Promat DURASTEEL® was specified because it offered 4 hours fire protection. This level of protection was required to protect the sensitive documents in the event of fire and also from unauthorised access to the vault.

Promat DURASTEEL® is a non-combustible composite panel of fibre reinforced cement, mechanically bonded to punched steel sheets. The system is resistant to firefighters' hoses, leaving it capable of performing its original function even in the aftermath of a fire. It is also impact-resistant making it an ideal solution for the project.

Not only was Promat DURASTEEL® used to protect the walls and ceilings of the vault and also installed on the underside of each mezzanine level to provide an extra independent four hours fire protection to each floor.

Richard Mason, Division Manager at The Invicta Group, says that the project offered a design challenge. "The vault had to be incorporated into a 100,000sq ft building without any loss of space. And the warehouse had to continue operating effectively and efficiently once the vault was in place, to ensure high service levels were maintained."

Invicta's solution was to build a 676 metre square, 4-tier mezzanine in the corner of the warehouse. The project took 10 weeks to complete and resulted in an additional 3,000 sq metres of storage space within the warehouse. To maximise the vault's storage capacity, 20,000 linear feet of mobile storage units were installed across the mezzanine floors.

Richard adds: "The storage unit is one of the most modern, high-tech vault facilities in the world. Not only is it protected by DURASTEEL but climate control and gas suppression systems were also installed for ultimate fire protection."

Sean Appleton,
Marketing Manager,
Promat UK Ltd,
The Sterling Centre,
Eastern Road,
Bracknell,
RG12 2TD.

Tel: 01344 381350
Website: www.promat.co.uk

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