Reliable fire protection is a vital consideration for any new public building, as this flagship museum in Glasgow demonstrates. Promat became involved in the project at a very early stage as part of a wider multi-disciplinary team. This led to a variety of different Promat products being used to create a fully integrated passive fire protection system.
Reliable fire protection is a vital consideration for any new public building, as this flagship museum in Glasgow demonstrates. Promat became involved in the project at a very early stage as part of a wider multi-disciplinary team. This led to a variety of different Promat products being used to create a fully integrated passive fire protection system.
“Tackling these different challenges called for some exceptional skillful design and engineering solutions. We ensured our products were compatible with the various elements of the building, while still providing the required degree of fire protection.” Ewan Macleod, Promat Area Sales Manager.
Technical Consultation
Promat worked closely with the project architect Zaha Hadid, the main contractor, BAM, and Buro Happold who provided structural engineering services for the museum’s construction.
Promat became involved with the design team at a very early stage. This gave us the opportunity to advise on which products would be the most effective for any particular application, so that they could be included as an integral part of the design.
Buro Happold used a multi-disciplinary, teamwork approach to create a fire protection strategy which would allow the architectural and structural design concepts to be realised, while still satisfying regulatory requirements.
This required Promat to remain flexible throughout this process. Our main focus was the technical and performance aspects of the fire protection products. Certain elements of the design were amended during the project, which we ensured were addressed.
Great emphasis was placed on different features of the building, from the visual aspect of the curved and pleated metallic roof, through to the floor that was designed to take the weight of a steam train. Tackling these different challenges called for some exceptional skilful design and engineering solutions. We ensured our products were compatible with the various elements of the building, while still providing the required degree of fire protection.
Promat solution
Promat supplied 400m2 of SUPALUX® board, in 9mm and 12mm thicknesses, which was used in different areas of the new building. SUPALUX® is a lightweight and non-combustible building board that can offer up to 4 hours fire resistance and is ideal for a range of building applications.
Whilst we were able to provide a well-proven product for general fire protection duties such as SUPALUX®, it was our ability to provide a wider package of products that gave greater benefits.
Included in that package was TD Board®, an inert rock wool board which was used to clad parts of the building’s structural steelwork. TD Board® is resistant to the effects of moisture and represents a proven and maintenance-free solution for the protection of structural steelwork in both internal and semi-exposed applications. Other sections of the Riverside Museum’s steelwork were protected by Promat VERMICULUX®, a calcium silicate board which offers a lighter weight solution and can be used to provide up to 4 hours fire resistance.
Promat also supplied 3,000m2 of Promat PROMATECT®-250 to provide fire protection to the roof structure in the museum. This provides a high degree of strength and dimensional stability which is also ideally suited to mezzanine floor applications, and can be used to provide up to 2 hours fire resistance.
Project success
For a major project such as this, sourcing the various passive fire protection products from a single manufacturer helps simplify the design and build process, ensuring complete compatibility between products and their applications.
The finished building has a number of features which visitors never see, such as the building services, which in many places, are hidden from view in specially constructed tunnels. The Promat products are, for the most part, also hidden from view in the completed building, but they will always be there if ever needed to provide reliable fire protection for the building and its occupants.
The museum now houses one of the UK’s most impressive collections of planes, trains and automobiles, including exhibits which were not previously on display to the 1 million visitors who now pass through its doors each year.
