Sprinkler system from aquatherm installed almost invisibly in the KTM Motohall – Since May 2019, visitors to Mattighofen in Upper Austria have been able to immerse themselves in the world of motorcycle racing: after four years of planning and construction, the KTM Motohall opened here and has since offered insights into the history of the legendary motorcycle brand with its machines, innovations and heroes.
On 2600 square meters and three levels, the fascination of KTM can be experienced up close in an ultra-modern exhibition – and all that with interactive displays, virtual tours and lots of original machines. The safety of the visitors is ensured by a sprinkler system which, due to its special properties, blends invisibly into the spectacular architecture of the building.
Even from the outside, you can see that the KTM Motohall, which was built just a few steps away from the company’s founding site, is all about racing – true to the motto “READY TO RACE”: A spanning metal construction in the shape of a tire track is the architectural exclamation mark of the oval building. Inside, visitors are guided through the exhibition on a replica steep curve and move through the building via loops and ramps. This sophisticated architecture demanded a particularly high degree of design freedom from the building services engineering and the products used.
“In the area of fire protection, the architect’s specifications were that the sprinkler system, as a wet system, should blend almost invisibly into the exposed concrete ceiling.”
explains Andreas Strobl, project manager of Accuro Brandschutzanlagen GmbH based in Mondsee, which was responsible for the planning and installation. For this reason the company decided to use aquatherm red. The plastic sprinkler pipe system was laid directly in the exposed concrete as a line and distribution pipe.
For comparison: Metal sprinkler systems can only be installed in concrete using special protective measures. The reason for this is corrosion, which inevitably occurs when metal and moist concrete meet. However, the special protection of metal pipe systems makes installation in concrete complex and expensive.
No corrosion, quick installation
aquatherm red, on the other hand, consists of the plastic polypropylene, specifically of the material fusiolen® PP-R FS developed by aquatherm GmbH. This offers a high level of safety due to its flame-retardant properties (building material class B1) and its corrosion resistance, as confirmed by the certification of VDS Schadenverhütung GmbH, Europe’s largest institute for corporate security. The special material also makes it possible to lay it in concrete. This means that visitors to the KTM Motohall cannot see the system in the ceiling, only the total of 725 sprinkler heads give a hint of the invisible fire protection.
“These were attached to the formwork panels in such a way that they provided a harmonious image and met the architect’s specifications,” says Andreas Strobl.
Another reason for using the system:
“The time constraints on the site were very tight,” explains the fire protection systems expert. “The quick and easy installation of aquatherm red was instrumental in keeping us on schedule.”
Thanks to fusion, the approximately 2200 metres of pipe were joined to form a homogeneous, cohesive and thus safe unit. The pipe and fitting were briefly heated using tools designed for this purpose and then simply joined together. In addition, Accuro manufactured the string pipes in its own prefabrication line, so that they were only transported to the construction site and installed directly.
“The light weight of aquatherm red – especially compared to sprinkler systems made of steel pipes – also simplified the handling on the construction site”, says Andreas Strobl.
