Gunwharf Quays, Portsmouth

Colt provided a complete smoke control package to protect the accommodation and car park adjacent to the Gunwharf Quays shopping centre.

Residential Solution

Pressurisation systems protect escape stairs against the ingress of smoke by maintaining the pressure within the stairs higher than that in the adjacent spaces.

Pressurisation systems were designed and supplied by Colt for two of the Gunwharf Quays apartments, comprising:

  • Air inlet terminations and ductwork with smoke detectors
  • Run and standby fans
  • Air supply grilles into the stairwells
  • Accommodation air relief dampers at each level in the corridor areas to allow air to escape into shafts
  • Ductwork to controllable Seefire louvred ventilator terminations at the top of the accommodation air relief shafts
  • Pressure relief dampers at the head of the stairs with controllable Seefire louvred ventilator terminations.

Colt also provided automatic opening ventilators at each storey, and the complete scheme was controlled by a Colt OPV control system.

Car Park Solution

The car park is situated on two levels, ground level and basement. The client required a ventilation system to be designed and installed in line with the recommendations of Approved Documents B and F of the Building Regulations. The system needed to extract 6 ACH in day to day use, and 12 ACH in a fire situation to remove heat and smoke.

A total of 8 Cyclone induction fans and 3 Jetstream impulse fans move the air from the entrance ramp towards the extract system, which was also supplied by Colt. Such fans use tunnel ventilation technology to eliminate the need for costly and bulky ductwork. This may save car-parking spaces and make the car park a lighter, less cluttered environment.

The Colt extract system comprises attenuated high temperature axial fan units.

Colt also provided a complete controls package which included addressable carbon monoxide and heat detectors. For day to day operation the system monitors the carbon monoxide levels within the car park and reduces the extract rate when levels are low to conserve energy and reduce operating costs. Emergency control is fully automatic.

Colt provided CFD modelling of the complete system and a full technical report for local authority approval prior to installation.

  • Project:
    • Gunwharf Quays
  • Location:
    • Portsmouth
  • Requirements:
    • Residential and car park smoke control system
  • Architect:
    • Seymour Harris
  • Main Contractor:
    • Laing Midlands Limited
  • Services Consultant:
    • Hully and Kirkwood
  • Colt products:

CFD Modelling

Colt provided CFD modelling of the complete system and a full technical report for local authority approval prior to installation.