A local Aberdeen firm has been awarded the contract to provide fire safety systems for Aberdeen’s new exhibition and conference centre at Bucksburn.
The contract was awarded by Forth Electrical Services (FES) to Oteac, a specialist provider of integrated fire and safety products along with maintenance and testing services, earlier this month after an extensive tendering process. The award, worth over £800,000 to Oteac, involves the design, supply, installation and commissioning of fire alarm systems, disabled refuge and public address and voice alarm (PAVA) systems.
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Oteac will provide these services for the main arena and halls, the subterranean car park as well as the dedicated, onsite energy centre which houses the UK’s largest fuel cell installation, providing power, heat and cooling across the entire site.
Extensive work has been completed by Oteac on scoping the public address and voice alarm (PAVA) systems in order to sound map the arenas and car park to achieve the right sound levels and clarity. The sheer size of the arena and construction materials of the car park areas provide a number of complexities for sound distortion and reverberation. In the UK there are stringent requirements in line with the sound transmission index which requires the achievement of particular sound projection and voice clarity for safety purposes.
Over one thousand speakers, 20 sets of amplifiers, 1,600 devices – smoke detectors, break glasses, and call points – will be installed and commissioned as part of the contract. The systems will be connected by over 25 miles of cable – a distance nearing the full length of the new Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route.
John Singer, fire and security manager said: “This contract has been two years in the making. There’s been an extensive scope of work and preparation for the project and we’re extremely proud to have finally been awarded the contract. We’re thrilled to be involved in delivering a part of this fantastic flagship project in the city.
“We’ve paid particular attention to the needs and specifications around the sound mapping of the venue. The scale of the arena, concrete flooring and construction present a number of challenges.
We’ve carefully selected the optimum size, volume and positioning of speakers we use, so as to reduce and minimise reverberation and distortion.”
The new AECC will have a capacity of 12,500 and is expected to attract over 4.5million visitors with a £113million visitor spend over the next 10 years. Construction of the site will continue throughout 2018 with completion expected in 2019. Oteac will be working with onsite contractors throughout this time, with up to eight engineers supporting the project at peak installation and commissioning times.
