Passive fire protection by Bilco has been used to protect Heron Tower, at 110 Bishopsgate in the heart of London.

Bilco's smoke vents fitted at the Heron tower

The 46-storey skyscraper, built by Skanska on behalf of Heron International, has been fitted with four roof access hatches and two smoke vents.

Bilco said that one of the hatches was given ‘express treatment’ to meet construction deadlines.

“We managed to build and deliver a D-50T double-leaf hatch within four weeks after receiving the order for the extra hatch that was required for this project,” said James Fisher, Bilco UK/Europe general manager.

The D-50T hatches have been installed to provide access to the roof areas for cleaning and maintenance activities. The hatches have overlapping covers and a spring operated system designed to provide ‘easy-to-operate’ access.

“The hatch’s heavy gauge construction and positive latching mechanism ensure it is secure while closed and equally that the covers remain in a locked and stable open position while access is gained to and from the roofing area,” Bilco said.

A total of two single leaf natural smoke vents were also supplied with associated equipment including control panels and smoke detectors. In the event of a fire the REM vents have been set to automatically open at 140 degrees.