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.