What does BAM do at its Test Site for Technical Safety?

aerial photo of BAM TTS — The BAM Test Site Technical Safety spans 12 square kilometres.

Source: BAM

What we do at our Test Site for Technical Safety (TTS)

BAM is a senior scientific and technical Federal institute with responsibility to the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action. BAM tests, researches and advises to protect people, the environment and material goods. BAM's Headquarters is in Berlin. In addition, BAM has been operating a Test Site for Technical Safety (Testgelände Technische Sicherheit - TTS) on an area measuring 12 km² in Horstwalde in Brandenburg since the beginning of the 1990s.

If laboratory tests or model calculations are not sufficient to quantify the risks of hazardous substances, large-scale tests need to be carried out on a scale of 1:1. True-to-scale experiments are also necessary if, for example, BAM carries out work in its capacity as a senior federal authority in the field of hazardous substances legislation and explosives law.

Some examples of our work at the TTS:

Competence Centre H2Safety@BAM for safe hydrogen technologies

The topic of hydrogen has been researched at BAM for more than a hundred years and is also the focus of numerous research and cooperation activities today. With BAM's current hydrogen strategy, important prerequisites are being created to ensure that the market ramp-up is successful and that the technical safety and monitoring of the infrastructures and plants is guaranteed - from the production and transport to the storage and provision of hydrogen as an energy carrier of the future. At BAM's Test Site for Technical Safety in Horstwalde, Brandenburg, BAM is currently building further unique test facilities for this purpose.

Testing of lithium-ion batteries

Lithium-ion batteries are an important part of the energy transition. However, due to their high energy density, they can ignite and are then difficult to extinguish. In order to assess this and other hazards more accurately, BAM is systematically researching energy storage devices for the first time. At BAM's Technical Safety Test Site in Brandenburg, lithium-ion batteries of various sizes are examined - from button cells to car batteries, which can weigh as much as 800 kilos. The scientists and engineers are primarily concerned with the safety of the batteries.

Test scenarios for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS)

BAM is also performing research on UAS-based measurement methods in terms of qualification, characterisation and validation. The focus here is on robotics, gas sensor technology, system integration and data analysis. The TTS offers excellent testing possibilities for this purpose, such as the test site for distributed gas sensor technology: a gas injection system near to the surface simulates gas emissions from the ground, as may occur in landfills and underground gas storage systems. Another scenario enables UAS installations for the detection and determination of gas leaks in pipelines and pressure vessels to be investigated. UAS-based measurement methods for optical building inspection on real test specimens can also be characterised and validated.

Safe bridges - well monitored

Many bridges are considered dilapidated and in need of repair. Bridges are an important element of the road network and are therefore significant for researching the safety of structures. At the Test Site for Technical Safety, BAM is working on various options for non-destructive testing - from ultrasonic waves to fibre optic sensors - on a specially constructed test bridge. Horstwalde is not the only place where BAM uses sensors for technical monitoring. In Berlin, one of the busiest motorway bridges in Germany, part of the A100, has been monitored with BAM technology for more than 20 years.

Testing the resilience of storage containers & tanks for dangerous goods

About 300 million tonnes of dangerous goods are transported through Germany every year, according to the Federal Statistical Office. Almost half of them are travelling by lorries. BAM’s research plays an important role in the safety of these transports. BAM scientists are investigating the impacts on dangerous goods containers and tanks in accidents. A unique test stand can be used to investigate how a tank behaves under extreme loads, for example when it is exposed to fire. At the test site, BAM also tests the safety of containers for the final disposal of radioactive waste.

Investigating accident scenarios involving gas tanks vehicles

In order to achieve energy and climate policy goals, Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) is becoming increasingly important as an environmentally friendly fuel. However, increased use of LNG in road transport is still associated with hitherto unexplored risks. For this purpose, BAM is investigating, among other things, accident scenarios with LNG in tunnels at the test site. A real-scale tunnel test facility was set up for this purpose. This makes it possible to investigate various gas dispersion scenarios. The aim is to derive recommendations for action with regard to LNG from the research results, which will then find their way into international regulations. In addition, BAM is investigating accident scenarios in order to obtain a basis for action aids that firefighters and rescuers consult in the event of accidents or disasters.

Testing fireworks, airbags and other pyrotechnic items

BAM is a notified body within the EU that is safety testing pyrotechnic items in accordance with the provisions of the current Directive 2013/29/EU before they can be brought to market. As a rule, tests are carried out based on (harmonised) standards which specify product-specific criteria. To pass the test, products must fulfill design-relevant and functional requirements.

Securing cash machines against gas attacks

BAM is testing whether cash machines can cope with explosions and whether the built-in protective systems are sufficient. To this end BAM is conducting test explosions on their Test Site, using different types of cash machines and security systems. Gas combinations used by the perpetrators are also employed in the tests. The data from the tests is used to increase resistance to explosions and to prevent the opening of valuables containers by criminals.

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