Fire-safe parking garages for two residential towers in Alkmaar, the Netherlands

With hundreds of sprinklers, these parking garages in Alkmaar are safe

Two residential towers, each with its own parking garage; of course, they have to be fire safe. "You're working on the safety of the people who live above the garages. That makes it great work to do," says Leon Postel, project manager at Aqua+. He has been responsible for projects involving sprinkler, fire alarm and evacuation systems for 25 years. 

The Jaagpad project in Alkmaar consists of two garages with several residential towers above. Jaagpad 1A consists of 228 rental apartments and a single-story garage. Jaagpad 1B consists of 183 rental apartments with a two-story garage underneath. "We are responsible for the fire protection installations in both towers," says Aqua+. For Aqua+ it is a recognizable project. "We work more often on large structures, such as distribution or shopping centers. The client, Ouwehand, is also familiar to us. We often work together, including on parking garages."

Hundreds of sprinklers

How do you ensure safe parking? Postel explains: "In the smaller parking garage, we are going to install 700 sprinklers; in the large one, there will be 1,615. In addition, we have divided each floor in the garage into two areas. In total, we are going to install six alarm valves, which will activate the sprinklers in case of fire. The piping will be powder-coated to prevent corrosion." That's still quite a challenge, he says. "Everything ends up in the garage. Think of the sewage from the apartments above, the electricity and the power supply. And because a garage has a low ceiling, there's not a lot of room for the piping. That makes it pretty crowded in the roof!"

To solve that, all contractors draw in the same 3D drawing. "That's basically how you build a parking basement from 0. Everyone draws what they need. For us, for example, that includes all the sprinklers, the pipes, the pump and the pump room. In the end, you then get a conclusive design, where you can be sure that there is room for everything that such a residential tower needs. For example, both garages also get their own water supply, so that they can always be extinguished."

Construction almost underway

Now that the preparations are complete and the drawings are conclusive, it is time to begin construction of the systems. "We are starting at Jaagpad 1A, because the rental apartments have been completed. We will make sure it is fire safe before the summer vacation, then the residents can move in. After that, it's time for 1B."