Laboratory and Workshop Building, Kaiserslautern University of Applied Sciences

Structural Fire Protection Solutions in the New Laboratory and Workshop Building of Kaiserslautern University of Applied Sciences

In autumn 2020, Kaiserslautern University of Applied Sciences celebrated the topping-out ceremony for its new laboratory and workshop building. In September 2024, the newly constructed building for the Faculty of Applied Engineering Sciences on the Kammgarn Campus was officially handed over to the university by the State Office for Properties and Construction Management (LBB). With a usable floor area of almost 10,000 square metres, the building is one of the largest and most technically demanding new construction projects in Rhineland-Palatinate, according to the LBB.

The state invested approximately €79 million in the construction project. In addition, almost €11 million was provided for the initial equipment of more than 100 laboratories, including large-scale equipment such as a wind tunnel, a high-voltage laboratory, an engine test bench and an anechoic chamber.

Fire Protection as an Essential Component

The primary objective of preventive fire protection is the protection of human life and, therefore, the safeguarding of escape routes, typically consisting of a required corridor and/or a required stairwell through which people can either evacuate themselves or be rescued with assistance in the event of danger. These requirements are established in the German state building regulations. According to Section 14 of the Model Building Code, building owners and operators are obliged to implement measures that prevent the outbreak of fire and enable rapid and effective firefighting should a fire occur.

This legal requirement implies that escape routes must not contain potential fire hazards, such as electrical installations, unless they are adequately protected by fire-resistant compartmentation systems.

Initial Situation in the New Building

The new university building contains electrical distribution systems and vertical service shafts with electrical installations extending across multiple floors. These installations are located in easily accessible areas, primarily within required corridors.

To comply with building regulations, these installations had to be enclosed with fire-resistant and smoke-tight separation systems while remaining easily accessible for future modifications and maintenance work.

Structural Fire Protection Solutions – Fire-Resistant Enclosures

To separate the niches and service areas of various sizes from the required corridors in compliance with regulations, the PRIOWALL wall and room system with a fire resistance rating of more than 90 minutes was installed.

The PRIOWALL wall system consists of single-layer wall panels with a thickness of only 42 mm, which can be installed quickly and cleanly using various connection methods.

All elements are manufactured from a non-combustible board with a surface coating classified as A2-s1, d0.

PRIOWALL forms part of the System 42 modular fire protection system and is suitable for the integration of PRIORIT system components such as fire-resistant doors, access panels, smoke extraction dampers, fire stops and ventilation elements.

In this project, large-format inspection access panels were integrated into the wall system. These provide almost unrestricted access to the installations located behind them, ensuring that future modifications and periodic inspection work can be carried out easily.

The surface finish features an easy-care decorative coating in light grey, similar to RAL 7035.

The use of precisely prefabricated elements manufactured on state-of-the-art CNC machinery enabled rapid and virtually dust-free installation. Further time savings were achieved because the finished surface eliminated the need for subsequent plastering and painting work.
A total of 24 wall installations with a height of 2,500 mm and widths ranging from 1,100 mm to 4,400 mm were installed.

Project Data
Project Location:	Kaiserslautern
Building:	Educational Facility, New Construction
Construction Period:	2020-2024
Product:	PRIOWALL Wall System in Combination with PRIODOOR ETX
Material:	Non-combustible board with surface coating, classification A2-s1, d0
Protection Objective:	Fire-resistant compartmentation of service shafts in niches located along escape routes as well as utility shafts
Client:	State of Rhineland-Palatinate, represented by LBB State Office for Properties and Construction Management, Kaiserslautern Branch
Architect:	Poos Isensee Architekten
Contractor / Installer:	KMW Ingenieurgesellschaft mbH, Saarbrücken
Systempartner:	Kaefer Construction, Karlsruhe

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