Flughafen Berlin Brandenburg GmbH and Siemens have signed a contract for the alteration of the smoke extraction controls at BER. The agreement sees the contract package awarded to Siemens at BER being extended: as well as adding control systems for the mechanical smoke extraction systems installed by other contractors (including smoke extraction ducts, ventilators and dampers), Siemens control technology will in future also be used to pump fresh air into the buildings in the event of a fire. The conversion had become necessary because the controls for the fire protection system built by third-party contractors had failed to function adequately in tests (the so-called hot gas smoke tests).
As part of the modifications to the existing system, cables to fresh air flaps, smoke protection screens and windows in the terminal need to be relaid. Siemens can only commence on the necessary installations once the preliminary work on the technical building equipment and the cable ducts has been completed by the relevant contractors. The extended smoke extraction system will be reprogrammed after installation and will be tested jointly by Siemens, BER experts and external specialists for fire protection before being put into operation. The Bosch fire alarm system which was originally installed and which remains fully functional will remain in place unchanged apart from the new fresh air supply controls.
The airport operator’s CEO, Hartmut Mehdorn, stated: "The signatures on this contract today mark a key milestone in the completion of BER, one that we have achieved together in a team with Siemens. Working together in the SPRINT Action Plan, we have succeeded within the space of only a few months in developing workable solutions for the issues surrounding the fire protection system that are currently preventing the opening of the new airport. Now, step by step, we will bring together all of these individual phases in an overall plan for the opening of BER."
"Today’s contract is a good step forward for the completion of the new airport", says Jorg Marks, Regional Director East, Building Technologies, Siemens AG. "What is decisive is that we receive all the planning documents from the client as agreed in the contract and that all preliminary construction work is completed in order to allow us to start on our work to bring this project to a satisfactory conclusion."
