Dragon Mart 2, the recently completed 175,000 sq.metre extension to Dubai’s massive Dragon Mart Chinese trading hub, is using control solutions and more than 1100 actuators from SE Controls as part of the fire safety and smoke ventilation system at the 1.2 kilometre long retail centre.

The two-storey Dragon Mart 2 mall is the largest trading hub for Chinese products outside mainland China, housing more than 1100 shops, it also includes a nine-screen cinema complex, two hotels and 1120 apartments.

Throughout the mall, a series of openable skylight panels not only provide natural light into the shopping area, but also act as smoke vents to keep escape route clear of smoke should a fire occur.

The SE Controls’ system includes; 1160 TGLA 24 65 linear actuators, which are used to open the skylight panels and 24 SECO N 24 40 chain actuators for opening vertical top hung windows, which are triggered by 44 OS2 30A controllers once they receive a signal from the mall’s fire alarm system.

In normal operation the skylights remain closed until triggered and are then opened fully by the TGLA and SECO N 24 40 actuators, which have stroke lengths of 1000mm and 600mm respectively. Both types of actuator are 24 Volt DC units and are tested to EN12101-2. The fan cooled OS2 controllers also incorporate a battery backup to maintain operation in the event of a mains power failure.