Case Studies

New build - Limited access for Fire Tenders

Project
Small mixed development of new homes, Bloxwich, England

Fire risk analysis
A small mixed development of about 30 homes was being planned. At the back of the site 4 semi-detached were to be built, which would be accessed by a narrow driveway. On submission of the plans, it was realized that the house would be more than 50m from the main highway, and that a fire tender would not be able to access the drive. The Fire Service required that full residential sprinklers to BS9251 be installed into these 4 properties.

Solution
Hydraulic calculations indicated that the mains water supply was suitable and a residential sprinkler system was designed. In addition to the 25mm domestic supply, a dedicated
32mm water supply was installed to each of the 4 properties. A total of seven concealed heads were installed in each dwelling, and the sprinkler valve sets were built into the downstairs WC.
FireGuard domestic fire alarms were fitted to each installation, and the houses were fully commissioned before handing over to the clients.

This site is a good example of where residential fires sprinklers can be very profitably adopted. Without fire sprinklers it is unlikely that these houses would have been built, due to the limited access for fire fighting vehicles.

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