Pressurisation systems can be used to protect escape routes in buildings by raising the pressure within the protected zone to prevent smoke entering. Correctly designed and installed schemes can provide a high standard of protection both for evacuation and fire fighting activities.

System design, implementation and commissioning can be a time consuming and laborious process but now uniForce eliminates much of the leg work traditionally associated with pressurisation systems. Using data from over twelve years of projects, SCS has applied lean thinking to the problem and developed a range of elements which can be put together to form a complete and fully compliant solution.

A preliminary uniForce specification can be produced in minutes from basic building details and will include:

• Pressurising air plant incorporating all the components required to meet current legislation including airflow monitoring, in-duct smoke detection and standby fan provision with automatic changeover
• An air release system selected from a range of standard solutions to suit the building layout and use
• A complete control system including motor control centres with inverter control and remote fireman's override switches

Because all components are from the same supplier and have been tested together you can be sure the system will work first time which is of prime importance both for safety and for timely occupation of the building.

The SPU is delivered in three sections for easy handling assembly on site. The complete unit comprises:

• Inlet section with smoke detection and shut off dampers
• Fan section with backdraft shutters
• Discharge section with airflow monitoring and integral control panel

All components are pre-wired to the control panel with plug in connections for ease of commissioning.

The uniForce smoke extract system is used to protect escape routes by removing smoke from a lobby before it has chance to accumulate. The high level of standardisation in residential buildings allows the uniForce system to be implemented with minimal bespoke design and limited risk.

The design and implementation of smoke extract systems in residential buildings has traditionally been expensive and time consuming, uniForce smoke extract has been developed and optimised in conjunction with Swansea University to remove a large amount of the bespoke design required and offers simple, modular solution.

A provisional design proposal can be achieved in minutes by simply selecting the relevant modular components;

• Extract Fan set is selected simply taking into account the no. of floors to be protected and the size of shaft selected.
• The inlet damper and control system on each floor utilises a modular philosophy, it is simply a matter of selecting how many you need.

The main fan control panel is a separate standard product reducing manufacture time and removing the requirement for bespoke design and literature. Because all components have been designed and tested to work together you can have complete confidence that the system will work first time, every time, offering piece of mind during the commissioning process.

The uniForce system removes smoke and hot gasses from the lobby/corridor preventing smoke logging that will eventually lead to acontamination of the stairwell.

Extensive Computation Fluid Dynamic (CFD) modelling has been carried out to optimise inlet and extract parameters enabling a standard design approach to be adopted without the need of bespoke modelling.

In the event that a project specific CFD model is required we have the in-house facilities to carry this out quickly, reliably and cost-effectively.

For step by step guidance to selection of smoke control systems for apartment buildings click here to download our RoughGuide flow chart