HARDWARE & SECURITY
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A GRANDMASTER SECURES MAINTENANCE AND MANAGEMENT SIMPLICITY AT CANARY WHARF Managing the complex phased construction of multiple buildings as part of the same development is always demanding, particularly in prestigious locations like Canary Wharf. Ensuring that management of the built assets is efficient throughout the lifetime of the development is equally important and, at a current mixed use development across 32 buildings in Canary Wharf, the key control strategy has been designed for ease of management and maintenance once the buildings are fully occupied. The task of co-ordinating the developer’s key control requirements with design, manufacturing and coordination across all buildings fell to Elite Architectural Ironmongery, a well-established specifier and supplier of architectural ironmongery to major projects, both in the UK and overseas, for almost 50 years. Working collaboratively with Locking Systems, part of UAP, and a locking cylinder solutions and bespoke masterkeying specialist, Elite has supplied Secure by Design approved TS007 3* security rated locks for the project. So far, the locks have been installed in six buildings, with a further two currently in progress.
lock included in the schedule for correct and accurate installation by the multiple contractors. The Locking Systems team inputted in the information from Elite’s specification into the company’s software to produce a detailed design and production schedule. General manager of Locking Systems, Bill Murray explains: “The software accurately designs each lock and its unique key, while ensuring that the lock can also be opened by the relevant master keys in the hierarchy. Achieving this across 32 buildings with a grandmaster key is extremely complex.”
Steve May from Elite Architectural Ironmongery explains: “The goal is to make the key control hierarchy as simple and convenient as possible for the building owner, allowing maintenance teams to quickly identify which master key they need and providing a grandmaster key as an added secure access measure.
DEVELOPING THE SPECIFICATION The new buildings combine commercial office space, ground floor retail and luxury apartments, some of which will be privately owned. For management and maintenance of the building, all areas that remain the property of the landlord need the security and convenience of a bespoke lock for the occupier, while allowing landlord access with the use of a master key. In addition, there are a number of maintenance locations that must remain locked for safety reasons, while remaining accessible to authorised staff with a master key. The client’s requirement was for 10 keyed alike groups across all buildings, categorised for the type of access requirement, such as lift motor rooms, mechanical risers, electrical risers, roof access etc. This will enable maintenance personnel to carry just one key to access all the required areas across any of the buildings. There will also be a single master key for each building, which will operate all maintenance locks and rented residential or commercial units within the specific building. Finally, there will be a grandmaster key that will operate any lock across any of the 32 buildings.
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“Our fully Guild of Architectural Ironmongery qualified staff attended site meetings to discuss the locking strategy and scrutinise the architectural drawings during the build phase. By understanding the general arrangement plans, door schedules, door elevations and specifications, we were able to develop a full specification, allocating each door to a keyed alike group and/or master key.” The specification process involved understanding the door schedule to ensure the size and type of each lock is correct and that any offsetting requirements are factored into the design process. A master chart was then devised for each building and Elite was able to pass this information to Locking Systems for design and manufacture of the locks
All locks manufactured by Locking Systems to Elite’s requirements meet all the necessary European/ ANSI standards, comply with rigorous fire ratings and are suitable for installation in PAS24 doorsets, ensuring peace of mind for the developer and the tenant. Each lock is supplied with a key patented to 2032, which further enhances security because it prevents duplicate keys from being cut by anyone other than UAP. With a wide variety of joinery subcontractors installing the locks across multiple buildings, accuracy of lock and key manufacture are critical to the success of the project. Locking Systems manufacturing process includes hand-pinning of every lock to ensure that it will open smoothly with both its bespoke key and with the keyed alike group key, building master key and grandmaster key. Bill Murray adds: “Manufacturing the keys and lock cylinders by machine provides the consistency and accuracy needed for the project but we believe the precision required for the pins can only be achieved by hand. Every detail of every lock and key for the project is now securely stored on our database, ensuring we can proillvide reliable information for any future maintenance, refurbishment or retrofitting requirements.” www.uapcorporate.com
PRECISION MANUFACTURING The buildings are being constructed in a phased project and the locks are being manufactured at Locking Systems’ Gateshead factory for installation aligned to the build programme. The design process needed to be carried out for all locks, keys and master keys as a single project, however, to ensure the keyed alike groups and master keying solutions incorporate every
May 2021 | www.glassnews.co.uk
