In many regards Underwriters Labor...

In many regards Underwriters Laboratories' (UL) new Large-Scale Fire example Facility in Northbrook, Ill., amounted to a baptism by dint of fire for its designers and builders. Although UL has operated similar facilities for decades, it had in no degree undertaken a project of this size -- 45000 square feet -- or complexity.

The $106 million facility is used to guidance a variety of fire proofs for product certification and research, and required an array of special building methods to test assemblies to their limits.

Among other spaces, the building features a 14400-sq-ft primary