Consisting of a 356m high office tower with a gross floor area of 68,000sq.m. and an adjacent 306m high 400-room hotel, a three-storey podium links the towers and will contain 5,000sq.m. of retail space - with the option to extend by a further 3,800sq.m. - and parking for 1,500 vehicles.

The twin towers, expected to be the third tallest twin towers in the world, will be protected by UK-based fire detection and voice alarm system specialists Caradon Gent Limited, with loudspeakers supplied by Penton UK Limited.

The Fire Detectors and Alarm System installed at this prestigious project had to be the best and the experts at MK Systems (Dubai) proposed Penton’s RCS5/FTS and SENTRY range of voice alarm loudspeakers and the Gent flagship product, System 34000.

The system comprises of 15 sophisticated Fire Detection Panels fully integrated with Gent’s voice alarm system, Orator. The fire panels and amplifier units are distributed throughout the building and connected together in a secure network utilising bi-directional communication to maintain a network of high integrity.

Data from all the panels is transmitted across the network to a central Supervisor PC through a terminal node, which provides master information and controls. The system is further secured via master controllers in the hotel and office tower control room to enable the Fire Officer or Operator to control the respective towers separately.

The Voice Alarm System is integrated into the Fire Detection and Alarm System in a fully distributed architecture. Intelligent distributed amplifier units are self-contained units comprising microprocessor and logic system, module, evacuate/alarm message store, charges and battery back-up to comply to BS5839, amplifier to suit the load, with twin circuits per zone to comply to BS7443 and BS5839 Part 8. Providing a seamless interface, the self-contained nature of the unit enables pre-recorded messages to be broadcast as part of the fire alarm configuration. In addition, Audio Control Units enable the operator to make a live speech broadcast, or manually initiate pre-recorded emergency messages to selected/all zones.

The principle means of alarm in the building is the voice message broadcast, using either the Penton RCS5/FTS Ceiling Loudspeakers or the SENTRY6/ST Metal Cabinet Loudspeakers alongside sensor/sounder units and sounders in stairwells.

Sensor/sounder units installed in each guest room provide the local alarm in case of fire; evacuation messages are then enabled after a pre-set time delay using the cascade principle, allowing orderly evacuation. Each zone (floor) is secured by two speaker circuits, each speaker being BS5839 Part 8 compliant. For this project the speakers are fitted with thermal fuses and ceramic terminal blocks. In the event of a fire, system continuity is paramount - if one or two speakers are burnt out in a fire the other loudspeakers, driven from distributed amplifiers, remain operational.

The overall system consists of some 5,500 detection points. 4,000 speakers providing protection of a highly reliable nature. The system also offers great flexibility in configuration and programming to meet complex requirments The company comments that Gent True Analogue Addressable Systems combined with Penton Loudspeakers “remain the ideal choice for major projects in the region”.

Penton, a major player in the supply of voice alarm system loudspeakers, has technical requirements. All speakers comply with the Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) Regulations 1992, SI 1992 No 2372 and the Low Voltage directive (LVD) safety regulations 1994. Their products have also featured on other prestigious projects including Heathrow airport Terminals 1, 2, 3 and 4, Edinburgh Airport. The British Museum, Tent Bridge Cricket Ground, BAA World Cargo Centre, The Mirage Hotel in Dubai and Hong Kong’s Chip Lap Ko’s Airport.

Telephone: +44 (1)903 215315