FIRE TESTING, INSPECTION AND CERTIFICATION for passive fire protection systems—the materials of the building are critical to building safety. We provide all three with accreditation to an impressive range of UK, India, US and EU fire test standards. We are by far the largest fire testing laboratory in the MENA region.
RESISTANCE TO FIRE TESTING is the term for testing of systems designed to contain or resist the passage of fire for a specified length of time. The sample fire door, block wall, glass partition, fire/smoke damper or similar system is installed in a frame which is then placed on the open side of the fire testing furnace.
The temperature in the furnace is raised by the computer control system to follow a prescribed time/temperature curve, and various checks for failure criteria are conducted to determine the time rating of the specimen.
We now have four furnaces, one industry standard 3m x 3m vertical furnace, a 4m x 5m vertical furnace, a 4m x 5m horizontal furnace and a 1.8m cube furnace for ‘indicative’ (product development) tests.
REACTION TO FIRE TESTING applies to materials. All building finishes have to meet a classification for the rate of flame spread and smoke development, calorific values, self-ignition temperatures, flash ignition temperatures, non-combustibility, etc., according to the building code. This includes floor coverings, wall finishes, ceiling tiles, insulation, wiring, upholstery, coatings and so on.
Our Reaction to Fire lab incorporates the Steiner Tunnel (one of about 17 in the world and the only one in the region) as well as the testing equipment for the European EN 13501-1 classification, including the Single Burning Item (SBI), Cone Calorimeter, etc. Building owners, project managers and AHJ’s (Authorities Having Jurisdiction) no longer have to choose between accepting suppliers’ representations or sending the material abroad for testing. Additionally, domestic manufacturers have a convenient local facility for developing their products to meet the UAE Fire and Life Safety code.
PRODUCT CERTIFICATION is a conformity assessment mechanism that provides a much higher degree of assurance than just a test report. This is mandatory in many jurisdictions like UAE, Qatar, etc., where the Civil Defence issues an additional Product Approval based on Product Certification. The idea is that there is no independent correlation between a test report and the product being offered or installed. In other words, you can’t tell that what you are buying is the same thing that was tested. Certification closes this loop. An accredited Certification Body (CB), also commonly referred to as Conformity Assessment Body (CAB), verifies factory quality control, selects the sample to be tested, confirms the detailed description of the product, witnesses the testing, visits the manufacturer for periodic audits, issues a certificate and the right to use its ‘mark’, and ‘lists’ the product online. In the case of fire doors, the CB also issues labels containing the mark which are affixed to the door.
Certifications should always be checked for validity in the issuer’s listings online; ours can be found at www.tbwcert.com.
6762
Testing — NAL 159
LARGE SCALE FIRE PROPAGATION TESTING addresses the risk of fire in exterior building cladding. Many countries have developed their own test methods. The North American codes specify NFPA 285 using the ‘intermediate scale multistory apparatus’. The corresponding UK standard is BS 8414 Parts 1 & 2, while the Australian Building Regulations specify AS5113, we are accredited for, and can conduct all of these tests.
NFPA 285 consists of one room over another. There is a gas burner in the lower room to simulate a fire. The test specimen of the external cladding system, containing a window opening and instrumented with thermocouples, is constructed on a frame that is placed in front of the apparatus. The test duration is 30 minutes, and at the fifth minute, another burner is placed in the window opening. It is designed to simulate a room fire that has burst out of a window.
BS 8414 and AS5113 have an 8m high, L-shaped structure with a large hearth representing a window opening. The specimen is built onto the structure (part 1 uses a concrete block base wall & part 2 uses a steel frame substructure). A large ‘crib’ of wood sticks is ignited in the hearth, and the test is also conducted for 30 minutes. The test results are classified according to standard BRE 135.
Intermediate scale multistory apparatus
The same apparatus is also used to check the Fire Resistance of key containment elements of the Cladding like the Perimeter Fire Barrier and the Spandrel system. We are capable and accredited to offer testing as per ASTM E2307 & ASTM E2874.
The ASTM E2307 is a Standard Test Method for Determining Fire Resistance of Perimeter Fire Barriers Using Intermediate-Scale, Multi-story Test Apparatus. To conduct this test, a complete curtain wall assembly is installed along with the Perimeter Fire Barrier system at the Slab Edge replicating site conditions (or a worst-case scenario). Horizontal and Vertical cycling can be done if needed before running the test, which simulates the fire growing and breaking out of an opening. The test, which follows the time-temperature curve of a fire propagation test (NFPA 285) for the first 30 minutes, later shifts to the time-temperature curve of a Fire Resistance Test (ASTM E119).
ASTM E2874, which was published in 2019, is a Standard Test Method for Determining the Fire-Test Response Characteristics of a Building Spandrel-Panel Assembly Due to External Spread of Fire. This adds on to the ASTM E2307 test and defines additional conditions and criteria to evaluate the fire resistance behaviour of the Spandrel system of a Curtain Wall design assembly.
HOT SMOKE TESTING to the Australian standard AS 4391, mandated by various Authorities Having Jurisdiction and Civil Defence Departments, is used to validate the smoke extraction systems in large public facilities such as warehouses, museums, car parks, building atriums, tunnels, energy rooms, stadiums and metro rail.
Member
European Group of Organisations for Fire Testing, Inspection and Certification
ENGINEERING JUDGEMENTS (EJ’S) also called Engineering Evaluations, EEVs, come into play when materials, products or systems cannot be installed in strict accordance with the certification documents (i.e., identical to the way it was tested). This can sometimes be resolved with an EJ prepared by the Certification Body or a fire consultant, provided supporting data is available. EJs are formally justified documents based on actual test data and published science and engineering. If data cannot be provided or found, we may recommend some additional indicative or full-scale testing as required to support the EJ.
COMPUTATIONAL FLUID DYNAMICS or CFD modelling is frequently required by AHJs as part of the analysis of the smoke management systems for car parks and building atriums. Output of CFD analysis – plots of temperature, visibility and smoke clearance height – allow designers to evaluate multiple fire scenarios and iterate between system design parameters before arriving at an optimum solution that complies with the Code requirement (i.e. “tenability criteria”) and saves cost by helping avoid over-engineered systems. While CFD simulation is carried out at the design stage, the effectiveness of the system in actual operation can be demonstrated using Hot Smoke Testing once the equipment is commissioned.
FIRE STOP AND FIRE SEAL INSPECTIONS is the third-party site-based monitoring of the installed fire safety products and systems during the construction phase and up to and prior to the final AHJ inspections, all in accordance with the various prescribed Building Codes and Standards. Our experienced inspection team, headed by Inspection Technical Manager John Muse, helps contractors comply with codes and regulations and achieve AHJ approval at completion. We provide inspections for all Active and Passive Fire Safety and Fire Protection Systems.
How it works
Our fire testing is accredited to ISO 17025 for US, EN, BS and ISO testing standards by UKAS, IAS, GAC and ENAS; we are a Subcontractor Laboratory for both UL and Intertek, and provide testing in support of certification for Exova Warringtonfire, BM Trada, IFC, BRE/LPCB and others.
There is no other facility in the entire region that is able to offer all the Fire and Non-Fire tests at the same location.
Resistance to Fire Testing
The key strategy in delivering Fire Safety in Buildings is called Passive Fire Protection. It works by dividing parts of a building into compartments, each of which should contain a fire for a specified length of time. For example, a fire in a hotel room should be contained by the corridor wall, and a fire should not be able to spread to an exit stair. This type of fire performance is called Resistance to Fire. The most common elements in this category are fire doors, but the same applies to walls, service penetrations, garbage chutes, ceilings/floors etc.
Reaction to Fire Testing
Passive Fire protection strategies also aim to limit the ignition and spread of a fire. Grouped together as Reaction to Fire testing, this typically checks finishes but includes particularly insulation materials. It also applies to finishes, flooring, linings, interior panels, household furniture, and so on. The idea is that the material must not ignite or encourage the fire to spread or generate a lot of smoke. We have a wide range of European, American and ISO test methods that evaluates Ignitability, Combustibility, Heat Release Ratios, Fire Propagation, etc. Often many of these tests help arrive at easily communicable classifications, like the European Classifications as per EN 13501-1, popularly known as Euro-Classes or the American Classification from the International Building Code based on the test results of ASTM E84 tests conducted in a Steiner Tunnel. We also have a Cone Calorimeter which helps in R&D and investigation testing.
Fire Propagation Testing
This is a test that relates to building façades. In recent decades façade systems have evolved which use flammable or combustible components, and tests for full systems have evolved to keep them safe. Our testing is conducted in accordance with NFPA 285 and BS8414. In the region, many cladding materials like the Aluminium Composite Panels (ACP), which have been extensively used in the past, used to have a core that may or may not contain a fire retardant. With newer and stricter regulation in countries like UAE, more and more manufacturers have evolved cladding materials that are less combustible.
The reason for Certification is that without it, a purchaser does not know whether the product being offered to him, along with a test report, is actually the same as the product that was tested. It is usually not possible to tell by inspection whether the product is the same because much of what makes it up is concealed by finishes. Small differences in the manufacturing process, such as a change of material or adhesive, for example, can be the difference between passing and failing a test.
In a shop without consciousness of following quality procedures and rules, it is quite easy for small but significant changes to be made to the process, which invalidates the test results. Of course, there is also the possibility of deliberately preparing a sample for the test and then substituting less expensive components.
It is a requirement of the Civil Defence and Fire Departments that products for which their approval is requested must carry this Certification.
The process has a number of simple steps:
- The manufacturer must have a Quality Management (QM) system, such as ISO 9000/9001, in place.
- The Certification Body (which has to be ‘accredited’ to ISO 17065) visits the factory to check their QM system and select a sample from production for testing.
- The sample is sent to the lab and tested by the Testing Team, and the Certification engineer witnesses the test.
- If the test is successful, a full QM audit is performed at the factory, and the factory has to correct any non-compliances.
- On satisfactory conclusion of the non-compliances, a Certificate is issued with detailed information on the construction of the sample tested and the provenance of its components. This information is also uploaded to a publicly accessible website http://www.tbwcert.com. At the same time, the manufacturer is given authority to use our Certification Mark.
- The factory is visited twice a year to ensure continuing adherence to its QM system.
- In case there is any kind of problem with the QM system or the product or the use of the Certification Mark, the Certification can be suspended or withdrawn and removed from the website. It is essential to check online that the Certification is current.
Many clients require Civil Defence approval but are unsure of how the system works. We need to know what the product is so that we can guide you to the correct test, but since we test to US, UK and EU standards, we need to help you decide which of these would be most advantageous. For example, the US door and wall tests end with being subjected to a hose test and are therefore more difficult to pass than the UK or EU. However, there may be strategic reasons for wanting to be qualified to the US standard.
Assuming that you want to enroll in our Certification program, we will schedule a visit to your manufacturing facility to 1) check that you have a Quality Management System (such as or similar to ISO 9000/9001) and 2) to select the item or materials to be tested from production.
We will do a full audit of the QMS before issuing the certificate. Depending on the client’s factory location and associated auditor travel costs, this can be conducted before or after testing.
Subsequently, we fix a date for the testing and follow a schedule to make our preparations and for you to install your sample. Depending on the test, some instrumentation may have to be installed on the sample prior to the test.
Failing the test can be a positive result. The aim is to just pass; if you pass with flying colours and far exceed the required time, your system may be over-engineered and more costly to make than necessary, putting you at a competitive disadvantage.
If the sample does fail, you will likely make some adjustments and schedule another test. Otherwise, we will schedule the audit of your QMS, if not already conducted. Having a QMS is an important part of the Certification process because it requires you to have written procedures for what you do and to keep records. When we audit, we can check to make sure that these records are being accurately and regularly kept so that we can tell if any changes have been made to the production, which would invalidate the test and certification. The outcome of our audit will identify findings (observations and non-compliances), which need to be addressed prior to issuing the Certification.
Once the findings are completed and evidence produced to the satisfaction of our auditor, Certification will be granted, a certificate issued, your product listed on the website http://www.tbwcert.com/ and our Certification Mark issued to you either in electronic form for you to incorporate (according to our guidelines) in your packaging, or in the case of doors for example, as individual labels.
The certification is maintained by follow-up audits either 2 times per year (if you have ISO 9001 issued by a certification body accredited by an accreditation body that is a signatory to the IAF MLA) or 3 if you have a home-grown QMS.
Fire is a very real danger in buildings, and the ability to contain it is a necessity for the protection of life and property. The importance of fire testing is so that authorities can verify that assemblies used in building or industrial locations where fire has to be contained or excluded, meet the specified fire separation time criteria defined by building codes. This allows people to vacate the building, allows time for fire fighters to reach the scene, and minimises losses when a fire occurs.
Testing can also be evaluated as an asset, putting a manufacturer ahead of its competitors if the products have been tested prior to the start of the project. Having an already tested range of fire products will give Architects, Contractors and Consultants, comfort and trust but will also avoid any potential complications. Testing must be linked with Research and Development in order to enhance products and fire systems performances.
“We all know that there have been many major fires over the last few years, and hopefully, the presence of this testing furnace will now make it easier for builders to comply with the regulations and help make our buildings safer to live and work in.” Tom Bell-Wright.
Thomas Bell-Wright International Consultants is accredited under ISO17025 for Fire Test by UKAS, IAS, GAC and ENAS for the list of standards below:
IAS
External Cladding Systems; Reaction to fire – fire propagation and classification
AS 5113 – Excluding the Building to Building Test. Classification to AS 5113 based on test results provided by another accredited laboratory
Smoke Management Systems; Hot smoke test
AS 4391
ASTM
Building Construction Components and Materials; Reaction to fire (cone calorimeter)
ASTM E 1354
Building Construction Components and Materials; Reaction to fire non combustibility
ASTM E 2652
ASTM E 136
Building Construction Components and Materials; Reaction to Fire – surface burning characteristics
ASTM E 84 (Using Steiner Tunnel)
Floor Coverings; Reaction to fire – critical radiant flux of floor- covering systems
ASTM E648 (Using a radiant heat energy source)
Plastics; Reaction to fire – ignition temperature
ASTM D1929
Building Materials and Structures; Non load bearing elements -Fire resistance
ASTM E119
Building Materials and Structures; Load bearing elements – Fire resistance
ASTM E119
Walls and Partitions – non load bearing; Fire resistance
ASTM E119
Penetration Seals; Fire resistance
ASTM E814
Hose Stream Application; Integrity of building elements after fire exposure
ASTM E2226
Perimeter Fire Barrier; Fire resistance
ASTM E2307
Spandrel Panel Assembly; Fire resistance
ASTM E2874
BRE
External Thermal Insulation; Classification of fire performance of external thermal insulation for walls of multi-storey buildings
BRE BR135 (3rd Edition)
BS
Building Construction Components and Materials; Reaction to fire (cone calorimeter)
BS ISO 5660-1
Building Construction Components and Materials; Reaction to fire (calorific value)
BS EN ISO 1716
Building Construction Components and Materials; Reaction to fire – ignitability
BS EN ISO 11925-2
Building Construction Components and Materials; Reaction to fire – non- combustibility
BS EN ISO 1182
Building Construction Components and Materials; Fire resistance (General Requirements)
BS 476: Part 20
Building Products (Excluding Floorings); Reaction to fire – single burning item
BS EN 13823 +A1
Floor Coverings; Determination of the burning behaviour using a radiant heat source
BS EN ISO 9239-1
Plastics; Reaction to fire – ignition temperature
BS ISO 871
Building Materials and Structures; Non load bearing elements -Fire resistance
BS 476 Part 22; Method 9
Building Materials and Structures; Load bearing elements – Fire resistance
BS 476 Part 21 Section 5, 6, 7 & 8
Building Materials and Structures (cont’d); Contribution of components to the fire resistance of a structure
BS 476 Part 23
Fire Doors and Shutters; Fire resistance
BS 476: Part 22 Section 6, 7 and 8
Door, Shutter and Openable Window Assemblies; Fire resistance and smoke control
BS EN 1634-2
Walls and Partitions – non load bearing; Fire resistance
BS 476: Part 22
Columns – load bearing; Fire resistance
BS EN 1365-4
Non-loadbearing External Cladding Systems; Reaction to fire
BS 8414-1
BS 8414-2
Glazing; Fire resistance
BS 476: Part 22 Section 10
Ventilation Ducts; Fire resistance
BS 476 Part 24
BS EN
Ceilings – non load bearing; Fire resistance
BS EN 1364-2
Curtain Walling; Fire resistance
EN 1364-3
EN 1364-4
Air Transfer Grilles; Fire resistance
BS EN 1364-5
Walls – load bearing; Fire resistance
BS EN 1365-1
Floors and Roofs – load bearing; Fire resistance
BS EN 1365-2
Beams – Load bearing; Fire resistance
BS EN 1365-3
Dampers; Fire resistance
BS EN 1366-2
Penetration Seals; Fire resistance
BS EN 1366-3
Linear Joint Seals; Fire resistance
BS EN 1366-4
Service Ducts and Shafts; Fire resistance
BS EN 1366-5
Raised Access and Hollow Core Floors; Fire resistance
BS EN 1366-6
Horizontal Protective Membranes; Fire resistance
BS EN 13381-1
Applied Passive Protection Products; Fire resistance
BS EN 13381-4
Applied Reactive Protection Products; Fire resistance
BS EN 13381-8
Construction Products and Building Elements; Fire Classification
BS EN 13501-1
EN 13501-2
EN
Building Construction Components and Materials; Fire resistance (General Requirements)
EN 1363-1
EN 1363-2
Fire Doors and Shutters; Fire resistance
EN 1634-1
Walls and Partitions – non load bearing; Fire resistance
EN 1364-1
IMO
Marine Constructions – bulkheads, doors and windows; Fire resistance
IMO FTP Code 2010:2012 Edition – MSC 307(88) – Annex 1 : Part 3 – Appendix 1
ISO
Building Construction Components and Materials; Fire resistance (General Requirements)
ISO 834-1 (Amendment 1:2012)
Building Materials and Structures; Load bearing elements – Fire resistance
ISO 834-4
ISO 834-5
Fire Doors and Shutters; Fire resistance
ISO 3008
Walls and Partitions – non load bearing; Fire resistance
ISO 834-8
Ceilings – non load bearing; Fire resistance
ISO 834-9
Beams – Load bearing; Fire resistance
ISO 834-6
Columns – load bearing; Fire resistance
ISO 834-7
Glazing; Fire resistance
ISO 3009
IS 16945
Marine Construction – Bulkheads, Doors & Windows; Fire resistance
ISO 20902-1
NFPA
Fire Doors and Shutters; Fire resistance
NFPA 252
Walls and Partitions – non load bearing; Fire resistance
NFPA 251
External Wall Assemblies; Reaction to fire (ignitability using a radiant heat energy source)
NFPA 268
Glazing; Fire resistance
NFPA 257
Non-Load Bearing Wall Assemblies; Fire Propagation
NFPA 285
Wall Assemblies Containing Combustible Components; Fire Propagation
NFPA 285
Floor Coverings; Reaction to Fire (Critical radiant flux of floor covering systems)
NFPA 253
SANS
Building Materials and Structures; Load bearing / Non load bearing elements -Fire resistance
SANS 10177-2
UL
Building Construction Components and Materials; Reaction to Fire – surface burning characteristics
UL 723, 11th Edition, 2018 (using a Steiner tunnel furnace)
Building Materials and Structures; Non load bearing elements -Fire resistance
UL 263 Ed 14 (3m x 3m)
Fire Doors and Shutters; Fire resistance
UL10B
UL10C
UL10D
Building Joint Systems; Fire resistance
UL 2079 Ed 5
Window Assemblies; Fire resistance
UL 9 Ed 8
Walls and Partitions – non load bearing; Fire resistance
UL 263 Ed 14 (3m x 3m)
Dampers; Fire resistance
UL 555 (fire test only)
Penetration Seals; Fire resistance
UL 1479, 4th Edition
Fire Systems Third Party Inspections is the third-party site-based monitoring of the installed fire safety products and systems during the construction phase up to and prior to the final AHJ or CD inspections in accordance with the various prescribed Building Codes and Standards. Our competent inspection team, headed by Inspection Technical Manager John Muse, will assist and guide your project to satisfy compliance with the code. We provide inspections for all Passive Fire Safety and Fire Protection Systems.
ACCREDITATION
Thomas Bell-Wright International Consultants is accredited to ISO/IEC 17025:2017 by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS), GCC Accreditation Center (GAC), Emirates National Accreditation System (ENAS) for Building air leakage testing and water permeability, water leakage field check and air leakage and hot smoke tests. We are also Accredited to ISO/IEC 17025: 2017 by International Accreditation Service, Inc. for Large-scale Fire Propagation Testing.
UKAS / ISO 17025
IAS / ISO 17025
ENAS / ISO 17025
GAC / ISO 17025
UKAS
4439
ENAS
Testing — NAL 159
IAS
Testing Laboratory
TL-626
TL-626
GAC
GCC Accreditation Center
GAC
Testing
ISO/IEC 17025:2017
ATL 0017
ATL 0017
CLIENTS
Since 1995 we have provided our specialist knowledge and expertise on over 1,000 of the region’s major architectural projects.
TESTIMONIALS
Having worked on many prestigious projects, our clients have always been satisfied with our input and have always recommended us for more. We are proud to present some of our clients’ testimonials under Facade Consulting, Curtain Wall Testing and Fire Testing.
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