Lovell specify WES+ fire safety solution for 600 hectare site

Lovell has specified WES+ wireless fire alarm system from Ramtech Electronics for the redevelopment of a former gravel pit and landfill site at Lymington Fields, Dagenham. The development is a four year, £78.4 million project that will transform the site into a mixed tenure housing scheme.
WES+ is now providing a round-the-clock fire alarm system across this large residential site. Being compliant with the relevant sections of EN 54 means that WES+ will help to ensure the safety of personnel working on site as well new homeowners that will move into the properties as they are completed, due to the ability of fire to spread.
All homes at Lymington Fields are required to meet level 4 of the Code for Sustainable Homes, which is being achieved by incorporating a range of energy efficiency measures.
The development will cover 600 hectares when completed, with the initial phase creating 116 homes for affordable rent and 43 homes for shared ownership through Home Group.
During initial stages of the build, Lovell had used a fixed wire fire alarm system which operated manually. However, this offered poor heat and smoke detection along with requiring specialist trades to reposition the call points as work on site progressed.
The site management team had also raised a concern with the ability of fire to spread quickly between buildings, even when separated as on this multi-residential development, along with the tendency of burning structures to collapse onto each other.
Lovell worked with Ramtech Electronics to identify a solution that would improve on the previous methods used. The principal reason why Lovell specified WES+ wireless system was that it was capable of providing coverage across this large development -the scalability of the WES+ wireless technology means that an unlimited number of units can be added as more homes are built. With no trip hazards such as trailing wires and seconds to pair new units into the system, the WES+ wireless system is extremely easy to set up.
Heat and smoke detectors were specified for the WES+ system because they provide 24/7 protection, even when the site is vacated at nights and weekends. The system sends SMS text alerts to nominated personnel in the event of a fire, allowing them to immediately inform fire and rescue services.
The three year battery life will ensure that the system operates for the duration of this project, reducing lifetime costs and site waste.
Richard Moore, project manager of the Lovell Dagenham site, said: “One of the reasons we specified WES+ for this site was because it is very easy to add or remove units as the site develops. Being able to add extra units was an important factor for us, considering the scale of this site. It is reassuring to know that the WES+ could provide coverage across the entire 600 hectare site – equivalent to 210 football pitches! We like the fact that the automatic heat and smoke detectors remove much of the reliance on human intervention.”