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Fri, Nov 29, 2024 | Jumada al-Awwal 28, 1446 | DXB
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New lab to test fire retardant materials in Dubai
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Dubai - The new fire code will impose materials that have to comply with fire resistance standards
The Dubai Municipality is working with the Dubai Civil Defense to launch a laboratory to test fire retardant or fireproof building material, officials said. The new lab will help authorities test and certify fire resistance of building materials.
Ali Ahmed Elian, head of building materials laboratories section at DM, said the new specialised lab will be established to implement the UAE's new fire and life safety code, which has been recently push back to early 2017.
It will be the first government facility exclusively set up to test for fire safety in buildings.
Elian was speaking during the municipality's announcement of its 4th international conference on quality assistance for sustainable construction material - that will take place on December 14-15.He said the new lab, which will be headed by the Dubai Central Laboratory (DCL) under DM, is in its finalising stages and is likely to be launched in 2017. However, he did not confirm an exact date.
The project will focus on testing products, materials and the fire-alarm systems to ensure they are fireproof in new buildings. The move, he said, will help reduce fire incidents in the long run.
It was previously reported that the revised code, which was initially planned to be released by early 2016 following a number of fire incidents reported in high-rise towers, is under a second revision post the Address Hotel fire in downtown on New Year's Eve.
According to Elian, the new fire code will impose materials that have to comply with fire resistance standards. "The fire code had to be renewed as new materials and products came to the market. While it is under the civil defence work, the DCL is a major partner to the code. The new lab will enable us to implement the code," said Elian.
Meanwhile, the municipality's conference will focus on quality control of green buildings' materials and products, as well as the extent of fire resistance of these products and construction systems.
Khalid Mohammed Sharif, Assistant Director General for Environment, Health and Safety Control said: "We have learnt a lesson from The Address Downtown fire. That is why we will discuss the extent of fire resistance of external coating products."He added that samples tested witnessed 60 per cent increase, from 80,000 samples in 2013 to 140,000 in 2016. The number of lab testing processes had a 100 per cent increase from 142,000 in 2013 to almost 290,000 in 2016, and are expected to keep rising before the end of the year.
"It shows the amount of work that takes place in our labs to achieve high quality infrastructure. We stress that we cannot do all this work by ourselves, we need partners from the private sector," said Sharif.
Around 5 per cent of substances used were rejected due to the incompatibility with the required standards.
Ellian said, "consultants and manufacturers are then asked to offer new substances that comply with the standards required."
More than 150 scientists and researchers from around the world will participate in the conference to address new trends in sustainable engineering materials industry in the region and find out the latest developments, challenges and opportunities in the sector.
sherouk@khaleejtimes.com
Role of testing lab:
>It will be the first government facility exclusively set up to test for fire safety in buildings.
>It will check the fire resistance of external coating products and building materials
>Will test products, building materials and the fire-alarm systems
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