PFRlab
Our Property-level Flood Resilience Innovation and Testing Laboratory supports industry to bring safe and effective flood protection measures to market
Why is it important?
Flooding is one of the most significant climate-related risks, with 6.3 million UK homes now at risk from rivers, seas, and surface water. The number is increasing year on year and could reach 8 million by 2050.
For homeowners and businesses, the financial and emotional impact can be devastating. Property Flood Resilience (PFR) products, like flood doors and barriers, can help to hold back flood water and speed up recovery. However, until recently, the PFR market has faced barriers to innovation from high testing costs and limited access to appropriate facilities. These challenges restrict innovation and delay the availability of reliable products for those who need them most.
How will PFRlab help?
The University of Hull’s PFRlab is designed to transform this landscape. By providing independent, cost-effective, and flexible innovation and testing, the PFRlab enables industry to bring products to market faster and at lower cost. This increased capacity will:
- Accelerate innovation in PFR products, making them more reliable, easier to install, and more widely available.
- Provide robust evidence to better understand PFR and drive improvements to flood resilience measures, strategies and testing.
- Strengthen the flood insurance market by helping insurers understand how PFR mitigates risk.
- Undertake product testing to support British Standard certification.
- Expand opportunities for commercial property resilience, for example for multi-functional solutions that meet flood, fire, and accessibility standards.
Ultimately, the PFRlab will help protect homes, businesses, and communities, reducing the social and economic impact of flooding.
What is the PFRlab?
The PFRlab is the University of Hull’s state-of-the-art, independent innovation and testing laboratory, located at The Deep aquarium in Hull. Developed in collaboration with the Environment Agency and Flood Re, the PFRlab has a dual remit to innovate and test PFR products. The lab is equipped with adaptable testing enclosures and high-resolution monitoring systems, enabling rigorous evaluation under realistic flood conditions.
Key features include:
- Capacity to test multiple PFR products simultaneously, reducing costs and speeding up certification.
- State-of-the-art, research quality measurement systems, including lasers and high-speed camera equipment to monitor product performance in water, wave, flow and heavy impact conditions.
- In-house flood resilience and business development expertise, to enable innovation.
- Partnership with Kiwa Ltd, an international certification agency, for testing to British Standard.
What it does
The PFRlab provides state-of-the-art measurement and instrumentation, combined with expert analysis and insight. The lab replicates real-world flood scenarios and can create:
- Standing water up to 100cm deep
- Wave action up to 10cm and flows of 1 m/s or greater
- Impact tests using a standard 30kg weight or large log impactor
Testing follows a carefully controlled sequence, providing manufacturers with robust evidence of product performance. PFRlab is approved by Kiwa Ltd to undertake testing in support of British Standard BS 851188-2019+A1-2021.
The lab’s innovation focus helps companies develop and refine designs, improving performance, durability and usability. By growing the evidence base, PFRlab is also contributing to evolving testing standards.
PFRlab offers a unique opportunity to collaborate on solutions that make property-level flood resilience measures more accessible, affordable, and effective – supporting a safer, more resilient future for millions of residential and business properties.
Partner with us
If you manufacture PFR products or are exploring innovative flood resilience solutions, the University of Hull’s PFRlab can help you:
- Test your products in line with British Standards
- Innovate and improve designs using advanced monitoring
- Reduce costs and time-to-market
- Accelerate certification with Kiwa Ltd
Get in touch