the test
Laboratory
ENVIRONMENT & SUSTAINABILITY
Marine
Energy
Business Assurance
Transport & Infrastructures
IFIs, Banks and Investors
INNOVATION
COMPANY PROFILE
RINA SERVICES S.p.A. is the RINA Group company active in classification, certification, inspection and testing services.
RINA is a multi-national Group which offers verification, certification, conformity assessment, marine classification, environmental enhancement,
product testing, site and vendor supervision, training and engineering consultancy across a wide range of industries and services. RINA operates
through a network of companies covering Marine, Energy, Infrastructures & Construction, Transport & Logistics, Food & Agriculture,
Environment & Sustainability, Finance & Public Institutions and Business Governance. With a turnover of over 330 million Euros in 2014, over
2,750 employees, and 163 offices in 60 countries worldwide, RINA is recognized as an authoritative member of key international organizations
and an important contributor to the development of new legislative standards.
www.rina.org
The History of the Laboratory
RINA is one of the oldest ship classification societies in the world. It was founded, in fact, in 1861 under the name of Registro Italiano Navale, as
a technical body for the control and inspection of ships and for safety of life at sea.
The RINA Test Laboratory was established in 1965 as the Fire Research Laboratory with the purpose of giving the industry, mainly Italian at
that time, a site where materials involved in the structural fire protection of ships could be tested in accordance with the applicable national and
international testing procedures and standards.
Following the international development of RINA activities, the Fire Research Laboratory has gained, during these years, a worldwide reputation
as one of the most competent laboratories for the performance of fire tests for marine applications.
In the meantime, also its field of interest has expanded, besides the fire tests in the ship and building field, through the inclusion of activities
not directly related to fire tests, such as tests on personal lifesaving appliances, personal protective equipment and calibration of testing
machines.
The RINA Test Laboratory is one of the first laboratories to have introduced the use of finite element mathematical modelling to predict the
behaviour of complex structures, such as panelling, ceilings, doors, etc., when subjected to fire.
Main equipment
Furnace for fire division tests
The furnace, with a 3040 x 3040 x 1000 mm combustion chamber, complies with the ISO
834:2000 standard and can reach a maximum temperature of 1200°C. The furnace can be
used either in a vertical or horizontal position and is equipped with an automatic temperature
rise control and computerised acquisition of temperature measurements.
SBI testing equipment
Single Burning Item is a fire reaction test method, defined by the EN 13823 standard, where
building products (excluding floorings) are exposed to thermal attack by a sandbox burner
supplied with propane.
The sample is placed under a hood and exhaust duct and is monitored instrumentally to
measure the quantity of heat and smoke released.
Equipment to determine optical smoke density and toxicity
A sample, 76 x 76 mm, is subjected to two levels of radiation: 50 kW/m2 and 25 kW/
m2. The smoke produced is intercepted by an optical path which measures its density
conventionally.
Gas samples are taken from the test chamber for the required chemical analyses to assess
their toxicity.
Authorisation Ministry of
the Interior
Accreditation and
recognition
The RINA Test Laboratory is accredited by ACCREDIA for the test
methods and calibrations shown in the leaflets.
The accreditation is the formal acknowledgement of the laboratory
compliance to the system requirements for all testing and calibration
activities and of the technical competence for the accredited test
methods and calibrations.
Marine sector
The RINA Test Laboratory has been indicated by the International
Maritime Organisation (UNO agency dealing with safety at sea) as
national reference laboratory for tests in connection with the
International Code for Application of Fire Test Procedures (FTP
Code) - IMO resolution MSC.61(67).
This code, which forms an integral part of the international convention
for the safety of life at sea (SOLAS 74), contains the requirements for
test laboratories and the test procedures applicable for the purpose
of certifying materials for which the above-mentioned Convention
foresees specific fire resistance or reaction characteristics.
The RINA Test Laboratory has been approved by the United States Coast
Guard for the purpose of acceptance, by the United States Administration,
of the results of all the tests foreseen by the IMO FTP Code.
This approval represents recognition of the laboratory as one of the
most reliable centres in the world in the marine sector and, together
with recognition by the Italian Administration as notified body
pursuant to the European Directive on Marine Equipment, enables
RINA to offer fire test and certification services, recognised worldwide,
which can be effectively used by manufacturers of plants and
equipment for ships and by yards throughout the world.
The RINA Test Laboratory is authorised by the Ministry of the Interior,
according to the criteria of the Ministerial Decree dated 26 March
1985, to operate in connection with fire resistance on non loadbearing vertical division elements, as foreseen in Circular no.91 dated
14 September 1961 and in connection with doors and other closing
elements, as foreseen in Ministerial Decree dated 21 June 2004, as well
as in accordance with the EN 1634 and UNI 9723 standards.
The RINA Test Laboratory is authorised, on the basis of the same criteria,
to also operate in relation to fire reaction of materials, as foreseen by
the Construction Products Regulation (EU) 305/2011, as foreseen by the
Ministerial Decree of 26 June 1984.
Benefits
Whatever the client’s need, the RINA Test Laboratory guarantees a
reliable response in terms of:
ƒƒ
specific technical competency as regards national and
international codes and technical rules, derived from
participation in the work of the most important international
regulatory/standardisation bodies (IMO, ISO, CEN)
ƒƒ
possibility to provide the certification services foreseen by
directives 96/98/EEC - Marine Equipment and 89/686/EEC Personal Protective Equipment through certification of materials
and manufacturing processes
ƒƒ
long-standing testing experience, based on an average of
approximately 550 tests performed every year.
Building sector
The RINA Test Laboratory is authorised by the Ministry of the Interior to carry out fire resistance and reaction tests on products and materials
for use in applications subject to control by the Fire Brigade.
Railway sector
The RINA Test Laboratory has been judged suitable by the Ministry of Infrastructures and Transport to carry out tests relevant to material
characteristics (fire resistance and reaction and toxicity) in connection with legislative decree no.299, dated 24 May 2001, transposing
Directive 96/48/EC on the interoperability of the trans-European high-speed rail system.
Egolf
The Test Laboratory is a member of EGOLF (The European Group of Organisations for Fire Testing, Inspection and Certification) which is a focus for
collaboration between the official fire testing laboratories in Europe. It is also aimed to provide technical harmonisation and to promote research
and development in fire testing.
Laboratory Services
ƒƒ
ƒƒ
ƒƒ
ƒƒ
ƒƒ
ƒƒ
Fire Tests (marine applications)
All the fire resistance and reaction tests required for materials to be used in the marine sector as per the IMO FTP Code and directive 96/98/
EC (MED).
Fire Tests (building & railway applications)
Fire resistance and reaction tests carried out in accordance with the decrees of the Ministry of the Interior and to determine the Euro classes,
and fire reaction tests on materials for railway rolling stock.
Tests on life-saving appliances
Tests, also in situ, on life belts and lifebuoys required by IMO regulations.
Tests on personal protective equipment
Tests, also in situ, on lifejackets, components for diving and safety harnesses for recreational craft according to the harmonised standards in
application of Community directive 89/686/EEC.
Verification of material testing equipment
Calibration, in situ, of tension testing machines, Charpy testing machines, hardness testing machines and extensometers.
Accessory services
Simulation of the behaviour of fire containment structures, such as doors, by means of finite element calculations.
Test Laboratory
Calata Gadda - 16126 Genova - Italy
ph. +39 010 5385377
laboratory@rina.org
Via Corsica, 12 - 16128 Genova - Italy
ph. +39 010 53851 - fax +39 010 5351000
info@rina.org
WWW.RINA.ORG
WWW.RINAGROUP.ORG
RINA Corporate Image©