by Brianna Crandall — October 4, 2017 — Conquest Firespray, a manufacturer of Flamebar coated fire-rated architectural and engineered HVAC ducts, just announced that the company was selected to supply the custom, two-hour-rated HVAC duct and fan enclosure systems used in the new 54-story Comcast Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The high-rise is said to be Philadelphia’s tallest building and the tallest LEED-certified building in the USA.
The Flamebar heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) duct systems used in the Comcast Center include: 1) two-hour-rated horizontal systems, 2) vertical-shaft systems, and 3) custom-engineered fan enclosures. The project required more than 2,400 assemblies, totaling nearly 100,000 square feet. The Flamebar vertical-shaft applications require less lateral space, allowing the owner to capture more useable space in the tower.
During the bidding phase for the Comcast Center, the mechanical engineer, Bala Engineering, developed a rigorous specification that required both “Type A” and “Type B” testing results, as required by the IBC code. In order to ensure full code compliance, each bidder was required to provide proof of Type A “fire outside” and Type B “fire inside” testing compliance. Conquest’s Flamebar system is tested for fire inside and fire outside in both vertical and horizontal configurations.
Conquest Firespray says it won the Comcast Center business by demonstrating superior performance. (Fire-rated insulation systems do not provide the needed protection for “fire inside” conditions and were not considered for use, according to the company.)
The Comcast Center owner/developer is Liberty Property Trust. The architects are Foster + Partners, New York and Kendall Heaton. The mechanical engineer is Bala Engineering. The construction manager is LF Driscoll, and the mechanical and sheet metal provider is Air Distribution Systems.
All Flamebar HVAC ducts and fan enclosures were manufactured to enhanced construction standards in Conquest’s Michigan manufacturing plant, a UL- and Intertek-audited facility. HVAC ducts and fan enclosures are coated with Flamebar BW11, a proprietary coating that allows systems to meet and exceed two-hour and four-hour test standards. Conquest successfully completed the project in March 2017.
John Pattillo, Conquest principal, commented:
The specifying engineers on the Comcast Center project were committed to fully tested and code-compliant systems, in their fire-rated ducts and fan enclosures. That compliance plus space savings and ease of installation are why they chose our Flamebar systems.
For more information about the Flamebar HVAC ducts, visit the Conquest Firespray Web site.
