Defining Flashover for Fire Hazard Calculations

Published

June 1, 1999

Author(s)

Richard D. Peacock, Paul A. Reneke, Richard W. Bukowski, Vyto Babrauskas

Abstract

As the use of performance-based methods for evaluating the fire behavior of materials and systems becomes more widespread, objective criteria to judge fire behavior become more important. This paper reviews techniques for predicting the most common of these criteria, the onset of flashover. The experimental basis for working definitions of flashover is reviewed. Comparisons of available calculational procedures ranging from simple correlations to computer-based fire models that can be used to estimate flashover are presented. Although the techniques range in complexity and results, the various predictions give estimates commensurate with the precision of available experimental data.

Citation

Fire Safety Journal

Volume

32

Issue

No. 4

Pub Type

Journals

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Keywords

flashover, fire hazard, computer models, experiments, fire models, heat flux, temperature correlations, validation, performance based codes

Citation

Peacock, R. , Reneke, P. , Bukowski, R. and Babrauskas, V. (1999), Defining Flashover for Fire Hazard Calculations, Fire Safety Journal, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=912911 (Accessed October 12, 2025)