Fire Endurance Test of Selected Residential Floor Constructions.
Fire Endurance Test of Selected Residential Floor
Constructions.
(2686 K)
Fang, J. B.
NBSIR 82-2488; 113 p. May 1982.
Sponsor:
Department of Housing and Urban Development, Washington,
DC
Available from:
: National Technical Information Service
(NTIS), Technology Administration, U.S. Department of
Commerce, Springfield, VA 22161.
Telephone:
1-800-553-6847 or 703-605-6000;
Fax: 703-605-6900; Rush
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Order number: PB82-225079
Keywords:
fire endurance; fire tests; floors; flame through;
furnace; joists; steels; wood
Abstract:
A series of 10 load-bearing, wood-and steel-framed
residential floors was evaluated for structural fire
resistance in a fire endurance furnace. Nine wood-frame
and one light gauge steel-frame, protected and
unprotected floor/ceiling assembles, each measureing
3.05 x 2.44 m in size, were exposed from the underside
to either the newly developed high-intensity,
short-duration fire exposure or the standard ASTM E119
time-temperature curve. The fire endurance time based
on the passage of flames to the unexposed face of the
floor with unprotected wood joists varied from 6 to 9
minutes under the newly developed fire exposure and l6
to l8 minutes subject to the standard ASTM fire. Under
the identical fire exposure, the exosed steel-framed
floor failed in approximately 4.5 minutes compared to 9
minutes for the unprotected wood-frame floor. The wood
floors evaluated in the test furnance had a shorter fire
resistance period in comparison with those tested
previously under room fire conditions probably due to
faster charring rates and additional heat contirubution
from the burning of combustible materials in the
structure with the excess air present in the furnance.
Building and Fire Research Laboratory
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Gaithersburg, MD 20899