Summary of Workshop on Research Needs for Full Scale Testing to Determine Vulnerabilities of Siding Treatments and Glazing Assemblies to Ignition by Firebrand Showers

Published

July 12, 2010

Author(s)

Samuel L. Manzello, Sayaka S. Suzuki

Abstract

Anecdotal evidence as well as post-fire damage assessment studies suggests that wind driven firebrand attack is responsible for the majority of structure ignitions in Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) fires. A unique experimental apparatus, known as the NIST Firebrand Generator (NIST Dragon), has been constructed to produce a controlled and repeatable firebrand attack. The experimental results generated from the marriage of the NIST Dragon to the Building Research Institute’s (BRI) Fire Research Wind Tunnel Facility (FRWTF) in Japan are being used by standards organizations to guide/develop new standards and provide the scientific basis for new prescriptive requirements with the intent to make structures more resistant to firebrand attack. An experimental database is also being created to support NIST’s Wildland Fire Dynamics Simulator (WFDS). NIST planning is underway for a new experimental campaign scheduled for the fall of 2010 to determine vulnerabilities of siding treatments and glazing assemblies to firebrand bombardment using the NIST Dragon installed in the Fire Research Wind Tunnel Facility (FRWTF) at the Building Research Institute (BRI) in Japan. Input is desired for this testing series from interested parties in California (e.g. building officials, OSFM, code consultants, industry) since large Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) fires have occurred in this state recently. Specifically, guidance is desired in order to conduct experiments that will have the potential to provide the scientific basis for prescriptive code change.

Citation

Special Publication (NIST SP) - 1111

Report Number

1111

NIST Pub Series

Special Publication (NIST SP)

Pub Type

NIST Pubs

Download Paper

https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.sp.1111

Keywords

Firebrands, Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) Fires

Citation

Manzello, S. and Suzuki, S. (2010), Summary of Workshop on Research Needs for Full Scale Testing to Determine Vulnerabilities of Siding Treatments and Glazing Assemblies to Ignition by Firebrand Showers, Special Publication (NIST SP), National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, [online], https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.sp.1111 (Accessed April 19, 2024)