The Passenger Clearance Building (PCB) at the world’s longest combined sea bridge and tunnel is using smoke vents and failsafe linear actuators from SE Controls Asia Pacific to help protect passengers and officials by ensuring escape routes are kept clear of smoke should a fire occur in the 90,000 sq.mtr structure.
Designed by Aedas (Hong Kong) in collaboration with Rogers Stirk Harbour & Partners (RSHP) and opened in late 2018, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) is 34 miles (55 km) long and spans two channels of the Pearl River Delta to join Macau and Hong Kong with mainland China at Zhuhai in its southern Guangdong province.
In addition to the three cable stayed bridges, the massive nine-year long construction project also includes a 4 mile (7 km) sub-sea tunnel and four artificial islands, as well as the two-storey PCB, which houses retail units, food and beverage outlets and a visitor centre, as well as the ground floor Arrival Hall and the first floor Departure Hall.
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The PCB is part of the port area, which is constructed on an artificial island of around 150 hectares that has been reclaimed from open waters. Its undulating modular roof design and glazed curtain walled structure and energy efficient sustainable construction enables the building to infuse natural light and fresh air as well as generating much of its own energy and water.
Its smoke control system is equally advanced and incorporates almost 2,000 smoke vents into the design, which are located into three individual smoke zones if a fire should occur and enable escape routes to be kept free of smoke.
Every exhaust smoke vent in the PCB is operated by two SE Controls SEPO pneumatic fail-safe actuators and equipped with fail-safe locking catches. In the event of a fire the system automatically opens the smoke vents to release smoke and heat from the building but is designed to also operate if there is a failure in either the mains power or the pneumatic system.
Alex Luk, SE Controls Asia Pacific Director, has been involved in a wide range successful and high-profile projects throughout Hong Kong and China. He explained: “The sheer scale of the HZMB project is astonishing and required new technological solutions to be found in many areas during its planning design and construction.” He added: “The unique layout and structure of the Passenger Clearance Building enabled us to engineer the complete system and by using different smoke control technologies, it is a fully integrated life safety solution.”
