Laboratory Centre for Disease Control (LCDC) Fire Alarm Replacement Project - 100 Eglantine Driveway

Objectives of the Requirement
The objective of this requirement is for the successful contractor to provide and supply all tools,
equipment, labour, and all materials required to complete the scope of work.

Background and Specific Scope of Work
The Laboratory Centre for Disease Control (LCDC) building at 100 Eglantine Driveway in Tunney’s Pasture serves Health Canada and is one of their premiere research labs. The LCDC is a three storey (with penthouse) office and laboratory facility. Constructed in 1954, with a floor area of approximately 11,247 m2, the building is partially sprinklered (blocks 1, 2, and 3). Blocks 4 and 5 are unsprinklered. This fire alarm system upgrade project is necessitated by the fact that the legacy Simplex 4120 system has approached the end of its life cycle. It was introduced in 1992 and was discontinued from service in 2001. As such due to the age of the system, expansion modification and stability of the system have become problematic or cost prohibitive.

The existing fire alarm system serving the LCDC is manufactured by Simplex (now known as Tyco). The Simplex 4120 addressable system contains two fire alarm control panels (FACPs) networked together, DCLA wiring configuration, with initiating field devices such as smoke, heat, manual stations, flow switches and duct detectors. Signaling is provided via bells throughout the facility with strobes in select areas. Most devices are addressable. The system is a single stage system. All existing detection devices are approximately 20 years old. One control unit is located in Block 3 (Node#1), ground floor level electrical room. The second control unit is located in the corridor in Block 1, Second floor (Node #2). The voice communication system (abandoned and not connected to the fire alarm system) is located in the Operators office on the ground floor, Block 1. Annunciation is being provided via two active graphic displays located at the main entrance (connected to Node #1) and a second unit located at the rear of the building where employees enter (also connected to Node #1). As these annunciators provide a graphical view (map) of the building with hardwired lights for notification, these types of graphic annunciators are inflexible with respect to modifications or changes to the building. Renovations and additions to the building over the past 20 years have not been reflected in the graphic annunciators. As such, if a new zone was to be generated such as a new sprinkler total pack, the graphic annunciators would need to be fully replaced to accommodate such a change.

The majority of detection devices are addressable. In some cases, addressable modules are used to make a conventional field device addressable. It was noted that line isolator modules are provided but their locations are not identified in the test records. A large number of smoke detectors (at least half) are of the ionization type and when replaced, will require specialized disposal as they contain a small amount of radioactive material. Ionization detection devices are no longer used in the industry. It is estimated that the detection devices are at least 20 years old and have far exceeded the manufacturer’s recommended life cycle (ie. 10 years). One addressable loop is provided per FACP. Smoke Detectors were noted at the top of elevator shafts (based on test records) and in some service rooms that are not sprinklered. Heat detectors were also observed in unsprinklered service rooms. All required exits were observed to have manual pull stations. The building is provided with a stand-alone Simplex paging system that is not connected to the Simplex fire alarm system in any way. It is a separate system located in the building operator’s office on the opposite side of the room from the fire alarm control unit. There are speakers located throughout the building connected to the Simplex voice system. The entire Simplex voice system has been abandoned and is not used by the building operations staff. It is also not used during
emergency evacuations of the building. It could not be determined if the field wiring to the speakers in installed in conduits. All sprinkler flow switches and tamper switches are monitored by the fire alarm system, however it was noted that many of the existing total pack pre-action fire suppression units are provided with control valves on the discharge side of the system that are neither locked in the open position nor electrically supervised by the fire alarm system in contravention of both the National Fire and Building Codes.