CLIENT – Rize Alliance Properties Ltd.
LOCATION – King George Blvd, Surrey, B.C.
SERVICES – Fire Suppression Design & Engineering
MARKETS – Residential Highrise + Commercial Building
Fire Suppression Systems Design Services
Background
Located on King George Blvd in Surrey, BC, this project consisted of a 40-storey tower, market, and 392 rental residential units. In addition, the site included a stand-alone commercial office building with retail units on the first floor. Altogether, the project encompassed approximately ~52,000 square feet, with the entire development sitting on top of four levels of parking.
The notable challenges we encountered on this project:
- We were brought on very late in the project, replacing another engineering firm that had made fundamental errors throughout and had come to a standstill with the permit process. Connecting through a mutual recommendation, this was our first time working with the developer, Rize Alliance Properties Ltd. We were hired to completely re-design the project and get a sprinkler permit with a tight turn-around of less than a month. And that’s exactly what we did. Since then, we have continued work with the developer and have started building a relationship.
- The commercial building featured a quadruple high ceiling with glazing from the other levels looking down into the lobby. This glazing has to be provided with a 2 hour rating.
- A new requirement by the City of Surrey is to require an alternate means of supply to the system for the upper storeys which are out of reach by the fire department. Their devices and fire trucks can’t pump over 250 psi.
Our solution:
- In order to meet this strict timeline, we worked overtime and brought on additional staff to assist with drafting and to deliver drawings and calculations for submission to the City of Surrey. We met with the City to clear up discrepancies with the previous design, and met with the code consultant to discuss these problems.
- For the upper two levels of the commercial building we utilized two rows of Tyco WS sprinklers. Installing these systems can be difficult, as they require a detailed hydraulic analysis and also some experience to make the system flow properly without oversizing the pipe.
- To satisfy the City’s requirements, we included a redundant fire pump in the mechanical room which operates purely as a back-up if the main pump fails, a tornatech dual fire pump controller was also installed to ensure the pumps do not operate at the same time.
Our Fire Suppression Design and Engineering service will ensure a smooth project, whether you’re building in Surrey or across Canada and the United States. Reach out to request a quote now.