Liam Devine

ST09001278

Architectural Design and Technology

Architectural Science

Mr Nick Evans

Technical Report
Contents

1. General Introduction 1

2. Fire Safety 1

Fire alarm and detection system 1

Fire suppressant system 2
Fire spread 3

3. Heating and Ventilation 4

Heating 4
Ventilation 5
Outline Specification 5

4. Lighting 6

Outline Specification 7

5. Sanitary installations 7

Details of scale 8

Location of sanitary ware and waste pipes 8

6. Environmental design strategy 9

Consideration of fabric 9

Materials 9

Low Zero Carbon (LZC) technologies 10

7. Conclusion 11

8. Bibliography 12
Introduction

The aim of this report is to discuss and select the appropriate servicing solutions,
which will support the factory design drawings. The report will cover aspects of fire
safety that need to be considered when designing the factory such as fire alarm and
detection systems, automatic fire suppressant systems, fire spread structurally and
across surfaces. Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems will be
described and analysed in detail with a selection of the components required
including an outline specification for a suitable ‘HVAC’ installation. The lighting
solutions for the offices and production area will be described and analysed including
an outline specification for lighting to the offices and production area. Sanity
installations will be discussed and analysed to find the adequate solution for the
factory including details of scale and location of sanity ware and waste pipes.
Environmental design strategy will be set out to cover the consideration of fabric,
services, materials and low zero carbon (LZC) technologies.

Fire Safety

Fire has a devastating effect on buildings and the occupants, it can spread rapidly
and escape may be difficult. It can cause loss of life, injuries and damage the
building along with financial losses. In most cases fires are preventable with the use
of responsibility and adopting fire safety procedures. It is vital to design and
construct correct precautions for early warnings of fire and to allow the occupants of
the building to escape from the building to a safety zone outside.

Fire Alarm and Detection System

The Building Regulations 2000, Approved document B has been used to determine
the correct type of fire alarm and detection system for the factory building. The
approved document referred to British Standard (BS 5839-1 Fire detection and fire
alarm systems for buildings — Part 1: Code of practice for system design,
installation, commissioning and maintenance. Table A.1): It listed three categories
that are typically installed in various types of buildings -

• Category L – Protection of Life

• Category P - Protection of Property
• Category M – Manual Alarm System
(Table taken from BS 5839-1 Fire detection and fire alarm systems for buildings —
Part 1: Code of practice for system design, installation, commissioning and
maintenance. Table A1.)

The factory will require Category P2, which is a system that is only specified in
certain areas of the building. The office and production area will contain the detection
system because these areas are considered high risk hazards and there can be a
potential of fire spread to contents of value such as office computers, manufacturing
equipment etc. The automatic fire detection and alarm system will protect the
building and the occupants by detecting a fire at premature stage. The system will
supply an early caution to the buildings occupants so that the fire can be controlled.

There are three types of fire alarm and detection systems:

• Non-addressable system
• Addressable system
• Hybrid System
• Wireless System

(Dudley 2010)

The type of system to be used in the factory building will be the addressable system
which contains an addressable fire alarm control panel, detection and alarm devices
such as heat detectors, smoke detectors, manual call points, bells and sounders.
(Dudley 2010)

Fire Suppressant System

Automatic sprinkler systems are installed in buildings to reduce the risks to life and
the property damage that is caused by fire.

‘Statistics show that where a fire occurs in a sprinkler protected property, 99% are
controlled by the sprinklers alone of which 60% are controlled by 4 sprinkler heads or
fewer. As a result, the damage caused from water damage extinguishing a fire is
minimal when compared to the volumes of water used should a fire brigade need
attend to extinguish the fire’

(Argus Fire Protection Ltd)

There are four types of automatic sprinkler systems which can be applicable to the
factory design. These systems are based on wet, dry, alternative and pre action.

The wet system has water permanently charged in the pipes and is mainly used to
protect buildings where the temperatures will not fall below freezing. Dry systems are
charged with air, this is beneficial in unheated buildings for example warehouses,
where they are exposed to freezing temperatures. The alternative system is charged
with water in the summer period and charged with air in the winter period, this
method will prevent the pipe work from freezing and damages to the system. Pre
action systems are designed for specifically for the protection of areas, which contain
electrical equipment such as computers and other important goods.

(Williams C 2009)

The automatic sprinkler system consists of:

• Water supply
• Control valves
• Alarm
• Pipe work fitted with sprinkler heads

(Image taken from BRE digest 518 – Components of

sprinkler system)

The factory building will reach low temperatures in the winter out of operating hours,
so the following systems will not be required such as wet and dry system. The
alternative system seems to be the most appropriate because the system is not
liable to freeze during freezing periods although the pre action system would seem
beneficial in the office areas due to electrical fires. Concealed sprinkler heads will be
inserted into the ceiling in the office areas. As for the production area, spray sprinkler
heads are to be used because aesthetics are not essential just performance is
required. (Williams C 2009)

The system must comply with BS EN 12845: 2005 (Fixed fire fighting systems -
Automatic sprinkler systems - Design, installation and maintenance).

Fire Spread

The structure will have a fire resistance lining to prevent fire spread and the main
elements of the structure from failing. The factory building will require 60 minutes of
fire resistance although with the sprinkler system installed in all areas the 60 minutes
can be reduced to 30 minutes. There are a number of different materials that are
used to conceal the columns of the portal frame such as intumesent paint, fire board
up to rafter level, spray applied solutions. The columns which are exposed in the
production area will have intumesent paint applied and the office areas will have fire
board.

The building will require fire protection in the corridors and escape routes to prevent
the spread of flame from one area of the building to another. The internal walls shall
be lined with class 0 material as defined in the Building Regulations 2000, Approved
Document B. Fire doors are needed to prevent fire spreading whilst also allowing
occupants to escape. The fire doors should have fire resistance of 60 minutes and
intumesent strips installed around the door set to delay the spread of flame and
smoke.

The composite panels are constructed from steel and aluminium outer and inner
sheets, which have class 1 surface spread of flame to BS 476: part 7: 1987 and are
defined as class 0 by the building regulations 2000, approved document B. The core
of the panel is constructed from PIR insulation, which can burn when exposed to fire.
In order to prevent the insulation burning the use of specifying a different material
may suffice. The composite panel must be properly installed and the correct joints
and support provided to prevent the spread of fire.

Heating and Ventilation

Heating

The heating to the production area can be provided by

convective or radiant systems. It is vital to choose the correct
system to ‘reduce the running costs in factory applications’.
(Good Practise Guide 303. 2010)

Radiant heating systems provide infrared radiation to heat

the building fabric and occupants directly, which means the
air doesn’t have to be warmed to transfer the heat. This does
not increase the internal temperature to provide complete
comfort levels. Radiant systems have a fast response, which
means the system requires less heat up time as compared
to convective systems.
(Image of indirect tube type radiant
heater)
The types of radiant heaters are ‘gas-fired tube heaters,
plaque heaters and electric quartz-halogen units.’ (Good Practise Guide 303. 2010)

In relation to the production area, the radiant heating system has some benefits over
the convective heating system such as the fast heat up time, there is no air
movement and energy consumption is decreased due to low air temperatures.
Directional output will transfer the heat to the direction it is aimed towards; this is
useful when heating vast volumes with high roof structures.
The radiant system will require temperature control and time control. The black bulb
heat sensors are used to achieve the correct temperature control and the sensor will
be placed in locations that ‘are representative of the radiant effect of the panels
being controlled.

Convective heating systems will use the movement of warm air to transfer heat. The
movement of the warm air is created either by natural convection or the utilization of
fans.

The types of convective heaters are ‘high-level unit heater, floor-standing warm air
heater, ducted warm air system and warm air jet/induced jet system.’

In relation to the production area, the convective heating system will not be suitable
because it is appropriate in applications where the occupants are sedentary. The
system produces warm air which increases the air pressure in the building to reduce
cold draughts. The fans can be operated in the summer period to assist with
ventilation of the building. The convective heater system is more likely to be used in
the office areas to supply a constant flow of warm air.

Ventilation

There are a number of different ventilation types that can be incorporated into the
building.

Natural ventilation incorporates the movement of air to transfer air around the
building. The office spaces will have single sided ventilation because cross
ventilation is not possible due to a closed structure. The windows that open into the
office areas will provide the office with fresh air and allows the movement of stale air
to be removed either by wall mounted extract systems or the top half of the window.
The extract ventilation system must be used to remove unwanted heat gains from
electrical equipment and lighting.

Natural ventilation will be used to eliminate the use of mechanical service plant and
reduce the operating costs. This form of ventilation can be effective in factories due
to high ceiling areas.

Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) outline specification

The services to be installed shall be designed on the following basis to obtain the
conditions specified:

Internal Conditions

Offices

Winter 21°C ± 1°C db

 Summer 22°C ± 2°C db

Note: No specific allowance shall be made for humidity control

Circulation Areas 18°C db minimum (heated only)

Toilet Areas 18°C db minimum (heated only)

Occupancy and Fresh Air (Offices)

The occupancy for the offices shall be 1 person / 10m2. The nominal fresh air
ventilation rate shall be 12 litres/sec/person.

Infiltration and Internal Heat Gain Offices

Allowances for heat gains and losses due to natural air infiltration shall be
based on the following air change rates:

Offices

Summer ½ air change per hour

Winter ½ air change per hour

Lighting

The lighting system will consist of recessed direct / indirect luminaries in the office
areas, including a suitable louvre with each luminarie provided with a flexible cord to
allow for relocation in the ceiling grid. Multi-sensors positioned on the ceiling will
control the lighting.

(Boyce P and Raynham P 2009)

The lighting control system shall include the flexibility to allow occupants to
reconfigure the lighting arrangements to suit future cellularisation of the office space.
The initial configuration shall include the facility for the automatic, timed switching
between the following usage periods:

• Day time office hours

• After hours office working
• Night time

Emergency lighting within the office areas shall be provided via the general service
luminaires with integral maintained 3 hour (minimum) duration battery/inverter packs.

Outline Specification

Lighting design generally to be carried out in accordance with BCO Guidelines and
CIBSE Lighting Guides
 • Offices 500 lux
• Staircases 150 - 200 lux
• Lobby 200 – 300 lux
• Reception 200 - 300 lux
• Toilets 200 lux
• Production Area 300 lux

The lighting shall be designed in compliance with the principles as set out in CIBSE
LG7 2005.

Sanitary Installations

The waste water system consists of a discharge stack pipe, branch connections and
traps. The trap is connected to all sanitary installations such as toilets, wash hand
basins and urinals. The purpose of the trap is to prevent foul air from entering the
building. The minimum trap sizes and seal depths are set out in Building Regulations
2000, Approved Document H. The branch pipes will discharge into the stack pipe or
another branch pipe.

There are four systems that are covered in BS EN 12056-2 but only the system III is
used in the UK. Although there are different configurations which are shown below:

• Primary ventilated stack system – this system is used for situations where the
discharge stack pipe is large enough to limit the pressure fluctuations with the
need for a ventilating stack
• Secondary ventilated stack system – this system is used where close
grouping of appliances makes it practicable to provide branch discharge pipes
without the need for branch ventilating pipes. Trap seals are safeguarded by
extending the stack(s) to the atmosphere and by cross-connecting the
ventilating stack to the discharge stack.

(Trotman. P and Griggs. J 2009)

There are limitations set out in BS EN 12056-2 table 6, regarding the length of pipe
from trap outlet to the discharge stack in metres. This will have a significant effect on
the location of sanity appliances.

Wash hand basin based on 30mm diameter trap with

minimum trap seal depth of 75mm has a maximum
length of 1.7 metres from trap to discharge stack. The
bowl urinal based on 40mm diameter trap with minimum
trap seal depth of 75mm has a maximum length of 3
metres. WC based on 100mm diameter trap with
minimum trap seal depth of 50mm does not have a limit
for the maximum length.

(BS EN 12056-2)
The sanitary installations are required to have certain activity spaces set out in BS
6465 : Part 2 : 1996 Sanitary installations Part 2 - Code of practice for space
requirements for sanitary appliances.

Wash hand basin – 800x700mm as shown in figure 1

Toilet – 700x500mm as shown in figure 2
Bowl urinal – 500x700mm as shown in figure 3

Figure 1 Figure 2

Figure 3

To determine the number of toilets in

the building the following table was
used to understand the scale.

(Image taken from BRE Good Practise Guide 79 page 2 table 2)

Environmental Design Strategy

Consideration of building fabric

Factory buildings are well known for poor performance of the building fabric which
can lead to heat loss, maintenance issues and poor life expectancy. These issues
are causing an increase in material resources and carbon emissions.

The factors affecting heat loss are the buildings insulation, air leakage and
inappropriate heating systems.

The building can be vulnerable to heat loss because of inappropriate roller shutter
doors. There are a number of solutions to prevent the air leakage and heat loss from
the building. According to Dye. A and McEvory (2008) the roller shutter doors can be
located away from prevailing winds on structure to reduce heat loss especially if they
are kept open for long periods and reducing the period of time the doors are left
open. The roof can have a dramatic effect on heat loss in the building; the lower the
pitch of the roof, the more heat will be contained in a smaller area whilst compared to
a roof with a high pitch. A simpler solution to prevent heat loss would be to increase
the buildings insulation which will lower the cost of heating the building.

Air leakage is often caused through the building fabric such as large doors and
junctions between different building elements. The junctions between composite
cladding and brickwork should be adequately sealed with butyl sealants and profile
fillers to prevent air leakage through the abutment.

(Dye. A and McEvory. M 2008)

Materials

Steel

The steel structure shall be fixed together with bolts to increase the ease of recycling
compared to the welded option. The production of the steel will cause high levels of
pollution and emissions although once the steel is produced there are not any further
emissions. The intumescant paint that covers the structural columns in the
production area contains toxic substances which affect the environment when
applied. (Lyons A 2010)

Bricks and Mortar

The clay bricks used in the external leaf of the cavity wall construction will be locally
sourced. The clay bricks are to be laid in hydraulic lime mortar, which contains no
cement. The lime mortar will reduce the need for movement joints and because the
materials are locally sourced, the embodied energy will be reduced. (Lyons A 2010)

Insulation

The insulation that is used inside the cavity walls and composite panels is
Polyisocyanurate foam (PIR). The PIR has a higher R value and is more fire
resistant compared to polyurethane. It is rated ‘A’ by the Green guide and it provides
a lower environmental impact compared to other insulation solutions such as
cellulose glass and stone wool. (Green Spec) state that ‘PIR is recyclable if grinded
down and added to a sheet’. When the building is at the end of its life the insulation
could be reused if in good condition.

Concrete

The concrete used for the pad foundations, ground floor beam and first floor, it is
durable so there are hardly any maintenance issues. The foundations will transmit
heat back into the building due to concrete being high in thermal mass, which
reduces the energy required to heat and cool the building according to (Dye. A and
McEvory. M 2008) ‘this may be useful in offices with high heat gains from ICT
equipment’. The concrete will be crushed and recycled at the end of the buildings
life. The concrete can be used as hardcore for new buildings. (Lyons A 2010)

Low zero carbon (LZC) technologies

Biomass Boiler

The biomass boiler system can be effective in producing hot water and heating,
compared to the original gas fired boilers used in factory buildings. This system is
liable of ‘typically burning at up to 94% efficiency’ according to (Green Spec), this
performs at the same level as a natural gas boiler. The biomass boiler is fuelled by
the biomass to produce hot water for the radiators installed in the office areas and
toilet areas on the ground and first floor.

There are different forms of biomass that are used to heat the system such as:

• Wood pellets
• Wood chips
• Energy crops such as oilseed rape and miscanthus
• Animal waste such as pig and chicken litter
• Agricultural by-products such as straw and grain husks

The biomass widely used throughout industrial and commercial buildings is wood
pellets and chips. The wood chip option opposed to wood pellets will be used to fuel
the boiler because it is widely available locally. The wood pellets can be varied in
availability and are usually imported which results in high embodied energy and
defeats the object of carbon saving.

The wood chip to be used in the boiler will be 30 grade, which relates to the moisture
content and should be dried for 12 months to allow a consistent quality. The type of
wood must be processed from Forestry Stewardship Council Certified (FSC)
woodland.

The biomass fuel has advantages over fossil fuels:

• Renewable fuel – it is grown at the same rate it is used

• Produces small net carbon dioxide emission to the atmosphere

(Ratcliffe and McClory 2007)

Conclusion

This paper has discussed and selected the appropriate solutions that are
incorporated into the factory building. The paper has discussed and identified fire
alarm and detection systems, suppressant systems and fire spread. The analysis
compared different systems and selected the most suitable systems for the building.
The paper analysed heating and ventilation systems to find which systems suited the
areas inside the building such as radiant heating in the production areas and
radiators in the offices and reception area. The paper covers aspects of lighting
solutions and gives outline specification for the requirements needed in the areas if
the building. Sanity installations have been analysed thoroughly to choose the
correct gravity drainage system for the toilets. The analysis into the environmental
design strategy found that there are alternative approaches to producing buildings.
The materials used in the production of the building are high in embodied energy and
are not sustainable. Although most of the materials are recyclable, once the building
reaches the end of its life.
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