The Ottawa Congress Centre (OCC) is being extensively redeveloped and renovated to become a new 192,000 ft², four-storey facility with two levels of underground parking. The renovated facility will be directly linked to the Viking Rideau Centre (VRC) and the Westin Hotel Ottawa. It will contain 28 meeting rooms, a 56,000 ft² multipurpose/exhibition hall, a 21,300 ft² ballroom, office spaces, service spaces, and shipping/receiving areas. The building will be fully accessible and will be built to LEED Silver certification standards.

In keeping with the architect's vision, LMCI provided complete analysis of the various components of the building, developed many computer simulations to determine effectiveness of proposed life safety systems and have proposed various alternative solutions where the literal application of building code requirements was not viable. In order to demonstrate our proposed alternative solution, we developed computer simulations. These simulations numerically and graphically illustrate the manner in which a fire would be expected to develop and affect various components of the design as well as the safety of the occupants. Numerous computer simulation scenarios were completed and evaluated to determine conditions in specific areas. These included the temperature effects on exposed steel, smoke movement in interconnected floor spaces, determination of available egress time due to smoke effect, and glazed exit exposure conditions.

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Photo ©William P. McElligott/bbb architects.

This project proposed to extend the existing Emergency Department to the south side of the McMaster University Medical Centre. The south portion of the new exterior wall of the Emergency Department would be constructed as a high glazed wall at a 110° incline, relative to the ground.

SLM provided consulting services to address specific issues of exposure protection of the exterior wall of the new Emergency Department exposing adjacent glazed exit stair enclosures. SLM suggested and substantiated an alternative solution for the protection of the glazed wall of the emergency department which could not be properly protected by window sprinklers due to the incline. We were able to support the alternative solution through a computer simulation by identifying and evaluating the radiant heat flux and protection of adjacent glazed exit stair shaft wall through the use of water spray nozzles installed to the exterior of the glazed wall. Our technical research validated the effectiveness of the alternative solution and was approved by building officials.

Photo ©SLM, 2010.

Over the last seven years, Sereca Larden Muniak Consulting Inc has been providing building code and fire protection consulting services to the Sunnybrook and Women’s College Health Sciences Centre campus. This includes consulting on new construction projects, on renovations to existing buildings, performing life safety audits on all buildings on the campus, preparation and subsequent updating of the fire safety plan for the entire facility, and continuous liaising with the Toronto Fire Department on issues of fire safety and systems maintenance on behalf of the hospital. For the past three years SLM has been contracted by Ontario Electrical Construction Co. Ltd. to completed Fire Alarm Verification and Re-Verification.

Photo ©Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre.

Sereca Larden Muniak Consulting Inc. was requested to review the Ontario Fire Code (OFC) requirements for the addition of a new Dispensing Room inside the existing plant. The building consists of a single-storey office section and a plant section that contains a partial second floor. The main activity of the plant is to produce printing inks, which are flammable or combustible liquids, by processing flammable and combustible ingredients, thus considered a chemical processing plant. The building area is approximately 2,054 m² with a partial second floor in the plant section of area 1,058 m².

The owners intended to automate the dispensing process to improve work safety as well as product quality, and reduce losses due to evaporation, spillage and various other avenues. SLM provided a fire and building code review of the facility and were retained as a project consultant for the construction of the new dispensing room. SLM conducted a Pre-Start Health & Safety Review for the new addition in accordance with Section 7 of Ontario Regulation 851 for industrial establishments. Our review documented machinery and facility test procedures related to safety measures for the facility for the Ministry of Labor and addressed non-compliance issues and recommendations. An alternative solution presented to the client was implemented from our recommendations in order for the dispensing room to comply with the intent of the OFC.

Photo provided by Wikoff Color Corporation - Canada Inc.

A Fire Safety Plan (FSP) was prepared for William Osler Health Centre - Brampton Civic Hospital in accordance with the requirements of the Ontario Fire Code (OFC), Ontario Regulation 388/97. FSP drawings were developed in AutoCAD from information provided by the client. LMCI provided an audit of resources and function of fire equipment with a portion encompassing the additional building systems and providing a detailed description of each system, which included building resources, human resources, emergency procedures, alternative fire safety measures, fire prevention policies, fire drills, staff training, maintenance procedures, and drawing references.

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Photo ©SLM, 2010.

SLM developed the Credit Valley Hospital Fire Safety Plan in liaison with the Mississauga Fire Department. LMCI developed a FSP tailored to the needs and specific functions and requirements inherent to the hospital. Using substantially complete working drawings LMCI created AutoCAD drawings for the entire 30,657 m2 hospital, SLM conducted a thorough walkthrough to ensure all fire protection equipment and hazardous materials were identified accurately. Upon completion of site review, SLM developed the necessary fire safety measures and trained all supervisory staff of their roles and responsibilities, as stated in the Ontario Fire Code.

Additionally, SLM was instrumental in implementing a unique fire protection solution for Credit Valley's Cancer and Ambulatory Care Centre’s large beams of Douglas Fir in the main lobby, and cancer treatment areas to capture the hospitals philosophy of "healing hope". SLM chose to use HI-FOG; a water mist system for building protection allowing for combustible wooden structural supports to be used at Credit Valley Hospital. HI-FOG offers more freedom for architectural design while minimizing water damage associated with conventional sprinklers.

Photo ©SLM, 2010.

Confederation College consists of an existing three-storey, non-sprinklered college (building area of 13,311 m²) and currently is undergoing construction of a new sprinklered three-storey addition with a building area of 1,612 m². The new addition will house a large dental clinic, X-ray rooms, offices and meeting rooms, classrooms, various labs, a lecture hall and an atrium. The addition will have a three-storey interconnected floor space adjacent to the existing building. It was the intent of the client to install glue-laminated columns and roof beams as supporting structures for the atrium roof. The "tree" structures within the atrium will extend as branches to the roof which towers the full length of the 3 Floors of the addition to the roof. The 2nd and 3rd floors will be connected by "bridge type structures" to the existing building.

SLM performed a Fire Dynamic Simulation (FDS) for the new addition. FDS is used to predict fire growth and smoke transport for engineering applications. It was our intent, through the fire simulation, to equivocally show that the material used within the atrium would withstand the OBC standard on the limit the severity and effects of fire or explosions. A three-dimensional modeling of a fire situation using this specialized software and the input of our proposed measures applied to the atrium area illustrates to what extent compliance of the 2006 Ontario Building Code has been met. The simulation showed proper fire-resistance rating was achieved in the atrium and sufficient time for a complete evacuation of the new three-storey addition. Additionally, Early Suppression Fast Response (ESFR) sprinkler-system would be installed within the interconnected floor space, located between the existing and the new addition to merely act as a transition area between the two areas.

Photo provided by Kuch Stephenson Gibson Malo Architects & Engineer.