Pyropanel Developments was part of a project to design and build an
aboveground bushfire shelter for saving lives.
Pyropanel used its expertise in fire rated door systems during the
collaboration with Swinburne University - Faculty of Science, Engineering and
Technology, as well as Frankston Concrete Products to develop and test the
bushfire bunker.
Officially launched by the Executive Dean of Science, Engineering and
Technology Professor John Wilson recently at Swinburne University’s Industry
Open Day, the bushfire shelter is designed to accommodate five people and
withstand intense temperatures. Dr Ambarish Kulkarni, one of the chief design
engineers on the project, led a discussion on the design, testing and
development of the bushfire shelter with input from Peter Zigouras of Frankston
Concrete Products.
Featuring an outer and inner chamber with double
walls, the shelter enables people seeking protection from a bushfire to move
into the inner chamber where they close the vents and wait for the fire to pass.
A small window allows them to confirm that the fire front has passed before
they exit the shelter.
