Aspiration system for fire detection in Arnhem Central Station
After a construction period of almost 20 years, the completely renovated Arnhem Central Station was officially opened on 19 November 2015.
While there has been a lot of buzz about it over the years, the end result is impressive.
Futuristic, according to many.
ProRail (one of the clients alongside the Municipality of Arnhem and the Dutch Railways) describes the station hall as ‘an anchored ship on an undulating sea that fits well with the rolling landscape of the Gelderland capital’.
Tricky design
The Arnhem station hall was built to a design by architect Ben van Berkel.
Although the design with only wavy lines was received with great enthusiasm at the time, its execution turned out to be a crime.
Initially, no one could be found who dared to make the undulating ceiling.
In the end, a Groningen shipbuilder was found willing to make the ceiling from large steel elements, as are also used in shipbuilding.
This search has caused a significant delay in this already time-consuming construction project.
Since 2010, Mactwin has also been involved in the construction of the new station in Arnhem.
Mactwin has equipped the station – commissioned by construction company BAM – with a fire alarm system.
Challenges
Account Manager Erik Poulussen of Mactwin: “Making the station hall fireproof was no easy task.
In addition to the usual fire detection
Detection points had to be installed in the ceilings – by means of an aspiration system – for each potential source of fire. In trash cans, in the ticket machines and in all illuminated signs, such as those with travel information and signage. This required us to determine exactly where these items would be placed (at a later stage) so that we could ensure that the pipes were in the right place. In addition, we were faced with the challenge of concealing all detection points invisibly, from an aesthetic point of view and at the express request of the architect.” Installing the aspiration system in the ceilings presented challenges. “For example, due to the many undulations in the ceiling and the associated height differences, we had to carefully calculate how great the suction power of the aspiration system should be in the various places. In order to be 100% sure about the proper functioning of the system, we also carried out several test fires. Of course, we also had to deal with the many delays in the construction of the station. As a result, we have been working for 5 years, albeit intermittently. Over the years, we have had to coordinate our planning with that of the other construction partners.”
Choice of aspiration system
According to Poulussen, the choice of an aspiration system in Arnhem Central Station has to do with the enormous height of some parts of the station hall.
“In order to guarantee rapid fire detection, we had to work with an active suction system. In addition, the architect wanted to see as few ordinary fire detectors as possible in his beautiful design. Only the retail units are equipped with standard smoke detectors. Incidentally, a blow-back device has been installed in the station tunnel to blow the dust that enters the suction nipples out of the nipples at a certain interval.”
Not a standard assignment
Poulussen: “The installation of the fire alarm system at Arnhem Central Station was anything but standard. And although we can of course also realize a perfect solution in less demanding circumstances, that is exactly where Mactwin excels compared to other system integrators. We love a challenge and always find a suitable solution, no matter how special or difficult the circumstances are. Our project managers are used to working closely with other construction parties and planning flexibly.”