Case Study: Clemson University achieves superior fire safety and streamlined maintenance with Xtralis VESDA‑E VEA

VESDA-E VEA Protects New State-of-the-art Home For Championship Football Team

Clemson University built the 142,500 sq ft Allen N. Reeves Football Complex to support its championship football program with spaces including trophy lobby, classrooms, coaches’ offices, locker room, 26,000 sq ft weight room, training and players’ lounges. The project faced a major design challenge: prescriptive fire codes would have forced a 60 ft separation or a costly firewall between the complex and the adjacent indoor field, and security requirements demanded limiting maintenance traffic to protect team performance and confidentiality.

Jensen Hughes proposed a performance‑based design with egress modeling and recommended Xtralis VESDA‑E VEA aspirating smoke detection. Four VEA units replaced 160 spot detectors and were centrally located in mechanical rooms, enabling early warning and faster evacuation, reducing project cost and ongoing maintenance intrusion, and minimizing contractors moving through sensitive areas. The result: improved life‑safety performance, streamlined maintenance, and greater protection and privacy for the program.

Clemson University

Paul Borick

Project Manager - Capital Projects