Improving fire safety by delivering Europe’s largest state-of-the-art testing facility
Phil Shaw, Managing Director – Building North at Tilbury Douglas, explains why Warringtonfire’s new facility is so important as regulatory requirements increase.
We are proud to have led the construction of Warringtonfire, the global fire testing, inspection and certification company’s new state-of-the-art base at Birchwood Park. The new site will create 50 jobs and double its testing capacity in the short term, with the potential to triple its testing capacity in the medium term.
The new 101,000sq ft fire resistance capabilities testing facility, which is four miles northeast of its current base, was completed in Autumn 2024. The site will employ 200 people, making it one of the world’s largest and most skilled teams of fire technical experts, and one of the biggest fire testing facilities in Europe.
The new site was commissioned by the company so it can keep up with the rising demand for its resources due to increasing regulatory requirements and a greater emphasis on product assurance.
The new facility will include fire resistance testing furnaces on day one and eight in total in the medium-term strategy, alongside larger preparation areas to improve workflow, as well as higher quality and more accessible customer reception and viewing areas. There is also an increased number of specimen preparation areas to enhance installation space and confidentiality, as well as a new temperature-controlled space with an increased number of confidential spray booths and an autofed shot blast booth with an abrasive recovery system for improved efficiency.
The laboratory has two vertical furnaces, two horizontal furnaces, and one indicative furnace ready for test specimens, with a third vertical and horizontal furnace to be installed in Q3 2026. These labs will test a variety of materials, such as fire doors, fire walls, lift doors and building materials, which will be tested against British standards.
One team approach
Due to the technical testing facilities that were constructed, there was a need for an experienced engineering contractor to be part of the team. Utilising our engineering business, we delivered this project using our integrated working model, which has seen successful results, as we were six weeks ahead of schedule, even with instructed additional works.
The Tilbury Douglas construction and engineering teams worked collaboratively, alongside our client, to develop, design, procure and deliver this project, whilst maintaining first-class delivery with our partners scoring a maximum 45/45 with Considerate Contractors, with more than 160 people working on site.
A full range of Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing (MEP) services were required within the building, with a main cold abatement plantroom included. An innovative flame detection system, which uses camera technology to help detect flames has also been fitted.
Additional bespoke MEP requirements included air scrubbers and larger duct works.
Building sustainably
In line with Warringtonfire’s sustainability goals, the base will implement measures to reduce energy use and maintain air quality and potential environmental impacts, including built-in recycling systems, energy-efficient fans and smoke and odour capture and treatment.
The project also focused on sustainability during construction, avoiding diesel-powered plant and equipment during the construction, promoting the use of HVO fuel, and planting over 50 trees.
Community focus
The site was recently recognised with a Considerate Constructors Bronze Award issued by the Considerate Constructors Scheme, for its range of innovative initiatives. These included implementing a series of measures to demonstrate the social value of the site, including taking part in Open Doors Week and hosting a Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity site presentation on mental health, promoting health and wellbeing conversations.
The team also made charitable donations to Warrington Youth Zone and the Trussell Trust Food Bank and purchased sanitary products for the workplace via the Hey Girls social enterprise.
As part of Tilbury Douglas’ commitment to investing in the next generation of construction professionals, which is a key priority for Warringtonfire too, the site team actively engaged in educational outreach activities with Warrington and Vale Royal College to address the skills shortage in the construction and fire stopping industries.