Bond Street - Low Pressure Water Mist Systems

The station upgrade comprised two new ticket halls at street level, one at Davies Street, the other at Hanover Square. The new station also has a tunnel/walkway underground which connects the existing London Underground station to the new Crossrail station. It is a mined station, approximately 28 metres below ground. The station’s new passenger platform is 255 metres in length and is step-free from street to train with two general use passenger lifts.

L.B. Foster was employed from November 2021 - October 2022 to undertake the design, installation, and care and custody of two fully hydraulically calculated Low Pressure Water Mist systems. These are located in the station’s new ticket halls, providing pump driven suppression to storerooms, locker rooms, rubbish stores, equipment rooms and plant rooms over five floors.

Requirement

Bond Street station is the last of the Crossrail stations to be completed. The station was identified as a problem point for the Crossrail Limited early on in the tunnelling stages, with various unforeseen issues having delayed the opening of the station. L.B. Foster Technology Services has worked across six of Crossrail’s central stations and has developed a reputation on the project for delivering carefully considered solutions when other contractors have failed.

The Low Pressure Water Mist system at Bond Street is a case in point. The existing contractor was dismissed from the project and L.B. Foster Technology Services’ inhouse Fire Suppression Team was contracted to deliver the new LPWM system as below:

• Survey and design and installation of 2 x LPWM systems, including stainless steel pipework, isolation valves, discharge nozzles, water storage tanks, fire pumps and controllers in accordance with Econ Aqua Design Manual and VDS 4001.
• Installation, commissioning, and testing of two systems with Bespoke testing plans.
• Design, Fabrication, and installation of bespoke piping arrangements.

Our solution

L.B. Foster Technology Services worked with Crossrail Limited to design, install and commission new LPWM systems in Bond Street station’s new ticket halls, providing pump driven suppression to storerooms, locker rooms, rubbish stores, equipment rooms and plant rooms over five floors.

Bond Street’s product specified/approved LPWM system is the largest and most complex system installed on any of the new Elizabeth line stations.

Design

• 2x bespoke twin capacity tanks
• 6x fire pumps
• 2x wet alarm valve
• Zone valves with flow switches and discharge nozzles.

Installation

L.B. Foster had a site team of 10 engineers working on the project for the duration of the works, including a site Manager, 2 x site Supervisors and a team of experienced, advanced fitters, as well as in-house trained apprentices. The installation included the use of galvanised grooved pipework in the pump room and stainless steel pipework on the discharge pipework, hanging and installing pipework and nozzles at high level, working within ceiling voids, carrying out sectional pressure testing, and installing pump rooms, along with associated equipment, hydraulic and pneumatic pressure testing.

Commissioning

L.B. Foster had a dedicated Commissioning team onsite to carry out all the site Commissioning. This included setting of pressure switches, flowing of fire pumps, checking of all devices/ interfaces back to the fire panel, completion and handover of all assurance, flushing of system and finally proving of system.

Bond Street station will now open with two new fully Commissioned LPWM systems, inclusive of new stainless-steel pipework, fittings, alarm, valves, storage tanks, pumps, isolation valves, zone valves with flow switches, fire signage and bespoke bracketry.