Structural fire protection solutions in the new teaching and laboratory building of the University of Applied Sciences, HTW Dresden

Around 5,000 students are currently enrolled on 42 degree programmes at HTW Dresden. Founded in 1992, teaching and research at the university have always been closely linked and strongly practice-orientated.

Since May 2019, a building materials technology centre has been under construction for students at HTW Dresden on a 7,000 m² site on campus. This comprises various laboratories on a usable area of over 8,000 square metres.

The competition was won by Rohdecan Architekten GmbH, Dresden, in September 2017. The construction project was realised under the direction of the Dresden II branch of Staatsbetrieb Sächsisches Immobilien- und Baumanagement.

The new teaching and laboratory building at HTW Dresden is a pilot project for sustainable construction in university construction in Saxony and has achieved the desired gold certification in the Sustainable Building Rating System (BNB). This success marks an important step in the development of sustainable university buildings in Saxony.

Energy savings are achieved through a high-quality thermal building envelope and heating and cooling via concrete core activation. A photovoltaic system on the roof provides its own electricity. Drinking water is saved by collecting rainwater in a cistern for flushing the toilets. One of the special features of the new building is a lighting concept that maximises the use of daylight in all rooms.

Innovative equipment and sustainable design
The L-shaped new building comprises six floors above ground and two basement floors. The compact design and efficient floor plan organisation of the building offer optimum conditions for sustainable and economical use.

Inside, the building is characterised by its use and the requirements of the technical centre as a building material. Robust, surface-finished solid walls, a hard-wearing terrazzo floor and an open, flexible technical installation characterise the interior design.

Innovative solutions from PRIORIT AG were used for parts of the structural fire protection.

Initial situation
From large-format partitions and inspection opening closures to fire protection closures, the requirements for fire-resistant building products in the new HTW Dresden building were diverse.

Within the new building, electrical installations and pipework with various media are located in the immediate vicinity of the laboratories. These installations in the necessary corridors had to be fire-resistant and at the same time remain easily accessible.

Solution
Products from PRIORIT AG‘s modular fire protection system System 42 were used to separate the large number of niches and areas of different sizes from the necessary corridors in accordance with regulations.

The ‘System 42’ modular fire protection system consists of several independent fire-resistant, non-combustible building products with a system thickness of just 42 mm, which are tested in combination with each other and have a general certificate of usability from the building authorities. This means that solutions from a single system with a standardised appearance are available for almost all applications.

This not only ensures a uniform appearance, but also fast, virtually dust-free installation with prefabricated elements by just one trade.

In particular, combining the PRIORIT wall with door or inspection elements saves subsequent painting or plastering work.

Everything from a single source – several products from the system were used in the new building at HTW Dresden.

Large-format or very high recesses were partitioned off with the PRIOWALL wall system to make them fire-resistant. Integrated large-format PRIODOOR ETX inspection closures ensure virtually unrestricted access to the installations behind. This means that subsequent occupancy or recurring inspection work is also easily possible.

The cables and pipes running under the bare ceiling were routed through cable ducts integrated into the PRIOWALL wall elements and continued under a suspended ceiling connected to the wall system.

Supply shafts in solid construction between the laboratories were safely sealed off with customised, prefabricated PRIODOOR RTX double-leaf inspection closures with a fire resistance duration of 90 minutes.

Depending on the requirements, the PRIODOOR FSA fire protection closures were installed either in a solid wall with a three-sided frame and floor seal, in a classic application as access to a plant room or also in combination with a larger wall development made of PRIOWALL elements.

A storage space in a necessary stairwell was kept accessible with the same look using the PRIODOOR FSA fire protection closure in a solid wall.

The requirement for an oversized compartmentalisation of media also posed no problem. It was solved with a double-leaf PRIODOOR ETX in a ‘shoring on the wall’ design. By mounting the door on the wall, it could be installed flush with the floor, which ensured additional load transfer via the floor.

Product solutions in detail

A total of:

9 PRIOWALL wall panels with integrated PRIODOOR ETX inspection closures with a fire resistance of
fire resistance of 30 minutes
8 PRIOWALL wall panels with integrated PRIODOOR ETX inspection closures with a fire resistance of
fire resistance of 90 minutes
4 PRIOWALL wall panels with integrated PRIODOOR FSA fire protection closures with a fire resistance of
fire resistance of 90 minutes
84 PRIODOOR RTX inspection closures with a fire resistance of 90 minutes in solid walls
8 PRIODOOR RTX inspection closures with a fire resistance of 30 minutes in solid walls
3 PRIODOOR FSA fire protection closures and
1 PRIODOOR ETX-AW inspection cover for installation on the wall

in a standardised white decor finish similar to RAL 9010. All locks are equipped with a profile half cylinder for integration into the building locking system and ensure very convenient access to the building services behind them.

Project data
Project location:	Dresden
Building:	Educational institution, new building
Project duration:	2019 – 2023
Product:	PRIOWALL wall system in combination with PRIODOOR ETX; PRIODOOR RTX inspection closures; PRIODOOR FSA fire protection closures; PRIODOOR ETX-AW inspection closures
Material:	Non-combustible panel with surface coating, classification A2 – s1, d0
Fire resistance:	30/90 minutes
Protection target:	Fire-resistant partitioning of installation shafts in the niches on the escape route and supply shafts
Special features:	Decorative surface white, similar to RAL 9010
Building owner:	Free State of Saxony represented by SIB NL Dresden II
Architect:	Rohdecan Architekten
Photos:	Ken Wagner, PRIORIT AG