Development of a Standard Fire Condition for a Large Compartment Floor Assembly

Published

October 22, 2019

Author(s)

Ana Sauca, Chao Zhang, William L. Grosshandler, Matthew Bundy, Lisa Choe

Abstract

This report presents the experimental investigation of a test fire in a large compartment of about 10 m wide, 7 m deep and 3.8 m high constructed in the National Fire Research Laboratory of the National Institute of Standards and Technology. The test fire is designed to produce a uniform temperature condition in the compartment which follows the ASTM E119 time-temperature curve. Three fire tests were carried out in the compartment using the designed fire parameters (e.g. heat release rate, ventilation), including two short tests with heating duration of 15 min and one long test with heating duration of 60 min. Upper layer gas temperatures in the compartment were measured by twelve sheathed thermocouples placed 30.48 cm (12 in) below the ceiling. The measured average upper layer gas temperature curve matched well with the ASTM E119 fire curve. The maximum relative error towards the end of the long test was around 7%. The design procedure for the test fire, measurements and instrument, and experimental and data are presented.

Citation

Technical Note (NIST TN) - 2070

Report Number

2070

NIST Pub Series

Technical Note (NIST TN)

Pub Type

NIST Pubs

Download Paper

https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.TN.2070

Local Download

Citation

Sauca, A. , Zhang, C. , Grosshandler, W. , Bundy, M. and Choe, L. (2019), Development of a Standard Fire Condition for a Large Compartment Floor Assembly, Technical Note (NIST TN), National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, [online], https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.TN.2070, https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=927962 (Accessed October 28, 2025)