Smoke extraction motors aid safe escape

The Flakt Woods Group is using smoke extraction and fan and exhaust motors as part of a prestigious contract to supply ventilation fans on the Al Jamarat road and passenger bridge.

The Flakt Woods Group is employing smoke extraction and fan and exhaust motors from WEG as part of a prestigious contract to supply ventilation fans on the Al Jamarat road and passenger bridge in Mina, Saudi Arabia, which is being reconstructed following the tragedies that occurred in 2004 and 2005.

The Al Jamarat order is a significant one and brings the total amount of Flakt Woods JM Axijet jet fans supplied to Saudi Arabia to almost 1 million euro.

It follows other recent successes for Flakt Woods with ventilation fans supplied to prestigious projects such as the Sydney Tunnel, the Kowloon Expressway and the Gate building in Dubai In common with Al Jamarat, all of these projects have been completed using WEG smoke extraction motors.

The Al Jamarat Bridge is where pilgrims flock during the Hajj -the annual Muslim pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca - to throw stones at the devil.

The stoning attracts vast crowds, which led to tragedies in 2004 and 2005; hence, the decision to widen the bridge and its ramp (from 40 to 80m and 20 to 40m, respectively), and add two additional 20m ramps, at a total cost of Eur 22 million.

When finally complete, the scheme will help nearly four million pilgrims perform the ritual of stoning the devil in one day.

Flakt Woods has supplied over 150 of its JM Axijet ventilation fans for the Al Jamarat project.

The 1m-diameter fans are capable of withstanding a temperature of 400C for 2 hours, and are designed to provide high efficiency and thrust, and low levels of noise.

They deliver equal airflow and thrust in each direction, for ventilation as well as removal of pollution and smoke.

At Al Jamarat, quantities of the fans are driven by 335M/L frame, 180kW electric motors from WEG's Smoke Extraction and Fan and Exhaust ranges.

In the event of a fire emergency on the multi-tiered, five-level bridge, the role of the Axijet fan and WEG Smoke Extraction motor package is to improve the conditions for safe escape, and/or the rescue of trapped personnel, by drawing any smoke resulting from the fire above floor level.

At the same time, the system is actively exhausting hot gases resulting from the developing fire.

The WEG smoke extraction motors used on the project are certified to EN12101-3 (Smoke and Heat Control Systems - Part 3: Specification for powered smoke and heat exhaust ventilators).

Designed to withstand temperatures of up to 400 degrees centigrade for 2 hours in their ultimate F400 classification, they are used in ventilation systems all over the world: in tunnels, mines, buildings, shopping malls, enclosed car parks, warehouses, stairways and theatres.

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