Smaller projects undertaken by IFS include:

•    QV Buildings, Melbourne CBD (water conservation)
•    Existing high rise in Melbourne CBD (commercial)
•    Vasey RSL Care, Frankston (aged care)
•    Charles St, Abbotsford (residential)
•    Dryen, Heatherton (industrial)
•    Fantech, Dandenong (industrial water conservation)

QV Buildings, Melbourne CBD

A high profile multi use high rise building with a substantial fire sprinkler system was using millions of litres of water per year in testing for operational readiness.  Integrated Fire Services were able to provide a cost effective service which included pressure setting adjustments to reduce sprinkler system water usage by 70%.

QV benefiting by having a lower water bill and having a finely tuned sprinkler system extending its working life and lowering maintenance costs.

Existing High Rise, Melbourne CBD

This high rise building in the Melbourne CBD had received an upgrade of the manual fire services through a design and construct package with a fire systems contractor.  The upgrade work concentrated on the upgrade of the pipework and valving but did not consider the water supply or the available pressure and flow to the hydrant valves.

Integrated Fire Services was tasked to review the installation and comment on any short comings.  It was found that the water supply, pressure maintenance pump, header tanks and brigade connections were urgently needed to be upgraded as the building was never operationally ready for fire brigade intervention.

Pressure settings were adjusted, the header tanks removed from service, a brigade suction point was provided and the town main connected directly to the suction of the pumps.

Vasey RSL Care, Frankston

Vasey owns and operates a number of residential buildings and specialises in aged care.  The Frankston facility is a multi-wing building with a number of building classifications.  To upgrade the building as a residential care (9C) facility the fire detection and alarm system needed to be replaced.

The upgrade of the fire services included the replacement of the fire indicator panel to an addressable unit with 5 evacuation zones and high level interface to the nurse call facility.  The works were required to be undertaken while the being occupied.  Integrated Fire Services provided design, implementation and final approval of the project as a complete service package.  The project also enabled the fire sprinkler system to be maintained monthly providing on going water savings and reducing servicing costs.

Charles Street, Abbotsford

The development in Charles Street is typical of many residential developments being undertaken in Melbourne.  The multiple units development was designed using cost effective opportunities.  Through the performance requirements of the building code an alternative to the masonry and concrete requirement was achieved together with a reduction of fire resistance levels, allowing openings within 3.0m of boundaries and extending exit travel distances.

Integrated Fire provided a fire engineering design brief and fire safety engineering report for acceptance by the stakeholders and the building surveyor.  The costs of the engineering report was paid for many times over through cost savings made in construction.

Dryen, Heatherton

Dryen has a small manufacturing facility in Heatherton that stores commodities in a warehouse.  Flow testing of the fire pump indicated that the sprinkler system was not meting the requirements for the storage arrangement.

To objective was to a provide a cost effective solution to enable the client to achieve maximum storage from the existing sprinkler system and satisfy the insurance company.

The outcome for the client was that he could store commodities as required without modification because we were able to find a faulty check valve.  This was replaced and made fully operational allowing the fire pumps to achieve design pressure and flow.  We were able to diagnose the problem and offer a solution providing value to our client.

Fantech, Dandenong

A large warehouse facility which has inherited two large diesel driven sprinkler pumps from a previous design.  The pumps were over pressurising the system and consuming millions of litres of water per annum in operational readiness testing.

Integrated Fire was engaged to undertake an analysis of the pump performance and water usage.  Our recommendations were implemented so that the over pressurised settings were eliminated and substantial savings were achieved.