprinklers are activated and the possibility of actuation due to vandalism or mechanical damage. These fears can easily be alleviated by the correct choice of sprinkler heads and good design practice. Several types of sprinkler heads were used in the hostel. Where possible fully concealed sprinklers were utilized. These sprinklers are virtually invisible as they are completely concealed within the roof space with only a small 80mm cover plate being visible from the room. When protecting an existing building, it is not always possible to use this type of sprinkler and some of the pipework and sprinklers had to be installed underneath the ceilings. In these areas, special institutional heads were installed. These heads are so designed that a malicious attack would do no more than break off the heat collection element leaving the water safely inside the pipe. In total 350 sprinkler heads were installed and all the work was carried out whilst the hostel was in use without disruption. Copper pipework was used throughout the project providing a lighter and cleaner alternative to the normal steel pipework commonly used for sprinkler installations. The new, copper Yorkshire PressFit jointing system was used which had the advantage of not requiring the use of heat or solvents. Pipe sizing was minimized by the use of full hydraulic calculations. This also enabled a lower pressure and flow demand from the incoming main. It was however realized early on in the project, that a new 50mm supply main would have to be installed for the dedicated use of the sprinkler installation. The installation of a residential sprinkler system at the hostel provided a fire engineering solution, which was acceptable to both the Fire Service and to the client. The final cost of the sprinkler installation was no more than the cost of installing traditional fire protection measures such as fire doors, upgrading the alarm system and enclosing the staircase. This installation is only one of many, which are currently are in progress. Fire sprinklers are no longer the domain of large in |
