With local authority approval, the first Extended Corridor Solution is currently being installed in a residential building at the Angel Meadows development in Manchester. By extending the escape distance in the corridor from 7.5m to 18.0m in one direction, the system has made it possible to omit one staircase, gaining useable space and saving building costs.
Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) models show Colt's Extended Corridor Solution will out perform the smoke clearing capabilities of conventional dead-end corridors that are compliant with Approved Document B. This document refers to corridors limited to an escape distance of 7.5 metres or less, relying on Automated Opening Vents (AOV) of 1.5mē free area for smoke evacuation.
Colt has achieved this exceptional smoke extraction performance by
offering both a corridor extraction system at one end of the corridor and a
dedicated air inlet system at the other. Inlet air prevents the corridor from
becoming excessively depressurised, which could make it difficult for evacuees
and fire fighters to open doors, as well as causing extract fans to stall,
resulting in total system failure.
Simon O'Hea, marketing director of Colt International, commented: "We expect plenty of interest in the Extended Corridor Solution, principally because of the great space and cost savings it provides developers. However, this does not mean a compromise in safety; its excellent smoke-extraction technology will also save lives."
Colt's engineers first conceived the Extended Corridor Solution's mechanical ventilation system when developing and testing the Colt Shaft - a ventilating fire-fighting shaft that reduces spatial requirements by 80 percent, compared to other systems. As with the Colt Shaft, the Extended Corridor Solution enables developers of apartments, hotels and office buildings to increase saleable space while maximising safety, potentially saving lives.
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