Fire protection in the Stuttgart landmark:
Minimax safeguards the television tower
The Stuttgart television tower was the world’s first television tower and to this day is still considered an aesthetic and architectural masterpiece. The television tower, which was put into operation in 1956, consists of a concrete chimney with an antenna fitted to it and an attached head. The tower’s reinforced steel construction tapers from below to above and rests on a conical foundation covered with 3000 tonnes of earth. This veteran television tower found major international resonance and triggered a global wave of tower constructions.
The 217 meter high structure is also used for tourism and restaurants: the “theatre above the clouds” and panoramic café are housed in the tower head, making the tower’s safety even more important.
The storeys, where office rooms, theatre changing rooms, toilets and the ventilation control centre are located, are receiving comprehensive, new sprinkler protection in the course of the upgrade works. In turn, the entire existing piping network on the theatre storey was raised, including the sprinklers, in order to increase the headroom. The looped fire water mains leading around the exterior of the tower consisting of 2" threaded pipes were precisely closed using special fittings (15° and 30° angles). The DN 32 extruded pipelines heading out from this supply on average two sprinklers with extinguishing water and are installed towards the centre of the tower. For structural reasons the individual floor plates are attached to the concrete fins.
The water supply using a pressure booster is unique: the sprinkler control centre is located within the base of the television tower. As soon as the water pressure in the system drops due to a sprinkler being activated, the pump pressure line switch in the control centre reacts and controls the sprinkler pumps. These three section-type pumps convey extinguishing water from a 17 cubic metre reservoir, which is realised outside of the tower in an underground tank, upwards into the head of the tower. The maximum delivery height is 200 metres.
