Standard Test Method for Fire Testing of Vandalized Upholstered Furniture

Importancia y uso:

5.1 This test method provides a means to measure a variety of fire-test-response characteristics resulting from burning a specimen of upholstered furniture, both as manufactured and after vandalization to expose the padding. The upholstered furniture specimen (see Section 6) is allowed to burn freely under well-ventilated conditions after ignition using a propane gas burner. The most important fire-test-response characteristic measured is the rate of heat release, which quantifies the intensity of the fire generated.

5.2 The rate of heat release is measured by the principle of oxygen consumption, based on the measurement of oxygen concentration in the exhaust duct. The assumptions and limitations of oxygen depletion calorimetry are discussed in Practice E2067.

5.3 The mass loss of the test specimen is measured continuously during the test using a load cell.

5.4 Other fire-test-response characteristics are optionally measured, namely smoke obscuration and the release of other combustion gases, as they are also potentially important in making decisions on fire safety.

5.5 The type of ignition chosen (a flaming source) is common in both accidental and intentional fires in public occupancies. This test method is thus applicable to upholstered furniture in public occupancies. Such facilities include, but are not limited to, correctional facilities, as well as nursing care homes, health care facilities, public auditoriums, hotels, and motels.

5.6 It has been shown that if the gas burner for this test method is used at a flow rate of 13 L/min for 80 s (equivalent to 19.3 kW), it approximates the ignition propensity of five crumpled sheets of newspaper located on the seating cushion.4

5.7 This test method is not applicable to the ignition of upholstered furniture by cigarettes.

5.8 The test configuration to be used in this test method is an open calorimeter (or furniture calorimeter).

5.9 In this procedure, the specimens are subjected to one or more specific sets of laboratory test conditions. If different test conditions, such as the ignition source type or duration of application, are substituted or the end-use conditions are changed, it is not always possible by or from this test method to predict changes in the fire-test-response characteristics measured. Therefore, the results are valid only for the fire test exposure conditions described in this procedure.

Subcomité:

F33.05

Volúmen:

15.08

Palabras clave:

calorimetry; fire; fire-test-response; heat release; ignition; oxygen consumption; upholstered furniture; vandalization;