Our large-scale testing platforms

Ineris uses innovative testing resources, many of them unique in France. With its extensive facilities, it can conduct tests in conditions as close to real life as possible. From the ignition and explosiveness of chemical products, to long-term behaviour of industrial waste, to the effect of chemical substances on complex ecosystems, Ineris’ expertise covers a broad range of competences dedicated to safety.

Its experimental approach combines laboratory testing with unique, large-scale testing methods and experimental modelling. This enables it to build on its multidisciplinary expertise and provide services that draw not only on its theoretical and regulatory expertise, but also on teams that engage directly with the field and are capable of designing the tests most suited to a given question.

Mesocosms (artificial rivers)

Mesocosms are large artificial ecosystems placed under natural environmental conditions. They are used to carry out medium-scale simulations of aquatic environments to evaluate the behaviour, progression and long-term effects of chemical substances in the ecosystem. They are highly representative of the natural environment. Ineris has been using mesocosms to simulate running water since 1995. It is one of the only systems of its kind in France and is the most complete in terms of interactions between species and their environment.

Battery safety platform

One platform is specifically dedicated to evaluating the safety of energy storage systems and their components at a wide variety of stages in the life cycle, from production to disposal or recycling. Tests are customized for research partnerships or for the specific needs of industry stakeholders, or according to the requirements of a range of applicable standards and voluntary certifications. Products are tested under extreme conditions (temperature, pressure, vibrations, electrical cycling). This platform is recognized by the French Electrochemical Energy Storage Network (RS2E).

S-Nano platform

As part of its commitment to fostering innovation for cleaner, safer industrial development, the Institute implemented, in 2014, a platform designed to characterize risks related to nanomaterials and their use throughout their life cycle. The S-Nano platform is composed of four laboratories dedicated to metrology in the field and the physical / chemical characterization of substances, waste management, characterization of hazards and hazardousness throughout the life cycle. It is available to the Institute’s scientific partners and industrial stakeholders.

Fire platform

The combustion [and fire] platform is used to analyse the behaviour of complex objects with high thermal and toxic potential when subjected to fire. Initially composed of a fire gallery with rooms between15 to 80 square meters equipped with a Tewarson calorimeter, the gallery was, in 2014, fitted out with a new 1,000-square-meter hall for system fires with a heat capacity of up to 10 MW.
These features are coupled with a Smoke Treatment System with a capacity of 100,000 Nm3/h. With this platform, the only one of its kind in France, the Institute can conduct high-power, high-toxicity tests at a wide range of scales and in complete safety.

Ardevie, the “waste behaviour” testing platform

The Ardevie platform, located in Aix-en-Provence, is dedicated to the treatment and recovery of waste, by-products and effluents, and to the development of innovative, environmentally friendly materials and processes. The platform is composed of 400 square meters of laboratories (for storage, lixiviation, percolation, analysis, etc.) and a testing station capable of determining how hundreds of kilos of waste behave in real-life conditions and how contaminants are released.

Emissions testing station

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Ineris’ emissions testing station is the only one of its kind in Europe. It is capable of simulating gas and particle effluents from combustion or incineration systems. The station can host up to twelve measurement teams at a time and is used in the interlaboratory comparisons carried out by the Institute on behalf of the Ministry of the Environment.

Underground geotechnics platform

Located in Saint-Maximin, Oise, this platform is used to evaluate the stability of subterranean structures. Ineris studies the mechanisms of rock deformation and collapse, and tests a range of innovative risk management techniques, such as consolidation and backfilling.

Explosion/dispersion platform

The explosion/dispersion platform in Montlaville, Oise, is used to study and test (full-scale and customised tests) the dangerous phenomena caused by accidents. The Institute’s teams test dispersion and explosive fires and equipment. The platform is comprised of ten buildings, over an area of 7 hectares, including two 150-meter-long galleries.