October 1, 2015

Walker Fire Protection has been awarded the contract to deliver fire services on the RMIT New Academic Street (NAS) Project at the City Campus in Melbourne.

The NAS project comprises a complex refurbishment (approximately 23,000 square metres) and new build (approximately 6,500 square metres) within Buildings 8, 10, 12 and 14, which will reinvigorate and reinvent the heart of the RMIT City Campus. The project will deliver improved library and ‘services for students’ facilities, improved retail offerings, and enhanced access to and use of Swanston, Bowen and Franklin Streets, together with improvements to vertical transport and an upgrade to aging building services infrastructure.

Appointed by construction managers Lendlease, Walker Fire Protection is responsible for the design, supply, installation, commissioning and certification of the Fire Protection & Detection Services Package. The new fire protection systems will be installed and connected to the existing fire system’s control valves and infrastructure, with the new fire detection systems being connected and networked to the Campus’s existing fire detection system.

One of the key challenges for the team will be in maintaining the existing systems through the construction zones.

The project commenced in August 2015, with works being delivered in three main separable portions to allow sequential handover of completed areas, and enabling the University to maintain operations during the works and minimise disruption to staff and students.

All works are due for completion by July 2017.

RMIT NAS project: Swanston St elevation, showing the new entrances at buildings 8, 10, 12 and 14, which will open up RMIT to the streetscape.