• All staircases were designed to cater for the new SANS 10400-S : 2011 rules for disabled persons . This meant being 1,500mm wide , 170mm high stair risers , landings at not more than 1.53 in height per stair flight and a refuge area at each floor entry point .
• The building was fully sprinkler-protected and given a hydrant / fire hosereel installation . Careful checks were made on the capabilities of the municipal mains in this area of Century City and these proved to be adequate for the two fire water connections to be directly off the mains .
• There was a full complement of portable fire extinguishers . There were two extinguishers at each FHR station , with additional ones where necessary .
• The complex was also fully covered by an addressable fire detection system , complete with audible and visual alarms and an automatically activated voice evacuation system .
• The fire detection transmitted the fire alarm signal to the lifts , the air-conditioning BMS , the smoke extract system , etc . It also automatically released all the access controlled mag-locked doors .
• Two-way communication phones were also provided in the escape stairs and inside the rear ( goods ) lift . This lift was given fireman ’ s lift controls and fire-rated lobbies in order that it could assist with the evacuation of the disabled . It is also the only lift that had stops on every floor .
• All lifts were commanded to their ground floor stops on a fire signal and remain there out of action .
• All air-conditioning shuts down on fire .
• The basement parking did not quite achieve full natural smoke venting . The deeper internal area was given a mechanical smoke extract system . The ground and intermediate parking floors met the full requirement of natural cross ventilation and smoke control .
• The office block was given three separate mechanical smoke extract systems . The one was at the top of the entrance foyer atrium and served all three interconnected office floors . The other two only catered for the 1st and 2nd ( office ) floors and worked on the principal of a fire happening on only one floor , so had automatic fire rated dampers which shut off the entry point to the smoke exhaust riser shaft of the floor without the fire signal .
• Relief air came through dedicated inward opening , mag-locked doors and windows , released on the fan start signal .
• The server room was protected by a total flooding gas fire suppression system .
• The kitchen cooker hood had an Ansul fire suppression system incorporated .
• A large ( 750 kVA ) diesel engine driven emergency power generator was installed off the ground floor parking garage , but fire-separated from its surrounding occupancies . It provided the power to the lights and all fire safety equipment . This generator required a 4,500 litre independent fuel tank which was located in a flammable store in the basement .
• The kitchen required LPG and the location of the gas bottle storage bottles was found to be a problem . With the assistance of the Fire Department and gas installer , a suitable place was found on the rear façade , in close proximity to the sprinkler control chamber and vehicle entrance to the parking garage .
• Photo-luminescent statutory signage was installed to clearly indicate the escape routes and the location of the first aid fire fighting appliances .
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