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Total Protection for Norway’s Valuable Artifacts
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03 September 2024
Johnson Controls has showcased its SAPPHIRE™ fire protection range with the completion of three installations in Oslo, at the National Library of Norway, The National Gallery, and The Munch Museum.
Providing total fire suppression and protection, the SAPPHIRE system ensures Norway’s most treasured and artistic and literary heritage remains safe from the devastating risk of fire. Each of the internationally renowned venues house irreplaceable artefacts relating to Norway’s culture. The National Gallery in particular contains in the region of 22,000 drawings and paintings, as well as countless sculptures, casts and prints which date as far back as the Middle Ages.
When looking to protect such valuable works of art, a fire suppression solution capable of providing complete protection without the risk of damage to the building’s contents is key. Stringent criteria relating to the speed of extinguishant deployment, selection of appropriate agent and characteristics regarding discharge safety in occupied areas must all be considered. The SAPPHIRE system offers absolute confidence in meeting these key requirements and these were major factors, alongside its sustainability and environmental credentials, in the system being specified for the three projects in Norway.
In each project the SAPPHIRE system was installed using 3M™ Novec™ 1230 Fire Protection Fluid, a colourless and odourless extinguishant which behaves like water but evaporates on contact, leaving no residue or dampness. This ensured complete protection for the fragile artefacts within the museums and gallery which may otherwise have been destroyed or severely damaged by traditional water sprinkler systems. The installations have an installed footprint similar to that of other chemical clean agent systems. Most importantly, the Novec 1230 fluid has the lowest design concentration and highest safety margin of any viable Halon 1301 chemical alternative.