Roofing & Fire Safety

Going for the Gold

The opening ceremony for the Olympic Games in Athens took place under the biggest stadium roof in the world. Designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, the 17,000-ton roof covers nearly 15,000 square meters and is made from plastic sheets of Makrolon polycarbonate, chosen for its transparency and light weight. The dynamic suspension structure is made of two metal arches, each 300 meters long, with their apex rising to a height of 78 meters.

Bayer MaterialScience AG.

Reader Service No. 202

Locked Away

Grade 2 locksets feature the Clutch, which when locked, disengages the outside lever allowing it to turn freely. Survivor Series locksets come with a lifetime mechanical warranty and are UL listed for three-hour fire rating.

Marks USA.

Reader Service No. 309

Detection at Its Best

Fire detector calculates inputs from two sensor technologies and equates these signals into pre-determined responses to identify fire scenarios in the quickest manner. Acclimate automatically adjusts to the local environment and sets the detector's operating parameters based on historical data for each installation. Additional software minimizes the effects of unwanted transient alarm sources by monitoring the current environment and trends in signal.

System Sensor.

Reader Service No. 310

Flex to the Finish

Golden Triangle Fire Protection, Denton, Texas, had to retrofit fire protection systems at five schools in Plano, all in less than one month. In total, 4,375 center-of-the-tile heads had to be installed. Working long days, the team was able to beat their deadline by four days, a success they attribute FlexHead sprinklers, which substitute hard piping with flexible hose. According to Steve Nack, president of Golden Triangle, the adjustable sprinkler heads also helped cut labor costs by 80%.

FlexHead Industries.

Reader Service No. 304

Sound the Horn

Specifiers will now be able to choose fire alarms by the sound they make when in use. When clicking on a product at www.sti-usa.com, the product's horn will sound.

Safety Technology International.

Reader Service No. 307

Keeping Clinton Out of Fire

The new William J. Clinton Presidential Center in Little Rock, Ark., set to open November 18, 2004, will feature the XLSV fire protection and evacuation system for emergency voice evacuation and sprinkler monitoring. According to the maker, the system's ultra-sensitive detection monitor can distinguish cigarette smoke from car exhaust from actual fire hazards. The system includes an instant communications link to the local fire department and a designated refuge area for the physically challenged to facilitate emergency rescue. The $160 million complex was designed by New York-based Polshek Partnership Architects.

Siemens.

Reader Service No. 302

Smart Lock

Modular locks available in both cylindrical and mortise designs are ideal for both new and retrofit applications. The CM5200 and CM5600 locksets maintain up to 1,000 users and store the last 1,000 events. Locks can be programmed to provide momentary access, VIP access, limit the hours and days a user can access assigned doors, or restrict access during holidays, shutdowns, or vacations. Other features include auto locking and relocking, and "first person in" facility unlocking.

Schlage.

Reader Service No. 306

No-Fire Frames

Fire-resistant frames meet UL Level 3 requirements for bullet resistance and ASTM 1592-01 impact test requirements for sledgehammer attack resistance. The frames are approved for 60-, 90-, 120-minute applications. They meet all temperature rise requirements of the national building codes, providing the maximum barrier against fire and radiant heat transfer.

GPX.

Reader Service No. 312

Closed Shut

Door closer series features corrosion-resistant materials for severe climate conditions, including seashore and swimming pool areas, offshore oil rigs, ships, chemical plants, and sewage treatment facilities. The STA series closers have aluminum alloy bodies with high-compression steel springs and hardened racks. The closer pinion, regular arm assembly, main arm, adjustment arm, and rod and shoe are all made of stainless steel. The STA 8600 door closer features adjustable spring power in sizes 1–6, while the STA 7400 unit is available in adjustable sizes 1–4, as well as 3–6 if more closing force is desired.

Dorma.

Reader Service No. 300

Framed Safety

Genuine hardwood framing for glass walls has a fire rating of 60 minutes, and is able to contain individual glass lites in sizes up to 31 sf. The frames are available in a variety of wood species and are shipped in complete packages for easy installation.

TGP.

Reader Service No. 308

Healthy Security

The 424-bed JFK Medical Center in Atlantis, Fla., recently completed a $76 million expansion, which included the installation of a new video surveillance system with 64 dome cameras and UTP cable for CCTV transmission. "This system allows for quick deployment and easy camera additions once the cable is installed," said Gary Perlowin of Florida State Fire & Security, Davie, Fla., which installed the NVT system. "UTP systems are also very cost effective when there are more than 10 cameras and the distances extend around a large hospital campus wiring scheme."

Network Video Technologies.

Reader Service No. 311

Magic Relief

Fire suppression system uses a sustainable chemical agent that fights fires without causing any damage to electronics, art, and other irreplaceable artifacts. The Sapphire Suppression System uses 3M's Novec 1230 Fire Protection Fluid, which looks like water, but evaporates quickly, leaving items in the building unaffected by the liquid. The system offers central storage and modular design solutions that can integrate with existing fire alarm and suppression systems. The liquid has an atmospheric lifetime of only five days, as compared to 33 years for the closest chemical alternative, says the maker.

Tyco Fire & Security.

Reader Service No. 303

Smart Panel

Analog addressable control panel features SmartStart self-programming logic and is ideal for mid-sized or small projects requiring modular flexibility and performance. The IF632 is a full-featured alarm control panel that can be configured to monitor and control both analog intelligent addressable devices and conventional hardwire zones. It can be adapted to either a complex retrofit or new installation. The software allows the system to be customized to specific applications, such as cross zoning, alarm verification, and extensive input/output relationship control.

Gamewell.

Reader Service No. 305

Height of Luxury

The $144 million, 575,000-sf Ritz-Carlton at Battery Park, just blocks from the World Trade Center site, is a combination hotel and luxury residential tower. As a result of New York City's code requirements, the hotel's fire and life safety systems include a distributed fire alarm/voice evacuation system, an addressable monitor module, analog addressable photo-electronic smoke sensors, and analog addressable and fixed temperature heat detectors. The system's distributed fire alarm/voice evacuation system provides distinctive signaling, firefighter telephone communications, and automatic/manual HVAC control functions. The system was chosen for its custom engineering capabilities, reliability, and quick delivery.

Fire Control Instruments.

Reader Service No. 301