The recently launched Ignis Fire Testing facility in Cape Town aims to support the built environment.  

This privately owned facility was created in response to a need in the industry. Dirk Streicher, civil engineer and owner of the new 1 500m² facility, is committed to delivering a service and fostering awareness of fire safety locally. 

Walls & Roofs visited Ignis Fire Testing shortly before it was officially launched in Blackheath, Cape Town. 

Built to purpose  

With few options available, fire testing in South Africa is time-consuming and costly, particularly if sending products abroad for testing.  

Streicher’s process starts with understanding the complete picture of where the product is going to be used. He believes that this is key to good testing, as nothing works in isolation. 

Using their purpose-built testing space and equipment, a variety of scenarios are catered for: 

• Fire resistance tests. 
• A set of reaction-to-fire classification tests. 
• Cone calorimetry confirmation testing.  
• Room corner and gas suppression tests. 
• Facade tests (cladding). 
• Supplementary and auxiliary fire equipment (such as sprinklers) tests.  

Fire modelling 

Fire door tests are done as fully installed to provide the best possible data.

These fire safety tests adhere to South African and international standards, including ISO codes. All tests are conducted within the warehouse, including the 18m-high cladding structure. 

“Everything starts with the data, and the controlled environment ensures the best possible data,” confirms Streicher. “From the data, parameters are set based on what is in the building, to run comprehensive modelling.” 

Furthermore, the testing equipment, software and control systems are all created in-house. Streicher explains: “The workshop supports the testing, as we can adapt to special requirements beyond standard procedures.” 

The facility also has the capacity to expand as the demand grows. 

“It is important to note that we provide test reports, not certificates,” Streicher warns. “These reports are written and provided approximately two weeks after the tests are completed.” 

Fire research 

Facade tests are conducted inside the warehouse on a purpose-built 18m high structure.

Streicher has a personal interest in research and academia, which has resulted in a collaboration with Stellenbosch University’s Fire Engineering Research Group (FireSUN). 

Led by Prof Richard Walls, FireSUN students are granted access to Ignis’ testing facilities. Here they pursue research into fire safety, with Ignis supporting them to achieve post-graduate degrees and co-authoring papers that push the boundaries of fire safety engineering. 

Issue: South Africa’s limited capacity for fire testing. 

Solution: As announced at its recent launch, Ignis Fire Testing is the largest known privately-owned fire testing facility in Africa, offering fire-resistant and reaction-to-fire testing on site.  

For more information, contact Ignis Fire Testing: 

Tel: +27 21 905 0322 

Email: info@ignistesting.co.za 

Website: https://www.ignisfiretesting.co.za/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ignis-testing-cape-town/