When introducing passive fire protection to a building, there are two systems for sealing penetrations by plastic pipework. The systems include fire collars and fire wraps and are essential products to maintain the safety and integrity of a premises in the event of a fire.

These intumescent products are ideal for masonry or plaster applications helping to stop the spread of fire and smoke where walls and floors have been penetrated by pipe work that is combustible (i.e. plastic piping made from PVCu, HDPE, MDPE, PP, ABS). When placed on steel piping, pipe collars can also achieve a cooling effect.

A UK fire collar and fire wrap supplier will be able to provide the full safety data for these products and ship the items directly to your site. Ideally you should find a supplier whose construction products with fire performance comply with a stringent set standards above the minimum regulatory requirements.

Intumescent fire collars

During construction of a building, services such as plastic waste water pipes or plastic drainage pipes have to penetrate a structure in various locations. This compromises the fire-resistance of the walls and floors and can lead to smoke, fire and hot gases moving from one compartment (or room) to another. Intumescent fire collars are designed to re-instate that resistance.

When exposed to extreme heat from a fire, the intumescent materials within the fire collar expand and exert pressure on the pipe, closing off the opening between two compartments. This process occurs at around 150°C and crushes the melting plastic pipe closing off the penetration through the wall or floor.

Made from galvanised steel, the fire collar should be fitted to both sides of the opening where a risk of fire is present. These pipe collars are available in 2-hour or 4-hour fire-rating resistance and a range of diameters.

Fire wraps

Fire wraps work in the same way as a fire collar but are secured around a plastic pipe by means of a self-adhesive strip. This is attached to a plastic sleeve which contains the intumescent material that expands when exposed to high temperatures. Fire wraps are suitable in areas where access to the pipe is tight and like fire collars they can be used against masonry or plaster.

Available in diameters up to 160mm, these wraps can provide either 2-hours or 4-hours fire-rated resistance.

Condado de Alhama Golf Resort

The Polaris World Condado de Alhama golf resort is in the Valle del Guadalentín area of Murcia, Spain. Situated in the foothills of Sierra Espuna and Carrascoy-El Valle (two regional nature reserves) the resort is divided into three areas: Los Jardines de Alhama, Los Naranjos de Alhama and La Isla del Condado.

Los Jardines de Alhama

Translated this means ‘The Gardens of Alhama’ and the area, as you’d expect, is spacious and green with properties built around landscaped gardens and swimming pools. The Los Jardines complex is pedestrianised with dedicated cycle lanes enabling residents to stroll or cycle around the parks and enjoy the vast variety of plant life. Los Jardines de Alhama is extremely family friendly with its separate play areas for children and it also has excellent sports facilities including tennis courts, football pitches and basketball courts. The properties are built in a traditional Mediterranean style with architecture that blends in perfectly with the manicured surroundings.

Recommended properties:

	Ground floor apartment situated on Los Jardines de Alhama  within the resort of Condado de Alhama.  Great position close to the communal pool.   It is situated within a short distance from the town centre where there will be many bars, restaurants and all the facilities expected within such a resort.
	First floor apartment situated on Los Jardines within the resort of Condado de Alhama.  Great position overlooking the communal pool with West facing orientation. Property construction is to first floor level only, and this apartment benefits from a great roof solarium.

Los Naranjos de Alhama

‘Naranjos’ is the name given to a native orange tree of the region and this area of Condado de Alhama is lined with the ornamental tree on its streets, within its gardens and around its squares. Los Naranjos is in the heart of the golf resort and once had its own town centre called El Agora. This town centre has been extended to encompass the new resort town centre called El Foro providing an even greater range of facilities just a short walk away along the leafy avenues. Properties in Los Naranjos have a stepped architectural design and the penthouses look out onto the Jack Nicklaus Signature golf course (under construction – due for completion in December 2009).

Recommended properties:

	First floor apartment situated on Los Naranjos within the resort of Condado de Alhama.  Situated close to the communal swimming pool, the property faces to the South-East, however the solarium will provide a great place to sunbathe throughout the day
	Constructed in blocks of four staggered floors in the traditional white Mediterranean architecture.  Within a short distance to the town centre where there will be many bars, restaurants and all the facilities expected within such a resort

La Isla del Condado

Condado de Alhama translated means ‘Alhama County’ which is where the resort is situated in Murcia. La Isla del Condado means ‘The Island of the County’ and this area is an apartment complex on an island on the lake in the centre of the golf resort. La Isla is a waterfront setting that stretches down to the main town centre of El Foro. Residents benefit from stunning views from their apartments across the lake as well as three infinity pools that give the impression of being part of the lake itself. La Isla has tranquil boulevards and green spaces that incorporate children’s play areas. Around the lake are several piers from which a ferry service runs to the town centre.

Recommended properties:

	First floor apartment situated on La Isla within the resort of Condado de Alhama.  Great position with lovely views over the lake facing towards the South-West with only one immediate neighbour.
	Lovely penthouse apartment situated on La Isla within the resort of Condado de Alhama.  Great position with lovely views across the lake to the South.  With accommodation of approx. 66.8m2 and terrace of 18.10m2.

El Foro & El Oasis Town Centre

The focus of activity at the Condado de Alhama golf resort is within the El Foro and El Oasis town centres. El Foro means ‘The Forum’ and this vast 12,000 square metre complex includes the relocated El Agora town centre which initially served the Los Naranjos complex. Designed in a Hispanic-Arabic style around a courtyard with a large central water feature, the El Foro town centre is due to open this month (July 2009) and along with the 60,000 square metre El Oasis town centre provides bars, restaurants, banks, stores, supermarkets, hairdressers, launderettes, pharmacies, restaurants, cinemas and healthcare services to residents.

Mar Menor Golf Course & Property

The course at Mar Menor golf resort is currently a 9-hole par 36 but is being extended to an 18-hole par 72 with full clubhouse and practice facilities projected to open in October 2009. Make no mistake, at 9-holes this course is still a great challenge and as you’d expect from Nicklaus Design the wide smooth fairways, greens and simple shaped bunkers are in excellent condition. Properties are located close to each hole meaning that if you buy here you really will have a golf course in your back garden!

This beautiful 2 bedroom townhouse overlooks 3 of the new 9 holes of the Mar Menor course that is currently being extended. Air conditioned lounge and a third floor solarium with balconies front and rear make this a great buy.

La Torre Golf Course & Property

La Torre golf resort has an 18-hole course fully complete and presents the golfer with a par 68 challenge around trees and three lakes. An accurate short game is required when playing the wide fairways which are dotted with large bunkers waiting to catch you out. And for those who like to put their driving to the test there are two par 5’s to let rip on. The facilities at La Torre are first rate with driving ranges, putting greens, a pro shop and bar/dining areas.

This 2 bedroom villa is south-west facing but has a rooftop solarium which gets the sun throughout the day. The property is fully furnished, has an air-con lounge and access to a communal swimming pool so you can cool off after your round of golf.

El Valle Golf Course & Property

If you like your golf course in the ‘desert’ style then El Valle is for you. The par 71, 18-hole course across 51 hectares of rocks, native vegetation, cascading waterfalls, streams and two lakes will offer golfers of all standards a real challenge in stunning surroundings under the perfect Murcia sunshine. Excellent facilities await you before and after your round as well as trained staff and instructors on hand to help your game.

This ground-floor 2 bedroom apartment benefits from a large garden to the front and side of the property and a jacuzzi. Fully air-conditioned and close to the town centre this property is great for access to all the El Valle golf resort has to offer.

Hacienda Riquelme Golf Course & Property

From an ecological point of view the course at Hacienda Riquelme is well designed as its sown with Papsalum grass which requires less watering but remains in top condition for golfing. For the golfer, the course is larger than average with 18-holes and a par of 72. Fairways are lined with olive trees and wild flowers and there’s five lakes. Once the old Hacienda Manor House at the end of the course has completed its restoration it will provide a dramatic backdrop to the final hole.

The resort itself is apartment only meaning a low-density of property and this 2-bedroom is a great example of what’s on offer at Hacienda Riquelme. Situated on the second-floor with views across the course, it has a communal swimming pool, underground parking and air-conditioned lounge area.

La Loma Golf Course

The La Loma resort has been designed as a sports centre resort and a 9-hole course is currently in the planning phase of construction. Once complete it will aid the resort’s golfing academy and teaching centre. The course will serve to improve the game of beginners as well as providing a fun pitch and putt style challenge to more experienced golfers.

Las Terrazas Golf Course & Property

Another ‘desert’ style golf course can be found at Las Terrazas golf resort. Similar to El Valle and designed to be reminiscent of the Jack Nicklaus ‘Lake’ course in Las Vegas, the course at Las Terrazas is currently under construction but once complete will be one of the jewels in the crown of the Nicklaus Golf Trail. Rolling fairways and undulating greens run through the desert style dunes and around a large six hectare lake. The 18-hole par 72 will have similar characteristics to the links courses found in the UK but with the benefit of Spanish sunshine!

Now’s the time to take advantage of a property at this “apartment only” resort and this 2-bedroom second floor apartment overlooks the communal pool with a south-west facing balcony.

Condado de Alhama Golf Courses & Property

Notice we say courses for the Condado de Alhama resort because this great location will boast three Nicklaus Design golf courses. The first is a Jack Nicklaus Principal Signature course meaning the great man designed it himself for Polaris World. With 18-holes and a par of 72, this course promises to be the best on the Golf Trail with elevations that change sharply and four lakes providing a dramatic backdrop.

The second and third courses are in the planning phase but will be designed as ‘replica courses’. This will mean 18 different holes at each course that are replicas of Nicklaus Signature Courses from around the world including: Muirfield, Royal Palm and Bayside. The first course will be reminiscent of the tropical style course found at Florida Parklands while the second will have holes selected from 240 Signature Courses in the desert style similar to Mexico and Arizona.

The potential for some of the best golf in the world at the Condado de Alhama resort will surely have whetted your appetite to buy a property and this stunning first floor 2-bedroom apartment could be the one. Great views across the lake and access to the communal swimming pool are just some of the benefits

And remember, as a Polaris World property owner and resident you have discounted tariffs for all the golf courses on the Nicklaus Golf Trail.

Getting to Murcia – Flights and Airports

Murcia is just 75km south of Alicante and both cities have their own airport from which you can travel to Mar Menor. Currently there are 10 airlines flying to both these airports which means plenty of low-cost flights. In 2010, another airport will open in Corvera just 20 minutes outside of Murcia city.

With a flight time from London to Murcia airport at just under 2 hours, and many UK regional airports also providing daily flights to the region, Mar Menor is simple to get to making it a great golf resort for long breaks or a short weekend trip.

If you’re flying into Alicante you’re just a 45 minute drive from the Polaris World Mar Menor resort via the A7, AP7 and A30 motorways. From Murcia airport, which is actually situated near the town of San Javier (45km from the city of Murcia) it’s a mere 10 minute car or taxi journey.

Getting to Mar Menor Golf Resort – Taxi or Car Hire

If your flight lands at Murcia airport then your best options for getting to the Mar Menor Golf Resort are by taxi or hiring a car – public transport does not serve the area well.

A taxi from Murcia airport will cost around €20.00 and take approximately 10 minutes. If you’re landing at Alicante, expect to pay around €70.00 for a 40 minute journey into the Mar Menor Golf Resort.

If your search for a golf property at Mar Menor is over a few days why not take advantage of hiring a car so you can get around and visit some of the fantastic attractions, mountains and beaches the region has to offer. Spanish car hire is relatively cheap and you’ll find a good choice at both Murcia and Alicante airports. Book ahead and then pick up your keys from the terminal rental office on arrival. You can get some great deals using online internet car hire brokers such as Sky Cars or Car Jet.

Once you become a Polaris World Mar Menor Golf Resort resident or owner you’ll be able to take advantage of Polaris World’s own car rental service. You’ll find the service offers some competitive rates and exclusive services such as collection from the airport and your car being delivered to your golf property. Prices for this exclusive service for a small hatchback begin at around €40-50 per day.

Staying at Mar Menor Golf Resort

Given that your golf property search is at Mar Menor it makes sense to try and stay in the heart of the golf resort to soak up the atmosphere, play a round of golf and see for yourself all that this quality resort has to offer. Mar Menor has its own 5-Star hotel with all the facilities you’d expect from a world-class hotel including a pool, gym and a number of bars and restaurants.

A short car journey west of the Mar Menor Golf Resort is the municipal of Torre Pacheco where you’ll find some quality accommodation for your stay in Murcia. A few miles East of the resort is Los Alcazares, a village on the coast of the Mar Menor sea famous for its therapeutic waters. Here you’ll find some great 4-Star hotels ideally placed for water sports and your journey to Mar Menor to check out some golfing properties.

Polaris World Mar Menor Golf Resort Properties

Once you’ve arrived safely in the sunny region of Murcia you can begin your search for the ideal golf property at Mar Menor. The resort boasts a Jack Nicholas designed golf course surrounded by lush green vegetation and palm tree lined pathways which will guide you around this magnificent resort. Created as place for complete luxury, relaxation and a healthy lifestyle for its residents, you won’t be disappointed by the unique atmosphere Mar Menor has to offer.

Here’s a selection of the great Polaris World golf properties currently available at Mar Menor.

	Mar Menor Golf Resort – 2 Bed Villa A beautifully furnished 2 bed villa with 2 bathrooms and a living/dining room area. West facing with air-conditioning, central heating, a glazed terrace area, private swimming pool and solarium.
	Mar Menor Golf Resort – 2 Bed Villa West facing semi-detached 2 bedroom villa with large rear garden that’s well-established with plants and borders. Both floors have their own terrace and the property comes complete with its own Jacuzzi.
	Mar Menor Golf Resort – First Floor Apartment Ready for late 2009, this first floor apartment boats south facing views over the golf course. 2 bedrooms and constructed over two floors this is effectively a penthouse that offers a great value way into property on the resort.
	Mar Menor Golf Resort – Ground Floor Apartment Only 9 of these large terraced apartments are being built at present and will be ready late 2009. South facing with views over the golf course, the property offers 2 bedrooms and a great internal design.