Fire safety company, Uxello, installed the entire protection system for Corsica’s largest shopping centre in record time and in particularly challenging conditions.
@ATRIUM
“Auchan is pleased to be gaining a foothold in Corsica,” said the hypermarket chain’s CEO at the inauguration in November 2017 of the Atrium shopping centre in Sarrola Carcopino near Ajaccio. The event marked the end of a race against time.
In order to keep to the project’s tight schedule, an Uxello business unit specialising in fire safety at VINCI Energies installed the entire fire protection and sprinkler system.
“The seamless coordination between the companies involved in fire safety and sound management of the complex logistics during the summer period were driving factors in the final outcome”
“The seamless coordination between all the companies involved and operating on site and the sound management of the complex logistics during the summer period were driving factors in the final outcome,” believes Gregory Bonet, Uxello project manager.
In the space of one year, the design was carried out and 9,000 sprinklers and 101 fire hose cabinets were installed throughout the 55,000 m² shopping centre and its 50 stores.
Spread out across ceilings, sprinkler heads contain a fusible link that melts when exposed to heat, releasing pressurised water from a dedicated network. The system provides detection, alarm and automatic sprinkler features until the emergency services arrive.
Sprinkler systems installed at roof and ceiling level
Once notified, members of the fire safety department can manually operate the hoses from the fire hose cabinets located throughout the shopping centre. On the Sarrola Carcopino site, Uxello deployed a “two-tier sprinkler system with sprinklers installed both at roof height to cover the entire site and within the false ceilings of the 50 stores, meat and fish processing facilities, storerooms and offices,” points out Gregory.
Around 10 mobile elevating work platforms had to be assembled to enable Uxello teams to perform the installation: “a real challenge when you’re on an island, when a worksite involving a competitor brand name is also using platforms and when maritime transport is congested due to the toing and froing of tourists during the summer period,” adds Gregory.
Control over costs, accentuated by the insular location of the worksite, was a further area of concern during this obstacle course which was satisfactorily completed.
17/09/2018
