Case Studies

Dublin Airport Logistics Park

TEAM

Fire Safety Team

Sector

Distribution/Logistics

Related Services

Fire Safety and Disability Access

People To Contact

Scroll Down

Overview of service

Dublin Airport Logistics Park (DALP) is a large-scale commercial industrial park with warehouse units incorporating office space. The 150-acre development is strategically located 250 metres from Dublin Airport, the Port Tunnel, the M50 and the M1 and benefits from private access to the M2. The park is home to high-profile brands like Geodis – with a 180,000 sq. ft. facility; and DHL’s 156,00 sq. ft. European flagship logistics centre.

Suites vary from being open plan in configuration to a mix of open plan space, executive offices and boardrooms. The location offers a superb view of the main Dublin Airport runway. Very generous car parking of 1:92 sq. m. (1,000 sq. ft.) is provided with the accommodation.

The DALP office units required an enhanced means of escape strategy with a high level of compartmentation from the commercial warehouse units they were located. A high degree of active fire protection systems, including very early warning aspirating smoke detection (ASD) within the units to give occupants an early warning of an outbreak of fire. Many units also required sprinkler protection. The ORS Fire Safety Team was appointed based on their vast experience of complex mixed-use buildings similar to those housed at DALP. The ORS fire engineers worked closely with the developer and design team to ensure the units were compliant with fire safety and disability access.

Project challenges

Value engineering design

A challenge for the ORS Team was to meet the client’s objective to keep the project within a tight budget. An expert engineering approach was taken to address cost reductions with the design team. Through this process, ORS used fire engineering calculations to model the typical smoke ventilation for use to demonstrate to the Fire Authority effective smoke control in the event of a fire.

This also allowed the team to engineer this costly roof ventilation element to the minimum required to achieve code compliance and fire authority approval. This innovative approach reduced the number of smoke zones and natural ventilation areas to save the client a significant amount of finance to bring the project back in line with the budget.

Another innovative value engineering design solution was to successfully argue for having an alternative open staircase to the warehouse. This led to substantial savings for the client to avoid costly masonry or whitewall enclosures, automatic opening vents etc.