FM Research Campus

Your company can’t replicate a warehouse-size fire on demand. You’ve got our Fire Technology Laboratory for that. The lab is the centerpiece of the Research Campus, and the largest facility of its kind. Its scale enables our researchers to understand what causes structural failure, how fast fire spreads, and what sprinkler protection is needed. Multiple tests can be conducted every day, so we don’t have to wait long for results. Small labs are used for smaller-scale burn testing. Water tank and pumps can replicate any facility conditions, and a closed-loop water system is used for continuous cleaning and recycling.

Windstorm, flood and earthquake all pose a major threat to your property. Fight back by understanding what causes building material to fail, and the best ways to design buildings to resist the effects of Mother Nature. Our Natural Hazards Laboratory can simulate hurricane-force winds and hailstorms. A “debris cannon” can determine the impact resistance of your doors, windows and wall panels. An earthquake “shake table” replicates earthquakes of all intensities. We can even test the effects of the sun’s UV radiation on your building materials.

If your facilities run on electricity, they’re already at risk. In fact, electrical ignition sources are one of the top three causes of fire and explosion in buildings containing flammable gas, liquid and combustible dust. In our Electrical Hazards Laboratory, we test equipment to ensure it won’t ignite dust or any type of gas during normal operation or under fault conditions. This helps you protect your properties from explosion or other catastrophic loss.

With the right sprinkler protection, you can prevent devastating losses due to fire. Our Hydraulics Laboratory replicates your fire protection systems and conducts tests, so you can be sure your devices will work as intended when properly installed and maintained. The lab houses both wet- and dry-lab test areas, where engineers and technicians perform various hydraulic, mechanical and environmental tests on fire protection system components and related devices, such as sprinklers, couplings and valves.

This state of the art facility is equipped with 3 m3, 8 m3 and 25 m3explosion vessels and high speed data acquisition equipment for conducting dust/air and gas/air explosions associated with the testing and certification of a variety of explosion protection products such as pressure venting devices and explosion suppression systems. The experienced team at this facility can reliably produce the challenging explosion hazards necessary to certify the performance of these critical property loss prevention products