Mineral-insulated cable chosen for power security as library opens new book storage facility in Boston Spa

The British Library is using mineral-insulated cable (MIC) from AEI Cables to ensure security of power sources to its new state-of-the-art book storage facility in West Yorkshire.

Specified by consultant WS Atkins and installed by Rotary Northern, the MIC has been selected for critical electrical systems in the new £13.2 million warehouse.

These include emergency lighting, fire alarm systems, mechanical panels and control panels.

It will also power an oxygen reduction system, which will lessen the risk of fire at the storage facility.

Due to the sensitive nature of the collection, the building provides four-hour fire resistance and minimal air leakage.

The fully automated facility, which will be constructed alongside the library’s existing buildings at its site in Boston Spa, near Leeds, will provide more than 262 linear kilometres of high-density storage capacity.

This will be enough to store seven million items from the British Library’s UK national collection.

Sorting systems specialist FKI Logistex has been chosen to install the automated, high-density storage and retrieval system, which the library has chosen to maximise available space.

Source

Electrical and Mechanical Contractor