LEDUC, AB – On Wednesday, May 12th, 2021, BarrierTek initiated a first of its kind in Canada, large-scale burn experiment. The company performed a full-scale field test at a local fire training facility designed to demonstrate the efficacy of BarrierTek products – a made-in- Alberta invention that promises to defend wood structures – against nature's most devastating force, fire. Further to this, the demonstration provided empirical results that will greatly benefit the wood construction industry and enhance the work of fire prevention professionals on a provincial and national level.
The large-scale burn experiment provided a comparative analysis between two three-story wood buildings – one constructed with BarrierTek fire-proof coating and the other, untreated standard construction. Both buildings were identical in construction and were ignited with an equal amount of fuel-load. Untreated wood buildings are at risk of catastrophic fire both during and after construction and this experiment demonstrated that structures treated with BarrierTek coatings eliminate that risk. BarrierTek treated structures do not allow fire to leave the point of origin, dramatically reducing fire damage and posing absolutely no threat to the surrounding community or any adjacent buildings.
"At BarrierTek, we deeply care about the safety of our communities and we are passionate about influencing the built environment by developing high-performance, fire-resistant products. This experiment is our chance to show the industry and our communities that fires are a preventable tragedy and an opportunity to change the wood construction industry for the better. We hope that this one-of-a-kind demonstration will give the industry, code developers, and the general public a sense of real-life impact and demonstrate how each building is assessed for damage," says Mike Baker, CEO of BarrierTek.
Due to current COVID-19 restrictions, this demonstration will be broadcasted as a virtual event. Government officials, industry professionals, business leaders and the general public are invited to observe the demonstration virtually on June 16th at 11:00am. For more information about the event and to register, please visit: https://www.barriertek.com/sciencevsfire
B-roll footage and photography from the experiment is available exclusively to media at: https://www.barriertek.com/media/