2024-09-25

Antwerp, 18th September 2024, The International Water Mist Association (IWMA), the leading association in the water mist firefighting industry, is proud to announce the election of Max Lakkonen as its new President!

Max Lakkonen, Managing Director of the IFAB – Institute for Applied Fire Safety Research in Berlin, Germany, brings over 20 years of expertise in water mist systems to this role. An active member of the IWMA since 2005, he has made significant contributions to the industry’s growth and previously served as Chairman of the IWMA Scientific Council.

Reflecting on his appointment, Max Lakkonen said:

“I am deeply honoured by the trust IWMA members have placed in me. My goal is to continue advancing the IWMA’s mission and further support the evolution of the water mist industry. Water mist technology is not only highly effective in fire suppression but also environmentally friendly, offering distinct advantages over conventional technologies.

The water mist industry is already substantial, with a market valued in the billions of euros by end-clients, and it plays a dominant role in several sectors. While the industry is well-established, I believe there is still significant potential for growth. It is crucial that we continue educating the wider fire protection sector. There are many factors in today’s world that support the increased adoption of water mist systems over conventional alternatives.”

The election of Max Lakkonen follows the resignation of Are Brandt, who led the IWMA for two consecutive three-year terms, the maximum allowed under the organisation’s statutes.

Bogdan Raciega (Baltic Fire Laboratory) was elected chair of the IWMA Scientific Council.

2024-09-11

2024-12-18

For the Berlin Chamber of Architects, Rajko Rothe from IFAB conducted a seminar on engineering methods for proactive fire protection.

The goal was to provide a fundamental understanding of the application possibilities of CFD simulations and the methodology of structural fire protection through the use of pedestrian flow and smoke simulations.

The seminar focused on fire protection tasks and the application possibilities of FDS, as well as the interpretation and dangers of misinterpreting results. This core content was well-received by the participants.

2022-06-07

IFAB carried out further hot smoke tests in the new building of the Goethe School in Wetzlar. The aim this time was also to prove the functionality of the fire alarm system. The verification became necessary because the smoke detectors installed on the raw ceiling were partially covered by a suspended ceiling construction.

2022-01-27

IFAB has successfully carried out 1:1 open fire tests with a metro car, which serve as a basis for the validation of numerical simulation methods.

IFAB was responsible for the development and implementation of the measurement concept, which included the determination and recording of all measured variables, calculation of the heat release rates (HRR) using various calculation methods and preparation of the test report.

2021-09-13

The International Water Mist Association (IWMA) has announced that the annual IWMC 2021 conference (the 20th International Water Mist Conference) will take place on 27-28 October 2021. This year the conference will be held in Warsaw, Poland, at the "Regent Warsaw Hotel". As in previous years, IFAB is again the conceptual sponsor of the conference.

More information about the conference can be found here and in the conference programme.

As always, the first day will focus on applications and can be booked separately. The second day will mainly deal with the current state of research. In addition to the conference, there will be an exhibition. The Water Mist Conference takes place once a year and is the only event that deals exclusively with the use of water mist.

2021-05-31

IFAB was commissioned by the Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG) to create a design fire curve for train types H and HK of the Berlin underground. This will serve as the basis for simulating a burning train in future smoke extraction and evacuation simulations for BVG stops. A total of four possible scenarios were calculated as the basis for a design fire curve. The results of the most suitable scenario were used as the new design fire curve.

2021-03-15

IFAB provided training for a Swiss client on the following topic: NFPA 130:2020 (Standard for Fixed Guideway Transit and Passenger Rail Systems).

2020-11-13

IFAB has been re-accredited in accordance with revised DIN ISO/IEC 17025:2018-03 for testing the effectiveness of water-based fire suppression systems for rail vehicles, industrial facilities, public places, storage rooms, machinery and plant rooms, tunnel and transport infrastructure facilities, and high-voltage energy storage systems, and for experimental investigations of design fire scenarios using real fire tests: https://www.dakks.de/files/data/as/pdf/D-PL-19994-01-00.pdf.

2020-10-20

Hot smoke tests were carried out by IFAB in the new building of the Goethe School in Wetzlar. The aim was to prove the functionality of the fire alarm system. The verification through hot smoke tests had become necessary because the smoke detectors installed on the raw ceiling were partially covered by a suspended ceiling construction.

2020-07-30

IFAB carried out a series of tests with and for N2 Global extinguishers. Nitrogen was used as the extinguishing agent. The test scenarios were developed and implemented in coordination with N2 Global.