Progress at Warringtonfire’ planned £24million test facility are said to be on track with the first four furnaces at the 101,000sqft relocation site now ready for commissioning.
The company, part of the global Element Materials Technology (Element) group, is relocating to expand capacity for fire resistance testing of critical fire safety products and systems, such as fire doorsets, intumescent coatings and other passive fire protection solutions.
By the laboratory’s open date, scheduled for January 2025, two vertical furnaces, two horizontal furnaces, and one indicative furnace will be ready to accept test specimens. Another two furnaces, one horizontal and one vertical, will be installed by the end of 2026. In total, this will represent an 80% increase in testing capacity over its current site at Holmesfield Road, Warrington.
Dafydd Llewelyn-Jones, Project Manager for Element Materials Technology, said: “We are on track with our progress and are actually seven weeks ahead of schedule in terms of the furnaces themselves. We are now moving swiftly along to fitting out all the office areas and control rooms, commissioning the building services, and completing the test bay preparation areas.
“It is brilliant to see this project coming together. We have put a significant amount of money into making this new laboratory truly one of the best in Europe, if not the world.”
Leigh Hill, Director, Built Environment Europe, added: “Our new laboratory will be the largest state-of-the-art fire testing and certification facility worldwide, and one of the most environmentally conscious too. We have made substantial investments in procuring the most cutting-edge building service equipment available today, reinforcing our position as industry leader and ensuring sustainable operation for years to come.”
https://www.warringtonfire.com/about-warringtonfire/warrington-site-relocation-and-expansion
