Pentre Awel development underpinned by fire stopping solutions from Quelfire

Further, Pentre Awel encompasses integrated care and physical rehabilitation facilities, with Carmarthenshire County Council fervently hoping that the development will boost the local economy by circa £467 million across the next 15-year period.

As the chosen passive fire protection systems manufacturer for this prestigious project, Quelfire has worked alongside the main contractor (namely Bouygues Construction Ltd) and all other relevant parties involved in order to deliver on the brief. The main objective, in fact, was to incorporate an early engagement approach to design and build Pentre Awel around the tested details available, in turn creating safe and compliant buildings.

Main challenge

As this was one of Bouygues UK’s first early engagement projects using a new approach and systems, the initial co-operation of all the relevant parties proved to be the main challenge. This later led to the co-ordination of service spacings being lengthy and problematic due to the large number of services used on the project, the steel beams and the restricted amount of space available.

Bouygues UK’s initiative to implement a new system called Morta was a real positive for this project. This ensured the company completed the necessary work in line with the Building Safety Act 2022 and created the golden thread of information to hand over to the building owner on completion of the project. It also guaranteed meeting the Building Regulation 38 requirements.

The idea of a clear ‘Builder’s Work in Connection’ opening schedule is to make sure all parties work together, take responsibility and understand what’s required.

In order to provide the most relevant fire stopping tested solutions from Quelfire’s extensive library, the passive fire protection specialist required a detailed schedule with specific information about the project’s service penetration applications. This included information about the wall or floor construction, the required fire rating and the dimensions of structural openings.

 Additionally, Quelfire’s team needed to know if the application involved a head-of-wall scenario, whether any movement was required and also details about the services (such as their type, material, size and any insulation requirements, including thickness).

Receiving the information and making sure everyone was on the same page proved to be quite challenging as, for many, this was a brand new approach to building construction. Pentre Awel discussions began back in 2022, though, leading to the first early engagement meeting in January 2023.

Regular project meetings

Subsequent to this, Quelfire held regular project meetings and workshops to discuss the fire stopping package, BWIC openings and any non-standard details. This ensured that all parties were on the same page and could provide the correct information, in turn minimising any potential for confusion.

Collaboration and communication were pivotal here. Without them, the project would have ground to a halt.

The Morta system ensured that all service penetrations were covered. If critical information hadn’t been provided, the schedule would go back to the ‘Responsible Person’ to collate and send over. This ensured no service penetration was without a detail to work towards. Everything was mapped out before the build stage.

Quelfire’s early engagement was a critical factor in the success of Pentre Awel. From the initial planning meeting through to regular re-work sessions and correspondence, the business provided extensive technical support from design to installation in order to make sure the fire stopping provision is in line with regulations and guidance. This approach, alongside hollow core floor testing procedures, meant that the project continued with actual test evidence rather than engineered judgements.

Importance of co-ordination

Pentre Awel is a prime example of the importance of co-ordination between each party from the very early stages of a project. A successful project relies on input from every party, from the main contractor right through to the MEP designer and fire stopping contractor, coupled with an ongoing commitment to ‘sticking to the agreed plan’.

Tom Marsh, senior BIM co-ordinator at Bouygues, stated: “Quelfire has been very proactive in supporting our golden thread initiative via our Information Management platforms. The business has also provided a great deal of technical insight, which we’ve used to improve on Pentre Awel’s processes, not to mention other projects moving forward.”

Now that early engagement has been implemented, this approach can be standardised across future projects to streamline processes and make certain that fire safety is a priority. The commitment of all project teams, and those for whom this approach was new, demonstrates the positive changes taking place in the construction industry.

Matthew John, design manager at Bouygues, added: “Quelfire’s technical tanager, Alec, supported the Pentre Awel design team throughout the detailed design stage, giving pragmatic guidance on tested passive fire stopping solutions. This support was invaluable in assisting Bouygues in delivering our golden thread-related builders’ work approval process.”

*Further information is available online at www.quelfire.co.uk