Fire Behavior of Upholstered Furniture.
Fire Behavior of Upholstered Furniture.
(3029 K)
Babrauskas, V.; Krasny, J. F.
NBS Monograph 173; CIB W14/86/30 (USA); 101 p.
November 1985.
Available from:
National Technical Information Service
Order number: PB86-166642
Keywords:
beds (furniture); cigarettes; fabric flammability; fire
tests; flame spread rate; heat release rate; ignition;
mattresses; plastics; smoke production; smoldering;
upholstered furniture
Abstract:
A systematic review is made of engineering data on the
major aspects of upholstered furniture flammability:
cigarette ignition, small open flame ignition, radiant
ignition, transition from smoldering to flaming, flame
spread rates, and heat release and mass loss rates
during fully-involved burning. Other areas discussed,
but for which less data are available, include smoke
production and radiant heat fluxes. Mattresses and
transportation vehicle seating are included, along with
upholstered chairs, loveseats, and sofas. Appropriate
test methods most suitable for measuring each of these
properties are discussed. Where available,
relationships are presented which permit the
quantitative preduction of full-scale furniture behavior
from beach-scale tests. Where such relationships are
not available, generalizations of qualtitative results
of empirical tests are given. Areas where substantive
work is not available are outlined.
Building and Fire Research Laboratory
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Gaithersburg, MD 20899