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A dimensional analysis was performed to correlate the fuel bed fire spread data previously reported in the literature. Under wind condition, six pertinent dimensionless groups were identified, namely dimensionless fire spread rate, dimensionless fuel
A series of experiments was conducted to examine the potential to use kitchen-installed photoelectric smoke detection devices to warn of approaching ignition of food during unattended cooking. An electric range, range hood, and cabinets were installed in a
Isaac T. Leventon, Stanislav I. Stoliarov, Kevin T. Korver
In this work, experimental measurements of flame heat flux and sample mass loss rate are obtained as a flame spreads vertically upward over the surface of seven commonly used polymeric materials, two of which are glass reinforced composites. Using these
Kathryn M. Butler, Erik L. Johnsson, Marco G. Fernandez, Mariusz Zarzecki, Glenn P. Forney, Eric Auth
In wildland-urban interface (WUI) fires, combustible materials pose a potential threat to contiguous or nearby structures. Flame spread and firebrand spotting have been studied in a series of field experiments involving fences and mulch beds under a
A series of experiments was conducted to examine fire spread along fences subjected to wind at various speeds and angles. Specifically, sections of western redcedar, California redwood, or vinyl privacy fences were ignited with a burner. Wind fields of 9 m
Yi Bao, Yizheng Chen, Matthew Hoehler, Christopher M. Smith, Matthew Bundy, Genda Chen
This paper presents measurements of high temperatures using a Brillouin scattering based fiber optic sensor and large strains using an extrinsic Fabry-Perot interferometric sensor for assessing the thermo-mechanical behaviors of simply supported steel
Richard D. Peacock, Paul A. Reneke, Erica D. Kuligowski, Robert C. Hagwood
The time that it takes an occupant population to reach safety when descending a stair during building evacuations is typically estimated by measureable engineering variables such as stair geometry, speed, stair density, and pre-observation delay. In turn
Richard D. Peacock, Paul A. Reneke, Glenn P. Forney
CFAST is a two-zone fire model capable of predicting the environment in a multi-compartment structure subjected to a fire. It calculates the time evolving distribution of smoke and gaseous combustion products as well as the temperature throughout a
Kevin B. McGrattan, Richard D. Peacock, Kristopher J. Overholt
The paper highlights key components of a fire model validation study conducted by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Electric Power Research Institute. These include the selection of fire phenomena of interest to nuclear power plant safety, the
Jiann C. Yang, Matthew F. Bundy, John L. Gross, Anthony P. Hamins, Fahim Sadek, Anand Raghunathan
This report summarizes the results of the global meeting to develop the International R&D Roadmap for Fire Resistance of Structures (the Roadmap) held May 2122, 2014, in Gaithersburg, Maryland. The workshop was sponsored by the National Institute of
A new framework for a risk-informed performance-based approach to fire safety analysis and design has been proposed. It is structured around a paradigm in which the performance analysis is conducted relative to the performance of a building-occupant system
Max T. Kinateder, Hidemi Omori, Erica D. Kuligowski
The purpose of this report is to provide an overview of elevator evacuation from high-rise buildings with a focus on the safety of mobility impaired occupants. It addresses the specifics of elevator evacuation as well as relevant building codes and its
Kuldeep R. Prasad, Thomas G. Cleary, Jiann C. Yang
The study of compressed hydrogen release from high-pressure storage systems has practical application for hydrogen and fuel cell technologies. Such releases may occur either due to accidental damage to a storage tank or connecting piping, or due to failure
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has identified a fire and burn hazard associated with a class of products often referred to as firepots , resulting in 2 deaths and 114 injuries as of August 31, 2012. The essential feature of this product
Shonali Nazare, Shaun M. Flynn, Rick D. Davis, Joannie W. Chin
In this study, environmentally stressed OS fabrics containing melamine fiber blends were evaluated for thermal and mechanical properties that are critical to the protective performance of firefighter turnout gear. Environmental stress factors that affect
Full-scale fire experiments were conducted at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to investigate tire fire interactions with the passenger compartment of a motorcoach. A burner was designed to imitate the frictional heating of hub and
This report summarizes a workshop entitled "Quantifying the Contribution of Flaming Residential Upholstered Furniture to Fire Losses in the United States" that was held at the National Institute of Standards of Technology on March 22-23, 2012. The workshop
Two full-scale fire experiments were conducted to determine the mode of penetration of a tire fire into the passenger compartment of a motorcoach. A special burner was designed to imitate the frictional heating of hub and wheel metal caused by failed axle
Residential fire sprinklers have long proven themselves as life safety technologies to the fire service community. Only until recently have they shown to be cost-effective for homeowners, as installation costs have fallen and performance increased. While
Kevin B. McGrattan, Andrew J. Lock, Nathan D. Marsh, Marc R. Nyden
This report documents the first phase of a multi-year program called CHRISTIFIRE (Cable Heat Release, Ignition, and Spread in Tray Installations during Fire). The overall goal of the program is to quantify the burning characteristics of grouped electrical
Rodney A. Bryant, Erik L. Johnsson, George W. Mulholland
A series of experiments was performed to characterize the time response of a large-scale open calorimeter to square-wave pulses in terms of peak heat release rate, width of the peak, and conservation of energy. Quantitative heat release rate measurements
Full scale fire experiments were conducted at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to investigate tire fire interactions with the passenger compartment of a motorcoach. A burner was designed to imitate the frictional heating of hub and
Current existing and proposed U.S. flammability standards for soft furnishings such as mattresses and upholstered furniture specify a standard cigarette as the ignition source in smoldering resistance performance tests. With the prevalence of reduced