1. These are essential questions once a fire
has been able to fully develop inside a
room. Efectis Nederland provides the
crucial answers related to ‘resistance to
fire’ testing.
Testing
Almost every European country has a
testing facility with a furnace capable of
performing fire tests. But the scale on
which Efectis can carry out these tests is
rare. Only few testing organisations can
boast a furnace measuring as much as
eight meters long and four meters wide.
It enables tests with floors of eight by
four meters and walls of four by three
meters. And because the wind is an
unpredictable phenomenon for fire
testing, even the largest tests in Rijswijk
are carried out indoors.
During fire tests we meticulously control
all process parameters. This enables us
to carefully imitate ‘standard fires’ with
temperatures of up to 1350 degrees
Celsius.
Accurate registration of the specimen
conduct is crucial. With sometimes more
than a hundred thermocouples at all rele-
vant locations in and around the test
specimen, data acquisition meets all
conceivable standards. Efectis Nederland
also has at its disposal an advanced
exhaust gas treatment facility. This keeps
the emissions from the ‘fires’ created for
testing as limited as possible.
Standards
A starting point for the resistance to fire
tests at Efectis Nederland in Rijswijk is,
among others, the NEN 6069 standard.
Apart from that, there are approximately
thirty European Standards (EN) aimed at
various building components. They
resemble the Dutch standards, but are
on the whole somewhat more rigorous.
Recently the NEN 6069 was adapted in
such a way, that testing according to the
'new' European standard has the same
validity as tests conducted according to
the 'old' Dutch testing method.
Still, the world of permits and standards
remains complex, more so when compa-
nies wish to have their products tested
for compliance on several markets.
Efectis will be glad to advise on the stan-
dards and test configurations that best
suit your export wishes.
Specialties
All in all Efectis in Rijswijk performs 150 to
200 large-scale tests per annum. A lot of
them are tests for the building industry
with ‘standard fires’ according to an EN
standard or the NEN 6069-standard. But
offshore constructions are also regularly
the subject of tests according to ‘hydro-
carbon’ fire conditions. We offer the
exceptional ability to test for fire in tunnels
according to the ‘RWS’ fire conditions,
with temperatures of up to 1350 degrees
Celsius. The range of available tests,
including those mentioned, is very exten-
sive. Efectis Nederland, as a specialist in
testing of large and complex construc-
tions, rarely has to say ‘no’ to a challenge
put to it in the field of fire testing.
To combine knowledge
Performing a large quantity of tests,
including a wide variety of specialty
tests, provides Efectis Nederland with an
enormous bank of knowledge, such as
the consequences of variations in a test
configuration. Under certain conditions it
may, for example, be possible to
f i
Efectis for resistance to fire testing:
Your guide in the Netherlands and Europe
The room is on fire, but the heavy wooden door holds remarkably well. The glass wall is made of windows embedded with layers
of fire resisting gel. They crack, but don’t burst. The question is, will the fire stay under control until the Fire Department arrives?
Will the floor, walls and ceiling hold out against the fire? Can the construction as a whole remain intact? What is the temperature
rise in adjoining rooms and does the fire propagate beyond the bounds of the construction?
BEFORE failing AFTER failing
Example: double doorconstruction at resistance to fire testing

2. combine the test results of a door and a
window in order to evaluate the perfor-
mance of a door with a window in it.
In principle, each adaptation to a product
configuration requires a new test to be
performed. What does a two centimetre
thicker floor mean for resistance to fire?
What influence has a wooden window-
frame, in comparison to a steel one, on
the resistance to fire of a door?
From our knowledge of testing conditi-
ons and in-depth expertise of the perfor-
mance of combined materials, we are
able to put our customers firmly on the
right track. We also have the ability to
estimate the value of foreign tests with
regard to acceptance on the Dutch
market. Efectis Nederland knows like no
other what is and isn’t allowed in this
respect – and how to optimally make use
of its existing knowledge.
Consultancy
This knowledge also proves its value in
the product research and development
process of our customers. We like to
enter that process together, helping
immediately to avoid pitfalls during the
development process. As a one hundred
per cent subsidiary of TNO, we do this
both independently and reliably.
Confidential product specific characteris-
tics are absolutely safe with us. We
advise our customers on the basis of
general development principles and point
out possible improvements in existing
product specifications. In this way, the
product that eventually comes to us for
testing will be optimally suited to hold
out both under testing conditions and the
conditions of daily use.
Quick and clear
Efectis Nederland offers its customers
swift action and reliabilty. In most cases
we are able to test constructions within
two months. In busy periods this can
extend to three months, but never more.
The report follows within six weeks of the
test - guaranteed. There are not many
international parties ready to give
guarantees like these. It is for good
reason that we have already performed
tests for major companies and organisa-
tions from most European countries.
Reliable guide
What tests do you have to perform to
gain market entrance in ten countries?
How should you go about it when you
change your product? How can you opti-
mally make use of existing knowledge
and test results? The standardisation and
regulation for resistance to fire is com-
plicated. In order to conquer foreign
markets, a partner that is up to speed
with all standards is vital. Such a partner
knows how to find the quickest and most
efficient way towards market admittance.
Thanks to the large amount of fire tests
we perform on an annual basis, we know
how a construction will react. Close
cooperation with our simulation specialists
adds the necessary systems insight.
Through this, we can combine existing
knowledge cleverly and find the best route
to a positive outcome for the customer.
Efectis Nederland is involved in European
standardisation processes through various
CEN-commissions and adjoining work
groups. We, like no other, know the pos-
sible obstacles along the road to market
admittance. We show our customers the
way in Europe and guide them optimally
through the testing process. In this way,
Efectis offers the shortest route to a result.
nederland
T
Efectis Nederland BV is the centre for fire
safety in the Netherlands, originating from
TNO Centre for Fire Research. The centre
offers a portfolio of services that complement
and strengthen each other:
• Testing & certification
• Specialty testing
• Calculations & modelling
• Consultancy & courses
• Regulations & assessments
Within the field of testing their are three speci-
alizations:
• Reaction to fire testing
• Resistance to fire testing
• Specialty testing and reconstruction
(forensic research)
Efectis Nederland BV
Brandpuntlaan Zuid 16
2665 NZ Bleiswijk
The Netherlands
T +31 (0)88 3473 723
F +31 (0)88 3473 724
nederland@efectis.com
www.efectis.nl