In 2023, firefighters carried out nearly 300,000 interventions for fires in residential, industrial, or commercial buildings. That’s considerable. The flame is an uncertainty. The spark has worrying secrets. Fortunately, there is a science that tames this unknown. A science of fire, at the service of construction stakeholders, operators, and safety commissions. Daniel Joyeux, president of the Efectis group, enlightens us…
Mastering fire through a sense of innovation
In the event of a fire, will this fire door be effective? Is the system suitable? How will the material behave? 3D modeling ! Efectis reproduces a small piece of the world, virtually, and turns away from reality to better return to it. With more confidence. If necessary, we will carry out physical tests. What matters is precision. Yes, there is indeed a science of fire. An experimental science which progresses with regard to the incidents listed here and there. A responsible science, too, which embraces regulatory developments. Efectis is undoubtedly the best promoter. His mission ? Evaluate fire performance and certify construction products in France, the Netherlands, Turkey and the United Kingdom.
At its head, Daniel Joyeux. Not content with keeping the flame of a leading company alive, the man is also an expert at the Paris Court of Appeal. Causes, consequences, responsibilities: following the fire, it directs justice. At Efectis, its teams check the fire performance of construction products, particularly for compliance with CE marking, systems (grouping together several products, like a facade where each element plays a specific role), and works in their whole. Each component must meet the strictest safety requirements.
Be a guarantor, in all circumstances
The current regulatory context, although necessary, may seem very developed and particularly complex. Daniel Joyeux advocates for safety standards to evolve with new construction techniques and materials. However, regulatory texts are struggling to adapt to changes. Efectis thus offers alternatives and fire safety engineering tools to meet these challenges. Enough to ensure the flexibility and precision of assessments in real conditions. Each building must be able to offer an optimal level of safety against fire risks.
As a certification body, Efectis therefore guarantees compliance with European and international standards. Approved by the Ministry of the Interior for more than fifty years in France, Efectis works on a wide variety of projects, including critical infrastructures, such as transport installations and even nuclear power plants. The group’s involvement in the Flamanville EPR project is quite emblematic in this regard. In this context, Efectis is certified according to the standard, ISO 19443. It requires knowing the issues of nuclear safety as soon as we intervene on an installation important for safety, such as sectorization elements. .
It would be difficult to list the emblematic projects that have made Efectis successful. Without doubt the Louis Vuitton Foundation is an eloquent example of this. The mix of materials used for the design of the building, this complexity of separating the interior from the exterior, will have raised a number of issues in terms of fire safety. Efectis’ mission? Help the project owner and the companies involved to use solutions that are both compliant and effective. A success.
Always go further in the analysis of constructive details and understand the phenomena to ensure that we can control them as much as possible
Daniel Joyeux, president of the Efectis group
Persistent Fire Safety Challenges
Despite all the progress, the number of fires remains high. Several factors explain this phenomenon. First, economic reasons: building owners and operators may hesitate to invest in costly improvements. Then, products and operating methods that change more quickly than laws. Finally, it is important to note that fire is not always controllable, despite the best prevention measures.
Faced with this observation, Efectis is carrying out tests on energy storage systems, for example, or on the transport and use of hydrogen, to understand and anticipate new risks. The fascination and worry about fire remains, reminding us of the importance of humility in the face of the unpredictable. It should be noted, in this regard, that Efectis is not limited to the evaluation and certification of products. The company is also committed to education and training. Many of the group’s engineers have university experience and actively participate in training programs.
On May 29, 2024, the Efectis group reorganized its capital with the entry of the France Nucléaire Fund and Bpifrance, allowing the management team to access capital and marking the exit of the Dutch FDI fund. An operation which aims to support the group in its continued development in France and internationally.
