What difficulties would fire fighters face when working in a 20-storey building? What needs to be done to carry out evacuation? In the case of the building being developed by Casa Molines, La Torre, has opted for “additional” anti-fire safety systems and based itself on French regulations as the Andorran ones do not cover buildings of such a size and is at the same time old fashioned. The block has two inside emergency staircases both sector-based and if needed could become appropriate spaces to be used for evacuation. Each landing has a foyer with firewalls which would act as a barrier in the case of fire in an apartment thus preventing the smoke arriving to the stairwell. The fire service could always use the lift that will keep on working despite a power outage as it is powered by means of a generator. Apart from this, said lift will be also used to allow both the movement of the fire officers as well as for the evacuation of the building’s residents.
When the alarms installed on each of the floors detect the presence of smoke, the conduits that lead up to the roof will be used as fire hoses and a system of fresh air will be activated. All to protect possible evacuations and smoke expansion. The windows situated at the top of the stairwell can also be used for airing in the case that smoke, despite all these precautions, manages to get in.
The Project management and the fire service have had several meetings. The promotors want the fire service to know the building and its safety systems well with a view to making their job easier in case they need to intervene in a real fire. The fire service has also contributed and their suggestions have been included in the building such is the case of the installation of taps on each floor that can be connected to their fire hoses if needed.
The car park will also have its own safety mechanisms: ventilators and sprinklers connected to a reservoir of 120,000 litres that are automatically activated when a very high temperature is reached. All these measures will be tested in a fire practice session before the apartments are handed over, planned for the end of the year and once the building has passed the inspection by the Ministry of Industry department. 39 flats were up for sale and there are five left and are mainly “for local people”, people who, according to the deputy director of Casa Molines Pascual Gracia “are at a point in life in which they want to stop living in a house away from the centre and who find the option of a high- standard centrally located apartment more attractive. The ones for rent (21) are to be ready towards the end and there is already a list of possible tenants.
EARTHQUAKES
The developers of La Torre have also wanted to be strict with the inherent risks associated with seismic movements and this is why “we have invested nearly one million euros and six months work to make special foundations using a technique called jet grouting. It consists in injecting concrete under the foundations at up to 12 metres depth to get right to the bedrock. It is used to prevent settlement.” Caldea also used it with a view to avoid settlement and we thought it a worthwhile investment of time and money. In this case the regulations are the ones used in the Alt Urgell but making them even more stringent.
Report by Dolors Moreno (Diari d’Andorra)
https://www.diariandorra.ad/noticies/nacional/2022/03/07/la_torre_contra_risc_196518_1125.html