Experimental and Analytical Studies of Floor Covering Flammability with a Model Corridor. Final Report.
Experimental and Analytical Studies of Floor Covering
Flammability with a Model Corridor. Final Report.
(5243 K)
Denyes, W.; Quintiere, J. G.
NBSIR 73-199; 113 p. May 1973.
Floor and Floor Covering Materials. Volume 12. Fire
and Flammability Series. 1976, Technomic Publishing
Co., Inc., Westport, CT, Hilado, C. J., Editor(s),
162-239 pp, 1973.
Sponsor:
Man-Made Fiber Producers Association, Inc., Washington,
DC
Available from:
National Technical Information Service
Order number: COM-74-10129
Keywords:
flame spread; floor coverings; corridors; scale laws;
test methods
Abstract:
An experimental model corridor facility was designed,
constructed, and instrumented. The facility examines
flame spread over floor covering materials in a small
scale corridor under a forced air flow condition. A gas
burner flame serves as the ignition source. A study was
made of the factors influencing flame spread in the
model corridor. These factors included energy release
rate of the ignition source, air velocity, and model
corridor geometry. Twenty-six carpet materials and 5
other floor covering materials were studied in the model
corridor, and 369 flame spread runs were conducted. It
was found that flame spread behavior in the model
corridor generally involves either a rapidly
accelerating flame front which propagates the full 8
foot length of the test section ("flameover"), or
involves a decelerating flame front which results in
extinction a short distance from the ignition source.
Radiant heating of the floor material due to hot
products of combustion heating the ceiling is a
significant factor in causing flameover. Carpet assembly
was found to affect flame spread more significantly than
pile fiber type. The data have been analyzed to
determine quantitatively the effects of the factors
influencing flame spread. Scaling relationships have
been presented to attempt to extrapolate the model
corridor results to full scale corridor fires. Finally
a procedure has been suggested for using the facility in
a floor covering flammability test method. The
procedure is based on determining the minimum energy
input rate to cause flameover.
