It is advisable to investigate and establish fire behavior in an early stage, especially for newly developed materials. Efectis likes to think ahead, offering an optimized research program and a testing strategy, performing tests on a short-term basis. Added value can be found in a comprehensive set of tailor-made solutions and special testing programs based on current scientific knowledge.

Building materials have to fulfil the requirements stated in rules and regulations. Based on the client’s demands and the possibilities offered in the standards, Efectis can set up a research program that minimizes the amount of testing and maximizes the results (for different product types and ranges of thickness, density, etc.).

EN 13501-1 is the European classification for construction products and building elements: A1, A2 and B to F, s1, s2, s3 (smoke) and d0, d1 and d2 (flaming droplets).

A small selection from the wide range:

• Fire classification of construction products and building elements – EN 13501-1:2018
• Building products excluding floorings – EN 13823:2020+A1:2022 | Single Burning Item test
• Reaction to fire tests for floorings – EN ISO 9239-1:2010
• Determination of the gross heat of combustion (caloric bomb test) – EN ISO 1716:2018
• Ignitability of products subjected to direct impingement of flame – EN ISO 11925-2:2020
• Non-combustibility test – EN ISO 1182:2020
• Furniture flammability test method – BS 5852:2006
• Cone Calorimeter – ISO 5660-1:2015

Also, periodic verification for CE certification is in good hands at Efectis.

Accredited laboratory for more than 30 years, Efectis testing facilities are top of the line in technical excellence. Our laboratories are equipped to respond effectively to any testing requests, from the simplest to the most complex tests. Efectis has:

• More than 70 years of experience
• 7 fire laboratories:
  • Maizières-lès-Metz, France
  • Les Avenières, France
  • Saint-Yan, France
  • Bleiswijk, The Netherlands
  • Gebze, Türkiye
  • Belfast, UK/Ireland
  • Carrickfergus, UK/Ireland
• 1 jet-fire installation for Oil & Gas testing
• 8 façade testing facilities
• 1 vertical loading frame (400 t) and 1 horizontal loading frame (1000 t)
• More than 10,000 tests performed since its creation
• More than 850 fire resistance tests performed per year
• Classification standard tests (Cellulosic curve (ISOR834) –Hydrocarbon (HC) or UL1709 – RWS or Hydrocarbon Modified Curve (HCM) – JetFire (JF)) as well as research and ad-hoc tests
• 14 fire resistance furnaces, including a furnace of more than 250 m3
• Tests performed according to European and international standards (EN, DIN, ISO, IMO, BS, NFPA, ASTM, UL, FM)

Thanks to its wide range of equipments, Efectis is able to test or assess likely all the products that need to prove their Fire Resistance. For example, the products and building elements whose fire behavior is tested in our laboratories include:

• The partitioning elements: partitions, doors and locks, glass elements, ship partitions and other transport systems,
• The smoke exhaust elements and system: valves, shutters, ducts, fans, smoke barriers, MCV, outfalls and SHEV,
• The structural elements: beams, columns, walls, and their products for their protection,
• The service elements: penetration seals, linear joints, cable trays, cables,
• The external resistance tests for fire roofs and facades, including fire barriers.

As a manufacturer, if you own your own furnace, Efectis is also able to perform official accredited tests using your installation.

In addition to standard fire tests, Efectis is able to perform non fire tests in order to offer a complete range of services for each type of product.

For loadbearing walls with fire separating function

Where the additional performance M is required, three impact tests with a 10 kg bag are performed onto the wall within 5 min after the classification period.

For doors:

Firstly, Efectis performs smoke leakage tests according to the EN 1634-3 standard, on elements whose maximal dimensions are 3000 x 3000 mm (W x H). These tests lead to “S_a” and “S_m” performance ratings. This test bench can also be used for the smoke barrier according to EN 12101-1.

Furthermore, Efectis is also able to perform cycling test to check resistance of fire doors to repeated opening and closing according to EN 1191 up to 1 million cycles. In addition, Efectis is able to perform functionnality tests for the French market such the ones according to NF S 61-937-2 and NF S 61-937-3.

For penetration seals:

Test complementary to fire tests can be required for penetrations seals, especially for Nuclear Power Plant applications and in a context of CE Marking according to the EAD 350141-00-1106. These tests are carried-out prior or after to fire exposure, or independently from them:

• Water tightness test with water column up to 30 mWC, to check that no water can pass through the penetration seal
• Air tightness, up to 100 kPa, to check that no air can pass through the penetration seal
• Interoperability regarding water tightness performance (interoperability regarding fire performances is also performed by Efectis), to check that the different penetration seal systems from different suppliers are compatible and thus may be installed on the same penetration
• Movement tests, to verify that the penetration seal system is able to absorb the movement of the services (pipes and cables) and keep fire resistance and water tightness performances
• Seismic test, on a dedicated test bench and using the FEMA 461 displacement law

For linear joint seals:

Additional tests can be required for linear joint seals, especially for Nuclear Power Plant applications. These tests are realized prior or after to fire exposure, or independently from them:

• Water tightness up to 30 mWC, to check that no water can pass through the linear joint seal,
• Air tightness, up to 100 kPa, to check that no air can pass through the linear joint seal,
• Movement (lateral, shear and combined), to verify that the linear joint system is able to absorb the movement the supporting construction and keep fire resistance and water tightness performances.
• Seismic test, on a dedicated test bench and using the FEMA 461 displacement law
• Cycling test according to UL 2079

For fire dampers (FD) / Smoke Control Damper (SCD):

In addition to the cycling and air tightness test performed for dampers in accordance to EN 1366-2 and EN 1366-10, for Nuclear Power Plants, special requirements have been adapted to the situation of consecutive problems. A FD or SCD has to successfully pass 4 tests:

• Air flow manoeuvrability tests: 500 cycles (opening/closing of the blade) with an air velocity up to 12 m/s and a differential pressure up to 5000 Pa
• Resistance to seismic test, according to EN 60068-3-3
• upstream/downstream leak test up to a differential pressure of -1500 Pa and internal/external leak test up to a differential pressure of -2000 Pa
• Fire resistance test with under pressure up to 5000 Pa

Ageing of different components:

For Nuclear Power Plants, the ageing of certain components, such as FD, SCD and intumescent joints, are studied using various tests:

• Dry heat test in accordance with standard NF EN 60068-2-2: 2007
• Wet heat test would be carried out in accordance with standard NF EN 60068-2-30: 2006
• Irradiation test in accordance with BTR EDF 91.C.113

Hose stream testing

For all above specified products, Efectis can perform a hose stream test, directly after the end of the fire endurance test. This test can be performed in accordance with many different test standards from UL, ASTM, FM, USNRC…etc, and using different nozzle (solid stream, fog nozzles….etc).

Efectis has developed a special qualification program, in order to assess the efficiency and effectiveness of firefighting equipment. Relying on fire scenarios, each system or operational method can be evaluated.

A scenario can be proposed as a point of reference regardless of the systems used. This scenario helps to determine the efficiency of firefighting equipment, in terms of:

• Extinction capacity according to class of fire (suppression time, extinguishing process implemented, water flow rate, residual water, hydraulic distribution, etc.),
• Cooling capacity of gases and smoke (reduced temperature level, maintaining reduced temperature),
• Heat radiation absorption capacity (in closed or external environments).
• Efectis performs firefighting training courses for firefighter instructors and international experts (CFBT-Fr).

Individual Protective Clothing

The effectiveness of the equipment can be determined according to the thermal protection capacity in real fire situations.

The assessment is based on a measuring dummy instrumented with 122 thermal sensors enabling the measurement of thermal protection time (TOMM by Efectis).

Jet-Fire Standard ISO 22899-1

The jet fire standard ISO 22899-1:2021 consists in simulating the thermal and mechanical loads resulting from high-pressure releases of flammable gas. Jet fires give rise to high convective and radiative heat fluxes as well as high erosive forces.

Hydrocarbon standard – UL 1709

The UL 1709 standard “Rapid Rise Fire Test of Protection Materials for Structural Steel” is one of the oldest and most frequently used furnace test standards for the Oil & Gas industry. The temperature rises from ambient temperature to 1093°C close to the test specimen within 5 minutes  The current version is now the 6^th version dated 2022.

Both  tests  are performed under ISO 17025 accreditation.