The replacement of the fire system in a listed building as vast as the Royal Albert Hall – without affecting its day-to-day activities – was always going to be a challenge. When the last phase of the project suddenly had to be compressed from four months to just three weeks, there was serious doubt whether it would be alright on the night.
London’s Royal Albert Hall is one of the most recognisable concert venues in the world. Opened in 1871 by Queen Victoria, it hosts over 350 performances every year. These include not only classical and popular music concerts, but also events as diverse as tennis tournaments and an audience with the Dalai Lama.
As an international entertainment venue in constant use, gaining access for refurbishment or essential maintenance can be difficult. This is further compounded by restrictions due to its status as a Grade I listed building. In addition, the venue is a registered charity and operates without any public subsidy so any expenditure must be carefully planned.
A somewhat piecemeal approach to building maintenance in the past had led to a number of different fire detection systems being installed over time. These included a 25-year old conventional system, a radio system, an analogue addressable system with five networked panels, and a separate sprinkler system.
The conventional system was old and becoming unreliable, so the need to replace it presented an opportunity to fully review the fire protection across the whole site. In line with current legal requirements, a fire risk assessment was carried out. As a result, it was decided that there was a need for a single fire detection system. The proposed expenditure was significant so Tom Scullane, building services development manager at the Royal Albert Hall, carried out research to ensure that the best possible solution was found.
“We knew the existing fire protection had issues that needed to be resolved,” he says. “None of the systems were really compatible, so trying to reset them in sequence after an incident was a real chore.
“Even on an everyday basis, staff had to learn and remember how to reset the system after activation – it was unnecessarily confusing to use. We wanted to be confident that whatever solution we arrived at, it would provide us with a reliable and flexible fire system that was simple to use and would be future-proof.”
Having made detailed enquiries regarding different technology options, the closed system approach was dismissed as being too restrictive and costly. The Royal Albert Hall team then started the process of finding a company that could help them develop an open protocol fire detection system.
Building the team
Leader Systems LLP first became involved on the project in June 2007. The company has a reputation as a fire systems house that is able to deliver large, complicated projects on time and to budget. Even so, the client wanted to be certain that it fully understood the challenges involved. A series of discussions followed, during which Leader Systems recommended a system based on an open digital protocol to give the venue the flexibility and future-proofing it required.
Fact-finding trips were arranged so that the client could meet the preferred manufacturers: Advanced Electronics (for the control panels) and Apollo Fire Detectors (for the devices). The two companies were able to demonstrate the proposed technology’s capabilities at first hand, including ease of installation and a PC-based graphics system. The client was also shown a monitoring tool which enables authorised users to remotely log into the fire network, receive email notification of any fires, faults and disablements, isolate devices and notify the relevant departments or users.
John Newton, UK sales manager at Advanced Electronics, says: “We were delighted to work with Leader Systems on such an exciting and challenging project, bearing in mind the timescales involved. We discussed the problems likely to occur during installation and day-to-day operation, including nuisance events and false alarms. In addition to the use of a PC-based graphics system, a suggestion was made about monitoring the fire system. Our new IP Gateway technology suited the client’s requirements very well.”
The strong partnerships between the fire detection companies clearly impressed the management team at the Royal Albert Hall. Leader Systems was appointed to undertake the design, installation and commissioning of the new system in July 2007.
The technical requirements were agreed by mid-September and Leader Systems delivered a fire system strategy at the beginning of October. It included a clear methodology for the removal and replacement of existing equipment, so that the client understood exactly what would happen and when. It also illustrated how the fire detection project would correspond with restricted access times, due to other essential refurbishment work taking place around the building.
Something old, something new
Leader Systems recommended an intelligent fire detection system based on Apollo’s open digital protocol to overcome the historical issues with operation, performance and ongoing maintenance.
“We have used Apollo-based fire systems very successfully for many years,” explains Tony Weaver, Leader’s head of technical. “Their open digital protocol is proven over 20 years and a large number of product and panel manufacturers offer devices that are compatible. This gives freedom of choice and doesn’t tie the client to a single company or range of fire detection products, so it was a perfect choice for the Royal Albert Hall.”
The system design centres around a standard network of six four-loop control panels. To meet the need for a single point of information, a package that enables staff to pinpoint any incidents on the graphic plans of the building was specified – a much more user-friendly interface than the multiple system panels it replaces. Leader and Advanced also collaborated on the development of a bespoke mimic panel that indicates damper activation as a result of an alarm.
A range of fire detectors was chosen to meet the environmental and architectural requirements of the Royal Albert Hall. Tony Weaver explains: “The Discovery range of intelligent fire detectors meets several key client demands: proven reliability in the field, adaptability to changing conditions and protection against unwanted alarms. We specified these devices for the majority of the building.”
However, there are some areas where hard-wired devices could not be installed, such as on the ceiling of the auditorium. For these areas, XPander wireless fire detectors were specified. These devices are fully compatible with the intelligent fire system and simply connect to the control panel via an interface, which is wired to the loop. They are then recognised by the control panel as another detector connected to the system.
As the Royal Albert Hall is a listed building, the system had to use existing wiring. This raised some technical issues, which were overcome by the choice of appropriate technology. For example, the original analogue addressable fire system needed a separate sounder circuit. Apollo integral base sounders enabled use of existing wiring to replace these, creating integrated loops, while zone monitors and DIN-rail interfaces enabled the new fire system to interface with other critical equipment.
The fire system installation programme split the work into five phases. Phase 1 covered the replacement of the conventional system, including the installation of a temporary new addressable control panel to monitor the conventional zones in the Victoria kitchen and restaurant areas – now the Coda Restaurant – where other work was under way. The temporary panel enabled this area to be linked in permanently to the new fire system at a later date, without loss of cover.
Phase 2 addressed the Circle area of the auditorium, which was equipped with a conventional system. This was a real challenge because the new intelligent fire system would normally have been configured as loops. However, as a listed building, rewiring the Royal Albert Hall was not an option. Leader System’s solution was to use Apollo zone monitors initially to connect existing devices to the new analogue panel. They subsequently removed the zone monitors once the new analogue addressable devices were installed, connected to the original wiring. The new system is therefore analogue addressable, but configured radially. This variation to the British Standard was discussed and agreed with all interested parties.
There were two parts to Phase 3. Firstly, a contingency was built in to enable loop installation in the Circle areas when access was possible, in case the Phase 2 changeover using the existing wiring proved unsuccessful. Secondly, the old radio detection system was replaced with new wireless fire detectors. This system is installed in the dome of the roof.
The plan for Phase 4 was to replace the old analogue addressable system with the new intelligent system and commission all the new fire products. The switchover of all the commissioned components to a single system and development of the graphics package was scheduled in Phase 5.
All right on the night?
However, the best laid plans can go awry. In June 2008, as Phase 4 was due to start, the existing analogue addressable system ceased functioning. “It was a real heart stopper,” says Tony Weaver. “We had a breach of the agreed methodology and a client with serious concerns about existing fire cover.”
Following an emergency meeting, the fire system companies worked together to deliver a revised methodology that would deliver a fully compliant fire detection system. It involved the like-for-like replacement of 19 loops of devices and five control panels. There was just one snag: the original four-month schedule now had to be reduced to just three weeks.
“There was no room for error. We couldn’t miss our access slots for certain areas without huge knock-on delays and the Proms season was due to start on the 14 July – there’s no way you can cancel that!” explains Tony Weaver.
So Leader Systems stationed a project manager and a technical support engineer permanently on site, and rostered four pairs of installation and commissioning engineers who worked to a tight schedule, to ensure that the work was completed on time. They finished a day early.
All the companies involved in the project have learned something from the experience. Leader Systems now knows that, even under severe time constraints, they are capable of adapting to the most extreme circumstances and delivering on time. Advanced Electronics’ development of a bespoke damper panel and graphics interface proves that the latest technology can be successfully adapted to the needs of a historic, landmark building.
Apollo Fire Detectors, in the meantime, has found a new use for its wireless fire detectors. UK sales manager Andy Turner admits: “Although it isn’t a main application for them, the XPander devices were a great solution for providing temporary fire cover in areas of the building where refurbishment was in progress. Once work was complete, hard-wired devices were installed and the wireless devices removed for use on the next phase.”
The client fully appreciates the unique circumstances that the Royal Albert Hall presented and the added value contributed by all the companies involved in the fire detection project. Building services development manager, Tom Scullane, sums it up: “I needed a fire detection system that put me in control, and the combination of Leader System’s design, Advanced’s control equipment and Apollo’s open protocol gave me that.”
The replacement of the fire system in a listed building as vast as the Royal Albert Hall – without affecting its day-to-day activities – was always going to be a challenge. When the last phase of the project suddenly had to be compressed from four months to just three weeks, there was serious doubt whether it would be alright on the night.
London’s Royal Albert Hall is one of the most recognisable concert venues in the world. Opened in 1871 by Queen Victoria, it hosts over 350 performances every year. These include not only classical and popular music concerts, but also events as diverse as tennis tournaments and an audience with the Dalai Lama.
As an international entertainment venue in constant use, gaining access for refurbishment or essential maintenance can be difficult. This is further compounded by restrictions due to its status as a Grade I listed building. In addition, the venue is a registered charity and operates without any public subsidy so any expenditure must be carefully planned.
A somewhat piecemeal approach to building maintenance in the past had led to a number of different fire detection systems being installed over time. These included a 25-year old conventional system, a radio system, an analogue addressable system with five networked panels, and a separate sprinkler system.
The conventional system was old and becoming unreliable, so the need to replace it presented an opportunity to fully review the fire protection across the whole site. In line with current legal requirements, a fire risk assessment was carried out. As a result, it was decided that there was a need for a single fire detection system. The proposed expenditure was significant so Tom Scullane, building services development manager at the Royal Albert Hall, carried out research to ensure that the best possible solution was found.
"We knew the existing fire protection had issues that needed to be resolved," he says. "None of the systems were really compatible, so trying to reset them in sequence after an incident was a real chore.
"Even on an everyday basis, staff had to learn and remember how to reset the system after activation – it was unnecessarily confusing to use. We wanted to be confident that whatever solution we arrived at, it would provide us with a reliable and flexible fire system that was simple to use and would be future-proof."
Having made detailed enquiries regarding different technology options, the closed system approach was dismissed as being too restrictive and costly. The Royal Albert Hall team then started the process of finding a company that could help them develop an open protocol fire detection system.
Building the team
Leader Systems LLP first became involved on the project in June 2007. The company has a reputation as a fire systems house that is able to deliver large, complicated projects on time and to budget. Even so, the client wanted to be certain that it fully understood the challenges involved. A series of discussions followed, during which Leader Systems recommended a system based on an open digital protocol to give the venue the flexibility and future-proofing it required.
Fact-finding trips were arranged so that the client could meet the preferred manufacturers: Advanced Electronics (for the control panels) and Apollo Fire Detectors (for the devices). The two companies were able to demonstrate the proposed technology’s capabilities at first hand, including ease of installation and a PC-based graphics system. The client was also shown a monitoring tool which enables authorised users to remotely log into the fire network, receive email notification of any fires, faults and disablements, isolate devices and notify the relevant departments or users.
John Newton, UK sales manager at Advanced Electronics, says: "We were delighted to work with Leader Systems on such an exciting and challenging project, bearing in mind the timescales involved. We discussed the problems likely to occur during installation and day-to-day operation, including nuisance events and false alarms. In addition to the use of a PC-based graphics system, a suggestion was made about monitoring the fire system. Our new IP Gateway technology suited the client’s requirements very well."
The strong partnerships between the fire detection companies clearly impressed the management team at the Royal Albert Hall. Leader Systems was appointed to undertake the design, installation and commissioning of the new system in July 2007.
The technical requirements were agreed by mid-September and Leader Systems delivered a fire system strategy at the beginning of October. It included a clear methodology for the removal and replacement of existing equipment, so that the client understood exactly what would happen and when. It also illustrated how the fire detection project would correspond with restricted access times, due to other essential refurbishment work taking place around the building.
Something old, something new
Leader Systems recommended an intelligent fire detection system based on Apollo’s open digital protocol to overcome the historical issues with operation, performance and ongoing maintenance.
"We have used Apollo-based fire systems very successfully for many years," explains Tony Weaver, Leader’s head of technical. "Their open digital protocol is proven over 20 years and a large number of product and panel manufacturers offer devices that are compatible. This gives freedom of choice and doesn’t tie the client to a single company or range of fire detection products, so it was a perfect choice for the Royal Albert Hall."
The system design centres around a standard network of six four-loop control panels. To meet the need for a single point of information, a package that enables staff to pinpoint any incidents on the graphic plans of the building was specified – a much more user-friendly interface than the multiple system panels it replaces. Leader and Advanced also collaborated on the development of a bespoke mimic panel that indicates damper activation as a result of an alarm.
A range of fire detectors was chosen to meet the environmental and architectural requirements of the Royal Albert Hall. Tony Weaver explains: "The Discovery range of intelligent fire detectors meets several key client demands: proven reliability in the field, adaptability to changing conditions and protection against unwanted alarms. We specified these devices for the majority of the building."
However, there are some areas where hard-wired devices could not be installed, such as on the ceiling of the auditorium. For these areas, XPander wireless fire detectors were specified. These devices are fully compatible with the intelligent fire system and simply connect to the control panel via an interface, which is wired to the loop. They are then recognised by the control panel as another detector connected to the system.
As the Royal Albert Hall is a listed building, the system had to use existing wiring. This raised some technical issues, which were overcome by the choice of appropriate technology. For example, the original analogue addressable fire system needed a separate sounder circuit. Apollo integral base sounders enabled use of existing wiring to replace these, creating integrated loops, while zone monitors and DIN-rail interfaces enabled the new fire system to interface with other critical equipment.
The fire system installation programme split the work into five phases. Phase 1 covered the replacement of the conventional system, including the installation of a temporary new addressable control panel to monitor the conventional zones in the Victoria kitchen and restaurant areas – now the Coda Restaurant – where other work was under way. The temporary panel enabled this area to be linked in permanently to the new fire system at a later date, without loss of cover.
Phase 2 addressed the Circle area of the auditorium, which was equipped with a conventional system. This was a real challenge because the new intelligent fire system would normally have been configured as loops. However, as a listed building, rewiring the Royal Albert Hall was not an option. Leader System’s solution was to use Apollo zone monitors initially to connect existing devices to the new analogue panel. They subsequently removed the zone monitors once the new analogue addressable devices were installed, connected to the original wiring. The new system is therefore analogue addressable, but configured radially. This variation to the British Standard was discussed and agreed with all interested parties.
There were two parts to Phase 3. Firstly, a contingency was built in to enable loop installation in the Circle areas when access was possible, in case the Phase 2 changeover using the existing wiring proved unsuccessful. Secondly, the old radio detection system was replaced with new wireless fire detectors. This system is installed in the dome of the roof.
The plan for Phase 4 was to replace the old analogue addressable system with the new intelligent system and commission all the new fire products. The switchover of all the commissioned components to a single system and development of the graphics package was scheduled in Phase 5.
All right on the night?
However, the best laid plans can go awry. In June 2008, as Phase 4 was due to start, the existing analogue addressable system ceased functioning. "It was a real heart stopper," says Tony Weaver. "We had a breach of the agreed methodology and a client with serious concerns about existing fire cover."
Following an emergency meeting, the fire system companies worked together to deliver a revised methodology that would deliver a fully compliant fire detection system. It involved the like-for-like replacement of 19 loops of devices and five control panels. There was just one snag: the original four-month schedule now had to be reduced to just three weeks.
"There was no room for error. We couldn’t miss our access slots for certain areas without huge knock-on delays and the Proms season was due to start on the 14 July – there’s no way you can cancel that!" explains Tony Weaver.
So Leader Systems stationed a project manager and a technical support engineer permanently on site, and rostered four pairs of installation and commissioning engineers who worked to a tight schedule, to ensure that the work was completed on time. They finished a day early.
All the companies involved in the project have learned something from the experience. Leader Systems now knows that, even under severe time constraints, they are capable of adapting to the most extreme circumstances and delivering on time. Advanced Electronics’ development of a bespoke damper panel and graphics interface proves that the latest technology can be successfully adapted to the needs of a historic, landmark building.
Apollo Fire Detectors, in the meantime, has found a new use for its wireless fire detectors. UK sales manager Andy Turner admits: "Although it isn’t a main application for them, the XPander devices were a great solution for providing temporary fire cover in areas of the building where refurbishment was in progress. Once work was complete, hard-wired devices were installed and the wireless devices removed for use on the next phase."
The client fully appreciates the unique circumstances that the Royal Albert Hall presented and the added value contributed by all the companies involved in the fire detection project. Building services development manager, Tom Scullane, sums it up: "I needed a fire detection system that put me in control, and the combination of Leader System’s design, Advanced’s control equipment and Apollo’s open protocol gave me that."
