Ventilation & smoke extraction in Al Qusais 

Ventilation & smoke extraction in Al Qusais: local context

Al Qusais combines a long-established industrial area of warehouses, workshops and trading stores with residential mid-rise blocks, staff accommodation and schools, just north of Dubai International Airport and close to the Sharjah border. Much of the building stock dates from the 1980s–2000s and is being steadily refurbished or replaced plot by plot. It is a working district where trucks, buses and residents share the same streets.

• Older warehouses and workshops typically need new main distribution boards, cable upgrades and sometimes additional DEWA capacity before new tenants with heavier machinery or cold rooms can move in.
• Staff accommodation blocks need generously sized domestic water storage, hot-water generation, drainage stacks and kitchen extract designed for high, simultaneous occupancy at shift changes.
• Proximity to the airport flight path can restrict crane and mobile-crane heights, so lifting of rooftop chillers and packaged units may need aviation-related permissions and planning.

Building types we serve in Al Qusais

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

• Installation of car park ventilation with jet fans, main extract fans and CO or NO2 sensors controlling normal ventilation.
• 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

• Stair and lobby pressurisation fans
• Automatic smoke vents and actuators at roof or high level

UAE site and climate challenges

• Rooftop smoke fans and motors are exposed to extreme heat and direct sun, so motors, enclosures and fire-rated cabling are selected for high ambient conditions as well as smoke temperature.
• Strong winds and sand can jam relief dampers and louvres, so these are checked during commissioning and included in periodic maintenance to ensure they open and close freely on demand.
• Fan redundancy and secondary power arrangements, which add cost but determine how robust the smoke control system remains if one fan or one supply fails during a fire.

Relevant Manolia projects

Frequently asked questions