Industry News

Vigilon Offers Peace of Mind to Famous Pier

When the historic Grand Pier at Weston Super Mare was

destroyed by fire in July 2008 it made national news. With reconstruction well underway owner Kerry Michael and main contractors John Sisk & Son needed to have peace of mind that a new fire alarm system would meet the demands of the reconstructed £39 million Pier, due to open this summer, and avoid a repeat disaster. Sovereign Fire & Security Ltd won the contract to install the new fire detection and alarm system. A Gent by Honeywell analogue fire alarm system was chosen to fulfil the task, based on its reputation for providing accurate and correct detection of fires. Sovereign’s director, Neil Clements, said: “This was

obviously a high profile scheme for us and our client, Barry Beard Ltd and we were delighted to be awarded the contract. The Pier has presented many challenges, from logistics to its mixed use and layout featuring an impressive atrium. With its recent history we needed to give the client peace of mind that the fire alarm system would be technically advanced and flexible enough to cope with the demands of the Pier, while also keeping false alarms to a minimum in order to avoid unnecessary panic and disruption.” Logistical challenges presented to the Sovereign team included the location with the Pier jutting a 1/4

mile out into the sea, coupled with the

preservation of the original wooden walkway which had a weight restriction. This meant that some of the team had to boat across access platforms from Cardiff in order to install the system. In terms of facilities the new Pier will feature a venue to host large-scale concerts along with an indoor karting track, a family entertainment centre and restaurants. Neil added: “We were able to overcome all these challenges thanks to

the scalability of the Gent Vigilon system. Obviously false alarm management was a pre-requisite, so installing a system that reduces the risk was a major priority.” The system installed by Sovereign comprises two Vigilon Compact 2-loop panels networked with one Vigilon 6-loop panel, together with Gent’s innovative multi-functional S-Quad sensors. The software in the Vigilon system ensures that false inputs coming

into the system which do not match a real fire pattern are ignored or flagged up as faults. The Vigilon control panels have a simple user interface with LCD screen providing accurate information in an

Concrete Silence

A new study has found that at least 3 million people in Britain

suffer from noisy neighbours. The need to build more homes at higher densities due to limited building land means that unless homes are built to acoustic insulation standards more and more people are going to suffer from noise intrusion. The study, carried out by Which? Legal Service found that neighbours’

loud voices and arguments accounted for the most disturbing noise (58 percent), followed by music or television noise (40 percent). Slamming doors annoyed 26 percent while 3 percent of the 2,131 people surveyed heard their neighbours having sex. “The problem of noisy neighbours is often exacerbated by the poor sound insulation provided by lightweight construction such as timber or timber frame”, explained Guy Thompson, head of architecture and housing at The Concrete Centre. “Heavyweight and concrete construction have the inherent mass necessary to effectively reduce the transmission of sound.” There are two types of sound sources that can produce noise nuisance. These are airborne such as speech, television, music speakers and impact such as footsteps, doors slamming and appliances such as washing machines. To combat the problem of neighbour noise, Part E of the Building Regulations now includes tighter standards for sound insulation for both internal and separating walls and floors. For separating walls and floors there are two distinct approaches for achieving the required levels of sound insulation: robust details and pre-completion tests. Robust details are sets of construction specifications that represent best practice and achieve a level of sound insulation of at least 5dB higher than the requirements under Part E. Pre-completion testing is required if the homes being built are not registered under the robust details scheme. Testing must prove that the separating wall or floor as built meets the required minimum standards. “Heavyweight and concrete construction provides a range of solutions

that can economically achieve levels of sound insulation that exceed the minimum required by Building Regulations”, said Thompson. “This is often achieved without the need for additional finishes and materials.” He continued: “Sound insulation is a key issue for the construction of homes. Heavyweight and concrete construction offers proven mass that significantly reduces the transmission of noise not only between neighbouring homes but within the home itself”.

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emergency. Every loop has a unique address assigned to the software which allows fires to be located quickly and assists in troubleshooting during commissioning and maintenance. The S-Quad was chosen due to its advanced capabilities in early detection and signalling of fires and for its unique dual angle optical chamber, which recognises the distinction between fire-like phenomena and actual fire. It offers four different functions in one device, combining sensor, sounder, voice alarm and strobe capability, reducing the number of units and cabling needed to deliver a comprehensive system. Neil added: “Not only has the Vigilon system been able to address the

complexities of the building, its flexibility has proved invaluable as it has had to network with an air sampling sniffer system. Faced with 18 metre high atria we had to incorporate alternative solutions that would be practical to maintain going forward.” Sovereign Fire & Security is one of 16 Gent by Honeywell Elite System Integrators and is one of over 60 independent fire specialists around the UK and Ireland who work as part of the Gent 24 Approved Network, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year.

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Denne Wins Gold Award from Considerate Constructor’s Scheme

Denne, part of the Leadbitter Group, has been presented with a Gold

Award for its One Brighton construction project, a joint venture between Crest Nicholson Regeneration and BioRegional Quintain llp, at the Considerate Constructors National Awards 2010. The Company was also awarded a Bronze for its development at Caspian

Wharf, Bow, during a recent lunch ceremony in the City of London. The Considerate Constructors Scheme Annual National Awards are given

to approximately the top 7.5% of highest scoring sites within the Considerate Constructors Scheme completed last year. The Awards recognise a site’s excellent standards of consideration towards its workforce, neighbours and the environment.

The judges commended One Brighton’s “well presented and

professionally-run site, especially deserving of an award for its pioneering green concept and successful implementation.” At the One Brighton development, located in Brighton’s New England

Quarter, Denne has constructed the first commercially viable zero carbon development in the UK, on behalf of Crest Nicholson Regeneration and BioRegional Quintain llp. The One Brighton scheme comprises two blocks of eight and eleven storeys offering 172 flats for private sale and shared ownership, as well as community and commercial space. One Brighton uses a bio-mass boiler and green electricity supplied

through an Energy Services company, set up and run by the developers. The scheme also utilizes at least 25% recycled content in its construction materials. Through eco-friendly design, specification and long term management, the aim of One Brighton is to make sustainable high quality living easy, affordable and attractive. At Caspian Wharf, Denne has completed phase one of a prestigious

mixed use waterside development for Berkeley Homes consisting of 82 one, two and three bedroom apartments. The overall scheme, which is located in London's traditional East End, is only minutes away from Canary Wharf and the City. Once the future phases of the scheme are complete, the development will include a total of 416 flats and maisonettes, five commercial units and office space.

The wider Leadbitter Group won a further three silver awards for its

developments, Newport High School, Hearn Mawr and Edward Street in Pontypool, plus bronzes for the recently completed Swindon Academy, Lyme Regis House in Bournemouth and Highfield.

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