Powered smoke extraction reduces installation costs for new London hotel

The cost of providing fire safety in a new London business hotel has been reduced using a powered smoke-extraction system. The £17 million Hoxton Hotel in the City is the first contract for which Colt’s Shaft fan-powered system has been specified. It reduces the size of shaft required by 80% compared with a conventional BRE shaft using natural ventilation. The Colt Shaft requires 0.6 m2, compared with 3 m2 for the BRE shaft. The project involved Colt supplying, installing, wiring and commissioning its Shaft for this 205-bedroom, 7-storey hotel. The Shaft runs vertically through the hotel and, in the event of a fire, would use a fan system to draw smoke away from the fire-fighting core. The system was been approved for this application following tests witnessed at a demonstration rig at Colt’s premises in Havant. The Colt Shaft uses pressure sensors and a variable-speed fan to prevent high negative pressures in the lobby making it difficult to open doors and drawing smoke from the fire compartment into the lobby. The consulting engineer was Building Services Design of Monmouth and the contractor was Derry Building Services of Newark.

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• www.coltinfo.co.uk