High-rises and skyscrapers require fire protection and safety based on their height, usage, density of people, construction materials, size of underground parking and more. Because of the way they are built, fire can spread very easily in a high-rise, through the elevator system, air-conditioning, heating and other vents. There is also a significant difference in risk as you go up, with higher floors facing a longer escape route in case of emergency.
When MTech was awarded the C6 project, a beautiful modern 39-floor high-rise in the heart of Tel Aviv, we were excited for the opportunity to showcase our top-of-the-line fire-safety systems and protect the lives of the thousands of people that will pass through the doors of C6 beginning in 2022. A total of 50,000m2, with a three-level shopping mall and 31-floors of office space, five floors of underground parking, nine elevators and two rescue lifts will be equipped with the most advanced fire-safety solutions available today.
Our first challenge was to build a highly reliable network of systems for fast fire detection, fire safety and emergency evacuation without any false alarms, according to the standard for commissioning of fire-protection and life-safety systems NFPA3, 72, 92, which is outlined to ensure systems perform in conformity with the design intent, and NFPA4, 72, 92, which outlines test scenarios to confirm the operation, interaction and coordination of multiple individual systems to perform their intended function. The integrated network would include fire detection, water extinguishers, voice evacuation, smoke management, fire telephones and disabled refuge networked systems and a firefighter’s control centre.
What does MTech bring to the table?
To overcome challenges presented by size, we created two systems: one for the safety of the offices and shopping mall, without the public areas, and the other for elevators, stairs and lobby and the underground parking.
In C6, MTech utilizes more than 50 MA-1000 – MTech’s analogue addressable control two-loop panels (each loop can hold up to 200 addressable devices, UL864 10th edition) together with our analogue addressable smoke (MA-320) and heat (MA-330) detectors and other smart addressable devices for fast detection of events.
Each of the MA-1000 panels was connected to dumpers, flow and tamper switches, fire doors, lifts and emergency generators. Together, they connect to each other to form a class A integrated system, which is monitored directly in MTech’s analogue addressable smoke management system which includes MTech’s MA-FSCS designed for firefighters in accordance with NFPA92 and NFPA72.
Each system includes internal maintenance testing capabilities that will be scheduled monthly, and together with detector testing performed regularly we assure system maintenance is strictly kept. The system will automatically generate a system report for the fire-safety building manager. Also, and in accordance with NFPA3 & 4 requirements mentioned above, we installed MTech’s MA-Graphical Monitoring Software to perform periodic testing and building modifications, and provide the building safety team with reports for preliminary building inspections, component system testing and acceptance testing for smoke management systems.
Furthermore, the MA-FSCS firefighter’s control centre can be programmed using Mtech’s S-BMS monitoring software (installed on the fire and smoke management station), and with the MA-1050NET touchscreen remote annunciator, which displays the smoke management system working with fan and damper operations in real time.
C6 is an example of MTech’s ability to provide advanced fire protection in a single high-rise, but our technology and capabilities are also suitable for multi-building projects as well, all the way through to an entire smart city.
For more information, go to www.mtech-fire.com
