Case Studies - Wood Lane Tube Station - Promat DURASTEEL^® Barriers

Promat DURASTEEL^®, the high performance fit-and-forget fire barrier, is being put to the test on London’s newest Tube station.

Promat DURASTEEL^® has been specified for three separate contract packages on Wood Lane station, a gateway to the new Westfield London retail and leisure development that opened for business in October 2008.

The development is a partnership between the Westfield property group and London Underground. Both are playing a vital role in the regeneration of the area. Westfield has invested £170 million into the transport infrastructure.

Promat DURASTEEL^® is a complete passive fire containment system, tested under the most extreme conditions. It is a one-stop solution that specifiers know they can rely on and has been successfully installed in many high profile projects including Heathrow’s Terminal 5 and other London Underground stations.

For Ian Ritchie Architects, Promat DURASTEEL^® was an easy choice for Wood Lane. “Promat DURASTEEL^® is the only product in its field with the reliability and durability for a transport environment and we have used it successfully on the Jubilee Line and Central Line Sidings project,” says Ian Ritchie’s Project Director, Gordon Talbot.

Ian Ritchie Architects has already specified Promat DURASTEEL^® and other Promat fire protection products across the Westfield London development including, at 25M high, the tallest Promat DURASTEEL^® fire barrier to date at the refurbished listed DIMCO building.

The work on Wood Lane station had its own challenges. It’s the first new station to be built on an existing London Underground line for more than 70 years and sits between Shepherd’s Bush and Latimer Road stations on the Hammersmith and City Line.

The station has four lifts, two to each platform, which are elevated above the concourse. The station is also fully accessible between street and platform levels.

Wood Lane is a state-of-the art development and required a robust fire protection system. Promat DURASTEEL^® is literally built into the fabric of a building, and creates a physical barrier to contain heat and the spread of smoke and fire. This compartmentation helps control the course of a fire and the damage it can do. Due to the growing demands of insurers and the challenges of compliance with building regulations, barriers like Promat DURASTEEL^® are a vital component of building design.

The product itself is a composite sheet made with a core of fibre cement sandwiched between mechanically-bonded galvanised steel facings. It can withstand up to six hours exposure to fire, and while hot, will withstand spray from fire-fighters’ hoses or sprinkler systems. Promat DURASTEEL^® is also renowned for its impact and blast resistance performance. Yet this exceptional performance is combined with lightness and durability.

These qualities have won Promat DURASTEEL^® growing support across the construction industry and made it a clear front runner for Wood Lane. “It seems to be the product everyone turns to in demanding environments. We knew from the DIMCO project that it would be the way forward” says James Wraight from contractor Towns-Wadey.

The Watford-based firm is one of three working with DURASTEEL^® for Construction Manager Costain on Wood Lane. The installer was specialist sub-contractor and DURASTEEL^® Licensee Sharpfibre, who was able to work round the clock as protection to the running line was provided.

Towns-Wadey completed the fire protection package for the lift shafts and oversaw the installation of 350 square metres of double-skinned Promat DURASTEEL^® walls to the two lift shafts, providing one-hour fire protection. The four lifts are fixed through the Promat DURASTEEL^® to the steel structure, using Promat DURASTEEL^® clad brackets.

“Promat DURASTEEL^® does the job,” says James Wraight. “It’s approved, it’s great for fire integrity purposes and it’s a very versatile product. We’re happy with it, and the high calibre service from Promat.”
 

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