Thomas Bell-Wright International Consultants

Thomas Bell-Wright International Consultants (TBW) is a multi-accredited independent Testing, Inspection and Certification (TIC) firm specializing in the building envelope and construction sector. Founded in 1995 by Tom Bell-Wright in Dubai as a façade consultancy, the company has grown over nearly three decades into a globally recognized provider of assurance services for architectural façade elements and passive fire protection systems. TBW now operates offices and testing facilities across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Kingdom, serving commercial and industrial clients including façade contractors, architects, building owners, manufacturers, and project managers requiring third-party verification of their building envelope systems.

The firm's core façade consulting services cover pre- and post-tender reviews, façade inspection, and façade condition assessments. These services support architects and developers in evaluating proposed façade designs against project performance specifications, identifying deficiencies early in the design or procurement process to minimize costly rectification works on site. TBW's consultants bring decades of combined expertise in curtain wall engineering, enabling rigorous review of shop drawings, specifications, and material submissions to confirm alignment with applicable standards and project requirements.

Laboratory curtain wall testing is one of TBW's flagship capabilities. The company's large testing hall — which can accommodate twelve or more full-size mock-ups simultaneously, with specimen widths up to 15 metres and heights up to 22 metres — allows contractors and manufacturers to verify that a proposed façade system meets performance criteria under controlled laboratory conditions before construction begins. The three fundamental tests are air infiltration, water penetration, and structural load; additional evaluations including building movement simulation and thermal cycling are conducted in accordance with project-specific requirements. Testing is performed to internationally recognized standards including ASTM, AAMA, CWCT, and BS EN, making results acceptable to project owners, insurers, and regulatory authorities worldwide.

Beyond laboratory evaluation, TBW offers a comprehensive suite of on-site testing services to verify installed façade performance. These include hose testing, site chamber testing, whole-building air infiltration testing, balustrade testing, and pull-out testing. Site testing confirms that actual construction quality matches the performance demonstrated during laboratory mock-up testing, enabling project managers to address workmanship deficiencies prior to handover. The firm covers a broad range of façade element types, including traditional curtain walls, doors and windows, glass walls, skylights, metal and glass roofing, metal cladding, and granite wall systems.

TBW's fire compliance division offers a full range of services for manufacturers, contractors, and specifiers seeking to verify and certify the fire performance of construction products and assemblies. In 2007, TBW installed the region's first fire resistance furnace, enabling resistance-to-fire testing for building elements in accordance with international codes. A Steiner tunnel for reaction-to-fire testing — the first in Europe and the Middle East — was commissioned in 2011, complemented by BS EN reaction-to-fire test equipment. By 2016, the firm had expanded to include complete fire propagation testing for full façade systems, making it the only local provider of end-to-end fire compliance services for the building envelope in the GCC region.

TBW became the region's first local Certification Body for passive fire protection products in 2015 and additionally provides fire stop inspection services to verify correct in-situ installation of passive fire protection in completed buildings. The company's Product Certification Portal provides a searchable public listing of certified materials and assemblies, serving as a transparent resource for architects and specifiers. This combination of fire resistance testing, reaction-to-fire testing, fire propagation testing, inspection, and certification under one organization positions TBW as a one-stop shop for fire compliance across the construction supply chain.

TBW holds an extensive portfolio of accreditations across its international entities. The TBWIC entity (UAE) is accredited by UKAS as Testing Laboratory 4439 and Certification Body 6762; by EIAC as Testing Laboratory LB-TEST-188, Inspection Body IB-199, and Certification Body CB-PRD-004; by IAS as Testing Laboratory TL-626 and Certification Body PCA-160; and by ENAS as Testing Laboratory NAL 159. The UK entity TBWUK holds UKAS Testing Laboratory accreditation 27292, while the Saudi entity TBWSA is accredited by SAAC as Inspection Body N-I-00035 and Testing Laboratory N-T-00606. All testing operations run under ISO 17025-accredited quality management systems, ensuring universal recognition of results by project owners, authorities, and international code bodies.

Now part of the Phenna Group — a global portfolio of specialist TIC businesses — TBW combines nearly 30 years of continuous operation with an unmatched scope of accreditations for building envelope and fire compliance testing across the Middle East, UK, and Gulf region. With large-capacity testing halls capable of evaluating oversized mock-ups under extreme pressures, a complete fire testing and passive fire protection certification offering, and a multi-jurisdictional presence spanning four countries, TBW is an authoritative and highly credible testing partner for façade contractors, developers, fire engineers, and building product manufacturers seeking rigorous independent verification of curtain wall, fenestration, cladding, and passive fire protection assemblies.