Ventilation innovation in hospital with Gilberts

A new hospital has had Smokegard ventilation grilles from Gilberts installed, as part of the design innovation its undergoing to deliver a quality experience for patients.

The new 30,000m2 Inpatient Ward Block, as part of the £261million redevelopment of Ulster Hospital for South Eastern Health & Social Care Trust, is taking an innovative approach to aid patient recovery.

An emphasis on using natural resources, including fresh air and natural light, is being taken.

In terms of achieving the latter, Gliberts; Smokegard ventilation grilles were chosen.

This decision was made by sustainability consultants Cundall, M&E contractor Vaughan Engineering Services and ventilation services supplier WJ Hogg & Co all worked closely together.

WJ Hogg has thus supplied 130 Smokegard Mode B ventilators, with 60 Uninterruptible Power Supply panels, ensuring a consistent flow of fresh air throughout the seven-storey hospital corridors, whilst preventing the spread of fire and smoke, were any instance to occur.

“We partnered with Vaughan to develop a strategy to meet Cundall’s brief. Our technical submission, emphasising the revolutionary approach in Gilberts’ products, satisfied Cundall that Smokegard was a great solution,” said WJ Hogg’s Roger Hogg.

“By using Smokegard, air quality and movement could be maintained, even through closed fire doors, without compromising the integrity of those doors.” 

Gilberts’ Smokegard features a unique, patented rack blade linkage that allows a damper narrow enough to fit within the confines of a fire door structure to be used, to enable ventilation in normal conditions, yet still prevent the spread of smoke and flames in a fire situation.

The fire protection system interrupts the power supply when smoke is detected in fire conditions, causing the damper to instantly close and even if the protection system failed, a thermal fuse provides a fail-safe, triggering when external air reaches 72 degrees celsius.

The grilles are manufactured with interlocking stainless steel blades and side seals in a galvanised steel frame and can be used in partitions, walls and fire doors as thin as 44mm. Fire tested to relevant British Standards, the Smokegard units are two-hour rated.

Contact:

Gilberts of Blackpool,
Gilair Works,
Clifton Road,
Blackpool,
FY4 40T

Phone: 01253 766911
Fax: 01253 767941

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