Fire testing company Exova is offering a new tri-service smoke leakage test for fire resistance, acoustic and smoke control testing that it says could save clients time and money.The introduction of a smoke control testing rig in late 2017 adds to the company’s fire resistance and acoustic testing and further expands its services.
Exova, now part of Element Materials Technology (Element), says all three tests can be booked individually or as a package deal. The three tests can be performed on the same sample within two days, or multiple samples can be tested over one day.
The site tests to the following standards:
EN 1634 Part 3 is a smoke control test for door and shutter assemblies, openable windows and elements of building hardware. The test determines the leakage of cold air from one side of a door assembly to the other, controlling the passage of smoke in case of fire.
BS EN 10140-2 measures sound insulation; BS 476 Part 22 determines fire resistance of non-loadbearing elements of construction; and BS EN 1634 Part 1 tests fire resistance for doors, shutters and openable windows.
Lee Grant-Riach, senior technical officer at Element, explained: “The acoustic laboratory team has built a rig with a three-metre by three-metre partition for supporting the sample.
“Controls from the weather rig power the fans, while pressure transducers and flow meters help to record pressure and leakage rates. Leakage over the perimeter length of the opening element is used to determine the results.”
Positive and negative pressures are taken at 10 pascal (Pa), 25 Pa and 50Pa. For a pass, leakage cannot exceed 3 cubic metres/hour/metre at 25Pa.
Rob Veitch, Element’s EVP fire and building products, commented: “We offer our comprehensive fire resistance, smoke control and acoustic testing package on one contract, with one project manager and one sample.
“Customers benefit from reduced costs across the board, enabling overall efficiency in addition to convenient access to our expert team.”
Exova Group Ltd was acquired by global testing and product qualification company Element Materials Technology Group in June 2017.
Element commented: “The combined organisation consists of more than 6,200 employees, operating out of 200 laboratories, located in more than 30 countries across five continents.”
It says it will specialise in providing a comprehensive range of materials testing, product qualification testing, consulting and certification services to multiple international sectors including fire and building products, making Element a “truly significant, global provider of testing services”.
Its ambition is to become the best and most trusted testing partner in the world.
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