Chapter Kings Cross
Client
Greystar Real Estate Partner
Location
London
Sector
Education
Services Provided
Passive Protection
Timescales
2020
Chapter Kings Cross Student Accommodation – Basement Fire Door Replacement Project
Onyx was approached by global property management company, Greystar Real Estate Partners, to replace the basement fire doorsets in their flagship student accommodation residence, Chapter Kings Cross.
Onyx’s certification in BM Trada’s Q-Mark Fire Door Installation and Maintenance and Fire Stopping Installation Schemes was a key factor in Onyx’s selection for the project. Certification in these schemes denotes expertise in installing and maintaining passive firefighting assets in domestic and commercial building and that Onyx is competent per The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) 2005, 18 (a).
The original spec called for 36no existing door sets to be replaced. They were a combination of steel and timber make and the original spec called for the door sets to be replaced with like-for-like units. Onyx conducted a site survey prior to work commencement and found that the timber door sets were constructed of low density MDF and rated to 60 minutes. These door sets were also badly damaged due to the high volume of traffic that took place in the basement and ultimately not suited for their environment. Furthermore, Onyx raised concerns about their 60-minute fire rating, which did not match the 120 minutes of the steel door sets and compromised the compartmentation in the basement.
Onyx consulted with BM Trada, to verify their concern. A BM Trada representative visited site, reviewed the site Fire Strategy and compartmentation drawings and concluded that a like-for-like replacement of timber doorsets was not suitable for both structural and compartmentation reasons, and that only steel, 120 minute fire doorsets should be installed the basement. These findings were then presented to the client who agreed to change the original spec and change the 30 minute timber doorsets to 120 minute steel ones.
As work progressed, Onyx identified a further 23no fire doorsets that were originally included in the initial specification. These doorsets were beyond economical repair and were no longer effective to contain the spread of fire. The client was made aware of this and agreed that these doorsets be replaced to ensure compliance and safety in the basement.
At one point in the project, suspected Asbestos was found in one of the frames of an existing doorset. The client was immediately notified, and Onyx deployed its partner asbestos surveyor to visit site and verify the existence of asbestos. None was found, and the project resumed after necessary incident reports and client debriefing occurred.
The entire project was run under the supervision of Onyx’s in house Q-Mark certified Fire Door supervisor who ensured each door was installed as per Q-Mark Fire Door Installation standards. This included installing fire stopping behind the architraves and surveying each door after installation.
- Certifire Certificate of Approval (verifying fire rating)
- Manufacturer data sheet
- Manufacturer installation instructions
- Manufacturer maintenance instructions
- Ironmongery specification
In addition, marked up floor plans showing locations of newly installed door sets, finalised door set asset register and waste transfer certificates produced throughout the project. The Onyx team then walked around site with the client to personally signed off each door.
To demonstrate its confidence in the work, Onyx selected the Chapter Kings Cross building as the site for BM-Trada to conduct its audit for Onyx to retain its Q-Mark certification. The audit was successful and it was deemed that the new door sets were competently installed and compliant.
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