Actionair protects MediaCity UK from smoke and fire
Protection from the effects of smoke and low-leakage air control for the air-conditioning and ventilation system serving MediaCity UK in Salford are provided by Actionair dampers. This £500 million development by Peel Media in the old Salford docks is one of the largest in the UK. As well as accommodating some BBC programme-making departments the 36 acre site is also home to part of the University of Salford, a 218-bedroom hotel, 65 000 m2 of office space, 7500 m2 of retail space and 378 apartments. Six large television studios are being constructed as part of the project.
To prevent fire and smoke travelling through ductwork, Actionair has developed a new type of fire/smoke damper — the smoke/shield PTC damper range. PTC stands for proportional torque control, a key feature of the specially developed control system made exclusively for Actionair.
These cassette units have stainless-steel, aerodynamic rotating blades for high strength, fire and corrosion resistance. They incorporate a patented electro-thermal release for ultimate safety and are supplied with halogen-free, low-smoke and fume cabling as standard.
The blades interlock firmly in the closed position under the high torque produced by the drive at the final stage of its operation. A tight seal between the blades is initially ensured by a thermoplastic elastomer. When this substance disintegrates at about 300°C, the blades will have expanded and interlocked sufficiently to maintain the desired integrity.
They will release in 20 s, and powered reset takes just a minute.
