Over the past few decades, there have been countless outbreaks of fire, especially with high-rise buildings. Taking Dubai as an example, over the past five years there have been no less than five major fires in the city’s skyscrapers. The most recent being July 2016, where a blaze engulfed more than 30 floors of the Sulafa Tower.
Fortunately, there were no major casualties and only sixteen people suffered minor injuries. However, this incident highlights the ever increasing importance of skyscrapers and other buildings to ensure thorough fire safety. One such measure is the installation of smoke and fire curtains:
What smoke and fire curtains offer is a one-stop fire safety measure. They can be discreetly installed in a whole host of buildings to offer a complete range of safety features. Not only do fire curtains provide a clear and protected means of escape, but they also serve to restrict and control the spread of fire and smoke throughout a building.
Due to their ability to protect and control, fire curtains have a wide range of uses and suitable applications, making them perfect for protecting high-rise multi-function buildings.
At Coopers Fire we have installed many fire and smoke curtains to protect numerous globally renowned buildings. Including London’s iconic Gherkin, The British Museum, Sydney Opera House and Aldgate Tower.
Coopers Fire was contracted to install fire protection barriers in London’s busy Aldgate Tower. The project focused on providing fire curtains for an innovative architecture firm across the 11th and 12th floors. It was integral to the office designs that the joining staircase that linked their two floors remained open. However, this specification, without the installation of a fire curtain, would have failed to meet the building’s stringent fire regulations. This was due to the lack of compartmentation between the two floors.
Large open spaces are essential for the running of many modern office spaces. They are even more integral for a lot of creative and spaces where open plan areas allow for collaboration. Even more to architectural offices, where their design is often intended to act at a show piece of their capabilities.
As a result, we installed our specially designed FireMaster® closed rectangular Concertina fire curtain. Our Concertina fire curtains prove the perfect solution when looking for stairwell protection and between-floor compartmentation. Once deployed, it creates a temporary firewall and boundary protection that offers up to two hours of fire protection. Thus replacing the need for a lobby or door at either end of the staircase.
Additionally – and uniquely, – the Coopers Fire Concertina fire curtain deploys from the ceiling without the need for side guides or columns. This allows for the office’s fantastic views of London to be maximised via the open plan and impressively designed office space.
Coopers Fire is dedicated to advancing fire and smoke barrier curtain technology to safeguard both life and property. This commitment has meant that Coopers Fire has become the benchmark used by regulators, architects, engineers and other fire professionals, worldwide.
With regular servicing and maintenance now a legal requirement, Coopers Fire is the only fire and smoke curtain manufacturer and installer to be regulated and approved by an Independent Third Party Certification body (IFCC Installers Certification Scheme).
For further information on the FireMaster Concertina or any other Coopers Fire fire or smoke curtain please visit www.coopersfire.com or contact us today.
