FASTData January 1999 Release
NBSIR 85-2998 Abstract
Lee, B. T.
Effect of Wall and Room Surfaces on the Rates of Heat,
Smoke, and Carbon Monoxide Production in a Park Lodging
Bedroom Fire (1.2 mbytes).
NBSIR 85-2998; 56 p. February 1985.
National Bureau of Standards, Gaithersburg, MD
Keywords:
beds (furniture); carbon monoxide; fire growth;
flashover; fuel load; furniture; heat release rate;
interior finishes; room fires; smoke; smoke detectors;
sprinkler systems
Abstract:
A furnishing arrangement representative of those in
U.S. Park Service lodging facilities was evaluated for
its open burn (free burn) characteristics. The
arrangement consisted of a double bed with a wood
headboard and one wood night table. The proximity of a
wall and the effect of a room on the combustion of the
same arrangement were examined. Wall finish materials
were gypsum board and plywood. The presence or
combustibility of an adjacent wall did not have a
significant effect on the burning behavior of the
furnishing arrangement. Nor did the effect of a room
enclosure for the first few minutes subsequent to
ignition. However, after this initial time interval, the
effect of a room, lined with gypsum board finish, on the
burning furnishings was pronounced, with flashover
occurring as early as 233 s with heat release rates of
over 2 MW. This compared with a peak rate of 1.2 MW for
the open burn. Wood paneling in the room increased the
peak rate to 7 MW. Mass flow of hot gases, smoke, and
carbon monoxide from the room fires were measured. The
use of a sprinkler or automatic door closing device
activated by a smoke detector was show to prevent room
flashover.
Building and Fire Research Laboratory
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Gaithersburg, MD 20899