311 South Wacker, One of the First to Install Pressurized Stairwell System to Enhance Tenant Safety
Property management firm Walton Street Capital has become one of the first in Chicago to take voluntary measures to improve the safety of tenants by installing a new state-of-the-art pressurized stairwell system at 311 South Wacker.
(PRWEB) February 24, 2005 -- Property management firm Walton Street Capital has become one of the first in Chicago to take voluntary measures to improve the safety of tenants by installing a new state-of-the-art pressurized stairwell system at 311 South Wacker. The new system will prevent stairwells from becoming smoke filled in case of a fire.
The pressurized system covers all 65 floors in both the north and south stairwells of 311 South Wacker. Colossal sized grills located on the 13th and 46th floors of each stairwell mark where air ducts lead through the mechanical rooms to the buildings exterior walls. From there, large fans draw in fresh air from the outside and blow it down each stairwell shaft. As the system forces more air into the stairwells, the pressure rises until it is greater than the air pressure found on each floor. Should there ever be smoke in offices or hallways, the greater pressure in the stairwells will prevent it from moving into these shafts, even as people open the doors to evacuate.
The system starts automatically when a smoke detector or sprinkler head is activated and will not shut down until the engineering and security staff check the situation and manually turn off the system after receiving an all-clear approval.
Setting 311 South Wacker apart from other commercial high-rises in Chicago, the installation of the system was a voluntary decision made by management earlier this year. We wanted to be proactive about installing additional state-of-the-art life safety measures for our tenants at no extra cost," said Nancy Capadona, Asset Services General Manager of CB Richard Ellis. We felt that even though there arent any city codes that require office towers to install such a system, it was pertinent to do so, especially after the downtown Chicago fire that took place in a government building last year."
In addition to the pressurized stairwell system, 311 South Wacker conducts annual life safety classes to educate tenants on the emergency evacuation process.
The project took six-months and was recently completed on October 13, 2004.
About 311 South Wacker
Winner of Chicagos First BOMA International Toby Award for The Office Building of the Year" in the Over One Million Square Feet category, 311 South Wacker offers more than 1.3 million square feet of Class A space in a unique, landscaped park-like setting. Abundant amenities, state-of-the art building systems, and a convenient location all invite leading businesses to the brightest address in Chicago.
For additional information on 311 South Wacker, please call 312.692.8200 or visit the web site at www.311southwacker.com.
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