Fire-Related Propertiesof Materials

Chapter 7

Mehta, Scarborough, and Armpriest : Building Construction: Principles, Materials, and Systems

© 2008 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

Mehta, Scarborough, and Armpriest : Building Construction: Principles, Materials, and Systems

© 2008 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

Fire is the largest killer of building occupants in the United States

Factors Affecting Fire Safety Architectural design Construction materials and systems Fire detection and suppression Public education

Mehta, Scarborough, and Armpriest : Building Construction: Principles, Materials, and Systems

© 2008 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

Mehta, Scarborough, and Armpriest : Building Construction: Principles, Materials, and Systems

© 2008 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

Fire Prevention

Building Code Fire Prevention Code (NFPA in US) - safety

in a building during use and occupancy Locating and maintaining fire protection

appliances Maintaining clear means of egress Storage of combustible materials

Mehta, Scarborough, and Armpriest : Building Construction: Principles, Materials, and Systems

© 2008 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

Fire safe construction

Regulated by building code Combustiblity of materials determined by

ASTM testing requirements Non-combustible materials will not add fuel to

a fire

Mehta, Scarborough, and Armpriest : Building Construction: Principles, Materials, and Systems

© 2008 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

ASTM Test

Mehta, Scarborough, and Armpriest : Building Construction: Principles, Materials, and Systems

© 2008 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

Non-combustible core

Mehta, Scarborough, and Armpriest : Building Construction: Principles, Materials, and Systems

© 2008 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

Products given off in building fire

Heat Smoke

Fire gases Solid particulates Liquid particulates

Mehta, Scarborough, and Armpriest : Building Construction: Principles, Materials, and Systems

© 2008 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

Fire gases

Carbon Dioxide

Carbon Monoxide

Hydrogen Cyanide

Hydrogen Chloride

Acrolein

Other Gases

Mehta, Scarborough, and Armpriest : Building Construction: Principles, Materials, and Systems

© 2008 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

Fire-rated assemblies

Perform structural function without collapse Remain fire tight for duration of the fire Temperature of the unexposed face of the

assembly too low to ignite combustibles in adjacent compartment

Mehta, Scarborough, and Armpriest : Building Construction: Principles, Materials, and Systems

© 2008 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

Compartmentalization

Mehta, Scarborough, and Armpriest : Building Construction: Principles, Materials, and Systems

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Types of Construction

Type I & II noncombustible

Type III & IV noncombustible/ combustible

Type V combustible

Mehta, Scarborough, and Armpriest : Building Construction: Principles, Materials, and Systems

© 2008 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

Type II(B)

Mehta, Scarborough, and Armpriest : Building Construction: Principles, Materials, and Systems

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Type V(B)

Mehta, Scarborough, and Armpriest : Building Construction: Principles, Materials, and Systems

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Type IV Heavy Timber (HT)

Mehta, Scarborough, and Armpriest : Building Construction: Principles, Materials, and Systems

© 2008 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

Problem: Use Table 7.1 to determine construction type of following building

Material Fire Rating

Structural frame, steel columns and girders

2-hour

Exterior bearing walls None

Interior bearing walls None

Floor assembly, steel deck on steel beams with concrete topping

1-hour

Roof assembly, wood rafters and plywood sheathing

1-hour

Mehta, Scarborough, and Armpriest : Building Construction: Principles, Materials, and Systems

© 2008 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

Solution

All components are non-combustible so building is either Type I or Type II

Based on Table 7.1, all components match with Type II (A)

Mehta, Scarborough, and Armpriest : Building Construction: Principles, Materials, and Systems

© 2008 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

Directory of Fire Resistance

Reports fire resistance of fire ratings for various building assemblies

Based on standard fire tests of the entire assembly

Tests typically conducted by Underwriters Laboratories

Mehta, Scarborough, and Armpriest : Building Construction: Principles, Materials, and Systems

© 2008 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

Fire-stopping penetrations, fire-sealing joints

Mehta, Scarborough, and Armpriest : Building Construction: Principles, Materials, and Systems

© 2008 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

Fire containment in curtain wall

Mehta, Scarborough, and Armpriest : Building Construction: Principles, Materials, and Systems

© 2008 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

Interior Finishes

Flame spread index (FSI) Measure of rate at which flames spread on the surface of an

assembly. Determined by Steiner Tunnel Test Scale starts with 0, no upper limit

Smoke developed index (SDI) Measure of visibility through smoke developed from burning

of interior finishes Scale starts with 0, no upper limit

Mehta, Scarborough, and Armpriest : Building Construction: Principles, Materials, and Systems

© 2008 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

Classification of interior finishes

Flame Spread Class

FSI SDI

Class A 0 - 25 <450

Class B 26 - 75 <450

Class C 76 - 200 <450

Mehta, Scarborough, and Armpriest : Building Construction: Principles, Materials, and Systems

© 2008 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

Building code requirements for interior finish class

Mehta, Scarborough, and Armpriest : Building Construction: Principles, Materials, and Systems

© 2008 Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

Automatic fire sprinklers

Building codes encourage use by allowing greater area and height in sprinklered buildings

Allow a reduction in fire resistance rating for some assemblies

Lower required class of interior finishes