Page 61 - THE FIRE STATION

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Wind In the summer, the slag heap’s south-west slopes are sunlit from
The prevailing winds come from the south-west. Skirting the slag the afternoon until sunset.
heap, they rise up along its south-west slope. Moderate winds (0 -
30 km/h) result in a laminar flow up the slope, while stronger winds No thermals occur before the beginning of the afternoon and after
(>30 km/h) cause turbulence, thereby dispersing pollutants. Zones sunset, as airflow is reversed, descending the slag heap’s slopes in-
of compression and turbulence form along the side facing the slag stead of rising up them. Any thermals occur mainly in the summer.
heap and at right angles to any local obstacles on the slope.
For the fire station, the prevailing winds come from the south-west,
Occurring in stable weather without any wind or cloud, thermals though the presence of the slag heap influences airflow.
are produced by differences in temperature between sloping and
flat ground. The fire-station’s training area is ideally located around the training
tower on the northern part of the site, with any smoke skirting the
The sunlit slopes get hotter than the ground at the bottom of slag heap and thus not inconveniencing either the fire station and
the slag heap, causing thermals to rise up the slopes. its inhabitants or any fauna living on the slag heap’s slopes.

SWOT table

Soil and subsoil Weaknesses

Strengths –The site is covered by a thick layer of backfill;
–The site is next to a slag heap with steep, relatively barren slopes.
– No hard rock below the site;
– No old mine shafts below the site. Threats

Opportunities –The successive layers of backfill could cause ground instability at the foot of the slag heap
(slag covered by backfill from the construction of the Ring 3 motorway);
–The presence of backfill means that the site can be structured without impacting – risk of slag heap slides.
the natural relief.

Air and climate

Strengths Weaknesses

–The prevailing winds come from the south-west. –The prevailing winds head towards the slag heap and then flow around it
to the north and south;
– Ambient air quality is low (built-up area with many motorways).

Opportunities Threats

–Through positioning the areas for fire-fighting drill at the northern end of the site, any smoke will –Through positioning the areas for fire-fighting drill at the northern end of the site, any smoke
blow away around the north side of the slag heap (no housing); will blow away around the north side of the slag heap, heading towards the Ring motorway;
– Local improvement of air quality through the use of planted roofs and facades. – Possibility of condensation droplets developing (formation of mist in the vicinity of the Ring
motorway);
– In the case of the areas for fire-fighting drill being positioned badly (at the southern end of
the site), there is a risk of smoke spreading to residential areas.

Water Weaknesses
Strengths
– Presence of wet zones at the foot of slag heap to the north of the site. – A now-backfilled stream to the north of the site, the water of which still finds its way through
the backfill;
Opportunités – Insufficient aquifer storage for envisaging storing thermal energy therein.
– Creating ecological wet zones promoting new and interesting flora and fauna.
Threats

– Risks of pockets of water developing in the backfill, especially at the foot of the slap heap
due to high rainfall rates.
– Water trickling through the backfill;
– Water pollution in the wet zones in the case of waste water not being properly collected.

Flora and fauna Weaknesses

Strengths –The site’s low ecological quality (apart from the slag heap and the wet zones).

– Presence of very interesting flora and fauna on the slap heap and in the two wet zones. Threats

Opportunities – Risk of disturbing migrating birds through light pollution;
– Creation of an ecological barrier between the wet zones and the slag heap
– Upgrading the site through the presence of the slag heap, a natural environment (impacting amphibians).
of major interest;
– Creation of an ecological corridor between the wet zones and the slag heap..