Citation

Hirschler MM. Fire Safety J. 1999; 32(3): 273-296.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1999, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Limits have been developed, in specifications and regulations, for heat release rate of individual products, most frequently items of upholstered furniture or mattresses in different occupancies. These can be found, in the USA, in the Life Safety Code (NFPA 101), California Bureau of Home Furnishings and Thermal Insulation (CA TB 129 and CA TB 133), or Boston Fire Department regulations, and in recommendations by the European Combustion Behaviour of Upholstered Furniture (CBUF) project. Some of these criteria are based on fire hazard assessments and others solely on expert judgement.This work surveys test methods used for several individual furnishings, as well as usual acceptance criteria and the scientific bases for the threshold values used. In particular, this work investigates the concept of self-propagating fire, often ignored when setting arbitrary limits. Moreover, this work also considers the relationship between the thermal insult applied to the product and its potential impact on fire hazard, especially in view of some potential techniques utilized for obtaining product approval.This work also compares some results obtained using a small scale heat release technique, the cone calorimeter, and its efficacy in predicting actual full scale test results, mainly in terms of fire hazard, rather than the satisfaction of individual test requirements.Finally, the work also investigates, briefly, the relative criteria to assess the probability of an interior finish material to cause a self-propagating fire. For such materials, requirements are in place frequently, but heat release rate is rarely used as the basis of requirements.In conclusion, this work demonstrates that heat release rate test criteria can be used to assess fire hazard from many, if not most, individual furnishings.