Product: Design and installation of smoke barrier systems
Application: Natural History Museum.
Client: M J Ferguson MJ Ferguson Services – Specialist Commercial Construction – Maintaining Excellence
PROJECT OVERVIEW
PROJECT DETAILS
Glasstec Systems was appointed to design and install a smoke barrier system at London’s iconic Natural History Museum.
The project
The Natural History Museum had identified the need to replace the existing smoke curtains within the Earth Gallery, which is situated over three floors. The first and second floors have balconies which overlook the main entrance area. A retractable smoke curtain was housed in the ceiling above the balcony on each floor, running the entire width of the balcony.
Each retractable smoke curtain would prevent the spread of smoke and heat by automatically lowering to create a barrier when triggered by a smoke detector or fire alarm.
The smoke curtains had previously been subjected to damage. They had also malfunctioned due to being caught within the mechanism. Maintenance of the smoke curtains was also challenging due to their location. For these reasons, the Natural History Museum wanted to replace the smoke curtains with a more robust and easily maintained alternative.
The brief
The client commissioned Glasstec Systems to remove the smoke curtains from levels one and two and replace them with permanent fire rated toughened glass. The new barriers were to be in the same position, and cover the same area, as the existing smoke curtains when fully lowered.
This change would resolve the issue with the existing damaged smoke curtain and provide a more easily maintained solution.
Mechanical and electrical installations in the area such as cabling, lighting and CCTV cameras would need to be managed. We were to permanently relocate some existing electrical services so they wouldn’t clash with the new installations. The temporary relocation of other electrical services was also required, such as the lighting to avoid clashing with the scaffolding.
When removing the two existing smoke curtains and their housing, we were to disconnect the curtains from the fire alarm systems and update the fire panel accordingly.
We were also tasked with supplying and installing adequate and suitable temporary floor and wall coverings, as well as branded hoarding on the landing side of both levels.
The protection of artefacts and people was a significant factor of the brief that needed to be skilfully managed throughout the installation.
Project completion was expected to take approximately two months.
Glasstec Systems’ design solution
The Glasstec Systems design team chose the Vetrotech Pyroswiss SBS D 120 smoke barrier system for this project to control the movement of fire and hot smoke by forming a fixed, transparent high temperature barrier. The Vetrotech Pyroswiss is made of 6mm toughened glass to operate at 600° minimum temperature in conformance with fire resistance classification EN 12101-1 (Annex D) and reaction to fire classification EN 13501-1.
This high performance product allowed us to follow the existing installation arrangement in terms of location, routing and interfaces within the infrastructure.
As a static, rather than retractable, structure a glazed smoke barrier won’t obstruct the view of the galleries, which is a key design element for installations in spaces where visibility and aesthetics are priorities. A glazed smoke barrier also maintains visibility for occupants during evacuation and for firefighters attending an incident.
Challenges of the installation
Protection of artefacts and people
The protection of artefacts and people was paramount for this project. We were installing the smoke barriers above a Stegosaurus fossil skeleton at the entrance of the Earth Hall that measures almost three metres tall and six metres long, and is worth approximately £80 million. This, and our duty of care to protect all visitors and staff, meant we needed to take robust safety measures.
To this end, we designed, supplied and installed bespoke, site-specific bracketry which was fully tested and assessed to meet the safety requirements. We also provided our insurance documentation to evidence the liability insurance we had in place and our RAMS (Risk Assessment and Method Statement) documentation prior to installation.
Out of hours work
Due the Natural History Museum being a live site with a high number of visitors, we carried out all works out of hours. This required considerable ongoing collaboration and communication with the client and the museum management team.
Project Outcomes
The project took four out of hours night shifts too complete, which complied with the timeframe specified by the client.
We successfully planned and managed the removal of the existing smoke curtains and the permanent and temporary removal, or relocation, of services while protecting the integrity of all related mechanical and electrical elements.
The finished smoke barriers are unobtrusive and can barely be seen from the ground floor. They meet the brief of permanent structures that are not susceptible to damage and can be easily and cost-effectively maintained.
The client and the Natural History Museum team were delighted with the results.
Why work with Glasstec Systems?
Due to a reputation for high-quality bespoke, structural glazing and innovative design, Glasstec Systems is repeatedly appointed by specifiers such as interior designers, architects, contractors and property developers. We also work directly for homeowners and commercial clients.
For more information on how we can work together, please call 020 8500 2818 or contact us.
