In a talk titled‘ From Fire Testing to Real Fires’, Weghorst moved beyond theory and standards to show how insulation materials truly behave under fire conditions – with compelling case studies to back it up. Weghorst began by challenging the industry’ s tendency to categorise insulation simply as combustible or non-combustible. He explained:“ It’ s misleading. There’ s a vast spectrum: some materials ignite easily and burn rapidly, while others are extremely resistant, charring slowly and releasing minimal energy.” Kingspan manufactures across that spectrum – from mineral fibre to wood fibre – but has invested heavily in its proprietary QuadCore technology, a high-performance closed-cell insulation that offers equivalent thermal performance at almost half the thickness of conventional products. Lightweight, durable and moisture-resistant, QuadCore has been engineered not to compromise on safety.
STANDARDS: EUROPE VERSUS SOUTH AFRICA
Fire safety testing is not uniform worldwide, and Weghorst pointed out a recent shift in
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South Africa. From January 2025, South Africa has formally adopted European testing methodologies, though with notable differences.“ In Europe, a non-combustible product may not flame at all.“ In South Africa, the classification still allows up to 10 seconds of flaming. It’ s a subtle but important difference in interpretation,” said Weghorst. This has implications for specifiers and insurers alike, highlighting why performance cannot be judged on a single label.
Unlike many other companies which source chemical formulations from thirdparty suppliers, Kingspan develops and manufactures its own foams in-house. This vertical integration, Weghorst stressed, ensures precise control over thermal performance, smoke behaviour, compressive strength and long-term stability.
“ Foam chemistry isn’ t just about ticking boxes. It’ s about delivering optimal performance over decades of use,” he noted.
Kingspan’ s QuadCore was presented as the culmination of years of R & D, combining the best traits of PIR and phenolic foams into a unique formulation. Its advantages are fourfold:
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• Energy performance: thinner panels, lower U-values.
• Fire performance: reduced smoke, controlled char and FM approvals.
• Sustainability: lower embodied carbon and recyclability.
• Warranty: backed by a 20-year performance guarantee.
Weghorst highlighted that QuadCore panels are FM 4882 approved for smoke-sensitive environments such as pharmaceutical facilities and cold storage warehouses – a critical distinction in industries where product contamination or downtime can be catastrophic.
WHEN STANDARDS MEET REALITY: CASE STUDIES
A key part of the session was the series of real-world fire investigations Kingspan has been involved in.
London( 2014): Fire spread from a burning truck to ignite five more in front of docks at a cold storage facility. Kingspan panels prevented the blaze from penetrating the building envelope. Operations resumed the very next day.
Belgium
( arson attack):
Six Audi
vehicles were
destroyed
outside a
dealership,
but Kingspan
panels limited
fire damage
to the exterior.
The interior
remained
untouched,
preserving
customer
vehicles inside.
Compartment
fire( the
Netherlands):
A camper van
with 140l of
diesel ignited
inside a facility,
producing heavy
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Roy Weghorst, head of regulatory affairs at Kingspan.
building loss subsided when the blaze was
contained. Only 1 000m ² of panels required
replacement out of more than 11 000m ².
These incidents, said Weghorst,
underscore the difference between
laboratory compliance and real-world
resilience.
While building regulations aim to ensure
safe evacuation and protect neighbouring
structures, insurers take a different view.
“ They want the building itself to survive,”
Weghorst noted. This is why FM Global
and other insurers have developed their
own demanding test regimes, some using
360kW burners to simulate far more severe
conditions than European 30kW tests.
Passing these tests allows Kingspan
products to be recognised as“ as
good as non-combustible for property
protection” in industrial and cold storage
environments – where non-fibre, food-safe
solutions are essential.
Weghorst closed by reminding delegates
that insulation choice is never just about
energy efficiency. For the cold chain, where
fire risk, sustainability and operational
continuity intersect, the right insulation can
mean the difference between a total loss
and a rapid recovery.
“ With QuadCore, we’ ve proven – not
just in test labs, but in real fires – that high
performance and fire safety can go hand in
hand,” he concluded.
CLA
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All images by © Cold Link Africa |
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smoke and roof |
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flames. Initial |
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Part of the presentation. |
fears of total |