Bilco completes delivery of basement smoke vents for The Building Centre in London

(24/04/2009)

The Building Centre is a free source of information on products and materials for the building and construction industry. It houses the UK's largest permanent exhibition related to these subjects and its on-site bookshop stocks a comprehensive range of titles covering building, architecture, construction and design. The Building Centre also has a research services department which provides a range of facilities to assist UK and overseas companies research the UK construction market and develop their business strategy.

Bilco has supplied two J-AL access doors which have been modified with two 24 volt DC linear actuators to allow for remote opening and closing. The two doors are linked to the fire alarm system and are used in conjunction with a smoke extraction fan to remove smoke from the basement area in the event of a fire.

These special sized doors were installed to replace the existing pavement lights system which were no longer adequate or up to standard. The Building Centre was required to install the new system to ensure that building regulations are met following the expansion of the basement area to accommodate the seminar rooms, extended display area and library

Clive Edwards, facilities manager at The Building Centre, said: “After discussions we agreed the type of vents to be used. However, we had to consider how we could install them as we had to cut through six inches of granite sets and old pavement lights. We then had to engineer a steel frame to hold the vents in place.

“On top of these problems it was not a straight forward installation but, with the assistance of Bilco’s staff, we successfully installed the vents which are now in use.”

The J-AL doors are ideal for most corrosive environments and they are constructed of 6.35mm aluminium diamond pattern plate and reinforced for a 1,464 kg/m2 live load. They feature all anti-corrosion hardware, standard debris gasket and a versatile anchoring system for an easy installation.

The doors are available in a number of standard and special sizes to satisfy any requirement. An EPDM gasket mechanically attached to the frame reduces the amount of dirt and debris that may enter the channel frame.

The doors are made with heavy forged aluminium hinges with stainless steel hinge pins and come with a 25 year warranty

James Fisher, general manager for Bilco, said: “Bilco specialises in working closely with our clients to provide them with products that meet their specific needs. This project was particularly challenging due to the granite sets and the location of the vents. Our regional sales engineer worked closely with the client to ensure all the unique requirements for smoke ventilation for this landmark project.”

Related topics:  Door entry systems and locks   Fire detection and alarm 

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