Radiant Panel Testing

Need to verify your flooring meets critical fire safety standards? Our Radiant Panel Testing measures Critical Radiant Flux to help your products comply with building codes while offering superior protection. This essential test identifies the minimum level of heat energy required to sustain burning, helping you rank products based on fire behavior and make informed safety decisions. You'll gain competitive advantage with reliable fire performance data that helps you develop safer products and protect end-users.

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What is Radiant Panel Testing at Element?

The Radiant Panel Test evaluates a floor system's propensity to spread fire when exposed to intense radiant heat from a gas-fired panel. This test determines the Critical Radiant Flux (CRF) - the minimum heat energy required to sustain burning, providing essential data for fire safety hazard analysis. At Element, we conduct standardized reaction to fire testing that helps you rank products and select materials with superior resistance to ignition.

Element fire safety engineer in protective gear conducting building materials flammability testing

What Can Element Offer You For Radiant Panel Test?

Materials we test

Element tests a comprehensive range of floor covering materials used in both building construction and transportation vehicles. Our expertise extends to materials designated for fire-sensitive areas such as corridors and exitways where superior fire resistance is critical for occupant safety.

Floor covering systems for commercial buildings
Materials for corridors and exitways
Flooring components for trains and buses
Materials requiring building code compliance
Fire-sensitive area floor coverings

Key tests offered

Our laboratories perform standardized testing to ISO 9239, ASTM E648, and NFPA 253 to determine critical radiant flux under controlled conditions. During these tests, we simulate the accumulation of hot gases and flames in a room, exposing materials to thermal radiation from above, replicating real-world fire scenarios. The data generated is directly correlated to the relative performance of materials in actual installations, enabling precise product ranking based on fire behavior.

Cutting-edge equipment we use

Our facilities feature gas-fired radiant panels and precision measurement systems that create controlled combustion conditions to accurately determine Critical Radiant Flux values. This specialized equipment allows us to deliver consistent, reliable test results that you can use with confidence for both regulatory compliance and competitive benchmarking.

Gas-fired radiant panels
Precision measurement systems
Controlled combustion chambers
Thermal radiation generators
Material response monitoring equipment

Which labs offer this service

With Element's global network of laboratories, you can access these essential testing services wherever your business operates, ensuring consistent results and regulatory compliance across markets. Warringtonfire, our sister company, offers specialized reaction-to-fire testing through the radiant panel test, catering to construction projects and transportation vehicles such as trains and buses. These services ensure compliance with building codes and regulatory requirements where testing is mandatory.

Standards we test to and materials we test

These are our most prevalent requests. Don't see what you're looking for? Contact us!

ISO 9239
ASTM E648
NFPA 253

Your Challenges, Our Solutions

Maintaining Compliance

Our standardized testing to ISO 9239, ASTM E648, and NFPA 253 provides you with the documentation needed to demonstrate compliance with building codes and transportation safety regulations, giving you confidence in your products' market readiness.

Enhancing safety performance

Our radiant panel tests determine critical radiant flux values that help you select materials more resistant to ignition for fire-sensitive areas, significantly improving occupant safety and property protection during fire events.

Difficulty Differentiating Fire Safety Performance

The critical radiant flux measurements we provide offer a reliable benchmark for ranking your products against competitors, giving you concrete data to support marketing claims about superior fire performance and safety characteristics.

Uncertainty About Real-World Fire Behavior

Our testing simulates actual fire conditions by replicating thermal radiation from accumulated hot gases, giving you practical insights into how your materials will perform in real-world fire scenarios across both construction and transportation applications.

Why Choose Element

Element building products testing engineer wearing safety helmet and protective eyewear in industrial facility

Specialized fire behavior simulation

Our radiant panel testing replicates real-world fire conditions for accurate performance predictions.

Construction and transportation expertise

We test materials for both buildings and vehicles, providing sector-specific insights.

Critical safety data you can trust

Our controlled testing environment ensures reliable, reproducible fire performance results.

Global compliance capabilities

We test to international standards including ISO 9239, ASTM E648, and NFPA 253.

Frequently asked questions

How can Radiant Panel Testing support my product development?

By exposing your material to controlled radiant heat conditions, our Radiant Panel Test helps you understand how it will perform in real-world fire scenarios. This data enables you to refine your product’s fire resistance, make more informed choices about material selection, and ensure your product meets fire safety standards before it hits the market.

Is this testing only for construction materials?

No, while the Radiant Panel Test is widely used for flooring systems in commercial buildings, it is also essential for transportation vehicle materials, including train and bus flooring systems. This ensures your materials meet fire safety regulations for both building interiors and transportation vehicles, providing flexibility across industries.

What is Critical Radiant Flux?

Critical Radiant Flux (CRF) is the minimum level of heat energy required to sustain the burning of a material. This measurement is crucial for fire safety analysis and helps determine how resistant your flooring materials are to spreading flames during a fire event.