TECNALIA understands the vital importance of ensuring safety in the railway sector, especially with regard to fire prevention and control. TECNALIA offers specialised experimental assessment services and reaction to fire and fire resistance tests in accordance with international standards and regulations, such as EN 45545-2 and EN 45545-3.
These standards are essential in order to reinforce fire safety measures and to protect both passengers and crew in the event of an emergency.
Standards EN 45545-2 and EN 45545-3, ensuring compliance
The purpose of standards EN 45545-2 and EN 45545-3 is to ensure fire safety in the railway sector. These standards lay down specific criteria and requirements for materials and components used in rail vehicles with the aim of protecting both passengers and staff in the event of fire.
Standard EN 45545-2 focuses on the assessment of fire performance of materials and components used in the interior and exterior of rail vehicles.
Its main objectives include:
- Minimising the risk of ignition and spread of fire (controlling heat emission by minimising the amount of heat released by materials during a fire)
- Minimising the effects of fumes and toxic gases (by limiting the production of fumes and toxic gases produced during combustion, which improves visibility and the ability to evacuate)
- Reducing the risk of fire damage.
Standard EN 45545-3 addresses the fire resistance of fire barriers inside rail vehicles. Its main objectives are:
- Containing the fire, preventing it from spreading from one compartment to another within the vehicle
- Protecting evacuation routes, ensuring that they remain usable and safe during a fire
- Preserving structural integrity, maintaining the stability and functionality of barriers during a fire to protect passengers and crew.
Both standards are essential in order to improve safety in the railway sector, providing a solid framework for the assessment and certification of materials and components, as well as for the design of safer rail vehicles.
Why are tests according to standard EN 45545 important?
Standards EN 45545-2 and EN 45545-3 lay down stringent criteria to be met for the performance of materials and components used in rail vehicles, in order to protect passengers and crew in the event of fire. These criteria include:
- Improved safety, ensuring that materials meet the highest standards.
- Higher customer confidence by increasing the perceived safety of crew and passengers by preventing the risk of fire and minimising the possibility of ignition and fire spread.
- Regulatory compliance, ensuring compliance with international regulations, which avoids penalties and facilitates product standardisation in global markets.
TECNALIA offers testing services that ensure compliance with these regulations.
How does TECNALIA carry out the tests as per EN 45545?
In its Fire Safety Laboratory, TECNALIA carries out a wide range of specific tests for clients to ensure safety and regulatory compliance in the railway sector, specifically the EN 45545 European railway standards.
The assessment of components and materials, in accordance with EN 45545-2, is performed by means of the cone calorimeter test (EN ISO 5660-1), radiant panel (EN ISO 9239-1), flammability (EN ISO 11925-2), toxicity and smoke opacity tests (EN ISO 5659-2).
Other tests include oxygen index, LOI (EN ISO 4859-2), spread of flame (EN ISO 5658-2), cable flammability (EN 60332-1-2), fire hazard of plastics (EN 60695-11-10), and glow wire test (EN ISO 60695-2-11).
In order to meet international requirements, TECNALIA also tests for toxicity (NFX 70100) and opacity (NFX 10702), as well as North American requirements (ASTM E 662).
As for fire barriers, TECNALIA carries out assessments in accordance with EN 45545-3, performing fire resistance tests for non-loadbearing elements (EN 1364-1 for walls, EN 1364-2 for ceilings and EN 1634-1 for doors) as well as non-standard tests in accordance with EN 1363-1. As for international requirements for fire barriers, TECNALIA also carries out tests in accordance with ASTM E119.
Why choose TECNALIA
Some of TECNALIA’s most important technological services include the reaction to fire and fire resistance tests, where the behaviour and regulatory compliance of materials and systems are assessed for our clients
TECNALIA also offers specific tests such as heat emission, ignition, toxicity, smoke opacity and flame spread.
We design customised protocols for testing safety performance adapted to our customers’ needs, and offer technical guidance on the proper specification of requirements for railway construction work. TECNALIA also conducts thermodynamic and fire performance analyses using advanced modelling and simulation tools (FEM, FDS, CFD) to assess products and batteries.
TECNALIA is committed to providing technological services that ensure regulatory compliance and improve safety in the railway sector. With its laboratories and technical experts, TECNALIA is ready to face any challenge and ensure that the materials and components used in rail vehicles are safe and reliable.
