Beneath Splashpoint Leisure Centre, the fire and smoke dampers had corroded badly enough to need replacing — in a basement where plant, ductwork and structure blocked the obvious ways in. Gemini AMPM replaced the dampers, remediated the fire stopping and improved access for future maintenance, all without disrupting the public areas above.
Splashpoint’s legacy fire and smoke dampers had corroded severely, and the actuators driving them were outdated models. Gemini AMPM were appointed to replace and upgrade the dampers throughout the basement, strip out and reinstate non-compliant fire stopping around the penetrations, and bring the whole system in line with current compliance standards — while making it easier to inspect and test in future.
The basement made none of that straightforward. Existing plant, ductwork and structure severely limited direct access to several dampers; conventional removal and replacement methods were simply impractical. And the centre stayed open throughout, which meant the airflow serving the public areas above could not be interrupted. Every intervention needed a site-specific plan before anyone touched a spanner.
Fire and smoke dampers replaced and upgraded throughout the confined basement areas, with new actuators superseding the outdated legacy models. Each unit was reached via a bespoke, pre-surveyed access strategy — scaffolding, platforms and sequenced dismantling — where conventional methods could not get near.
Non-compliant fire stopping removed and reinstated around the works, ensuring every penetration met current fire safety standards and the basement’s compartmentation held good once the new dampers were in. No shortcuts through the fabric that holds smoke back when it matters.
Larger access doors installed for improved reach and visibility, making future inspection and testing markedly easier while maintaining full compliance with fire compartmentation requirements. A small addition to the scope that pays back at every service visit for the life of the system.
Works planned and executed in a phased sequence with the client and leisure centre staff, keeping airflow to the public areas above uninterrupted and the centre fully operational. On time, within budget, and without a single health and safety incident.
The team built bespoke access strategies for each damper: modular scaffolding, adjustable platforms, and carefully sequenced dismantling of the components in the way. Every installation area was surveyed in detail and its strategy agreed before work began, with the phasing planned alongside leisure centre staff so the facility never felt the works. Where they could, the engineers went further — fitting larger access doors for better reach and visibility at future inspections, without compromising fire compartmentation.
The job finished on time and on budget, with zero health and safety incidents. Post-completion inspections confirmed full compliance with current fire and smoke damper regulations, and the client commended the team’s communication, workmanship and proactive problem-solving. The basement is now compliant — and far easier to test and maintain next time round.
“The work was undertaken in an operational Leisure Centre with minimal disruption to the day to day operation of the Centre. Gemini worked proactively with the Leisure Centre staff”
PQQ-ready evidence and client references behind this project are available on request. A named engineer, not a call centre, comes back within 24 hours.