With the increasing use of high-speed trains, safety is becoming ever more important, with fire prevention high on the list of requirements.
To address this, SOGECLAIR has developed an innovative fire-resistant material designed to protect both rail-wagon and engine-cabin structures in emergency situations; safeguarding passengers, important cargo or vital train control systems.

Created as a spinoff of the main effort in the EU project FASTER H2, this innovative multi-layer material can withstand extremely intense local short-duration flames as well as less intense indirect long-duration flames.

It provides an effective fire barrier and maintains temperatures at the protected side within working limits.

Development tests carried out at AIN in Pamplona and APPLUS+ in Barcelona demonstrate the material’s robust performance.

Development tests with APPLUS+ in Barcelona with a gas-oven flame for an hour

Development tests with AIN in Pamplona with a blow-torch flame lasting several minutes

Beyond fire protection, this solution offers several benefits:

• Lightweight compared to conventional fire protection solutions for rail
• Cost-effective, thanks to easily available components (avoiding lead-time issues)
• Multi-functional, acting as fire, thermal and acoustic barrier

Two final products based on this material are to be commercialized :

• Firewall and protection for critical structure: inserted between partition walls, composed of modular bricks on a lightweight hidden frame
• Protection for critical wagon structure (whether external walls, roof or floor), attached directly to the protected structure and removable for easy inspection, repair, and maintenance

Both products are designed as standardized, off-the-shelf, modular and affordable.

For more specific needs, a customization service will also be available to adapt performance to unique requirements (e.g., extended fire resistance, lower thermal transmission, or complex 3D geometries).

With this innovation, SOGECLAIR provides fire safety solutions that are effective, lightweight, affordable, and multi-functional.

This article was originally published by SOGECLAIR

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source= https://railway-news.com/an-innovative-fire-protection-material-for-rail/