Research

Major test facilities

Vulcain, a major research and testing center focusing on fire resistance in innovative structures, was developed in response to the need to mitigate risks in structures.
The ambition is to make advances through to improve fire safety of all constructions (buildings, industrial facilities, transportation infrastructure, etc.), reaching beyond standard test solutions and classic simulations.

Unique technical specificities in Europe

Located at the CSTB Marne-la-Vallée site, Vulcain offers unique technical specificities:

  • an approach combining full-scale testing and simulation
  • exceptional size for testing tall structures representing full-scale assemblies
  • special measurement technology.

This scientifically and technically advanced platform makes it possible to integrate issues of fire safety starting with the general design of structures. This opens the way to optimizing the structure of buildings, to reduce their environmental footprint and improve their economic performance.

Partners

Construction of the facility was supported by the State, through the Ministry for Housing, Regional Equality and Rural Affairs, the Ministry for the Environment, Sustainable Development and Energy, and the Ministry of Higher Education and Research, along with the Paris Region authorities.

Beyond the cutting-edge technical equipments and broad range of expertise among teams, the Vulcain facility also has a Scientific Council to continually optimize and enrich its research programs.

The Scientific Council brings together numerous partners from public laboratories and representatives of stakeholders in the field: state-owned industrial and technological companies, science and technical departments of European universities, laboratories (industrial physics, thermal and fluid mechanics, etc.), (INSA Rennes, University of Pau, University of Liège, CETU, University of Coimbra, University of Edinburgh, SP, NIST, IFSTTAR, IRSN, CETHiL, BAM).