Max Lakkonen

Managing Director

Max Lakkonen is the Managing Director of IFAB – Institute for Fire Safety Research (Germany), bringing over 20 years of expertise to fire engineering. With a background in academia in Finland, he holds a postgraduate degree in fluid power and automation engineering. Max is a well-known lecturer, often speaking at fire protection conferences and actively participating in standard committees such as NFPA 130, NFPA 502, NFPA 750, and ITA-COSUF. He also chairs the scientific council of the International Water Mist Association and serves on the MDM Editorial Advisory Board for leading fire industry publications. Max’s strong scientific background and expertise in an accredited fire test laboratory uniquely qualify him to handle complex fire engineering challenges. Specializing in performance-based design, computational fluid dynamics, and water-based firefighting systems, Max has authored over 80 publications and holds several patents.

Articles By Max Lakkonen

E Classification: The “E” classification signifies integrity only, maintaining its integrity during fire exposure, preventing the passage of flames and hot gases for a specified period but lacking insulation against heat transfer (radiation).
EW Rating: The “EW” classification includes both integrity and heat insulation properties. It signifies that the building element can maintain its integrity and provide a certain level of insulation against heat transfer when exposed to fire.
EI Classification: The “EI” classification denotes both integrity and insulation, maintaining integrity and providing insulation against heat transfer, preventing flames and hot gases from passing through while restricting heat transmission for a specified duration.

Performance-Based Fire Engineering – Advancing Design Strategies for Complex Buildings