SR314 The relationship between fire severity and time-equivalence (2014)
Product Description
This study describes various methods for calculating the amount of fire resistance required for parts of buildings to satisfy Building Code objectives for preventing fire spread or maintaining structural stability during and after fire.
Time-equivalence methods seem most useful for determining the fire resistance ratings required when little is known about the specific materials and type of construction to be used. However, the usefulness of time-equivalent methods is limited by the accuracy to which the compartment fire temperatures or heat fluxes can be predicted. Therefore, improvements made to post-flashover compartment fire models, together with an appropriate time-equivalence method, will allow the design of fire resistant construction to be optimised.
It is proposed that an energy-based time-equivalent calculation, principally founded on the absorbed heat flux by the compartment boundaries, be used to assess the performance of building elements exposed to compartment fires of different severities. Areas of further research are proposed that, if carried out, would provide a more robust basis for the levels of fire resistance currently specified by engineers and included within regulatory supporting documents. The need for a comprehensive series of fully developed fire experiments within a compartment is identified.
Product Information
Publication date | 2014 |
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Author | CA Wade, JT Gerlich and A Abu |
System number | SR314 |