Grosvenor Engineering Group (Grosvenor) has launched a ground breaking industry first – AlertU™ IoT, which provides real-time data to enable the proactive maintenance of fire sprinklers and hydrants in buildings.
What IoT Monitoring provides is the ability to collect functionality, troubleshooting, and performance data over a network of interconnected devices. By taking this IoT system online, the process of discovering, evaluating, monitoring and managing the devices on this network can then be done over the internet – from anywhere.
Specifically, AlertU incorporates a real-time data feed and features water pressure sensors that accurately measure from 0 to 3,000 kpa. Using fault finding algorithms, it periodically establishes if fire sprinklers and hydrants are experiencing any operational problems, then wirelessly alerts the relevant parties (occupants, building management etc) via SMS notifications. As far as IoT solutions go, this remote monitoring tool is ideal for assessing building equipment without having to constantly watch system consoles.
Mitch Edwards, National Service Line Manager – Fire at Grosvenor Engineering Group, comments, “AlertU is set to revolutionise how fire sprinklers and hydrants in buildings are managed and monitored as it is the first line of protection and safety if a fire occurs. This new operating system ensures proactive maintenance, improves compliance and enhances risk management. Its built-in real-time data capability makes it a first for the industry – an industry game changer.
“Currently, fire sprinklers and hydrants are only monitored for fire brigade purposes and are not visible to building managers and owners. The industry does not currently monitor systems as the tangible benefits have not been fully understood or recognised however, we expect this to change in the near future.”
He added, “The people who will benefit most from AlertU are building managers and owners, service providers and insurers. The data is recorded and stored, enabling users to interrogate system abnormalities and repair or investigate issues prior to alarms going off, which offers significant cost savings.
“Fire sprinklers and hydrants have been used for decades to effectively prevent or minimise the effects of fires in commercial, industrial, retail and residential buildings.”
One recent study by Fire & Rescue NSW in their 2018 Residential Sprinkler Research Report, found that fire sprinklers significantly improved the safety of occupants in residential buildings under 25 metres in height, preventing 90 per cent of fires from spreading to other rooms.
“While these results are impressive, it is critical that wet pipe systems are not simply installed and forgotten. They need to be maintained to ensure that if a fire occurs, they are functional and successfully do what they were designed to do. A system operating in real-time will help reduce fatalities as well as reduce overall costs,” he concluded.
Most IoT Monitoring solutions include level, temperature, water, pressure, and flow monitoring. AlertU measures the presence of water leaks, jacking pump water issues, pump activation and locations. It also monitors and reduces water usage, reduces unnecessary fire brigade callouts, verifies fire testing during the defect liability period, confirms annual testing run duration, monthly tests are undertaken and recorded and it provides alerts for activated pumps.
Grosvenor maintains hard assets for over 17,000 facilities across Australia and oversee $2.2 billion worth of assets under management for large corporate companies. AlertU will be rolled out across Grosvenor’s building network.
