Testing

The CSTB conducts its activities of research and expertise, assessment and certification, thanks to its test engineering and facilities. Based on a multiphysical approach to buildings and on its ability to develop specific test protocols, test engineering characterizes the performance of an innovation, by directly measuring characteristics whose experimental framework has yet to be standardized. In addition, when appropriate, the CSTB can also use a combined approach with digital simulation to push the analysis further.

Furthermore, the CSTB has the ability to implement full-scale tests to explore the integration potential of products as closely as possible to actual conditions. It checks the effectiveness of innovations, factoring in how they will be used, their industrial characteristics and the degree of complexity of the physical phenomena involved.

The CSTB has more than 1,200 test benches as well as major test facilities for use by the different scientific and technical disciplines. These test facilities have a broad range of capabilities for testing materials, products and structural components, for traditional and innovative systems used in building.

The testing activities are accredited by the French national accreditation body (COFRAC). The accreditation numbers are: 1-0300, 1-0301, 1-0302, 1-0304, 1-0305, 1-2122 and 1-1542 for tests (websites list and scopes of accreditation are available at www.cofrac.fr).

Test facilities of the CSTB