Severn Trent Water

Project Background

Severn Trent Water is responsible for water management and supply, and waste water treatment and disposal of more than 4.3 million homes and businesses across the Midlands and mid-Wales.

Tenos have worked with Severn Trent Water since 2011 providing fire risk assessments and construction fire safety management advice across a diverse portfolio of buildings, including their head office in Coventry.

Project Scope

Tenos was appointed to provide Severn Trent Water with an online portal that would enable them to cost-effectively manage their fire safety and compliance across multiple sites.

Solution

In 2014, and as part of the Fire Risk Assessment (FRA) programme for the 53 sites which Tenos undertook, Tenos uploaded all of the FRA’s to Tenos Benchmark – a secure, intuitive, online fire safety management portal that reviews, records and displays real-time fire safety management performance.

Severn Trent Water can now demonstrate to any internal or external stakeholder that, by utilising Tenos Benchmark, they are able to demonstrate their legislative compliance within an online, real-time, visible and fully auditable electronic management system.

Abu Dhabi International Airport Terminal 3

Project Background

In 2009, the new Terminal 3 at Abu Dhabi International Airport was opened. At a cost of AED 1 million (£175 million), this new facility has almost doubled the airport’s capacity.

As the capital of the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi’s vision is to become the world-class centre for investment, tourism and commerce. To fulfil this, the international airport needed to increase its capacity.

Terminal 3 was therefore designed to allow provision for growth in passenger numbers and for it to be constructed before the planned opening of a new Midfield Terminal in 2017.

The new Terminal 3, which is predominantly used by the airline Etihad Airways, has boosted passenger capacity from 7 million per year to 12 million per year. It has added 10 new gates to the airport, 2 of which are Airbus A380 compatible.

 

Project Scope

Tenos was required to develop a comprehensive fire engineering strategy to comply with Abu Dhabi and US NFPA fire code requirements.

 

Tenos Solution

Tenos fire engineers initially completed a detailed review of the new terminal’s fire safety design.

Using our international experience and extensive knowledge of UAE and US NFPA fire codes, we were able to provide the project’s design team with the following:

  • Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) for the optimisation of the terminal’s pier and retail atria smoke control;
     
  • Development of a life protection fire strategy ;
     
  • An impact assessment of the fire safety strategy on the airport’s existing terminal buildings.

Our innovative fire safety strategy met with client and the approving authorities’ requirements whilst avoiding any significant changes to preliminary designs that may have impacted on cost and programme constraints.

Manchester United Football Club Stadia

Project Background

Manchester United Football Club’s stadium at Old Trafford is the largest in the UK after Wembley Stadium and the ninth largest in Europe with a 76,000 seating capacity.

In the last decade, the stadium, known as ‘The Theatre of Dreams’, has undergone significant development to not only increase its seating capacity but to improve its conference and banqueting facilities, office accommodation and retail store.

The Old Trafford pitch is surrounded by four covered all-seated stands officially known as the Sir Alex Ferguson (North), East, South and West Stands. Each stand has at least two tiers with the exception of the South Stand, which, due to construction restrictions, only has one tier. The lower tier of each stand is split into Lower and Upper sections with the Lower sections having been converted from terracing in the early 1990’s. The cantilever roof on the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand is the largest in Europe, measuring 58.5m (192ft.) from the back wall to the front edge.

 

Project Scope

Tenos was appointed by the Club to develop a fire safety engineering strategy for the stadium’s East Stand, West Stand and the North East and North West Quadrant in-fill’s.

 

Tenos Solution

Project-led by Adrian Hay who has extensive experience in delivering fire engineered solutions for stadia and other buildings with high levels of public access, Tenos were able to develop a fire engineering strategy without compromising the design or functionality of these stadium developments.

The complexity and size of the stadium, combined with the variety of uses for its associated buildings, demanded a high degree of technical input from the Tenos project team within very tight timescales.

As part of the design stage process we pro-actively negotiated, on behalf of the client, with the relevant approval authorities to achieve early statutory approval.

Tenos is proud of their on-going relationship with this world-renowned club. We have acted as the Club’s fire engineering consultants for more than fifteen years and our advice has recently extended to providing fire safety engineering and fire safety management services for their state-of-the-art training facilities in Carrington.

Liverpool ONE, Liverpool City Centre

Project Background

Liverpool ONE is a state-of-the-art shopping, residential and leisure complex in the heart of Liverpool city centre. It is the largest open-air shopping centre in the UK and the 10th largest overall, comprising a total area of 170,000 m2 (1,800,000 sq. ft.).

The project, previously known as The Paradise Project, involved the redevelopment of 42 acres of underutilised land in the city centre.

The majority of the development was opened in phases on 29 May 2008 and 1 October 2008 with the final residential development opened in early 2009.

This retail-led development boasting 170 stores and services also includes leisure facilities, apartments, offices, public open spaces and transport improvements.

 

Project Scope

Tenos was appointed to develop the fire safety strategy and management procedures for the master plan and building concept designs. A particular challenge was the development’s large underground car park.

 

Solution

Liverpool ONE’s underground car park comprises a total area of 60,000m2 and provides car park spaces for 2,000 vehicles on four levels

This exceptionally large underground car park presented a number of fire engineering challenges, in particular the extended travel distances for fire evacuation.

We used advanced fire safety engineering techniques to deliver an innovative, cost-effective fire engineered solution to ensure our client satisfied their statutory obligations during the master-planning and conceptual design phases.

Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modelling was used by our fire engineers to develop a highly advanced smoke control system utilising jet-fans.

John Lewis Birmingham New Street

Project Background

The former Pallasades Shopping Centre in Birmingham was redeveloped to form the new Grand Central Birmingham.

The Grand Central Birmingham opened in September 2015 and boasts the largest John Lewis outside London.

The John Lewis department store is a six-storey development comprising 250,000 sq. ft. and is the anchor for the Grand Central Birmingham. It is situated above New Street Station and connected to the new 200,000 sq. ft shopping centre which provides retail space for over 40 new fashion and lifestyle shops and 20 new cafes and restaurants.

 

Project Scope

We were appointed to provide a fire engineering strategy for the new John Lewis department store from the early design stages through to construction completion.

 

Tenos Solution

Tenos appointed a team with significant experience and expertise in providing fire engineered solutions for large, complex retail development projects. We worked closely with John Lewis, the centre’s operator and Network Rail to develop a fire engineering strategy to overcome a number of fire safety challenges including its location above New Street Station and coordinating with the wider fire safety strategy of the main centre.

Waitrose Chester

Project Background

Designed by award-winning architects Broadway Malyan, Waitrose opened its new £20 million supermarket in 2015, located within walking distance of Chester.

The supermarket has a footprint of approximately 4,500m2 with a sales area of circa 2,500m² of retail space, including a café overlooking the canal, and a lower level car park.

Overlooking the city’s canal, this retail development forms part of the wider Chester Central masterplan and Waitrose’s expansion into the north of the UK.

 

Project Scope

We were appointed by long-standing client John Lewis Partnership to develop a fire engineering strategy for a new Waitrose supermarket in Chester from the early design stages through to construction completion.

 

Tenos Solution

Tenos worked with the client and the two appointed architectural firms, Broadway Malyan (shell design) and Farrell & Clark (fit-out design) to develop a fire engineering strategy for both the buildings structure and its internal fit-out.

 

To allow flexibility in the architectural design, Tenos used various fire engineering techniques, which included:

  • Using computer aided modelling to justify the extensive use of unprotected glazing on the façade of the building, thus avoiding the high cost of fire resisting glazing.
  • Real time data gathering of the occupancy statistics to justify a reduction in the exit widths.

 

Other challenges encountered during the project included:

  • Open balconies;
  • Restricted fire service vehicle access;
  • Restricted ventilation arrangements within the car park.

Coach Park House Gibraltar

Project Background

Coach Park Housing Development is a prime residential development located in the northwest of Gibraltar.

The Government of Gibraltar commissioned the engineering and construction division of Casais (Gibraltar) Ltd to construct this development. The scheme is part of the government’s commitment to provide affordable housing in the country.

The scheme comprises 6 apartment blocks varying in height between 5 and 8 floors and will provide a total of 328 apartments. Building work is now well underway on site with the development due for completion by the end of 2015.

However, the project’s Southern European design features meant that the buildings balcony escape routes were deemed not to comply with Gibraltar Building Rules or British Standards.

 

Project Scope

Tenos was appointed by Casais to assist them in demonstrating to the Gibraltar Approval Authorities, using fire safety engineering techniques, that the design provided an acceptable level of safety.

 

Tenos Solution

Led by Tenos Project Fire Safety Engineer, Andrew Foolkes, Tenos performed a Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) analysis for smoke movement on the balcony common escape routes. A comprehensive report outlining findings, conclusions and recommendations was delivered to Casais to assist them in achieving statutory approval from Gibraltar’s Approval Authorities.

This was a fire engineering project that not only required our comprehensive knowledge of UK and international fire safety codes, but our experience of working closely with overseas design teams was essential to assist the client in achieving their design aspirations, whilst providing a fire safety design that met with the requirements of the Approval Authorities.

The Hippodrome Casino London

Project Background

The Hippodrome Casino London is located in the heart of the capital’s theatre land, just off Leicester Square.

This Grade II listed building was originally opened in 1900 as a circus variety theatre. During its 100 years and various reincarnations, it has featured a host of major stars and staged the first ever performance of Swan Lake.

In 2009, work began on a £40 million project to rebuild and renovate this landmark building into The Hippodrome Casino and it opened its doors on July 13, 2012.

 

Project Scope

Tenos was required to deliver a complex fire safety engineering strategy for the redevelopment and refurbishment of this Grade II listed building.

 

Tenos Solution

Tenos developed a fire safety engineering strategy to achieve statutory approval without impacting on the building’s listed status; our client’s design aspirations or the building’s functionality.

Our innovative fire engineered solution also enabled the design team to overcome a number of fire safety challenges presented by this project including:

  • Listed building status;
     
  • Mixed-use occupation;
     
  • Proposals to increase the height of the building;
     
  • Open balconies;
     
  • Future expansion plans.

Due to the complex nature of this project, Tenos was also extensively involved in negotiations with the approving authorities.

NHS Blood and Transplant, UK

Project Background

NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is a specialist health authority within the National Health Service. It is responsible for optimising the supply of blood, organs and tissues, and raising the quality, effectiveness and efficiency of blood and transplant services. NHSBT operate from over 90 fixed locations across the UK.

Historically, NHSBT managed fire safety on geographical areas aligned to Regional Health Authorities and carried out in-house fire risk assessments. This approach meant that there was no national overview or co-ordination of fire safety across the NHSBT network.

However, when risk-based fire safety legislation was introduced in 2006 and the Department of Health demanded continual improvement within the industry, fire safety management acquired a greater priority and a requirement to be managed by a specialist.

A decision was taken to contract out the provision of fire safety advice, fire risk assessment and fire safety engineering services to a specialist fire engineering consultant.

Since 2002, Tenos has been contracted by NHS Blood and Transplant to act as their national fire engineering consultant. In April 2015, we were awarded a new three-year contract to provide NHSBT with fire engineering advisory services and AutoCAD hosting, with the option to extend for a further four times one year extensions at the end of the period.

 

Project Scope

Tenos has been contracted by NHS Blood and Transplant to act as their fire engineering consultant to help the organisation’s Estates and Facilities Department to cost-effectively manage fire safety across a nationwide portfolio.

 

Tenos Solution

Tenos continues to work closely with the NHSBT Estates and Facilities Department to provide the organisation with a wide range of fire engineering solutions including:

  • The development of a national fire safety policy and fire safety management plan;
  • Guidance for the successful adoption of the national fire safety policy and fire safety management plan throughout the organisation;
  • Reviews of proposed alterations, refurbishments and extensions to existing NHSBT buildings;
  • Providing technical guidance on replacement or updating of fire safety programmes for fire detection, fixed fire-fighting and emergency escape lighting systems;
  • Carrying out fire risk assessments and assistance in the management of actions, including provision of fire safety training;
  • Completion of intrusive surveys to determine the adequacy and efficiency of fire compartmentation;
  • Access to our online, real-time fire safety management portal, Tenos Benchmark, to record track and manage fire safety actions in real time for any site.