Influence of Gypsum Board Type (X or C) on Real Fire Performance of Partition Assemblies.
Influence of Gypsum Board Type (X or C) on Real Fire
Performance of Partition Assemblies.
(836 K)
Manzello, S. L.; Gann, R. G.; Kukuck, S. R.; Lenhert, D.
B.
Fire and Materials, Vol. 31, No. 7, 425-442, November
2007.
Keywords:
gypsum board; partitions; compartments; fire resistance;
walls; heat flux; experiments; temperature;
thermocouples; fire load; compartment fires; cracking
(fracturing)
Abstract:
This paper compares the responses of wall-size partition
assemblies, composed of either type X or type C gypsum
wallboard panels over steel studs, when each was exposed
to an intense room fire. The exposures lasted from the
time of ignition to beyond flashover. Heat flux gauges
provided time histories of the energy incident on the
partitions, while thermocouples provided data on the
propagation of heat through the partitions and on the
progress toward perforation. Visual and infrared cameras
were used to image partition behaviour during the fire
exposure. Contraction of the seams of the two types of
assemblies occurred under similar thermal conditions on
the unexposed surface. However, there were noticeable
differences in cracking behaviour. Reduced scale
experiments were performed in conjunction with the
real-scale fire tests to provide insight into the
contraction and cracking behaviour of the different
gypsum board types. Results obtained from these
experiments are discussed.
Building and Fire Research Laboratory
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Gaithersburg, MD 20899