A rapid and precisely executed two-week retrofit contract has brought the fire compartmentation within the complex roof-spaces of a Nottinghamshire health centre up to current Building Regulation standards, with the work being carried out by a Midlands-based contractor, highly experienced in the installation of FIREFLY systems.
The Meadow Heath Health Centre has been undergoing alterations to allow two existing practices to merge. Coventry-based KRASI Fire Protection was awarded the work based on its long experience and past projects in the East Midlands area. Due to the age of the building, which had undergone previous alterations, with the fire regulations also being revised, the fire-stopping measures within the centre’s roof-space was no longer compliant.
KRASI’s design solution featured the installation of the manufacturer’s Zeus Vertical and Horizontal fire barriers, in combination with the recently introduced FB 180 batts, which were required to create a number of ‘protected zones’ in accordance with Approved Document B.
Daniel Oldacre, Contracts Manager for KRASI Fire Protection, said: “We made use of the FB180 Batt system to ensure that any fire cannot break through and cause burn-over. Our four-man team installed 50m2 of Zeus vertical barrier and a further 100m2 of horizontal protection in alignment with the walls, giving 90-minutes integrity and 30-minutes insulation. The carefully designed installations, including a variety of project specific details, made use of Zeus Lite 90:30 and other FIREFLY barrier materials, together with the FB180 batts mechanically fixed to form the protected zone extending to 1,500mm either side of the wall. The batts are mechanically fixed in place and sealed with the intumescent mastic and the ablative coating. The whole job is certified under our FIRAS scheme accreditation.”
Also employed on the contract were a number of FIREFLY FR120 Access Hatches, providing compliant access to the newly upgraded roof-space compartments.
The project also highlights the versatility of FIREFLY’s FB180 Ablative Batt. Initially developed for use in wall constructions and protected zones, the same system has now been adapted for use within floor assemblies, offering extended fire resistance and acoustic performance where compartmentation upgrades are required between levels. www.tbafirefly.com