Advanced Offers Middle East Versatile Scalable Solutions

With customers in the Middle East using both EN and UL fire safety solutions, Advanced provides great flexibility by offering both. Options range from complex networked fire systems to simpler solutions for smaller sites, including wired, wireless and hybrid applications.

Hossam Badwy, Business Development Manager, Middle East and Africa, at Advanced, explains more about the importance of versatility.

The Middle East is an exciting unique market where both EN and UL fire safety solutions are used. Not all companies can fulfil both requirements but at Advanced we are able to help customers to meet either standard in our Axis EN and Axis AX product ranges respectively.

For customers that have large complex applications, like the Wafi Hotel and Mall in Dubai, our Axis EN system is ideal in providing powerful networking capacity. A network of 19 EN54-approved Axis EN fire panels, including an integrated fire telephone system and 7,500 devices, has been installed across the US$750million Wafi Hotel and Mall development project.

Installed at the hotel, which boasts 501 luxury guestrooms and 86 suites, a ballroom, numerous conference and hospitality facilities as well as a temperature-controlled pool deck, are 14 4-loop, 2-loop and 1-loop Axis EN fire panels and 5,500 devices. Meanwhile, included in the active fire protection measures for the Wafi Mall, cinema and car park are a further five Axis EN fire panels of 4-loop and 2-loop variants, alongside an additional 2,000 devices.

Axis EN is ideal for complex, large-scale installations as it can be used to create robust networks of up to 200 panels per network, or further expanded by combining networks. Whether networking high-risk sites with complicated cause and effect, remotely monitoring networked sites, or integrating with building management systems (BMS), intuitive software and panel navigation make setup straightforward. Axis EN is also effective in minimising unwanted alarms thanks to its built-in AlarmCalm false alarm management and reduction software.

Meanwhile, the UL 864-approved Axis AX fire system is not only robust and versatile, but also easy to use – from installation and commissioning to servicing, maintenance and day-to-day operation. This is particularly useful in complex applications such as airports that rely on several specialised systems to facilitate specific processes, such as aeronautical navigation and surveillance, ground handling and the processing of passengers and baggage. Here the systems integrated may include a PA system, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), elevator control, the airport information system and other security systems such as access control and video surveillance.

For example, Abu Dhabi International Airport is the second largest airport in the UAE, serving over 12 million passengers each year. Here the fire system protecting its fuel depot comprises a fault-tolerant network of five Axis AX panels, BACnet BMS integration and over 300 individual components and devices.

The UL 864-approved Axis AX fire system makes light work of integrating smoke control and audio or voice options too which are frequently required for fire systems in the Middle East. The flexible Axis AX offers integrated audio for automatic (and manual) fire alarm signalling and live voice paging during emergencies. The system also provides access to DynamixSmoke, a revolutionary approach to smoke control that radically reduces the time and associated costs of configuring fans and dampers.

One of the current trends in the Middle East is that most high-rise buildings require the addition of voice evacuation, but issues can arise if the audio doesn’t sync, and people are able to hear multiple messages at once. To solve this our Axis AX range features PerfectSync which ensures audio synchronisation across the entire network to avoid the confusion of mixed messages. This includes large networks where we can deliver the message from the first panel to the 200th with highly synchronised fast messaging to help people evacuate more effectively in case of fire.

At Advanced we not only offer fire systems for complex buildings, but also solutions for small applications such as retail and the housing sectors. For example, our new-generation AxisGo single-loop fire panel can be used in applications such as villas and smaller commercial sites.

This versatile panel is packed with premium features, offering a powerful option for protecting smaller sites. It provides cost-effective access to Axis EN range performance, quality, and ease of use, in a simpler, non-networkable format.

AxisGo is available as a wired, wireless or hybrid system, bringing additional versatility. So, no matter how complex or straightforward the project, at Advanced we have the flexibility to offer our customers the right solution – approved to the right standard – for complete fire protection peace of mind.