Ventilation & smoke extraction in Khalifa City 

Ventilation & smoke extraction in Khalifa City: local context

Khalifa City is a suburban district on the mainland between Abu Dhabi airport and Yas Island, made up of large villa plots, private palaces, schools, mosques and neighbourhood retail, with mid-rise apartment buildings in some sectors. It has grown steadily since the 2000s as a family area. Manolia completed the MEP works for a school project here.

• Schools need fresh-air AHUs with energy recovery and dehumidification, CO2-based ventilation control, and fire alarm and public address systems integrated for safe evacuation.
• Large villa and palace plots often use chilled-water or multi-zone VRF plant, with majlis halls, kitchens and staff quarters each zoned separately.
• Inland mainland sites bring dust and high summer temperatures, so plant is derated and air intakes protected with sand-trap louvres and good filtration.

Building types we serve in Khalifa City

For mid-rise residential and mixed-use buildings, the work concentrates on compact plant on the roof, car-park ventilation in podiums, metered apartment DBs and tight ceiling voids that make coordination drawings decisive.

Scope of work

• Stair and lift lobby pressurisation fans with relief dampers or variable speed control to maintain pressure without making doors hard to open.
• Fire-rated cabling and secondary power arrangements for smoke control fans so they operate during a fire.
• Interface wiring with the fire alarm system for zone-by-zone activation and fan status feedback.
• Cause-and-effect testing, door opening force checks and Civil Defence witnessed tests.

Systems we install

• Motorised smoke dampers and relief dampers
• Automatic smoke vents and actuators at roof or high level

UAE site and climate challenges

• Basement car parks in summer accumulate heat and vehicle exhaust, so normal ventilation rates are controlled by CO and NO2 sensors to save energy while keeping air quality safe for drivers and attendants.
• Basement car parks in coastal towers can see condensation on cold surfaces when hot humid air is pulled in at high rates, so supply air paths and ramp openings are reviewed to limit wet floors and corrosion of jet fans.
• Pressurisation control method: barometric relief dampers are simpler, while variable speed control maintains more stable pressure as doors open and close during an evacuation.

Relevant Manolia projects

Frequently asked questions