CBI launches series of large-scale fire tests on room cells

11. October 2022

Large-scale fire tests should bring clarity – modular construction is being further researched in North Rhine-Westphalia

The Ministry for Regional Identity, Local Government, Building and Digitalization of the Land of North Rhine-Westphalia is funding a project on innovative building by the Center Building and Infrastructure Engineering of RWTH Aachen Campus. This includes a series of large-scale fire tests of entire room cells, which will be carried out at the Fire Testing Centre Erwitte of the Materials Testing Office of North Rhine-Westphalia (MPA NRW).

Erwitte, 11th October 2022 – Today, the Center Building and Infrastructure Engineering (CBI) starts the first of six planned large-scale fire tests on entire modular room cells under standardized fire loads at the Materials Testing Office of North Rhine-Westphalia at the fire testing center in Erwitte. The aim of the series of tests, which are funded with 350,000 € by the Ministry for Regional Identity, Local Government, Building and Digitalization of the Land of North Rhine-Westphalia, is to gain further knowledge about the fire resistance of modular building constructions. With the tests, CBI would like to contribute to further strengthening modular construction not only in North Rhine-Westphalia but throughout Germany and to streamlining planning and approval processes in the future. CBI of the Construction Cluster on RWTH Aachen Campus has already been investigating the topic of modular building since 2019. In addition to numerous representatives from science and industry, Ina Scharrenbach, Minister for Regional Identity, Local Government, Building and Digitalization of the Land of North Rhine-Westphalia, is also on site and will personally get an idea of the trials.

“Modular construction can be a key to quickly creating affordable housing. Safety is also the top priority in modular construction. That is why good and targeted fire protection research is extremely important. With the support of the state government of North Rhine-Westphalia, the fire protection performance of modular steel buildings will be examined in greater detail through series of tests. We hope that the results will be used to develop generally applicable fire protection certificates for modular buildings, so that approval processes can be streamlined in the future. With the funding, we are thus giving the impetus for faster and safer construction not only in North Rhine-Westphalia, but throughout Germany,” explains Scharrenbach.

Portraitfoto Ministerin Ina Scharrenbach

MHKBG NRW 2021 / F. Berger

Modular construction, and in particular the room cell construction method, is a promising answer to the challenge on the real estate market. Modular construction has developed in many ways in recent years and offers a fast and high-quality creation of residential, health, education and care real estate. It is therefore right that all parties involved pull together to overcome challenges. Dr. Carl Richter, Managing Director of CBI, comments on the modular construction activities in North Rhine-Westphalia and especially on RWTH Aachen Campus: “We were able to successfully continue our consortial cooperation on RWTH Aachen Campus with industry and authorities and thus establish a hotspot for modular and room cell construction in North Rhine-Westphalia. We are very happy that with the research project funded by the state of North Rhine-Westphalia we can contribute to a possible standardization for room cell construction beyond the state borders.” The project is supported by the Erwitte Fire Testing Centre of the North Rhine-Westphalia Materials Testing Office. The largest test stand at the fire testing center was specially adapted for these fire tests so that complete steel modules can be tested under normative full fire and actual load assumptions. The completion of the fire test series is planned for 2024.

Additional information

Press Kit (Photos included)

Further information on RWTH Aachen Campus is a hotspot for module construction experts

Download: practical guide for component requirements in modular buildings for fire safety purposes (german)

Ministerin Scharrenbach übergibt Förderbeischeid beim 1. Brandschutztest des Centers Building and Infrastructure Engineering

Mirko Klute / MPA NRW

Thomas Krause-Czeranka (MPA NRW), Jörg Blöming (Member of State Parliament District Soest), Ina Scharrenbach (Minister for Regional Identity, Local Government, Building and Digitalization of NRW), Carl Richter (CBI) and Hendrik Henneböhl (Mayor of Erwitte) at the Materials Testing Office NRW

Ministerin Scharrenbach startet den Großbrandversuch

Mirko Klute / MPA NRW

Minister Ina Scharrenbach got a personal impression of the large-scale fire tests on site

Press Contacts

Center Building and Infrastructure Engineering (CBI)

Dr. Carl Richter

Managing Director
Phone: +49 241 80-23650
E-mail: richter@cbi.rwth-campus.com

MPA NRW

Dipl.-Ök. Martina Fahnemann

Head of Central Services/Marketing
Phone: +49 231 4502-294
E-mail: fahnemann@mpanrw.de