Gulf Construction Online - Notifier builds on strong partnership

Safety & Security

Notifier has provided state-of-the-art equipment at the DWTC.

Notifier builds on strong partnership

A leading US-based fire safety specialist has secured some landmark projects in the region including Dubai’s focal point of business – the Dubai World Trade Centre.

01 August 2005

For several years, Dubai's business focal point – the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) – and leading US-based safety specialist Notifier have shared a special relationship and this was reinforced when Notifier’s systems were again relied upon to afford protection for the expansion of the DWTC's facilities two years ago.

The expansion involved the construction of an additional concourse, two hotels, a new multiplex hall, a second office tower, and a podium annex.
In the UAE, the DWTC is not only considered one of the city's premier landmarks, but a focal point of business within the entire Middle East. Since its inauguration in 1979, the centre has played a vital role in stimulating regional and international trade through the UAE.
The complex today comprises the original 39-storey office tower, eight exhibition halls, the 35,000 sq m Dubai International Convention Centre (DICC), a business club, and residential apartments with a leisure club.
Over the years, the 184-m DWTC Tower has roped in an impressive list of tenants that reads like a “Who’s Who” of international businesses, including such industry heavyweights as Schlumberger, Johnson & Johnson, General Motors, Master Card International, Sony Broadcast and Federal Express apart from housing the consulates of the US, Australia, Switzerland, Turkey, Italy, Spain and Japan.
With so much valuable property under its control – as well as the safety of the people that accompany it – the DWTC approached the issue of fire protection quite seriously.
“Due to the performance of the existing Notifier systems and the outstanding service that was already being provided, it made sense to continue working with Notifier,” says Phiru Navu, a senior electrical engineer for BCL Fire Systems, the engineered systems distributor that provided the Notifier systems for the expansion. “The fact that Notifier is UL listed was also important and, in fact, eliminated some of the competition.”
The pre-expansion DWTC featured 10 Notifier fire alarm panels through the various facilities. A total of 38 fire alarm panels were added, bringing the total to 48.
At the heart of the new system is Noti-Fire-Net, a peer-to-peer fire alarm network. The network allows each fire alarm control panel to maintain its own area of protection, while monitoring and interacting with other nodes. Fire alarm control panel nodes react to network events with coordinated programmed responses. In designated fire command centres, the network control station (NCS) provides operators with text and graphic annunciation of network activity as well as network control and panel programming.
The detectors play an integral role in the overall efficiency of the system's operation. DWTC settled on two different but equally effective Notifier sensors: Acclimate Plus detectors and View detectors.

Acclimate Plus
Acclimate Plus is an intelligent, addressable, multi-criteria sensor. Utilising a combination of photoelectric and thermal sensing technologies designed to increase immunity to false alarms, Acclimate Plus constantly monitors the air and relies on feedback from the thermal and photoelectric sensors, an on-board microprocessor and advanced software. Acclimate analyzes the data and automatically adjusts its detection parameters and alarm thresholds to changes in the environment, providing maximum detection. Unlike traditional intelligent detectors, Acclimate Plus features a microprocessor in the detector head that processes alarm data. Consequently, it can adjust its sensitivity automatically, without operator intervention.

View
The Notifier LPX-751 View (very intelligent early warning) laser detector provides a revolutionary advance in early warning smoke detection technology, says a spokesman for Notifier.
“The unique design of this detector, combined with the advanced fire protection capabilities in the Notifier control panels, allows smoke detection sensitivity that is 10 to 50 times higher than present photoelectric technology (clean environments). Due to this high sensitivity, the LPX-751 can provide very early warning of slow smoldering fires. Its performance is comparable to present aspiration technology, at a substantially lower installed cost,” he explains.
The LPX-751 uses an extremely bright laser diode, combined with special lens and mirror optics to achieve a signal-to-noise ratio that is much higher than traditional photoelectric sensors. In addition, the tightly focused light beam, combined with the Awacs algorithms, allows the system to differentiate between dust and smoke particles. Because of this differentiation, the LPX-751 can be set to extremely high sensitivity yet can reject false signals caused by larger airborne particles such as dust, lint and small insects.
Due to the unique, retractable seating in the multi-purpose hall, wireless detectors were also installed under the seats.
All of the Notifier equipment – the 48 fire alarm panels and almost 6,000 detectors – is networked with a GUI interface which shows the floor plans. The equipment is also very user-friendly; all operations programming, such as label changes, and enabling and disabling devices can be accomplished from the panel key pad.
“The financial investment that Dubai World Trade Centre has made on Notifier equipment has already proved to be a sound one – twice,” the spokesman points out. “The office tower had a fire on the 28th floor, but due to extremely early detection the damage was minimal. Notifier received a call thanking them for the exceptional performance of the system. Additionally, a food vendor experienced a fire, but the Acclimate Plus detector also reduced the property damage and subsequent cost.”
The fire protection that the Notifier systems provide has made the DWTC and all of its properties as safe as they are commercially and architecturally impressive, the spokesman concludes.