Heat Release Rate: The Single Most Important Variable in Fire Hazard.
Heat Release Rate: The Single Most Important Variable
in Fire Hazard.
(862 K)
Babrauskas, V.; Peacock, R. D.
Fire Retardant Chemicals Association (FRCA). Fire
Safety Developments and Testing: Toxicity--Heat
Release--Product Development--Combustion Corrosivity.
Proceedings. Fall Meeting, 1990. October 20-25, 1990,
Ponte Vedra Beach, FL, FRCA, Lancaster, PA, 67-80 pp,
1990.
Fire Safety Journal, Vol. 18, No. 3, 255-272, 1992.
Keywords:
heat release rate; fire hazard; fire endurance; building
fires; fire tests
Abstract:
Heat release rate measurements are sometimes seen by
manufacturers and product users as just another piece of
data to gather. It is the purpose of this paper to
explain why heat release rate is in fact, the single
most important variable in characterizing the
'flammability' of products and their consequent fire
hazard. Examples of typical fire histories are given
which illustrate that even though fire deaths are
primarily caused by toxic gases, the heat release rate
is the best predictor of fire hazard. Conversely, the
relative toxicity of the combustion gases plays a
smaller role. The delays in ignition time, as measured
by various Bunsen burner type tests, also have only a
minor effect on the development of fire hazard.
Building and Fire Research Laboratory
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Gaithersburg, MD 20899