Fire Resistance Test Furnaces
Indicative Furnace
Indicative Furnaces are specialized devices designed to assess the fire resistance properties and performance of materials under controlled conditions. They are essential tools in quality control and product development across a wide range of industries where fire safety is critical.
In research and development (R&D), these furnaces enable precise simulation of real-world fire scenarios, making them invaluable for testing new materials and formulations. They are available in various sizes and configurations to suit different testing needs, from small-scale laboratory experiments to larger industrial evaluations.
Indicative Furnaces can be engineered to follow standardized time-temperature curves (such as ISO, ASTM, or EN standards) as well as custom, user-defined curves, HC, MHC, and RWS curves, offering high flexibility for tailored fire resistance testing.
Column / Beam Fire Resistance Test Furnace
The Column Load Bearing Test Furnace is a specially engineered system designed to evaluate the fire resistance performance of structural columns up to 3 meters in height and a beam of 4 meters in length. It enables four-sided fire exposure & three-sided fire exposure for columns and beams, respectively, accurately replicating real-life fire conditions for comprehensive performance assessment.
This advanced furnace supports multiple time–temperature curves, including Cellulosic, Hydrocarbon, Modified Hydrocarbon (MHC), RWS, and user-defined curves, allowing precise control over test conditions. The system is also equipped for customized loading capacities and variable column/beam dimensions, ensuring flexibility to meet specific testing standards
and research requirements.
Widely used in educational and research institutions, this furnace provides valuable insights into the structural integrity, deformation behavior, and thermal performance of various column types, as well as the effectiveness of passive fire protection materials. Each unit is made to order, ensuring that the design, performance range, and control features align perfectly with the client’s needs.
Vertical Furnace
The Vertical Fire Resistance Test Furnace is designed to evaluate the fire performance of building elements such as walls, partitions, doors, glazing systems, and other single-sided fire-rated materials. It provides a controlled and uniform fire exposure on one face of the specimen, replicating realistic building fire conditions with precision and repeatability.
The furnace operates in accordance with international fire testing standards and supports a full range of time–temperature curves, including Cellulosic, Hydrocarbon, Modified Hydrocarbon (MHC), RWS, and user-defined curves. This flexibility allows researchers and manufacturers to simulate a variety of fire scenarios and evaluate material performance under specific environmental conditions.
Equipped with customizable specimen frames, adjustable loading systems, and advanced control instrumentation, the furnace can accommodate a wide range of specimen sizes and configurations.
Used extensively in testing laboratories, universities, and research centers, the Vertical Fire Resistance Test Furnace provides critical data on integrity, insulation performance, and deformation behavior of tested elements. Each unit is made to order, ensuring the design and capacity precisely match the client’s technical and research requirements.
Horizontal Furnace
The Horizontal Fire Resistance Test Furnace is designed to assess the fire performance of structural floor and ceiling assemblies, roof elements, and horizontally oriented fire-rated systems. It provides controlled one-sided fire exposure from below, accurately simulating real-world fire conditions that occur in building compartments.
This furnace supports a wide range of standard and customized time–temperature curves, including Cellulosic, Hydrocarbon, Modified Hydrocarbon (MHC), RWS, and user-defined curves, allowing comprehensive evaluation of materials and assemblies under varied thermal conditions.
The system features robust structural framing, customizable specimen holders, and precise data acquisition and control instrumentation for accurate monitoring of temperature, deformation, and insulation performance. The furnace can be configured for different specimen dimensions and load conditions, making it ideal for both research and industrial certification testing.
Widely utilized in testing laboratories, research institutions, and quality assurance facilities, the Horizontal Fire Resistance Test Furnace enables detailed analysis of the load-bearing behavior, integrity, and insulation characteristics of floors and ceilings exposed to fire. Each furnace is made to order, ensuring it meets the client’s specific testing standards, capacity requirements, and automation preferences
Combination Furnace
A Combination Test Furnace is a versatile and advanced fire resistance testing system designed to evaluate the performance of building elements that incorporate both load-bearing and non-load-bearing components, or assemblies that cannot be classified strictly as vertical or horizontal elements. It allows for flexible configuration to test walls, floors, doors, partitions, beams, and columns within the same unit, making it ideal for comprehensive fire performance assessment in accordance with international and national standards such as IS, ASTM, BS, EN, and ISO.
Technical Scope of Supply
1. Scope of Supply
Design, manufacture, supply, installation, and commissioning of a Vertical, Horizontal, or Combination Fire Resistance Test Furnace, customized to suit different test specimen sizes as per customer requirements. The furnace shall comply with relevant national and international fire resistance testing standards and shall be capable of executing multiple standard time–temperature curves.
2. Furnace Specifications
Furnace Orientation
- Vertical
- Horizontal
- Combination of Vertical & Horizontal
- Beam-only testing
- Column-only testing
- Or as per specific customer requirements
Furnace Clear Opening
- Customized as per product testing needs
Operating Temperature Range
- Ambient to 1360°C
Maximum Furnace Temperature
- 1350°C (with safety lock at 1400°C)
Refractory Grade
Rated minimum 1600°C, with high alumina hot-face refractory bricks and multi-layer insulation engineered to withstand severe thermal shock conditions.
Heating Type
Furnace Pressure Control
3. Standard Fire Curves Supported
Cellulosic Curves
ASTM E119 / ISO 834-1 / UL 263 / UL 10B / AS 1530-4
BS 476-20, EN 1363-1:
T = 345 log10(8t + 1) + 20
where T = temperature (°C), t = time (minutes)
Hydrocarbon Curves
EN 1363-2 / UL 1709:
T = 20 + 1080 (1 − 0.325e−0.167t − 0.675e−2.5t)
where T = temperature (°C), t = time (minutes)
EN 1363-2 External Fire Curve
T = 660 (1 − 0.687e−0.32t − 0.313e−3.8t) + 20
where T = temperature (°C), t = time (minutes)
- Modified Hydrocarbon Curve
- IMO Curve (Marine Fire Testing Curve)
- RWS Curve (Rijkswaterstaat Tunnel Fire Curve)
- RABT-ZTV Curve (German Tunnel Fire Test Curve)
- Smothering Curve as per EN 13381-8
4. Control & Automation
- PLC & SCADA-based integrated control system for temperature, pressure, and burner operation
- Automatic firing curve programming and real-time data logging
- Manual override functionality at any stage of testing, including switchover from auto to manual operation
- Pressure and temperature safety interlocks incorporated
- Operator HMI interface for real-time display of furnace and specimen parameters
5. Instrumentation & Safety
- High-accuracy thermocouples (for furnace + specimen unexposed side monitoring)
- Pressure transmitters and servo dampers for chamber pressure control
- Gas proving system for leakage detection in fuel lines
- Flame failure detection and emergency shutdown protection
- Observation viewports equipped with air cooling, ceramic glass, and Inconel shield plates for operator safety
6. Performance Guarantee
- Furnace shall achieve and maintain all specified heating curves within defined tolerance limits of the respective standards.
- Furnace shall sustain continuous operation for up to 8 hours per test.
- Complete emergency shutdown safeguard system integrated for operator and system protection.