Fire Tests for Life Safety CodeUsers - nfpa.org/media/Files/forms and premiums/101 handbook...1895, Standard for Safety Fire Test of Mattresses(withdrawn) ... Material Flammability

S U P P L E M E N T 3

Fire Tests for Life Safety Code UsersMarcelo M. Hirschler

Editor’s Note: This supplement is written to assist the reader in determining theapplicability of fire test standards, especially those found in the Life Safety Code.

Dr. Marcelo M. Hirschler is a fire safety consultant with GBH International. Hechairs the NFPA Technical Committee on Hazard and Risk of Contents and Furnishingsand the Advisory Committee on the Glossary on Terminology and is a member of variousother NFPA technical committees, including the Technical Committee on Fire Tests. He isalso active in the ASTM committee E05 on Fire Standards and in a number of other codesand standards arenas.

1181

FIRE PROPERTIES

Fire test standards typically relate to two types of fireproperties: fire resistance and reaction-to-fire. Fire re-sistance is associated with fire barriers and openingprotection. Thus, fire resistance tests are concernedwith preventing fire from penetrating into a compart-ment. Reaction-to-fire is associated with materials andproducts, including interior finishes, furnishings andcontents. Reaction-to-fire tests are concerned with pre-venting the fire from causing damage, by minimizingor eliminating the release of heat, smoke, and combus-tion products or the spread of flame. Performance-based provisions related to fire modeling useprimarily results of reaction-to-fire tests.

Evaluating the level of performance or prescribedfunction offered by tested materials or assemblies re-quires an understanding of both the mechanics of aparticular test and its limitations. Every test standardcontains, in its scope and applicability, information ex-plaining what it is supposed to do (namely what prop-erties it measures) and for what type of materials itshould be used. This is very important because it is acommon error to use a test for the wrong material or totest for the wrong issue. A test that is commonly spec-ified for an incorrect use is ASTM E 84, Standard Test

Method for Surface Burning Characteristics of BuildingMaterials, originally identical to NFPA 255, StandardMethod of Test of Surface Burning Characteristics of Build-ing Materials. This is a test that is so extensively used inmany codes (including the Life Safety Code®) that it isoften specified for assessing fire properties it cannotmeasure or for testing materials that it should not beused with. ASTM E 84 is a reaction-to-fire test that issuitable to determine the flame spread index andsmoke developed index of materials. Moreover, inorder for a material to be suitable for this test, the ma-terial must, by its own structural quality or the mannerin which it is applied, be capable of supporting itself inposition or of being supported in the test apparatus.This test has often been specified, incorrectly, to obtainresults on properties like fire resistance (which shouldbe measured using NFPA 251, Standard Methods of Testsof Fire Resistance of Building Construction and Materials),or to determine whether a material is noncombustible(which should be assessed with a test like ASTM E 136,Standard Test Method for Behavior of Materials in a Verti-cal Tube Furnace at 750°C), or whether it is limited com-bustible (which is determined by testing in accordancewith NFPA 259, Standard Test Method for Potential Heatof Building Materials). See also the discussion on com-bustibility fire testing below. Other misapplications

include using the test for products, such as furniture,that cannot be physically placed in the apparatus, orfor materials that cannot be supported in the appara-tus throughout the test.

Many of the tests referred to in the Life SafetyCode have equivalent counterparts administered byother standards-writing organizations such as theAmerican Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM)and Underwriters Laboratories (UL). In recentyears all three organizations have withdrawn someof their standards for harmonization purposes. Sec-tion 1.4 of the Life Safety Code permits the applica-tion or use of equivalent alternatives. Alternativescould include fire test documents different fromthose specified, or different test protocols if the

proper technical documentation is provided todemonstrate equivalency between the tests and ver-ify that the alternative approach fulfills the in-tended purpose of the applicable code requirement.The 2009 edition of the Life Safety Code officially rec-ognizes the technical equivalence of ASTM and ULstandard test methods to the corresponding NFPAtest methods: ASTM E 119 and UL 263 for NFPA251, ASTM E 2074 and UL 10B for NFPA 252 (bothsets of fire resistance tests) and ASTM E 84 and UL723 for the uses where NFPA 255 was previously re-quired, ASTM E 648 for NFPA 253, ASTM E 108 andUL 790 for NFPA 256, ASTM E 1352 for NFPA 261,and ASTM E 1353 for NFPA 260 (all sets of reaction-to-fire tests). See Table S3.1.

1182 Supplement 3 ● Fire Tests for Life Safety Code Users

2009 Life Safety Code Handbook

Table S3.1 Fire Test Standards

NFPA ASTM UL

251, Standard Methods of Tests of FireResistance of Building Construction andMaterials

E 119, Standard Test Methods for FireTests of Building Construction andMaterials1

263, Standard for Fire Tests of BuildingConstruction and Materials

252, Standard Methods of Fire Tests ofDoor Assemblies

E 2074, Standard Test Method for FireTests of Door Assemblies, IncludingPositive Pressure Testing of Side-Hingedand Pivoted Swinging Door Assemblies(replaced ASTM E 152, withdrawn)

10B, Standard for Fire Tests of DoorAssemblies

253, Standard Method of Test for CriticalRadiant Flux of Floor Covering SystemsUsing a Radiant Heat Energy Source

E 648, Standard Test Method for CriticalRadiant Flux of Floor-Covering SystemsUsing a Radiant Heat Energy Source

255, Standard Method of Test of SurfaceBurning Characteristics of BuildingMaterials (proposed for withdrawal)

E 84, Standard Test Method for SurfaceBurning Characteristics of BuildingMaterials

723, Standard for Test for Surface BurningCharacteristics of Building Materials

256, Standard Methods of Fire Tests ofRoof Coverings (withdrawn)

E 108, Standard Test Methods for FireTests of Roof Coverings

790, Standard for Standard Test Methodsfor Fire Tests of Roof Coverings

257, Standard on Fire Test for Windowand Glass Block Assemblies

E 2010, Standard Test Method forPositive Pressure Fire Tests of WindowAssemblies (replaced ASTM E 163,withdrawn)

9, Standard for Fire Tests of WindowAssemblies

258, Recommended Practice forDetermining Smoke Generation of SolidMaterials (withdrawn)

E 662, Standard Test Method for SpecificOptical Density of Smoke Generated bySolid Materials

259, Standard Test Method for PotentialHeat of Building Materials

260, Standard Methods of Tests andClassification System for CigaretteIgnition Resistance of Components ofUpholstered Furniture

E 1353, Standard Test Methods forCigarette Ignition Resistance ofComponents of Upholstered Furniture

261, Standard Method of Test forDetermining Resistance of Mock-UpUpholstered Furniture MaterialAssemblies to Ignition by SmolderingCigarettes

E 1352, Standard Test Method forCigarette Ignition Resistance of Mock-UpUpholstered Furniture Assemblies

Fire Properties 1183

Life Safety Code Handbook 2009

263, Standard Method of Test for Heatand Visible Smoke Release Rates forMaterials and Products (withdrawn)

E 906, Standard Test Method for Heatand Visible Smoke Release Rates forMaterials and Products

265, Standard Methods of Fire Tests forEvaluating Room Fire GrowthContribution of Textile Coverings on FullHeight Panels and Walls

1715*, Standard for Fire Test of InteriorFinish Material

266, Standard Method of Test for FireCharacteristics of Upholstered FurnitureExposed to Flaming Ignition Source(withdrawn)

E 1537, Standard Test Method for FireTesting of Upholstered Furniture

1056, Standard for Safety Fire Test ofUpholstered Furniture (withdrawn)

267, Standard Method of Test for FireCharacteristics of Mattresses andBedding Assemblies Exposed to FlamingIgnition Source (withdrawn)

E 1590, Standard Test Method for FireTesting of Mattresses

1895, Standard for Safety Fire Test ofMattresses (withdrawn)

268, Standard Test Method forDetermining Ignitibility of Exterior WallAssemblies Using a Radiant Heat EnergySource

269, Standard Test Method forDeveloping Toxic Potency Data for Use inFire Hazard Modeling

E 1678, Standard Test Method forMeasuring Smoke Toxicity for Use in FireHazard AnalysisE 1822, Standard Test Method for FireTesting of Stacked Chairs

270, Standard Test Method forMeasurement of Smoke ObscurationUsing a Conical Radiant Source in aSingle Closed Chamber

E 1995, Standard Test Method forMeasurement of Smoke ObscurationUsing a Conical Radiant Source in aSingle Closed Chamber, with the TestSpecimen Oriented Horizontally

271, Standard Method of Test for Heatand Visible Smoke Release Rates forMaterials and Products Using an OxygenConsumption Calorimeter

E 1354, Standard Test Method for Heatand Visible Smoke Release Rates forMaterials and Products Using an OxygenConsumption Calorimeter

272, Standard Method of Test for Heatand Visible Smoke Release Rates forUpholstered Furniture Components orComposites and Mattresses Using anOxygen Consumption Calorimeter(withdrawn)

285, Standard Fire Test Method forEvaluation of Fire PropagationCharacteristics of Exterior Non-Load-Bearing Wall Assemblies ContainingCombustible Components

Table S3.1 Continued

NFPA ASTM UL

(continues)

262, Standard Method of Test for FlameTravel and Smoke of Wires and Cablesfor Use in Air-Handling Spaces

910, Standard for Safety Test for Flame-Propagation and Smoke-Density Values forElectrical and Optical-Fiber Cables Used inSpaces Transporting Environmental Air(withdrawn)



Table S3.1 Continued

NFPA ASTM UL

287, Standard Test Methods forMeasurement of Flammability ofMaterials in Cleanrooms Using a FirePropagation Apparatus (FPA)

E 2058, Standard Test Methods forMeasurement of Synthetic PolymerMaterial Flammability Using a FirePropagation Apparatus (FPA)

288, Standard Methods of Fire Tests ofFloor Fire Door Assemblies InstalledHorizontally in Fire Resistance–RatedFloor Systems

289, Standard Method of Fire Test forIndividual Fuel Packages

1975, Standard for Fire Tests for FoamedPlastics Used for Decorative Purposes

701, Standard Methods of Fire Tests forFlame Propagation of Textiles and Films

D 568, Standard Test Method for Rate ofBurning and/or Extent and Time ofBurning of Flexible Plastics in a VerticalPosition) (withdrawn)

214, Standard for Safety Tests for Flame-Propagation of Fabrics and Films(withdrawn)

705, Recommended Practice for a FieldFlame Test for Textiles and Films

D 1929, Standard Test Method for IgnitionProperties of Plastics

D 2859, Standard Test Method for IgnitionCharacteristics of Finished Textile FloorCovering Materials

E 136, Standard Test Method for Behaviorof Materials in a Vertical Tube Furnace at750°C

E 162, Test Method for SurfaceFlammability of Materials Using a RadiantHeat Energy Source

E 814, Standard Test Method for Fire Testsof Through-Penetration Fire Stops

1479, Standard for Fire Tests of Through-Penetration Firestops

E 1529, Standard Test Methods forDetermining Effects of Large HydrocarbonPool Fires on Structural Members andAssemblies

1709, Standard for Rapid Rise Fire Tests ofProtection Materials for Structural Steel

E 1623, Test Method for Determination ofFire and Thermal Parameters of Materials,Products, and Systems Using anIntermediate Scale Calorimeter (ICAL)

E 1966, Standard Test Method for Fire-Resistive Joint Systems

2079, Standard for Tests for Fire Resistanceof Building Joint Systems

E 2257, Standard Test Method for RoomFire Test of Wall and Ceiling Materials andAssemblies

Note: This table contains NFPA fire test standards and those fire test standards from other organizations,ASTM and UL, that are either similar to NFPA fire test standards or relevant to the Life Safety Code.

*UL 1715 is different from both NFPA 265 and NFPA 286, but is a room-corner fire test, normally used forthe same purposes as those other tests. That is, it assesses the fire behavior of an interior finish materialin a full-scale scenario. See the section on interior wall and ceiling finish later in this supplement. UL 1975is similar but not identical to NFPA 289 but can be used for the same applications.

286, Standard Methods of Fire Tests forEvaluating Contribution of Wall andCeiling Interior Finish to Room FireGrowth

1715*, Standard for Fire Test of InteriorFinish Material

Fire Resistance Testing 1185


FIRE RESISTANCE TESTING

Buildings or structures occupied or used in accordancewith the individual occupancy chapters of the LifeSafety Code (Chapters 11 through 43) are required tomeet the minimum construction requirements of thosechapters. NFPA 220, Standard on Types of Building Con-struction,1 is referenced in Chapter 8 of the Life SafetyCode. It describes the types of building construction(that is, construction classifications) and the fire resis-tance ratings applicable to each construction elementfor each type of building. The fire test to be used to as-sess fire resistance ratings of elements of building con-struction is NFPA 251, Standard Methods of Tests of FireResistance of Building Construction and Materials. Seealso Table S3.1 for alternative similar fire test methods.NFPA 251 (also referenced primarily in Chapter 8) ap-plies to assemblies of masonry units, composite as-semblies of structural materials for buildings(including interior and exterior bearing and otherwalls and partitions, columns, girders, beams, slabs,and composite slab and beam assemblies for floorsand roofs), as well as other assemblies and structuralunits that constitute permanent integral parts of a fin-ished building. The fire test has specific testing criteriafor each type of assembly. Fire barriers, or fire barrierassemblies, are intended to be used as separation bar-riers or to provide protection of building elementsfrom the effects of fire for a given time as required byChapter 8, Features of Fire Protection. It is importantto note that a fire resistance rating applies to the entireassembly as tested. A fire resistance rating is never as-signed to an individual material or product; rather itrepresents the composite performance of an assemblyincluding all of the components and the specific con-struction details of the rated assembly.

NFPA 251 exposes one side of an assembly (con-

struction element), except for columns and beams, to astandard time-temperature curve (as shown in ExhibitS3.1) inside a furnace leaving the other side unex-posed. This is known as a time-temperature curve be-cause the test method specifies the temperature thatneeds to be measured in the furnace at each point intime. The furnace used must be capable of providingthe prescribed temperatures over a given period oftime, by following the time-temperature curve shownin Exhibit S3.1. The test method provides criteria forassessing how long (in hours or minutes) it takes forheat to penetrate each assembly and reach an unac-ceptable temperature rise on the unexposed side orprotected element, and how long it takes for the flameor hot gases penetrating through the assembly to ig-nite cotton waste placed on the unexposed side, dur-ing the test. The fire resistance rating will be the timeat which the first of the failure criteria is reached, as as-sessed either by the transmission of heat, the passageof hot gases sufficient to ignite cotton waste, or bystructural collapse of the test specimen assembly. Thetemperature rise failure criterion on the unexposedside is 250°F (140°C) above the test specimen’s initialtemperature for walls and partitions. For load bearingelements, the test also monitors the load carrying ca-pability of the test specimen during the test exposure.When required, the fire exposure is followed by theapplication of a specified standard fire hose stream.

If the assembly to be evaluated will be used as aload-bearing element, the test is conducted with a loadplaced on the assembly, to evaluate the load-bearingcapacity of the assembly. Some construction assem-blies are simply intended to limit the transmission ortemperature and/or flames to the unexposed surface.On the other hand, many construction assemblies,such as beams and columns, and floor and roof as-semblies, must also sustain an applied load for a pe-

0 100 200 300 400 500 600Time (minutes)

2500

2000

1500

1000

500

0

Tem

pera

ture

(de

g F

)

Tem

pera

ture

(de

g C

)

1400

1200

1000

800

600

400

200

0

NFPA 251/252 F NFPA 251/252 CNFPA 257 F NFPA 257 C

Exhibit S3.1 Standard time-temperature curves for NFPA251/252 and for NFPA 257.

riod of time equal to the desired fire resistance rating,and must therefore be tested under the relevant ap-plied load. Walls and partitions are thus permitted tobe tested either with load or without.

Depending on the structural design of the assem-bly, certain levels of temperature must not be exceededat any one point, or an average temperature cannot beexceeded, with temperature limitations ranging from800°F to 1300°F (427°C to 704°C). An alternative testexists for structural steel columns, whereby the col-umn is not loaded during the test. The test measuresthe ability of the added protection to control the trans-mission of heat through the specimen during the spec-ified period of fire exposure. The average temperatureof the steel in such columns must not rise above 1000°F(538°C), and the temperature in any one of the mea-sured points cannot exceed 1200°F (649°C).

In many cases, the assembly is also subjected to ahose stream test. The use of such a test was inspired bythe interest in simulating the effect of water hoses usedby emergency personnel to fight fires; in fact, however,the hose stream test itself is not intended to simulatethat effect. If required to pass a hose stream test, an as-sembly with a fire rating of 1 hour or more would haveto survive exposure to a hose stream test for half theperiod of its fire resistance rating, but not for morethan 1 hour. When the condition of acceptance re-quires a hose stream test, after the fire resistance ratinghas been established, a duplicate assembly is exposedin the furnace to the time-temperature curve for theperiod required by the hose stream test conditions,then removed from the furnace and immediately sub-jected to the hose stream test. The hose stream is de-livered under pre-set conditions (based on a certainhose, play pipe nozzle, distance from the test speci-men, nozzle pressure, and test duration). The hosestream is applied in a specific pattern to fully developthe effects of impact, cooling, and erosion on the entiretest specimen. The specimen must withstand the hosestream test such that no openings are created thatwould permit projection of water from the hose streambeyond the unexposed surface.

Further information on specific testing criteria andtesting limitations can be found in NFPA 251, whichshould be consulted before making any firm decisionsabout the applicability of certain tests, or testing of cer-tain assemblies.

Other fire resistance tests used by the Life SafetyCode are NFPA 252, Standard Methods of Fire Tests ofDoor Assemblies; NFPA 257, Standard on Fire Test forWindow and Glass Block Assemblies; NFPA 288, StandardMethods of Fire Tests of Floor Fire Door Assemblies In-stalled Horizontally in Fire Resistance–Rated Floor Sys-tems; and ASTM E 814, Standard Test Method for Fire

Tests of Through-Penetration Fire Stops. All of these testsuse basically the same standard time-temperaturecurve that NFPA 251 uses (except that the curve inNFPA 257 includes more detail over the short initialtime periods; see Exhibit S3.1). However, there are alsosome differentiating characteristics, which are relatedto the products being tested. NFPA 80, Standard for FireDoors and Other Opening Protectives,2 contains installa-tion requirements for all types of fire doors and win-dows, and thereby regulates the installation andmaintenance of assemblies and devices used to protectopenings in walls, floors, and ceilings against thespread of fire and smoke within, into, or out of build-ings. NFPA 80 is extensively referenced in the LifeSafety Code, especially in Chapter 7 (Means of Egress)and Chapter 8 (Features of Fire Protection).

Building Products

Fire Doors. Door assemblies in fire barriers must betested according to NFPA 252, Standard Methods of FireTests of Door Assemblies (see also Table S3.1 for alterna-tive similar fire test methods). NFPA 252 providesmethods for measuring the relative performance offire door assemblies where subjected to a prescribedfire test exposure followed by a prescribed hose streamapplication, using the same time-temperature curve asNFPA 251 (see Exhibit S3.1). The fire door assemblymust be tested as a complete assembly, because the ef-fectiveness of the opening protective depends on a sat-isfactory performance of the entire door assembly,which consists of the door, door frame, and associatedhardware. In NFPA 252, the fire door assembly speci-men is mounted in a furnace wall and exposed to thestandard time-temperature curve. The door assemblyis not permitted to develop gaps or openings throughthe assembly, nor is flaming permitted to occur on theunexposed surface of a door assembly during the first30 minutes of the fire resistance-rating period, al-though some intermittent light flames no greater than6 in. (150 mm) are permitted for periods not exceeding10-second intervals. After that 30-minute period, inter-mittent flames are permitted to occur along the edgesof the unexposed surface area of the door, if they donot exceed 5 minutes and are no greater than 6 in. (150mm). For doors having a fire protection rating of 45minutes or greater, flames not greater than 6 in. (150mm) in length are permitted to occur on the unex-posed surface area of the door during the last 15 min-utes of the fire protection rating period during the firetest, provided such flaming is contained within a dis-tance of 11/2 in. (38 mm) from the vertical edge and 3 in.(76 mm) from the top edge of the door or frame of thevision panel. When the door hardware is also evalu-





ated for use on fire doors, it must keep the door in aclosed position for an exposure period of 3 hours. Thelatch bolt must remain projected and be intact after thefire exposure test. Note the absence of any criterion ad-dressing temperature transmission to the unexposedside. The fire doors must usually also be exposed to ahose stream test, which subjects the test assembly tothe impact, erosion, and cooling effects of the hosestream, immediately following the fire resistance test.The hose stream is directed at the middle and then atall parts of the exposed surface, slowly makingchanges in direction. However, certain provisionswithin the Life Safety Code provide for the installationof door assemblies having a fire protection rating of 20minutes without the hose stream test. One must care-fully evaluate the particular requirements associatedwith the opening protective so that it satisfies the min-imum acceptable criteria.

A modern trend within code-writing organiza-tions is to require certain applications of fire door as-semblies (typically side-hinged and swinging doors)to be tested under a positive pressure scenario. Thisprovision requires that the door assemblies be testedwith a neutral pressure plane located 40 in. (1015 mm)above the finished floor. NFPA 252 does not stipulatethe height of the neutral plane but records the heightin the test results. This permits the test standard to ac-commodate the many gradients of pressure planes atwhich a furnace can be operated. The test report docu-ment issued following a classification test records thelocation of the neutral pressure plane to which thedoor assembly has been tested. The Life Safety Codedoes not stipulate the minimum required height of theneutral pressure plane for testing the door. If a neutralplane is not established along the height of the testspecimen, then it is assumed that the door will betested under normal testing procedures, which is run-ning the furnace at near atmospheric pressure. Thiswould establish the neutral pressure plane at the topof the door assembly. It is generally recognized that, ifa lower neutral pressure plane is established on thedoor assembly within the furnace, then the test couldbe considered to be more severe. A door tested undera positive pressure should be accepted as meeting therequirements established for a door tested at atmos-pheric pressure. Listing agencies have different ap-proaches on how to list and label doors being testedunder positive pressure. Additional information asso-ciated with these criteria can be found in NFPA 80,Standard for Fire Doors and Other Opening Protectives,which should be consulted for the installation require-ments associated with all types of fire doors.

Fire protection rating is the appropriate term for thefire resistance associated with an opening protective as

detailed in NFPA 252 (for fire doors) and in NFPA 257(for fire window assemblies). Fire resistance rating is theappropriate term for use with a fire barrier, such as usedin walls or floors. In the Life Safety Code and NFPA 5000®,Building Construction and Safety Code®3, the technicalcommittees have been very careful to use each term ap-propriately and consistently. However, there are firedoors and glazing assemblies that have a fire resistancerating by virtue of the fact that they were tested usingNFPA 251; in that case the code does not consider themto be opening protectives.

Fire Window Assemblies. Fire window assemblies arepermitted to be used in fire barriers having a fire resis-tance rating of one hour or less if they have a fire pro-tection rating of 45 minutes and represent up to 25percent of the fire barrier. Fire windows must be testedin accordance with NFPA 257, Standard on Fire Test forWindow and Glass Block Assemblies (see also Table S3.1 foralternative similar fire test methods and Exhibit S3.1 forthe time-temperature curve). The NFPA 257 test methodis intended to evaluate the ability of a window or otherlight-transmitting assembly to remain in an openingduring a predetermined test exposure period. Recenteditions of NFPA 257 have no references to a particulartime limit for testing, and time-temperature guidelinesare included for up to 3 hours. Earlier editions limitedtesting to 45 minutes, but now the test is permitted to berun for the length of time a test sponsor requests. Theperiod of time is then recorded on the appropriate testrecords. A testing time limit is no longer relevant be-cause new materials and technology exist for windowassemblies that will permit increased exposure timesand maintain the integrity of the fire barriers in whichthey are installed. Note that, just as in NFPA 252, thereis no criterion addressing temperature transmission tothe unexposed side. Discussions are continuing on theamount of radiant heat permitted to transfer throughthe window assembly to the unexposed side of the win-dow. Currently, the radiant heat transferred is not re-quired to be recorded. A test procedure is available tomeasure this radiant heat flux and is detailed in AnnexC of NFPA 257, with some additional information on ra-diant heat transmissions in Annex B. The conditions as-sociated with radiant energy could be considered as afactor in the application of a fire-modeling program thatmight have an occupant passing by such opening pro-tectives, or could, in principle, be used as pass/fail cri-teria. All considerations and applications for amaterial’s particular use should be reviewed with thelimitations of the test results in mind.

In NFPA 257, the test specimen is mounted in a fur-nace wall and exposed to the standard time-tempera-ture curve. A window assembly is considered to have

met the requirements for acceptable performance if itremains in the opening during the fire resistance andhose stream tests, within the following five criteria:

1. No flaming shall occur on the unexposed surfaceof the assembly.

2. There shall be no separation of the glazing mater-ial edges from the glazing frame that creates open-ings.

3. At the perimeter of operable components, move-ment from the initial closed position shall not ex-ceed the thickness of the frame member at anypoint.

4. The window assembly shall not move away fromthe wall to the extent that an opening is created.

5. There shall be no openings in the window assem-bly.

Exhibits S3.2 and S3.3 represent two views of anassembly that has been exposed to both the fire resis-tance and the hose stream tests. As with fire doors, firewindows are installed in accordance with the provi-sions of NFPA 80, Standard for Fire Doors and OtherOpening Protectives, which should be consulted for theinstallation requirements associated with all types offire windows. NFPA 80 includes limitations on the sizeand total area permitted for the glazing material in-stalled in fire window assemblies, and also requiresthat each individual glazing unit have a label that isvisible after installation. Also, in NFPA 80, fire windowassemblies having a rating of 20 minutes or 30 minutesare limited to the size that has been tested. A windowprotection of 45 minutes is limited to the maximumarea tested and must have no exposed area of individ-ual glazing material exceeding 1296 in.2 (0.84 m2) andno dimension exceeding 54 in. (1370 mm), unless it hasbeen specifically tested with dimensions in excess ofthose values. Glazing is currently available that hasbeen tested with dimensions exceeding that size limi-tation. One should review the appropriate listing asso-ciated with the protection rating given to a firewindow assembly.

Many types of glazing materials are being intro-duced into the market, and several types of fire-ratedglazing products (including wired glass) can satisfythe acceptance criteria of NFPA 257. Nonsymmetricalfire protection–rated glazing systems are tested witheach face exposed to the furnace, and the assigned fireprotection rating is that of the shortest duration ob-tained from the two tests conducted. It is importantthat the installation and testing limitations be re-viewed for the particular installation.

Technological advances within the glazing indus-try have provided systems using fire-resistant glazing



Exhibit S3.2 Unexposed side of window assembly after fireexposure and hose stream application.

Exhibit S3.3 Exposed side of window assembly after fireexposure and hose stream application.



materials that are actually fire barrier walls. Theseglazing walls would have been tested in accordancewith NFPA 251 and satisfy the particular pass/fail cri-teria for fire barriers. The pass/fail criteria include alimitation in the temperature rise on the unexposedside of the test specimen, and a successful hose streamapplication. The installation requirements and limita-tions for these glazing wall assemblies would be high-lighted in the applicable listing requirements and themanufacturers’ specifications. This type of glazingwould not be required to comply with the installationrequirements, because it is not considered an openingprotective device.

Through-Penetrations. Generally, when fire barriersare tested for a particular hourly rating, these assem-blies are tested without any penetrations. It is recog-nized that within a building these fire barriers willhave various penetrations for building services, utili-ties, and other applications. Penetrations of fire barri-ers require the appropriate protection by devices ormaterials that have been tested and listed for that par-ticular application to maintain the fire barrier’s in-tegrity. In this edition of the Life Safety Code (see 8.3.5.1and 8.3.5.6), through-penetration and membrane pen-etrations — for cables, cable trays, conduits, pipes,tubes, combustion vents, exhaust vents, wires, andsimilar items to accommodate electrical, mechanical,plumbing, and communications systems that passthrough a wall, floor, or floor/ceiling assembly con-structed as a fire barrier — are required (rather thanrecommended) to be protected by a firestop system ordevice, and must be tested in accordance with ASTM E814, Standard Method for Fire Tests of Through-Penetra-tion Fire Stops, which establishes the testing protocolsfor through-penetrations.

Penetrations of a rated assembly that require spe-cial consideration are usually tested using a recog-nized test procedure based on the standardtime-temperature curve, normally that containedwithin ASTM E 814. Additional information can befound in documents published by the individual list-ing agencies for assemblies that have been tested forspecific fire ratings.

The ASTM E 814 test protocol establishes F and Tratings as one part of the acceptance criteria forthrough-penetration systems. The F rating signifies theability of the penetrating firestop system to withstanda prescribed fire test for a period of time without per-mitting the passage of flame through the opening orthe occurrence of flaming on any element of the unex-posed side of the penetrating firestop system. The Trating relates to the transmission of heat through thepenetrating firestop system for a given period of time.

An acceptable T rating is one that limits the rise of thetemperature on the unexposed surface of the penetrat-ing firestop system or penetrating item to no morethan 325°F (181°C) above the initial temperature, andfor which there is no flame occurrence on the unex-posed side. The penetrating firestop is exposed to thesame fire test conditions created by the time-tempera-ture curve in NFPA 251, Standard Methods of Tests of FireResistance of Building Construction and Materials. TheLife Safety Code; NFPA 5000, Building Construction andSafety Code; NFPA 221, Standard for High-Challenge FireWalls, and Fire Barrier Walls;4 and other codes requirethat the penetrating firestop be under a minimum pos-itive pressure differential of 0.01 in. of water (2.5 Pa) atthe location of the penetrating item. This positive pres-sure must be maintained for the duration of the timefor which it is being tested. The penetrating firestopsystem must be tested for the same time period as thatof the fire barrier in which it is installed. The penetrat-ing firestop system must also be subjected to the ef-fects of an applied hose stream test.

Joints. Joints used in the construction of fire barrierscan include expansion, seismic, and control joints.These joints are tested at their maximum joint width inaccordance with NFPA 251. The test includes joints totheir full height or length of the test assembly. The fire-resistive joint system tested must include a splice or amethod of connecting two or more lengths of the jointsystem. The test must be conducted so that the jointsystem is tested under a minimum positive pressuredifferential of 0.01 in. of water (2.5 Pa) for the totaltime of the test. There is an exception for expansion orseismic joints designed to prevent the penetration offire and shown to have a fire resistance rating of notless than the required fire resistance rating of the floorwhen tested in accordance with ANSI/UL 2079, Test ofFire Resistance of Building Joint Systems (see 8.6.3 ofNFPA 101). Fire-resistive joint systems that are de-signed to accommodate movement must be precondi-tioned by cycling under the conditions of ASTM E1399, Standard Test Method for Cyclic Movement and Mea-suring the Minimum and Maximum Joint Widths of Archi-tectural Joint Systems.5

Fire Dampers. Chapter 7, Means of Egress, states thatfire barriers forming horizontal exits shall not be pen-etrated by ducts, unless such ducts are existing pene-trations protected by fire dampers approved and listedfor the particular application. Fire dampers are testedeither for static systems, where the HVAC system isautomatically shut down in the event of a fire, or fordynamic systems, where the HVAC system does notshut down. Fire dampers used in dynamic systems are

investigated for closure under their maximum recom-mended airflow. Fire dampers are tested in accordancewith ANSI/UL 555, Standard for Fire Dampers. Firedampers used in rated fire-resistive floor-ceiling androof-ceiling assemblies are tested in accordance withANSI/UL 555C, Standard for Ceiling Dampers. The firedampers are tested in assemblies under the conditionsof the fire exposure of the same time-temperaturecurve as in NFPA 251. The ANSI/UL standards pro-vide the acceptance criteria in regard to the flaming onthe unexposed side, closing time of the damper, airleakage, if applicable, and hose stream application. Itshould be noted that fire dampers are not tested for thelimitation of heat transmission through the firedamper assembly. This particular condition is recog-nized in the requirements of NFPA 90A, Standard forthe Installation of Air-Conditioning and Ventilating Sys-tems,6 associated with the limitation on the number offire dampers permitted to be installed in a verticalduct that has multiple floor penetrations.

Smoke Dampers. Paragraph 8.5.5.2 discusses the useof smoke dampers. Where a smoke barrier is pene-trated by a duct or air transfer opening, a smokedamper designed and tested in accordance with the re-quirements of ANSI/UL 555S, Standard for LeakageRated Dampers for Use in Smoke Control Systems, must beinstalled. Where a smoke barrier is also constructed asa fire barrier, a combination fire/smoke damper de-signed and tested in accordance with the requirementsof both ANSI/UL 555S and ANSI/UL 555 must be in-stalled.

Floor Fire Doors. Paragraph 8.3.3.4 regulates floorfire doors. It states that floor fire door assembliesshall be tested in accordance with NFPA 288, StandardMethods of Fire Tests of Floor Fire Door Assemblies In-stalled Horizontally in Fire Resistance–Rated Floor Sys-tems, and shall achieve a fire resistance rating not lessthan the assembly being penetrated. It also states thatfloor fire door assemblies shall be listed and labeledfor the application. The time-temperature curve inNFPA 288 is the same as that in NFPA 251, but thereis no required hose stream test. The transmission ofheat through the specimen during the fire resistancerating period shall not raise the average temperatureon its unexposed surface more than 250°F (139°C)above its initial temperature. Additionally, a temper-ature rise of 325°F (181°C) shall not be exceeded atany one point.

Critical Test Limitations of Fire Resistance Tests

Although test assemblies have been rated for a specificperiod using a fire resistance test, it must be recog-

nized that the test is only intended to be a comparativetest. Therefore, under actual field conditions, some as-semblies fail prematurely and others remain in placelonger than expected. The simulated test exposureused in the test protocol was established around 1920;it represents one level of fire severity considered to bea “typical office building” scenario of that era. Re-search continues to determine whether the varyingtypes of fuel loads found in more modern occupancieswould require a different type of time-temperaturecurve. Such research is always ongoing and differingopinions are expressed by various investigators. It isworth mentioning, however, that the time-tempera-ture curve from the test used by European countriesfor assessing fire resistance, namely ISO 834, Fire-resis-tance tests — Elements of building construction,7 is verysimilar to that in NFPA 251.

Currently, discussions are ongoing regarding theapplication of particular fire modeling programs topredict the results of testing of assemblies, as well aswhat the pass/fail criteria should be. An ASTM stan-dard guide, ASTM E 2032, Standard Guide for Extensionof Data from Fire Resistance Tests Conducted in Accordancewith ASTM E 119, has been issued to address the ex-tension of fire resistance results obtained from firetests performed in accordance with NFPA 251 orASTM E 119 to constructions that have not been tested.The guide is based on principles involving the exten-sion of test data using simple considerations. The ac-ceptance of these principles and their application is ona worst-case scenario.

It is always important to remember that new ma-terials may present unforeseen issues that will need tobe resolved. A good example is the recent understand-ing that high-strength concrete can cause explosivespalling to occur at relatively low temperatures. Thisfinding could have an adverse effect on the fire pro-tection properties assumed for a construction elementusing such materials.

Another area of concern for the fire resistance of atest assembly is its integrity, or the protection ofthrough-penetrations. The test criteria in NFPA 251 donot address conventional openings found in assem-blies, such as those needed for incorporation of electri-cal receptacles, or penetrations by electrical wires,cables or raceways, plumbing pipes, utility services,and construction joints, unless they have been specifi-cally tested as part of the assembly. All penetrations re-quire special review and consideration. A source forevaluating certain penetrations permitted in rated as-semblies is found in the introduction of the UL Fire Re-sistance Directory.8 This document addresses the hourlyratings for beams, floors, roofs, columns, walls, andpartitions. Its design information section provides in-



Reaction-To-Fire Testing 1191


formation pertaining to the different penetrationsfound in rated assemblies and the required protectionor limitations.

The publication “Guideline on Fire Ratings of Ar-chaic Materials and Assemblies,” by Robert BradyWilliamson, Cecile Grant, Joseph Zicherman, FredFisher, Harry Hasegawa, Herman Spaeth, Harriet Wat-son, Vytenis Babrauskas, and Norman Kornsand, forthe National Institute of Building Sciences for the De-partment of Housing and Urban Development, con-tains information on construction materials typical ofan earlier time, generally prior to 1950. It contains dataon fire resistance and reaction-to-fire, including flamespread, smoke production, and degree of combustibil-ity. The information has also been included in NFPA914, Code for Fire Protection of Historic Structures,9 asAnnex O.

REACTION-TO-FIRE TESTING

Major Properties and Products

Interior finish as it relates to the Life Safety Code refersto the exposed interior wall surfaces, exposed interiorceiling finishes, and exposed interior floor finishes.The reaction-to-fire properties associated with the reg-ulation of interior wall and ceiling finish are flamespread and smoke development in a traditional stan-dard test (ASTM E 84, Standard Test Method for SurfaceBurning Characteristics of Building Materials; see alsoTable S3.1 for alternative similar fire test methods). Al-ternatively, in a room-corner test or in a specializedlarge-scale test, the reaction-to-fire properties associ-ated with wall and ceiling finish are heat and smokerelease and flame propagation (potentially leading toflashover). The reaction-to-fire properties associatedwith interior floor finish are ignition characteristics (inaccordance with ASTM D 2859, Standard Test Methodfor Ignition Characteristics of Finished Textile Floor Cover-ing Materials) and critical radiant flux (in accordancewith NFPA 253, Standard Method of Test for Critical Ra-diant Flux of Floor Covering Systems Using a Radiant HeatEnergy Source; see also Table S3.1 for alternative simi-lar fire test methods). These provisions should not beassociated or confused with fire resistance ratings. Asdiscussed above, the properties associated with inte-rior finish are reaction-to-fire properties and not fireresistance properties. They refer to the ability of a ma-terial to contribute to overall fire and smoke growthand spread. An interior finish classification shouldalso not be compared or confused with a material’scombustibility or the degrees of combustibility.

Interior Wall and Ceiling Finish. There are two typesof approaches being used to evaluate interior wall and

ceiling finishes. Each use of a material for a particularapplication of interior finish needs to be coordinatedwith the appropriate testing procedure, and each inte-rior finish testing method has a specific scope and ap-plication. There is a possibility that a single productcould be used in different applications and be testedusing different fire test methods. The end use applica-tion must be identified, because that knowledge stipu-lates the appropriate test method and applicable results.

Steiner Tunnel Test. The traditional approach to testinginterior wall and ceiling finish for use within a code in-volves ASTM E 84, Standard Test Method for SurfaceBurning Characteristics of Building Materials, a test con-ducted in a piece of equipment known as the Steinertunnel. Depending on occupancy and use within theoccupancy, the Life Safety Code limits the use of interiorwall and ceiling finish materials to minimize flamepropagation and smoke development on the exposedwall and ceiling surfaces. This approach consists ofevaluating the flame spread over the surface of a ma-terial, and the smoke developed, when the material isexposed to a prescribed gas-fed fire. The Life SafetyCode provides, in 10.2.3, three classifications for inte-rior finish, based on a flame spread index (FSI) and asmoke development index (SDI), as tested in accor-dance with ASTM E 84 (see also Table S3.1 for alterna-tive similar fire test methods). The classifications (withtheir corresponding flame spread index and smoke de-velopment index values) are shown in Table S3.2. Theflame spread index and the smoke development indexboth reflect the comparative fire-test response of a ma-terial when compared with two established bench-marks: a 1/4 in. (6.3 mm) thick inorganic reinforcedcement board (assigned both an FSI and an SDI of 0)and a nominal 25/32 in. (19.8 mm) select grade red oakflooring board (assigned both an FSI and an SDI of100). The FSI is a comparative nondimensional figureand does not directly represent a flame speed, flamevelocity, or flame propagation. The SDI is also a com-parative nondimensional figure and does not directlyrepresent optical density or smoke release rate.

Table S3.2 Flame Spread Index (FSI) and SmokeDevelopment Index (SDI) Values for Interior Wall andCeiling Finish Classifications

Class FSI SDI

Class A 0–25 0–450Class B 26–75 0–450Class C 76–200 0–450

The testing apparatus used in ASTM E 84 is shownin Exhibits S3.4 and S3.5. The specimens are requiredto be at least 20 in. (508 mm) wide by 24 ft (7.3 m) long

and are placed within the test apparatus. A gas flameof approximately 300,000 Btu/sec (89 kW) is applied atone end of the tunnel, and a regulated constant draft isapplied through the tunnel from the flame end. Theprogress of the flame front is observed through side

windows for 10 minutes. The FSI is a relative indica-tion of flame propagation, but is not in any way an in-dication of fire resistance or of combustibility — onlyof the ability of the material to resist propagation offlame spread across its surface. It is possible that a ma-



C

C

Light source12.2 m (40 ft) max.

To induced-draft system

406 mm (16 in.) inside diameter

50.8-mm (2-in.) min. high-temperaturemineral-composition material

Section C-C

Automaticallycontrolleddamper

Access forvelocity measurements

Thermocouples3.2 mm (¹⁄₈ in.) from surface

304.8 mm ± 12.7 mm(12 in. ± 0.5 in.)

Section A-A

(17.625 in. ± 0.375 in.)448 mm ± 9.5 mm

B

BA

A

Gas burner forignition fire

0.30 m (1 ft)

4.11 m (13 ft 0 in.)1372 ± 127 mm

(54 in. ± 5 in.)

Air-inlet port for air supply,76.2 ± 1.6 mm (3 in. ± 0.062 in.)

Adjustable air-intake shutter

7.62 m (25 ft) length of test chamber

Insulated gradual rectangular-to-round sheet-metal vent pipe

Thermocouple

4.88 m (16 ft)min.

Photoelectric cell

Fire end Vent end

6.40 m (21 ft)min. fromvent end

Manometer draft-gaugeconnection

Draft gauge connection

Exhibit S3.4 Schematic diagram of tunnel test apparatus used to characterize the surfaceburning of materials.

Water-cooledstructural-steeltube

127.0±12.7 mm(5.0 ± 0.5 in.)

3-mm (0.125-in.)fibered glass belting

448.0 mm ± 9.5 mm(17.625 in. ± 0.375 in.)

101.6 ± 12.7 mm(4.0 ± 0.5 in.)

Panes

Liquid sealRemovable metal-and-mineral composite top panel

6.4-mm (0.25-in.)mineral-fiber/cement board

Double-paneobservationwindow, 70 ± 6 by 280+50-25 mm(2.75 ± 0.25 by 11.0+2.0-1.0 in.)

Fire brick228.6 mm x 114.3 mm x 63.5 mm(9.0 in. x 4.5 in. x 2.5 in.),max. temp. 1427°C (2600°F)

305 mm ± 12.7 mm(12 in. ± 0.5 in.)

19 mm (0.75 in.)

Exhibit S3.5 Cross-sectional view of the tunnel test apparatus.



terial with a low ability to spread flame (for example,bare sheet metal) could also exhibit little or no fire re-sistance when exposed to the testing criteria of NFPA251. The smoke development represents a degree ofobscuration and is measured by a photoelectric cellmounted in the test chamber’s exhaust outlet, oppo-site a light source. A reduction in the light transmitted,due to the smoke particulates that pass by the photo-electric cell, is recorded and used to calculate the SDI.It should be noted that there is no direct relationshipbetween the flame spread and smoke developmentvalues. It is possible that a material having a low flamespread index could also exhibit a very high smoke de-velopment index. Specimens tested in the Steiner tun-nel test must be representative of the material forwhich test results are desired. When specific materialsand products are considered for use or are reviewedfor compliance with a provision of the Life Safety Code,it is critical that the intended end use correspond withthe tested configuration. If the material or product dif-fers in composition or is mounted or applied in a man-ner that deviates from the tested specimen, it couldhave an adverse effect. The actual FSI and SDI arelikely to be different from those established in the orig-inal test results. It is very important therefore, to fol-low the manufacturer or listing instructions wheninstalling or applying the interior finish material. Sec-tion 6.8 of ASTM E 84 discusses the mandatory meth-ods for specimen preparation and mounting fortesting some materials, as discussed below. The Ap-pendix of ASTM E 84 provides guidance on the differ-ent mounting configurations for some other types ofbuilding materials when tested in the Steiner tunnel.This appendix is provided as a guide and cannot beused as a requirement, and so caution should be usedwhen applying it to particular materials.

As stated above, information on the mandatory re-quired procedures for mounting and testing some ma-terials in the Steiner tunnel test has been developedand incorporated into ASTM E 84, in Section 6.8, andmore of them are under development (see Table S3.3).The ASTM committee on Fire Standards, ASTM E05, isworking on such mounting methods and is develop-ing further standard practices. Not all of them are crit-ical in the Life Safety Code.

Some materials that cannot support themselves inthe tunnel and that are artificially supported by a wiremesh have been demonstrated to have FSI character-istics that are significantly different from those foundin actual field installations. Therefore, the permitteduse of wire mesh to support test specimens has beenlimited in recent editions of ASTM E 84. It has alsobeen established that the ASTM E 84 test method isnot suitable for certain building materials. Included

are those that, due to their own structural quality orthe manner in which they are applied, are not capableof supporting themselves in position or of being sup-ported in the test furnace at a thickness comparable totheir recommended use. When using these materialsas interior finishes, a different test protocol might berequired. An appropriate test for these types of mate-rials would be NFPA 286, Standard Methods of Fire Testsfor Evaluating Contribution of Wall and Ceiling InteriorFinish to Room Fire Growth.

Table A.10.2.2 provides a compilation of the inte-rior finish requirements of the occupancy chapters(Chapters 11 through 43) of the Life Safety Code, basedon ASTM E 84. Wherever the use of Class C interiorwall and ceiling finish is required, Class A or Class B ispermitted, and wherever Class B interior wall and ceil-ing finish is required, Class A is also permitted.

Room-Corner Test. As an alternative to the Steiner tun-nel test, 10.2.3.2 explains that interior wall and ceilingfinish materials can be tested in accordance with aroom-corner test, namely NFPA 286, Standard Methodsof Fire Tests for Evaluating Contribution of Wall and Ceil-ing Interior Finish to Room Fire Growth, and, if theymeet the appropriate conditions (from 10.2.3.7.2), theycan be used anywhere a material is required to meetClass A, Class B, or Class C finish requirements in ac-cordance with ASTM E 84, as explained above. This isa critical difference in approach, since a room-cornertest exposes an interior wall or ceiling finish materialwhen applied to walls (or walls and ceilings) of aroom, and it measures heat and smoke release. His-torically, codes have regulated materials on walls andceilings using ASTM E 84. Full-scale room-corner firetest research has shown that flame spread indices pro-duced by ASTM E 84 may not reliably predict all as-pects of the fire behavior of textile wall and ceiling

Table S3.3 Steiner Tunnel Specimen Preparation andMounting Practices to Assess Surface BurningCharacteristics of Specific Materials

Designation Application

E 2231 Pipe and Duct Insulation SystemsE 2404 Textile, Paper and Vinyl Wall and Ceiling

CoveringsE 2573 Site-Fabricated Stretch SystemsE 2579 Wood ProductsE XXXX Reflective Insulation Materials and Radiant

Barrier Materials for Building ApplicationsIn progress Plastic Pipe and Tubing for BuildingApplicationsIn progress Floor CoversIn progress Vapor Barriers

coverings. NFPA 286, known as a room-corner test,was developed for assessing the fire and smoke ob-scuration performance of interior wall and ceiling fin-ish materials. As long as an interior wall or ceilingfinish material is tested by NFPA 286 using a mount-ing system, substrate, and adhesive (if appropriate)that are representative of actual use, the room-cornertest provides an adequate evaluation of a product’sflammability and smoke obscuration behavior. Manu-facturers, installers, and specifiers should be encour-aged to use NFPA 286, because this standard fire testhas the ability to characterize actual product behavior,as opposed to data generated by tests using ASTM E84, which only allow comparisons of one product’sperformance with that of another. If a manufacturer orinstaller chooses to test a wall finish in accordancewith NFPA 286, additional testing in accordance withASTM E 84 is not necessary. The test results fromASTM E 84 are suitable for classification purposes butshould not be used as input for fire models, becausethey are not generated in units suitable for engineer-ing calculations. Actual test results for heat, smoke,and combustion product release from NFPA 286 aresuitable for use as input for fire models for perfor-mance-based design.

In NFPA 286, the test compartment is a “stan-dard” room, with dimensions of 8 ft � 12 ft � 8 ft high(2.4 m � 3.7 m � 2.4 m high), including a 30 in. � 80in. (0.76 m � 2.03 m) doorway in the center of the 8 ft� 8 ft (2.4 m � 2.4 m) wall. (See Exhibit S3.6.) The testmaterial is installed completely covering the threewalls of the “standard” room (all except for the wallcontaining the doorway), as well as the entire ceiling

(if appropriate). If a ceiling covering only is beingtested, the test material covers the ceiling only.

The ignition source for NFPA 286 is a gas burnerwith a nominal 12 in. � 12 in. (305 mm � 305 mm)porous top surface of a refractory material, as shownin Exhibit S3.7, which produces a diffusion flame thatwill expose the walls in the corner of the room wherethe specimens are mounted to a predetermined energysource. The gas burner is located flush against the twoback walls and is used at a net heat output of 40 kW ±1 kW for the first 5 minutes, followed by a net heat out-put of 160 kW ± 5 kW for the next 10 minutes. Thecombustion products from the test room are collectedin a hood that is fed into a 3 ft � 3 ft (0.91 m � 0.91 m)plenum just outside the doorway connected to an ex-haust duct. Within this exhaust duct, measurements ofgas velocity, temperature, and concentrations of se-lected gases are made. The hood is designed to de-velop a minimum flow rate, sufficient to capture allthe products of combustion being expelled from thefire test room. The canopy hood and exhaust duct areshown in Exhibit S3.8. All the measuring instrumenta-tion is placed in that exhaust duct. The room-cornertest method assesses heat release (by the principle ofoxygen consumption calorimetry), smoke release intothe duct, and the release of combustion products. It isunderstood that heat release rate is the most critical re-action-to-fire property, as it parallels the intensity of



3.66 m ± 0.05 m(12 ft ± 2 in.)

2.44

m ±

0.0

5 m

(8 ft

± 2

in.)

2.44 m ± 0.05 m(8 ft ± 2 in.)

0.76 m ± 6.4 mm(30 in. ± 0.25 in.)

2.03

m ±

6.4

mm

(80

in. ±

0.2

5 in

.)

Exhibit S3.6 Interior fire test room dimensions and interiordoorway dimensions for the NFPA 286 test.

305 mm (12 in.)

305

mm

(12

in.)

152 mm (6 in.)

152

mm

(6

in.) 76 mm (3 in.)

Gas

White Ottawa silica sand

Top view

White Ottawa silica sand

Nominal 19-mm(0.75-in.) pipe

Gas

28 mm (1.125 in.)

152

mm

(6

in.)

Side view A–A

AA

Exhibit S3.7 Gas burner for the NFPA 286 test.



the fire. The Life Safety Code, like most other codes, re-quires that an interior finish material in this test meetthe following conditions:

1. Flames shall not spread to the ceiling during the 40kW exposure.

2. During the 160 kW exposure, the following criteriashall be met:a. Flames shall not spread to the outer extremi-

ties of the sample on the 8 ft � 12 ft (2.4 m �3.7 m) wall.

b. Flashover shall not occur.

3. The peak heat release rate throughout the test shallnot exceed 800 kW.

4. For new installations, the total smoke releasedthroughout the test shall not exceed 1000 m2. Val-ues derived from NFPA 286 are in SI units; there isno straightforward inch-pound equivalent.

Flashover is determined to have occurred in thetest chamber when any two of the following condi-tions have been attained:

1. A heat flux at the floor reaches 25 kW/m2.2. The average upper air temperature exceeds 1200°F

(650°C).3. Flames exit the doorway.4. A paper target on the floor ignites spontaneously.

The pass/fail criterion for smoke release was de-termined following an assessment of smoke releasedin a room-corner test and in the Steiner tunnel test bya number of interior finish materials, which suggestedthat a material with a total smoke released value ex-ceeding 1000 m2 in a room-corner test would be likelyalso to exceed an SDI of 450 in the Steiner tunnel test.(See Exhibit S3.9.) It should be noted that the require-ment for smoke release within the Life Safety Code doesnot apply to existing installations. The technical com-mittee determined that this new requirement shouldnot be applied retroactively.

A separate room-corner test had been developedearlier for use with textile materials that are used aswall coverings: NFPA 265, Standard Methods of FireTests for Evaluating Room Fire Growth Contribution ofTextile Coverings on Full Height Panels and Walls. Theroom, burner, and instrumentation are identical tothose in NFPA 286. However, NFPA 265 differs fromNFPA 286 in two ways:

1. The exposure after 5 minutes at 40 kW increasesonly to 150 kW for 10 minutes.

2. The gas burner is recessed slightly [approximately2 in. (51 mm) in each direction] from the walls.

This is a critical difference in that the flames fromthe burner itself in the NFPA 265 test do not reach the

Hood

Plenum

Burner

Top of door opening

Thermocouples and bidirectional probe

Gas sampling probe

Smoke meter

0.9 m (3 ft)

0.9

m (

3 ft)

(min

.)

1.1

m (

3.5

ft)

306-mm (12-in.)circular aperture

150 mm (6 in.)

3.66 m (12 ft)

3.5 m (11.5 ft)

3.3 m (11 ft)

2.44 m × 2.44 m (8 ft × 8 ft) square hood(min. dimensions)

2.44 m × 3.66 m (8 ft × 12 ft) burn room

406-mm (16-in.)circular duct Exhaust

≥1.5 m (≥5 ft) toexhaust system

Exhibit S3.8 Canopy hood and exhaust duct for the NFPA 286 test.

ceiling during the initial test period (i.e., at 150 kW),while those from the NFPA 286 burner do have directflame impingement on the ceiling even during the ini-tial test period. Therefore, the Life Safety Code and othercodes limit the application of NFPA 265 only to textilewall coverings (and to expanded vinyl wall coveringmaterials).

Interior finishes that are classified as textile mate-rials require special consideration and appropriatetesting, due primarily to their very low thickness. Tex-tile wall covering materials can include napped,tufted, looped, woven, and nonwoven or similar ma-terials. The NFPA 265 test procedure was developedbecause fire research had shown that a Class A flamespread index in a textile material does not accuratelypredict the overall burning characteristic behavior ofthis material in this particular end use.

Two test protocols, Method A and Method B, usedto be approved for testing a textile material in accor-dance with NFPA 265. Method A uses a corner-test ex-posure and mounts the test specimen on only sectionsof two walls of the test compartment. The test speci-mens are mounted only on the rear wall and on the leftside wall and extend 2 ft (0.6 m) down from the ceiling.Method B uses the same test compartment configura-tion but requires that the test specimens be mountedso that they fully cover the three complete walls (notthe wall containing the doorway) with the test speci-men. Since the 2006 edition of the Life Safety Code,Method B of NFPA 265 has been eliminated from thepermitted test methods. The test compartment is iden-tical to that in NFPA 286, as is the gas burner (but notits intensity or location, as described above). (See Ex-hibit S3.10.) Interestingly, when a textile wall coveringis tested in accordance with Method A of NFPA 265 (afrequent occurrence), the corresponding results usedto be suitable for code approval, but have never been

considered suitable for computer modeling of the firehazard.

For a textile wall covering material to be consid-ered acceptable by the Life Safety Code when tested inaccordance with NFPA 265, flames must not spread tothe ceiling during the 40 kW exposure, flames mustnot spread to the outer extremity of the test specimenduring the 150 kW exposure, and the test specimen inthe room cannot reach flashover.

Fire research involving the full-scale room-cornerfire test scenarios has documented that textile materi-als found to be Class A via the Steiner tunnel test canhave a burning behavior that is unsatisfactory. So, thefire safety conclusions drawn from the two test meth-ods can be different. It was decided that the conclu-sions drawn from the more realistic room-corner testswere more likely to be correct. Thus, the Life SafetyCode now requires that textile wall covering materialsbe tested in accordance with NFPA 265 and pass therequirements of 10.2.3.7.1, or be tested in accordancewith NFPA 286 and pass the requirements of10.2.3.7.2, or be tested in accordance with ASTM E 84and obtain a Class A rating and be installed in an oc-cupancy that is fully sprinklered if it extends from thefloor to the ceiling (see 10.2.4.1). It is important to notethat the pass/fail criteria associated with NFPA 265are similar to those associated with NFPA 286, withtwo exceptions: the measurement of smoke release isnot a requirement, and the added requirement for apeak heat release rate of 800 kW is not included.

Expanded vinyl wall and ceiling covering materi-als can be tested in the same way as textile wall cover-ing materials, namely using ASTM E 84 or NFPA 265,but with the same limitations of use. Alternatively,they can be tested as other interior finish materials,namely using NFPA 286, without limitations of use.Foam plastic insulation cannot be used exposed as an



1400

1200

1000

800

600

400

200

00 200 400 600 800 1000 1200

Tota

l sm

oke

rele

ased

in r

oom

cor

ner

test

SDI in Steiner Tunnel Test

Room corner test smoke criterion

Exhibit S3.9 Comparison of smoke values in different test methods.



interior finish material, except as tested using NFPA286. Alternatively, foam plastic insulation can be pro-tected from the occupied interior of the building bybeing covered with a thermal barrier.

Another widely used room-corner test, not used inthe Life Safety Code, is ASTM E 2257, Standard TestMethod for Room Fire Test of Wall and Ceiling Materialsand Assemblies (similar to ISO 9705, Fire Tests — FullScale Room Fire Tests for Surface Products10). It is used bythe European Union for regulation of building prod-ucts; by NFPA 301, Code for Safety to Life from Fire onMerchant Vessels,11 for case furniture; and by the HighSpeed Craft Code12 of the International Maritime Orga-nization (IMO) for regulation of interior finish “fire re-stricting materials.” The test is basically the same asNFPA 286 (see Exhibits S3.5 through S3.7, which de-scribe the room, ignition burner, and instrumentation),except that the ignition source is a gas burner, whichhas an output of 100 kW for the first 10 minutes, fol-

lowed by an output of 300 kW for a subsequent 10minutes. Just like NFPA 286, this test assesses heat andsmoke release and the development of flashover.Tested materials can be required to meet different setsof pass/fail criteria or classifications into categories.

UL 1715, Standard for Fire Test of Interior Finish Ma-terial, is an early version of a room-corner test, whichis widely used in codes, including the Life Safety Code,for assessing the fire performance of cellular orfoamed plastic materials (foam plastics) used as inte-rior finish. It uses a 30 lb (13.6 kg) wood crib in a cor-ner of the same basic room as NFPA 265 or NFPA 286.In the test, the specimen, the interior finish material, ismounted on the back wall of the room and on 8 ft (2.4m) of one of the side walls. Measurements are basedon temperature and visual observations of extent offlame spread within the room (i.e., whether the flamereaches the extremities and whether it exits the roomand indicates flashover). Of course, optional measure-

0.6 m (2 ft)

0.6 m (2 ft)

0.6 m (2 ft)

0.6 m (2 ft)

0.6 m (2 ft)

2.44 m(8 ft)

2.44 m(8 ft)

Rear wall

1.22 m(4 ft)

Note: Screened areas represent test materials. The test material is applied sothat the machine direction is vertical. The burner is located 51 mm (2 in.) fromboth the rear wall and the left sidewall.

Note: Burner measures305 mm × 305 mm(1 ft × 1 ft)in plan view. Burnerheight = 305 mm (1 ft).

1.22 m(4 ft)

1.22 m(4 ft)

Left sidewall Floor plan

2 m (6 ft 8 in.)

Front wall0.76 m (2 ft 6 in.)

Right sidewall Ceiling plan

Exhibit S3.10 Specimen mounting for Method A test protocol of NFPA 265.

ments of heat and smoke release are also possible. Ithas been shown that UL 1715 is less severe than NFPA286.

FM 4880, Approval Standard for Class 1 InsulatedWall or Wall and Roof/Ceiling Panels; Plastic Interior Fin-ish Materials; Plastic Exterior Building Panels; Wall/Ceil-ing Coating Systems; Interior or Exterior Finish Systems,13

is a fire test suitable for assessing the fire performance(heat release or flame spread) of cellular or foamedplastic materials (foam plastics) used as interior finish.It requires that the assembly tested not support a self-propagating fire when subjected to a 25 ft (7.6 m) highcorner test, as evidenced by flaming or material dam-age, after exposure to a 750 lb (340 kg) wood crib fire.Other test options exist within the standard, depend-ing on the application of the product tested: the FMequivalent to NFPA 287/ASTM E 2058, a 50 ft (15.2 m)high corner test, and a room corner test (such as NFPA265, NFPA 286, or ISO 9705). No smoke measurementsare made. UL 1040, Standard for Fire Test of InsulatedWall Construction, is similar to FM 4880 in that it uses a764 lb (347 kg) wood crib ignition source in a cornerconfiguration and assesses whether surface burningextends beyond 19 ft (5.5 m) from the intersection ofthe two walls. Smoke release is not assessed.

UL 1040, UL 1715, and FM 4880 are all used, to-gether with NFPA 286, for assessing the fire perfor-mance (but not the smoke release) of foam plastics asinterior finish. The tests are also widely used in codesfor assessing the suitability of a material as a thermalbarrier separating foam plastics and/or metal com-posite materials (MCMs) from the interior of the build-ing or from plenums.

The 2009 edition of the Life Safety Code added therequirements that new installations of cellular orfoamed plastic materials for use as interior finishtested in accordance with UL 1040 or FM 4880, testswhich do not include a smoke component, must alsobe tested for smoke release. It explains further thatsuitable smoke release tests include the following:

1. Additional measurements of smoke release intothe duct that demonstrate that the total smoke re-leased throughout the test does not exceed 1000 m2

2. NFPA 286, with the acceptance criterion of10.2.3.7.2 (4)

3. ASTM E 84, with a smoke developed index not ex-ceeding 450

A new test was developed for 2009: NFPA 275,Standard Method of Fire Tests for the Evaluation of ThermalBarriers Used Over Foam Plastic Insulation, which con-sists of two parts: (a) a fire resistance test and (b) an in-tegrity fire test. The fire resistance test can beconducted using the time-temperature curve of NFPA

251, ASTM E 119, or UL 263, but the test specimen canbe significantly smaller (31.5 � 31.5 in. or 800 � 800mm exposed surface area), and the thermal barriermust exhibit a 15-minute fire resistance rating so thatduring the 15-minute test period, the average mea-sured temperature rise above the average temperatureat the start of the fire test for the thermocouples on theunexposed side does not exceed 250°F (139°C), and themeasured temperature rise of any such single thermo-couple does not exceed 325°F (181°C). The integrityfire test exposes the thermal barrier and the underly-ing foam plastic or MCM to be protected, and it can beconducted using any of the following four tests: NFPA286, UL 1040, UL 1715, or FM 4880. The pass-fail crite-ria for NFPA 286 are those discussed above, and thosefor the other tests are as specified in the respectivestandards.

A common misapplication of test methods needsto be pointed out here: textile materials normally usedas floor coverings, such as carpets or carpet-like mate-rials, that have achieved a Class I or a Class II rating(see details in the following section) are not permittedto be installed as interior wall or ceiling finish. In otherwords, carpets cannot be used to cover walls or ceil-ings where an interior wall or ceiling finish rating is re-quired unless they have been tested as wall or ceilingcoverings. The reason for this is that a classification isobtained by testing with NFPA 253, Standard Method ofTest for Critical Radiant Flux of Floor Covering SystemsUsing a Radiant Heat Energy Source, and this testmethod, which generates a critical radiant flux and nota flame spread or heat release, is applicable only whenthe material is installed as a floor covering or as an in-terior floor finish.

Another common misapplication of test methodsis one whereby a textile material is tested by means ofNFPA 701, Standard Methods of Fire Tests for Flame Prop-agation of Textiles and Films (see more details later inthis supplement), and then installed as interior finishon walls, ceilings, or floors. NFPA 701 is intended toapply to fabrics or other materials used in curtains,draperies, or other window treatments. It is also suit-able, in Test 1, to a number of materials having an areadensity not greater than 21 oz/yd2 (700 g/m2), and, inTest 2, to fabrics and films, with or without reinforce-ment or backing, with area densities greater than 21oz/yd2 (700 g/m2). NFPA 701 assesses vertical flamepropagation performance criteria, which are suitablefor draperies, curtains, and other similar loosely hang-ing furnishings and decorations (see 10.3.1 of the LifeSafety Code). However, NFPA 701 is an unsuitable testfor assessing the fire problem potentially associatedwith textiles applied to a solid backing and used aswall linings or textiles installed horizontally on floors





or ceilings. This is explained in Annex A of the LifeSafety Code. It has recently also been understood thatthe fire performance of site-fabricated stretch systems(which often have a textile cover) is not properly as-sessed using NFPA 701 but needs to be assessed usingASTM E 84, with the test specimen preparation andmounting procedure specified in ASTM E 2573.

As stated above, it is critical that every material beassessed using the tests appropriate to the end-use ap-plication. Thus, if the same type of material is em-ployed in different end-use applications, it mayrequire testing via various test methods to be qualifiedfor all applications.

Interior Floor Finish. Interior floor finish is defined inthe Life Safety Code as the interior finish of floors,ramps, stair treads and risers, and other walking sur-faces. Interior floor finish needs to meet the require-ments of two different fire tests: an ignition test and acritical radiant flux test.

The United States Flammable Fabrics Act requiresthat all carpets and rugs manufactured, imported, dis-tributed, or marketed in the United States must com-ply with the requirements of 16 CFR 1630, “Standardfor the Surface Flammability of Carpets and Rugs” (FF1–70).14 Because the Life Safety Code is applicable out-side of the United States, it references (in 10.2.2.2 and10.2.7.1) a standard test method that is substantiallysimilar to 16 CFR 1630: ASTM D 2859. (The Code doesexplain that the two are basically equivalent.) In thetest method, a No. 1588 methenamine timed burningtablet (commonly known as methenamine pill) weigh-ing 0.0052 oz (0.149 g) is placed flat on a test specimenconsisting of a section of carpet and ignited with alighted match (ensuring that the match does not ignitethe carpet). If the charred portion of the test specimendoes not exceed 3 in. (76 mm) in length, the test speci-men passes the test. This test method is only applica-ble to interior floor finish that is a textile, because mosthard surface flooring materials are known to meet thetest requirements.

Interior floor finish materials used in regulated en-vironments, as determined by the Life Safety Code orwhere the authority having jurisdiction determinesthat their particular burning characteristics are un-known, often must also meet a minimum critical radi-ant flux when tested in accordance with NFPA 253 (seealso Table S3.1 for alternative similar fire test meth-ods). Paragraph 10.2.2.2 of the Life Safety Code specifieswhen interior floor finishes are required to have a firesafety classification rating, and 10.2.7 describes the cri-teria needed. Interior floor finishes are grouped in twoclasses in accordance with their critical radiant fluxratings:

1. Class I Interior Floor Finish: critical radiant fluxnot less than 0.45 W/cm2

2. Class II Interior Floor Finish: critical radiant fluxnot less than 0.22 W/cm2 but less than 0.45 W/cm2

The Life Safety Code also states (10.2.7.2) that a crit-ical radiant flux of 0.1 W/cm2 (which is basically con-sidered to be equivalent to a “pass” in the ASTM D2859 test) is minimally required for floor coveringsother than carpets. This applies to floor coverings withunknown fire performance, and is discussed in moredetail in A.10.2.7.2 and A.10.2.7.3.

The NFPA 253 test method measures the critical ra-diant flux (CRF) behavior of a horizontally mountedfloor covering system exposed to a radiant heater, in-side a test chamber (see Exhibits S3.11 through S3.13,which show the apparatus used to test the floor cover-ing specimens in this test method). A gas-fired panelserving as a radiant heat energy source is installed atone end of the test chamber, on an incline (at a 30°angle) so that it extends over the test specimen. The ra-diant heater applies a graded heat flux that ranges be-tween approximately 0.1 and 1.1 W/cm2 close to thetwo ends of the test specimen. The test specimen is ig-nited by a pilot flaming ignition source at the end of thetest chamber where the heat flux applied is highest.

Exhibit S3.11 Flooring radiant panel tester apparatus.(Courtesy of Fire Testing Technology Ltd.)

The test chamber is calibrated by assigning a heat fluxto each position along the length of the test chamber.

Thus, the test method measures the heat flux at the

point of flame out, which is when the material doesnot continue to support flaming, and that value is con-sidered the CRF. The test specimens are required, tothe extent possible, to simulate actual field installationpractices. For example, if a carpet is to be mountedwith a pad and/or an underlayment, it must be testedin that same way. The CRF provides a basis for esti-mating a critical aspect of fire exposure behavior forfloor covering systems. It should be noted that this testis intended primarily for regulating floor coverings in-stalled in building corridors, exits, and exit access cor-ridors, which often have little or no combustible wallor ceiling finish. An occupancy with combustible fin-ishes would be expected to contribute much more tofire hazard.

The CRF is determined by measuring the distancethat has burned. The test specimen is tested for 10 min-utes following the exposure to a radiant energy sourceto a maximum of 1 W/cm2. The distance burned isconverted to a CRF value by plotting the distance onthe standard radiant heat energy flux profile, as shownin Exhibit S3.14, which shows the calibration curve



Exhibit S3.12 Flooring radiant panel test showing carpetspecimen and gas-fueled panel.

10.2 cm

5.1 cm>7.6 cm

15.2cm

31.8 cmThermocouples

2.5 cm

Radiating surface

10 cm

51 cm

71 cm

Specimen holder Specimen

Specimen transport system

140 cm

Radiation pyrometer

Protective sleeve

137

cm

8.9 cm

10.5 ± 1 cm

13 cm

Material: inorganic millboard0.74 g/cm3

Chamber sheathingGas- fueled panel

Pilot burner

14 cm

30°

Note: in. = cm x 0.3937.

Exhibit S3.13 Flooring radiant panelschematic side elevation.



used. The CRF is the level of incident radiant heat en-ergy at the time the test specimen ceases flaming orglowing activities. The higher the CRF, the more resis-tant to the radiant exposure the material is and, subse-quently, flame propagation across the surface, thanmaterials with a lower CRF.

As discussed above, it is important to point outthat carpet-like materials, when used in applicationsother than as floor coverings, must be tested using thefire test method appropriate for the application. Thus,if a carpet-like material is used as wall or ceiling finish,it must be tested using the Steiner tunnel test (ASTM E84, Standard Method of Test of Surface Burning Character-istics of Building Materials, or equivalent, with the ap-propriate mounting method) or a room-corner test(NFPA 286, Standard Methods of Fire Tests for EvaluatingContribution of Wall and Ceiling Interior Finish to RoomFire Growth; NFPA 265, Standard Methods of Fire Tests forEvaluating Room Fire Growth Contribution of Textile Cov-erings on Full Height Panels and Walls; or their equiva-lents). Similarly, if a carpet-like material is used as acurtain or a drape, it must be tested using a verticalflame propagation test (NFPA 701, Standard Methods ofFire Tests for Flame Propagation of Textiles and Films). Inneither case is it acceptable to test via NFPA 253, Stan-dard Method of Test for Critical Radiant Flux of Floor Cov-ering Systems Using a Radiant Heat Energy Source, orequivalent.

Cellulose loose fill insulation and other exposedinsulation materials installed on attic floors are re-

quired by codes, even if not specifically discussed inthe Life Safety Code, to have a critical radiant flux of notless than 0.12 W/cm2 when tested in accordance withASTM E 970, Standard Test Method for Critical RadiantFlux of Exposed Attic Floor Insulation Using a RadiantHeat Energy Source. In NFPA 5000 this applies to: (a)cellulose loose fill insulation, which must also meetthe requirements of CPSC 16 CFR, Part 1209, “InterimSafety Standard for Cellulose Insulation,”15 and CPSC16 CFR, Part 1404, “Cellulose Insulation,”16 and to (b)thermoplastic exposed insulation materials that meltor shrink away when exposed to radiant heat, whichmust also meet the following criteria:

1. Exhibit a flame spread index and a smoke devel-oped index when tested in accordance withCAN/ULC S102.2, Standard Method of Test for Sur-face Burning Characteristics of Floor Coverings andMiscellaneous Materials and Assemblies,17 which isthe Steiner tunnel test, with floor mounting

2. No ignition when tested in accordance with ASTME 970

3. A self-ignition temperature of 752°F (400°C) orgreater where tested in accordance with ASTM D1929, Standard Test Method for Determining IgnitionTemperature of Plastics

The 2009 edition of the Life Safety Code added a fea-ture that will make it easier for users of the code to un-derstand the subtleties of the use of each interior finishfire test: Table A.10.2 shows the fire test methods and

1.2

1.0

0.8

0.6

0.4

0.2

0.00 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Distance (cm)

W/c

m2

ROC -1

Example operating conditionsBlackbody temperature 490°CChamber temperature. Bottom open 171°CGas flow (96% methane) 1.1m3 /hrAirflow 16.4 m3/hr(Profile determined atequilibrium. Chamber closed.Dummy specimen in place) InstrumentationTotal heat flux meter-medthermModel No. 64-2-20. Serial No. 124421(Calibrated at NBS by optical radiation group 8-29-74)Digital voltmeter-kietiileyModel No. 160 range used 0-10 mV. PanelNo. 1 radiant burner 30.5 cm x 45.7 cmRadiant heating Ltd. patternNo. 2458 NBS P.O.S-402857-74Installed 9-3-74

Exhibit S3.14 Standard radiantheat energy flux profile.

classification criteria that apply to each of the individ-ual types of interior finish materials.

Interior Contents and Furnishings. Beyond interiorfinish, compartments tend to have a number of com-bustibles brought in by the occupier. Such contentsand furnishings need to be considered for fire involve-ment. They include furnishings such as upholsteredfurniture, mattresses, curtains, draperies, and othersimilar loosely hanging materials and decorations.Certain occupancies in the Life Safety Code require thatthese particular elements possess a certain appropriatedegree of fire performance and do not propagate or as-sist in flame spread. Test requirements (if applicable)are found in Section 10.3. The overall fire growth incertain fires has been related directly to the types offurnishings and decorations found within the facility.

Upholstered Furniture. The Life Safety Code containsprovisions for upholstered furniture to comply withrequirements for smoldering ignition (similar to ciga-rette ignition) and flaming ignition, if applicable ac-cording to the occupancy chapters (Chapters 11through 43). The applicable provisions of the Life SafetyCode that address the requirement for upholstered fur-niture to resist cigarette ignition are found in subsec-tion 10.3.2.1. There are two relevant fire test methods:NFPA 260, Standard Methods of Tests and ClassificationSystem for Cigarette Ignition Resistance of Components ofUpholstered Furniture, and NFPA 261, Standard Methodof Test for Determining Resistance of Mock-Up UpholsteredFurniture Material Assemblies to Ignition by SmolderingCigarettes (see Table S3.1 for alternative similar fire testmethods). The major difference between the two testmethods is that NFPA 260 addresses individual com-ponents that will be used to make an upholstered fur-niture item, and NFPA 261 addresses small mock-upsof the various composites used for the upholsteredfurniture item. In both tests, a lit cigarette covered bya layer of sheeting material is placed on the test item,and the resulting char (or flame) is assessed visually.The char length is the distance, to the nearest 0.2 in. (5mm), from the center of the original location of the litcigarette. Both tests are permitted to be used for test-ing of upholstered furniture.

NFPA 260 contains tests for assessing componentssuch as cover fabrics, welt cords, decking materials, in-terior fabrics, and filling and padding materials. TheUpholstered Furniture Action Council (UFAC) origi-nally developed this test method. Compliance with themethod for residential upholstered furniture, on a vol-untary basis, is managed by UFAC itself. The testmethod establishes a classification system for deter-mining the resistance of upholstered furniture compo-

nents to ignition by a smoldering cigarette. A Class 1designation is given to materials that are consideredresistant to cigarette ignition, in that the material doesnot show evidence of flaming ignition on any part ofthe test assembly and the resulting char length doesnot exceed 1.5 in. (38 mm).

NFPA 261 provides test methods to evaluate theresistance of upholstered furniture assemblies to smol-dering ignition, when exposed to a lit cigarette underspecific conditions in a mock-up test assembly. TheNational Bureau of Standards (now the National Insti-tute of Standards and Technology) initially developedthis test. The individual materials assessed includecover fabrics, filling materials, and welt tapes. In thistest, the results are not identified in Classes, such as inNFPA 260, but a material will fail if flaming ignitionoccurs or if the maximum char length exceeds 1.5 in.(38 mm).

The occupancy chapters in the Life Safety Code areentitled to choose whether they will apply the smol-dering requirements. In fact, some occupancy chaptershave opted out of testing upholstered furniture forsmoldering — principally day-care homes (with 12 orfewer clients) — and mercantile, business, and storageoccupancies. Both of the American trade associationsfor manufacturers of residential upholstered furniture(UFAC or its sister organization, the American Furni-ture Manufacturers Association) and the Americantrade association for manufacturers of institutionaland contract upholstered furniture (BIFMA, Businessand Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Associa-tion) have been demanding that all their memberscomply with the smoldering resistance test since the1970s. UFAC requires NFPA 260 (equivalent to ASTME 1353 and the UFAC test), and BIFMA requires NFPA261 (equivalent to ASTM E 1352). It should also benoted that sprinklers have no effect on controllingsmoldering ignition (ignition by cigarettes), since theyrequire an increase in room temperature to operate,and there will be no increase in room temperatureuntil well after the upholstered furniture item that failsthe cigarette test has erupted into flames.

Two California documents are referenced by somestate agencies for investigating the effect of smolder-ing cigarettes on upholstered furniture components:California Technical Bulletin 116, Cigarette Test of Up-holstered Furniture;18 and California Technical Bulletin117, Flame and Smoldering Resistance of Furniture Com-ponents.19 California Technical Bulletin 116 requiresthat three cigarettes (each covered by a layer of sheet-ing material) be placed at each of a number of loca-tions on an actual full-scale item of upholsteredfurniture, such as smooth surfaces, decking, welts,quilted locations, tufted locations, crevices, and tops of





arms and backs. In each case, the test item fails if thereis ignition or if the char length exceeds 2 in. (51 mm).In California Technical Bulletin 117 (which also con-tains flaming ignition tests), individual upholsteryitems are tested, and the test item fails if there is igni-tion or if the char length exceeds 2 in. (51 mm). Thereare some differences in the pass/fail criteria of each ofthese tests, which is critical if a comparison is made be-tween the test results. These California Technical Bul-letin test methods are not used in the Life Safety Codefor assessing resistance to smoldering ignition. Themost important requirement that addresses the firehazard of upholstered furniture is testing that assessesthe heat released. The Life Safety Code recognizes, in10.3.3, ASTM E 1537, Standard Test Method for Fire Test-ing of Upholstered Furniture, as the relevant test methodfor assessing heat release of upholstered furniture.This test is substantially similar to NFPA 266, StandardMethod of Test for Fire Characteristics of Upholstered Fur-niture Exposed to Flaming Ignition Source, which waswithdrawn to avoid duplication. In this test method, afull-scale upholstered furniture item (or a full-scalemock-up) is ignited with a gas burner to assess theheat release, smoke obscuration, mass loss, and gener-ation of toxic gases. These fire properties are importantwhen developing certain fire hazard considerationsduring fire modeling. The test item is placed in a stan-dard room (which could be the same room as that usedfor NFPA 265 or NFPA 286, or a slightly different room,known as the “California room”) or in a furniturecalorimeter. The test scenarios can be used inter-changeably because it has been demonstrated thatthey provide comparable results for test specimenshaving heat release rates of 600 kW or less (and thoseproviding higher heat release rates would not be con-sidered safe anyway). The test specimen is ignitedwith a square gas burner. The burner applies a volumeflow rate of 13 L/min ± 0.5 L/min of propane (ap-proximately 19.3 kW) for 80 seconds. See Exhibit S3.15for the application of the gas burner in this test. Gen-erally, the requirements are waived if suitable activefire protection measures such as sprinklers are present.If applicable (depending on the occupancy), thepass/fail criteria are the following:

1. The peak rate of heat release for the single uphol-stered furniture item shall not exceed 80 kW.

2. The total energy released by the single uphol-stered furniture item during the first 10 minutes ofthe test shall not exceed 25 MJ.

California Technical Bulletin 133, Flammability TestProcedures for Seating Furniture and Use in Public Occu-pancies,20 is technically equivalent to ASTM E 1537, ex-cept that it uses only the California room for testing

the furniture items and that it includes the same severepass/fail test criteria used in the 2009 edition of theLife Safety Code (as well as additional test criteria re-lated to smoke obscuration and carbon monoxideemission).

Another test procedure used to evaluate the prop-erties of upholstered furniture is ASTM E 1474, Stan-dard Test Method for Determining the Heat Release Rate ofUpholstered Furniture and Mattress Components or Com-posites Using a Bench Scale Oxygen ConsumptionCalorimeter (see also Table S3.1 for alternative similarfire test methods). This test is an application of thecone calorimeter (this test is explained later, in the dis-cussion of NFPA 271, Standard Method of Test for Heatand Visible Smoke Release Rates for Materials and ProductsUsing an Oxygen Consumption Calorimeter), and uses anoxygen consumption calorimeter to assess ignitability,heat release, smoke obscuration, mass loss, and gener-ation of toxic products from a small section of an up-holstered furniture component or composite. Testspecimens are 100 mm � 100 mm � ≤ 51 mm thick. Inthe test method, the samples are exposed to a con-trolled level of radiant energy from a conical electricheater, 35 kW/m2. Data from this test has been shownto be useful in predicting the fire performance of theactual full-scale item (or of the full-scale test methodsdiscussed above). However, issues such as product de-sign and minor components affect the results.

Mattresses. The Life Safety Code contains provisions formattresses to comply with requirements for smolder-ing ignition (that is, cigarette ignition) and flaming ig-nition, if applicable according to the occupancychapters (Chapters 11 through 43). The requirements

51 mm (2 in.)

25.4-mm (1-in.) gap

457 mm (18 in.)

Counterweight

L ≈ 1067 mm (42 in.)

30°

L

Exhibit S3.15 Positioning of square gas burner on theupholstered furniture item.

for mattresses are very similar to those for upholsteredfurniture. The applicable provisions of the Life SafetyCode that address the requirement for a mattress to re-sist cigarette ignition are found in 10.3.2. There is onerelevant fire test method, which is actually a federal re-quirement in the United States: the cigarette ignition ofmattresses, mattress tickings, and mattress pads mustcomply with Department of Commerce (DOC) FF 4-72or CFR 163221. In the test, a lit cigarette is placed on thetest item and the resulting char (or flame) assessed vi-sually. The test item fails if there is ignition or if thechar length exceeds 2 in. (51 mm).

The occupancy chapters in the Life Safety Code areentitled to choose whether they will apply the smol-dering requirements for mattresses. In fact, the sameoccupancies have opted out of testing mattresses asupholstered furniture.

The most important requirement that addressesthe fire hazard of mattresses is (as with upholsteredfurniture) testing that assesses the heat released. TheLife Safety Code recognizes, in 10.3.4, ASTM E 1590,Standard Test Method for Fire Testing of Mattresses, as therelevant test method for assessing heat release of up-holstered furniture. This test is substantially similar toNFPA 267, Standard Method of Test for Fire Characteristicsof Mattresses and Bedding Assemblies Exposed to FlamingIgnition Source, which was withdrawn to avoid dupli-cation. In this test method, a full-scale mattress is ig-nited with a gas burner to assess the heat release,smoke obscuration, mass loss, and generation of toxicgases. These fire properties are important when devel-oping certain fire hazard considerations during firemodeling. The test item is placed in a standard room(which could be the same room as that used for NFPA265 or NFPA 286, or the California room) or in a furni-ture calorimeter. The test scenarios can be used inter-changeably because it has been demonstrated that theyprovide comparable results for test specimens havingheat release rates of 600 kW or less (and those provid-ing higher heat release rates would not be consideredsafe anyway). The test specimen is ignited with a T-shaped gas burner, which applies a volume flow rate of12 L/min ± 0.5 L/min of propane (approximately 17.8kW) for 180 seconds. See Exhibit S3.16 for the applica-tion of the gas burner in this test. Generally, the re-quirements are waived if suitable active fire protectionmeasures such as sprinklers are present. If applicable,the pass/fail criteria are the following:

1. The peak rate of heat release for the single mat-tress shall not exceed 250 kW.

2. The total energy released by the single mattressduring the first 5 minutes of the test shall not ex-ceed 40 MJ.

California Technical Bulletin 129, Flammability TestProcedures for Mattresses for Use in Public Buildings,22 istechnically equivalent to ASTM E 1590 except that ituses only the California room for testing the furnitureitems and that it includes the same severe pass/failtest criteria used in the 2009 edition of the Life SafetyCode (as well as an additional test criterion related tomass loss).

The cone calorimeter application standard, ASTME 1474, can also be used for mattress composites orcomponents, in a similar fashion to the use for uphol-stered furniture test specimens.

Curtains, Draperies, and Decorations. NFPA 701, Stan-dard Methods of Fire Tests for Flame Propagation of Tex-tiles and Films, is mandated for testing of curtains,drapes, or similar loosely hanging furnishings or dec-orations. NFPA 701 provides the means to evaluatethe vertical propagation of a small flame beyond thearea exposed to the source of ignition. NFPA 701 in-cludes two methods of assessing flame propagationpropensity. The test method to be used depends onthe areal density of the test specimen (weight per unitsurface) and some other characteristics. Test Method1 is used for fabrics that weigh up to 21 oz/yd2 (700g/m2), and in particular for single-layer fabrics andmultilayer curtain and drapery assemblies, but is notpermitted to be used for vinyl-coated fabric blackoutlinings (because it has been shown that these liningsproduce erroneous results with this method). In rela-tion to NFPA 701, Test Method 1, curtains and drapesalso include the following items, if they weigh up to21 oz/yd2 (700 g/m2): window curtains, stage or the-ater curtains, vertical folding shades, roll-type win-dow shades, hospital privacy curtains, windowdraperies, fabric vertical shades or blinds, horizontalfolding shades, swags, and fabric horizontal shadesor blinds. Test Method 1 also applies to the followingtextile items, if they weigh up to 21 oz/yd2 (700g/m2): table skirts, table linens, display booth separa-tors, and textile wall hangings. Test Method 2 is to be



Mattress 30°

50 mm (2 in.)

25.4 mm (1 in.)

SIDE VIEW OF PLACEMENT

Exhibit S3.16 Positioning of T-shaped gas burner on themattress.



used for the heavier fabrics and films (with or with-out reinforcement or backing), weighing over 21oz/yd2 (700 g/m2) and for fabrics used in awningsand tents and for vinyl-coated fabric blackout liningsand lined draperies using a vinyl-coated fabric black-out lining.

The test methods in the 1999 edition of NFPA 701,and in more recent ones, were introduced in the revi-sions between the 1989 and 1996 editions, which elim-inated the “small-scale test,” because it was found thata “pass” in that test was not indicative of a good fireperformance. The difference between the NFPA 701Test Method 1 and the small-scale test previously in-cluded in the standard is that the test specimen is nowlarger and the overall time exposure to the flame is in-creased. Test Method 1 employs 10 specimens of mate-rial, each 2.9 in. � 15.75 in. (150 mm � 400 mm), whichare exposed to a Bunsen gas burner for 45 seconds. Thepass/fail criterion, addressing vertical flame propaga-tion performance, requires that there be no flaming formore than 2 seconds after the test flame is removedand that the average weight loss of the test specimennot be greater than 40 percent. Test Method 2 of NFPA701 is similar to the previous “large-scale test” in spec-imen size and test protocol, but differs somewhat inthe test enclosure. Test Method 2 employs test speci-mens that are tested in a folded or flat configuration,and that have sizes 24 in. � 46.25 in. (610 mm � 1.2 m)or 5 in. � 46.25 in. (125 mm � 1.2 m), respectively.Each test specimen is then exposed to a Bunsen gasburner for 2 minutes. The pass/fail criterion, address-ing (vertical) flame propagation performance, also re-quires that there be no flaming for more than 2 secondsafter the test flame is removed. Additionally, it re-quires that the length of char on an individual foldedtest specimen not exceed 41.3 in. (1050 mm), and thatthe length of char on any flat test specimen not exceed40.7 in. (1035 mm). Both test methods require that, ifany portions or residues of the test specimen drip orfall to the test chamber floor during or after applica-tion of the test flame, flaming will not continue. The re-sults of the two tests contained in NFPA 701 shouldnot be compared to each other, as they use differenttypes of pass/fail criteria. However, it can be assumedthat Test Method 2 represents a more severe conditionthan Test Method 1.

NFPA 701 stipulates that each fabric is also to besubjected to exposures applicable to its intended use,such as laundering, dry cleaning, weathering, andother exposure to water. It is believed that the acceler-ated exposure tests detailed in NFPA 701 (akin toweathering or aging, to some extent) provide sufficientconditioning to permit a reasonable appraisal of thedurability of the fire retardant treatment for the useful

life of the fabric. Procedures on how to provide accel-erated dry cleaning, laundering, weathering, andwater leaching for the fabrics are also provided inNFPA 701.

NFPA 701 is also used in the Life Safety Code for as-sessing the fire performance of (a) membrane structurefabrics of temporary and permanent membrane struc-tures, (b) tent fabrics, (c) combustible scenery of cloth,film, vegetation (dry), and similar materials in assem-bly occupancies, (d) materials in exhibit booths in as-sembly occupancies, and (e) textiles and films inmercantile occupancy kiosks (malls).

The text of NFPA 705, Recommended Practice for aField Flame Test for Textiles and Films, was originallycontained in Chapter 10 of the 1989 edition of NFPA701. It was developed as a stand-alone document dur-ing the revision leading to the 1996 edition of NFPA701. NFPA 705 is a recommended practice that pro-vides guidance to enforcement officials confrontedwith the assessment of products already installed.Thus, officials can use this test for the field applicationof an open-flame ignition source to textiles and filmsthat have been in use in the field or for which reliablelaboratory data are not available. This recommendedpractice provides the authority having jurisdictionwith a field procedure for determining the tendencyof textiles and films to sustain burning subsequent tothe application of a relatively small open flame. Thereis no correlation between the testing provisions foundin NFPA 705 and the testing methods of NFPA 701.Field application of the NFPA 705 testing proceduresis somewhat useful, but must be used with good judg-ment and within limitations. Field tests should not berelied on as a sole means for ensuring adequate fireperformance of decorative materials, but they can beused to augment a comprehensive regulatory pro-gram. This test is not actually used in the Life SafetyCode but is used by code officials and inspectors as apreliminary test to determine whether further testingis warranted.

Unprotected Foam Plastics. Furnishings and contentsmade with foamed plastic materials that are unpro-tected from ignition are required to have a heat releaserate not exceeding 100 kW when tested in accordancewith UL 1975, Standard for Fire Tests for Foamed PlasticsUsed for Decorative Purposes (see 10.3.7 of the Life SafetyCode). The same test method also applies to other foamdisplays, as follows:

1. In theaters, motion picture theaters, and televisionstage settings, with or without horizontal projec-tions, to decorative packages of foamed plastic(see 12.4.5.11.4)

2. Exposed foamed plastic materials and unpro-tected materials containing foamed plastic usedfor decorative purposes or stage scenery (see12.7.4.3 and 13.7.4.3)

3. Foam plastic materials of construction of exhibitbooths in assembly occupancies (see 12.7.5.3.4 and13.7.5.3.4)

4. Foam plastic materials of construction of kiosks inmalls (see 36.4.4.8 and 37.4.4.8)

In every case, any single fuel package cannot havea heat release rate exceeding 100 kW. There are someother fuel packages that are also tested by means of UL1975 and that are required to have a heat release ratenot to exceed 150 kW:

1. Cardboard, honeycombed paper, and other similarcombustible materials used for construction of ex-hibit booths in places of assembly (see 12.7.5.3.4and 13.7.5.3.4)

2. Foamed plastics and materials containing foamedplastics on stages (see 12.7.5.3.6.2 and 13.7.5.3.6.2)

3. Foam plastics used in plastic signs in malls (see36.4.4.7 and 37.4.4.7)

UL 1975 is a “furniture calorimeter” test method,in which the fuel package under test is exposed to awood crib ignition source (340 g) and where all rele-vant fire properties are measured, with the criticalproperty being the rate of heat release.

Another new test was developed in 2009, namelyNFPA 289, Standard Method of Fire Test for IndividualFuel Packages. It consists of a furniture calorimeter,with six basic ignition sources: 20, 40, 70, 100, 160, and300 kW, using the same gas burner as in NFPA 286. Aseries of ad hoc tests conducted with the gas burner lo-cated at 1.2 m from the floor, and 1.2 m below the bot-tom of the hood (with the top of the hood at 3.0 m fromthe floor), showed approximate flow rates and flameheights associated with each ignition source (TableS3.4). The ignition sources chosen correspond to thefollowing concepts:

1. A 20 kW ignition source is similar to the peak heatrelease rate of the wood crib ignition source usedin UL 1975, Standard for Fire Tests for Foamed PlasticsUsed for Decorative Purposes.

2. A 40 kW ignition source can be used as a more se-vere approach to testing the same products other-wise tested using the 20 kW ignition source ifadditional fire safety is required. Moreover, a 40kW ignition source also corresponds to the heatoutput from a small wastebasket fire. Finally, a 40kW ignition source is also the minimum ignitionsource used for testing of interior finish materialswith NFPA 286, Standard Methods of Fire Tests forEvaluating Contribution of Wall and Ceiling InteriorFinish to Room Fire Growth.

3. A 70 kW ignition source offers an intermediaterange between the 40 kW and 100 kW ignitionsources.

4. A 100 kW source is the lower ignition source usedfor testing of interior finish materials either withASTM E 2257, Standard Test Method for Room FireTest of Wall and Ceiling Materials or Assemblies, orwith ISO 9705, Fire Tests — Full Scale Room FireTests for Surface Products. It is used to initially dif-ferentiate interior finish materials on their likeli-hood of leading to flashover.

5. A 160 kW ignition source is the higher ignitionsource used for testing of interior finish materialswith NFPA 286. It is used to assess whether suchinterior finish materials are likely to lead toflashover.

6. A 300 kW ignition source is the higher ignitionsource used for testing of interior finish materialswith either ASTM E 2257 or ISO 9705. It is used todifferentiate interior finish materials with verylow levels of heat release and very low likelihoodof leading to flashover.

Fire Retardant–Treated Wood. The Life Safety Code re-quires that some uses of wood be restricted to fireretardant-treated wood. It defines this material as “awood product impregnated with chemical by a pres-sure process or other means during manufacture,which is tested in accordance with ASTM E 84, has alisted flame spread of 25 or less, and shows no evi-dence of significant progressive combustion when thetest is continued for an additional 20-minute period;nor does the flame front progress more than 10.5 ft(3200 mm) beyond the centerline of the burners at anytime during the test.” So, this product is required tomeet a more severe test than the normal test containedwithin ASTM E 84. The test is discussed in NFPA 703,Standard for Fire Retardant–Treated Wood and Fire-Retar-dant Coatings for Building Materials. Requirements for



Table S3.4 Approximate Flow Rates and Flame Heightsfor Various Heat Release Rates (HRR)

HRR Flow Rate Flame Height(kW) (L/sec) (mm)

20 16.5 38040 30.7 61060 47.2 81570 54.8 920

100 77.9 1120160 122.7 1525300 226.5 2085



fire retardant-treated wood can be found in the chap-ters on assembly occupancies, when dealing withgrandstands (see 12.4.8 and 13.4.8) and when dealingwith exhibit booths (see 12.7.5.3.4 and 13.4.7.5.3.4). Therequirements are also found in 19.1.6.8, which dealswith wood studs within non–load-bearing partitionsfor existing health care occupancies. Finally they arefound when dealing with the materials of constructionof kiosks and similar structures in malls (see 36.4.4.8and 37.4.4.8).

Fire-Retardant Coatings. The Life Safety Code requiresthat fire-retardant coatings meet specific fire tests. Para-graph 10.2.6.1, dealing with interior finish, specificallyallows existing interior finish surfaces to be upgradedto a higher level of fire performance using fire-retar-dant coatings, but only if the coatings have been specif-ically designed and approved for the application. Thelanguage states, “The required flame spread or smokedevelopment classification of existing surfaces of walls,partitions, columns, and ceilings shall be permitted tobe secured by applying approved fire-retardant coat-ings to surfaces having higher flame spread ratingsthan permitted. Such treatments shall be tested, or shallbe listed and labeled for application to the material towhich they are applied, and shall comply with the re-quirements of NFPA 703, Standard for Fire Retardant–Treated Wood and Fire-Retardant Coatings for BuildingMaterials.” In this case, the coating must have beentested using the normal ASTM E 84 test (rather than thelonger test method used for fire retardant–treatedwood) with the specific material (typically with the ac-tual type of wood) intended to be used and listed forthe application by a recognized listing agency. The rea-son for this requirement is that coatings may exhibitdifferent fire behavior when different substrates (in-cluding different species of wood) are treated with thesame coating. Also, in tests, multiple coatings can leadto paint delamination and bubbling or blistering ofpaint. Testing has also shown that thin coatings gener-ally take on the characteristics of the substrate. In a fire,delamination, bubbling and blistering of paint can gen-erate an accelerated rate of flame spread.

Roof Coverings. The Life Safety Code requires thatsome roof coverings meet a classification based onNFPA 256, Standard Methods of Fire Tests of Roof Cover-ings. In the standard roof coverings are classified intothree classes, depending on their characteristics:

1. Class A roof coverings are intended to be effectiveagainst severe fire exposure, to afford a high de-gree of fire protection to the roof deck, not to slipfrom position, and not to present a flying brandhazard.

2. Class B roof coverings are intended to be effectiveagainst moderate fire exposure, to afford a moder-ate degree of fire protection to the roof deck, not toslip from position, and not to present a flyingbrand hazard.

3. Class C roof coverings are intended to be effectiveagainst light fire exposure, to afford a light degreeof fire protection to the roof deck, not to slip fromposition, and not to present a flying brand hazard.

NFPA 256 includes six tests: intermittent flame,spread of flame, burning brand, flying brand, rain, andweathering. In the intermittent flame test, a luminousgas flame is applied for a number of cycles (flameon/flame off) and observations are made for the fol-lowing:

1. Appearance of sustained flaming on the undersideof the test deck

2. Production of flaming or glowing brands3. Displacement of portions of the test sample4. Exposure or falling away of portions of the roof

deck

Acceptance is based on there being no sustainedflaming on the underside of the deck. In the spread offlame test, a gas flame is applied continuously to theroof assembly. Acceptance is based on there being noflame spread beyond 6 ft (1820 mm, Class A), 8 ft (2440mm, Class B), or 13 ft (3960 mm, Class C). In the burn-ing brand test, burning brands are placed on the sur-face of each test deck at the location considered mostvulnerable (the point of minimum coverage over thedeck joint) with respect to ignition of the deck. Accep-tance is based on there being no sustained flaming onthe underside of the deck. In the flying brand test, a gasflame is applied to the roof deck in the presence of anair current. Acceptance is based on there being no fly-ing, flaming brands or particles that continue to glowafter reaching the floor. Details of the tests required foreach classification are described in Table S3.5.

Roof membranes in permanent or temporarymembrane structures (see Sections 11.9 and 11.10)need to have some classification, meaning that theycan be Class C. Roof coverings are regulated in the fol-lowing cases:

1. Buildings of Type I(443), Type I(332), Type II(222),or Type II(111) construction for new and existinghealth care occupancies: Roof coverings need to beClass A (sections 18.1.6.5 and 19.1.6.5).

2. Buildings of Type I, Type II(222), or Type II(111)construction for existing detention occupancies:Roof coverings need to be Class C (section23.1.6.5).

3. Buildings of Type I, Type II(222), or Type II(111)construction for existing residential board andcare occupancies: Roof coverings need to be ClassA (section 33.3.1.3.4).

Tests for Other Fire Properties

Combustibility — Noncombustible and LimitedCombustible. Many codes, including the Life SafetyCode, require that certain materials (particularly mate-rials of construction) be classified as “noncom-bustible.” Noncombustibility is assessed by testing aspecimen of a material that is 1.5 in. � 1.5 in. � 2 in.(38 mm � 38 mm � 51 mm) in a vertical tube furnaceheated to 1382°F (750°C) and waiting for temperaturerises. A material is classified as noncombustible if,when tested in accordance with ASTM E 136, TestMethod for Behavior of Materials in a Vertical Tube Furnaceat 750°C, it meets the following three criteria:

1. The recorded temperature of the surface and inte-rior thermocouples does not at any time duringthe test rise more than 54°F (30°C) above the fur-nace temperature at the beginning of the test.

2. There is no flaming from the specimen after thefirst 30 seconds of test.

3. If the weight loss of the specimen during testingexceeds 50 percent of the initial weight, therecorded temperature of the surface and interiorthermocouples does not, at any time during thetest, rise above the furnace air temperature at thebeginning of the test, and there is no flaming of thespecimen.

Another test is often also used to assess whether amaterial is classified as noncombustible, namely ISO1182, Reaction to fire tests for building products — Non-combustibility test.23 This test is used in the EuropeanUnion and in the marine world, both internationallyby the International Maritime Organization (IMO) andin the United States by the Coast Guard.

There are many instances in the Life Safety Codewhere the concept of “limited combustible” is used, al-most exclusively for materials of construction, as a testcriterion that is exclusive to NFPA codes and stan-dards. A material is “limited combustible” if it is “abuilding construction material not complying with thedefinition of noncombustible material that, in the formin which it is used, has a potential heat value not ex-ceeding 3500 Btu/lb (8141 kJ/kg), where tested in ac-cordance with NFPA 259, Standard Test Method forPotential Heat of Building Materials, and complies with(a) or (b): (a) materials having a structural base of non-combustible material, with a surfacing not exceeding athickness of 1/8 in. (3.2 mm) that has a flame spreadindex not greater than 50; and (b) materials, in theform and thickness used, other than as described in(a), having neither a flame spread index greater than25 nor evidence of continued progressive combustionand of such composition that surfaces that would beexposed by cutting through the material on any planewould have neither a flame spread index greater than25 nor evidence of continued progressive combustion.(Materials subject to increase in combustibility orflame spread index beyond the limits herein estab-lished through the effects of age, moisture, or other



Table S3.5 Tests and Test Assemblies Required for Roof Covering Classification by NFPA 256

Intermittent Spread of Burning Flying WeatheringMaterial to be Tested Flame Test Flame Test Brand Test Brand Test1 Rain Test2 Test3

Other than wood shakes or shingles, for installation on combustible decks

Class A 2 2 4 None None NoneClass B 2 2 2 None None None

Noncombustible decks only None 2 None When required When required When requiredWood shakes and shingles4

Class A 3 (2) [5] 3 6 (2) [5] 3 (2) [5] 6 15Class B or Class C 3 (2) [5] 3 3 (2) [5] 3 (2) [5] 6 15

1 Test is performed where there is a possibility that during the test exposure the roof covering will breakinto flaming particles that support combustion on the floor.2 Test is conducted where the fire-retardant characteristics of the roof covering are adversely affected bywater.3 Test is conducted with materials or constructions where the fire-retardant characteristics of the roof cov-ering are adversely affected by weather.4 Number in parentheses is the number of samples from the rain test to be tested. Number in squarebrackets is the number of samples from the weathering test to be tested.



atmospheric condition shall be considered com-bustible.)” Note that the “flame spread index” associ-ated with this definition is based on testing inaccordance with ASTM E 84, Standard Method of Test ofSurface Burning Characteristics of Building Materials (seealso Table S3.1 for alternative similar fire test meth-ods). Testing in accordance with NFPA 259 requiresthat a small piece of the material be pulverized andcombusted by a combination of tests in an oxygenbomb calorimeter (at very high pressure and in an at-mosphere of pure oxygen) to assess the gross (or com-plete) heat of combustion and in the vertical tubefurnace at 1382°F (750°C). The final result is a “poten-tial heat content.” Materials classified as “limitedcombustible” can be used as replacements for non-combustible materials in a number of applications, al-beit only in NFPA codes and standards.

It is important to understand that there is a funda-mental difference between the concepts of “gross heatof combustion” (which is the theoretical amount ofheat released if a material is completely combusted toits final products — such as carbon dioxide and water— and is measured by oxygen bomb calorimeters) and“effective heat of combustion” (which is the actualamount of heat released in a realistic fire scenario, andis assessed by oxygen consumption, or heat release,calorimeters). Oxygen consumption calorimetry isused in tests of various scales, starting at bench-scale(with 100 mm � 100 mm, or almost 4 in. � 4 in. testspecimens). Calorimetry is based on the empirical ob-servation that there is a direct relationship between themass of oxygen consumed during combustion and theheat released. The relationship is that approximately13.1 � 103 kJ of heat are released per 1 kg of oxygenconsumed.

Heat Release Rate: Cone Calorimeter Testing. NFPA271, Standard Method of Test for Heat and Visible SmokeRelease Rates for Materials and Products Using an OxygenConsumption Calorimeter (or ASTM E 1354, which isequivalent), is a small-scale test procedure for deter-mining the ignitibility, heat release rate, mass loss rate,smoke obscuration, effective heat of combustion, andtoxic gas release from burning of materials and prod-ucts. The test procedure uses a cone calorimeter appa-ratus that exposes a test specimen to a controlledconstant level of radiant heating ranging up to 100kW/m2 (see Exhibit S3.17). The test results are useful inthe evaluation of materials, mathematical modeling,and product research and development. They are alsovery useful for predictions of heat release results fromlarger-scale tests, such as many of the tests discussedearlier, including room-corner tests (NFPA 286 and265), furniture tests (ASTM E 1537 and E 1590), furni-

ture calorimeter tests (UL 1975), and so on. Applicationstandards exist for this cone calorimeter test method,such as NFPA 272, discussed earlier for upholsteredfurniture or mattress composites or components. Testspecimens are roughly 4 in. � 4 in. (100 mm � 100 mm)with a maximum thickness of 2 in. (50 mm), and theycan be exposed horizontally or vertically. However, testsamples are most meaningfully exposed horizontally— irrespective of the application that the test is in-tended to investigate — due to the configuration of theignition source. Interestingly, this test is not used muchfor regulatory purposes, but the test itself is an upgradeof the Ohio State University heat release rate calorime-ter (ASTM E 906, Standard Test Method for Heat and Vis-ible Smoke Release Rates for Materials and Products, whichis equivalent to NFPA 263, Standard Method of Test forHeat and Visible Smoke Release Rates for Materials andProducts, withdrawn to avoid duplication). The OhioState heat release test is used by the United States Fed-eral Aviation Administration for aircraft regulation.The main use of the cone calorimeter test in the LifeSafety Code is to obtain input values for use in the per-formance calculations contained in Chapter 5. NFPA 1,Fire Code,24 now requires that nonmetallic rubbish con-tainers exceeding a capacity of 40 gallons (0.15 ml3) bemanufactured of materials having a peak rate of heatrelease not exceeding 300 kW/m2 at a flux of 50 kW/m2

when tested in the horizontal orientation. The testedmaterials should be a thickness as used in the containerbut not less than of 0.25 in. (6 mm), in accordance withASTM E 1354, Standard Test Method for Heat and VisibleSmoke Release Rates for Materials and Products Using anOxygen Consumption Calorimeter. The 2009 edition ofNFPA 1 also requires that plastic materials used to con-struct rigid components of soft contained play equip-ment structures (such as tubes, windows, panels,

Laser extinction beam includingtemperature measurements

Exhaustblower

Gas samplestaken here

Vertical orientation

Temperature and differentialpressure measurements taken here

Exhausthood

Cone heaterSparkigniter

Sample

Load cell

Exhibit S3.17 Schematic diagram of the cone calorimeter.

junction boxes, pipes, slides, and decks) exhibit a peakrate of heat release not exceeding 400 kW/m2 whentested in accordance with ASTM E 1354 at an incidentheat flux of 50 kW/m2 in the horizontal orientation at athickness of 6 mm.

Smoke Obscuration — Small- and Large-Scale TestMethods. Smoke obscuration is a critical fire property,since victims of a fire must be able to see their way tothe exits (or rescuers must be able to see the way in) sothat they can escape or be rescued. Thus, smoke ob-scuration is particularly critical in full-scale tests.However, it is important to recognize that the valuesbeing developed for smoke obscuration from small-scale tests might not have application or correlation tothe particular base performance fire scenarios or otherend-use applications, since smoke obscuration is a lesseasily scalable property than heat release. Activitiesare ongoing to address some of these concerns.

Small-scale tests that address smoke obscurationmeasurements can be subdivided into static and dy-namic test methods. There are two static test methods:NFPA 258, Recommended Practice for Determining SmokeGeneration of Solid Materials (now withdrawn to avoidduplication), and NFPA 270, Standard Test Method forMeasurement of Smoke Obscuration Using a Conical Radi-ant Source in a Single Closed Chamber, and their equiva-lents (ASTM E 662 and ASTM E 1995; see Table S3.1).Dynamic test methods for smoke obscuration are al-most invariably associated with the measurement ofother fire properties, typically heat release. In fact,every test method mentioned here regarding heat re-lease measurements can be used for assessing smokeobscuration, both on a small scale and on a large scale.

Smoke Toxicity. Smoke toxicity is not a critical fireproperty, since the toxic potency of the smoke frommost materials or properties is very similar. Thus, al-though victims of a fire often die after having beenovercome by smoke inhalation, the effect is normally aconsequence of the fire having become big (i.e., of hav-ing reached a very high heat release rate). Annex A ofthe Life Safety Code does discuss a smoke toxicity test,NFPA 269, Standard Test Method for Developing Toxic Po-tency Data for Use in Fire Hazard Modeling, when con-sidering a fractional effective dose (FED) calculationapproach for assessing untenability for a performanceevaluation. The FED is evaluated based on concentra-tions of carbon monoxide, hydrogen cyanide, carbondioxide, hydrogen chloride, hydrogen bromide, andanoxia effects (low oxygen concentration). It is possi-ble to use the test data, combined with laboratory ex-perience, to estimate the FED value that leads to thesurvival of virtually all people.

Finally, ASTM E 84 (see the earlier discussion ofinterior finish and Table S3.1) is used for assessingboth flame spread and smoke obscuration. NFPA 258,Recommended Practice for Determining Smoke Generationof Solid Materials, has long been the most popular testmethod for assessing the smoke obscuration tendencyof materials or products. It uses a small radiant fur-nace (at an incident heat flux of 25 kW/m2) with a gasigniter to expose a 3 in. � 3 in. (75 mm � 75 mm) ver-tical test specimen — in a closed chamber where a ver-tical light beam impinges on a photocell. Smokeobscuration is assessed by the reduction of light reach-ing the photocell.

The Technical Committee on Fire Tests decidedthat the test results of this procedure were being usedas a regulatory tool and were incorrectly finding theirway into fire modeling applications. As a result, NFPA258 was first revised to become a recommended prac-tice and then withdrawn. The scope of ASTM E 662 in-dicates that the measurement of smoke obscurationwith this test method should be used as a research anddevelopment tool only and should not be used as abasis for determining ratings for building codes orother regulatory purposes. To provide a potential reg-ulatory tool, the committee developed NFPA 270, Stan-dard Test Method for Measurement of Smoke ObscurationUsing a Conical Radiant Source in a Single Closed Cham-ber, a test in which smoke obscuration is assessedusing a conical radiant source (instead of the originalradiant source) on horizontal test specimens at two in-cident heat fluxes (25 and 50 kW/m2) in the sameclosed chamber. There remain observations that themeasurement of smoke obscuration in small-scale testsis not sufficiently well correlated with the lack of visi-bility during open burning of the same combustiblematerial in an actual product.

Section D2.3 of NFPA 270 provides some addi-tional information on comparisons of smoke obscura-tion measurements with different test methods. Thissection notes that little information exists on the corre-lation (or lack thereof) between the different test meth-ods that measure smoke obscuration. This is importantwhen evaluating the behavior of a material for inputinto performance criteria associated with a particularfire modeling scenario or code requirement. In fact,only a few test methods generate smoke obscurationdata in units that are suitable for such fire modelingcalculations, and even then comparisons of numberswith similar units can be misleading. Sound judgmentand experience with additional large-scale testing areusually essential when using the smoke obscurationvalues developed from any small-scale smoke obscu-ration test for particular real-life applications.

In fact, it is important that the results of any test



References 1211


procedure — especially from those that use a smallsample for testing — are used with caution in theirfinal application. Tests that use only a small test speci-men exposed to a controlled energy source are notlikely to truly reflect the end use and the open burningcharacteristics exhibited by a product.

TESTING LABORATORIES

It is not the intent of the Life Safety Code to require theuse of any specific testing laboratory. The Code leavesthe evaluation of laboratories to the authority havingjurisdiction. The Code provides the minimum stan-dards that dictate the testing methods, and leaves thedecision of who will perform this testing procedureand the details of how it will be performed to the ap-propriate responsible individuals. NFPA does not ap-prove, inspect, or certify installations, procedures,materials, or equipment, or approve or evaluate test-ing laboratories. Obtaining information on testing labsis seldom a simple task. There are a few directoriesthat provide some categories or listings of fire testinglabs by the characteristics of what they do and whichfire tests they perform.

There are six commercial fire testing laboratoriesin the United States associated with the North Ameri-can Fire Testing Laboratories Consortium (NAFTL).The purpose of the NAFTL Consortium is to providea forum for the exchange of technical information,conduct studies, and develop industry consensus po-sitions relating to the full range of fire tests (i.e., reac-tion to fire, fire suppression, fire resistance and firedetection). Membership in NAFTL is open to any ac-credited North American-based, independent com-mercial laboratory engaged in fire testing or research.The labs are, in alphabetical order: FM Approvals(Norwood, MA), Intertek Testing Services (multiplelocations), NGC Testing Services (Buffalo, NY), South-west Research Institute (San Antonio, TX), Underwrit-ers Laboratories (multiple locations), and WesternFire Center (Kelso, WA). There are also other inde-pendent testing labs that can perform tests to meet thecriteria of the referenced standards in the Life SafetyCode.

ADDITIONAL READINGS

ASTM International Directory of Testing Labs, ASTMInternational, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, West Con-shohocken, PA 19428-2959. Date of latest edition:2003.American Council of Independent LaboratoriesInc., 1629 K Street, NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC20006-1633. http://www.acil.org/.

National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Pro-gram, National Institute of Standards and Tech-nology, Directory of Accredited Laboratories,Standards Services Division, 100 Bureau Drive,Gaithersburg, MD 20899-2140. http://ts.nist.gov/Standards/scopes/programs.htm. Latest editionupdated: July 3, 2008.North American Fire Testing Laboratories Consor-tium, 1629 K Street, NW, Suite 400, Washington,DC 20006-1633. www.naftl.org.

REFERENCES (EXCLUDING NFPA, ASTMAND UL FIRE TEST STANDARDS)

1. NFPA 220, Standard on Types of Building Construc-tion, 2006 edition, National Fire Protection Associ-ation.

2. NFPA 80, Standard for Fire Doors and Other OpeningProtectives, 2007 edition, National Fire ProtectionAssociation.

3. NFPA 5000®, Building Construction and Safety Code®,2009 edition, National Fire Protection Association.

4. NFPA 221, Standard for High Challenge Fire Walls,Fire Walls, and Fire Barrier Walls, 2009 edition, Na-tional Fire Protection Association.

5. ASTM E 1399, Standard Test Method for Cyclic Move-ment and Measuring the Minimum and MaximumJoint Widths of Architectural Joint Systems, 2005.

6. NFPA 90A, Standard for the Installation of Air-Conditioning and Ventilating Systems, 2009 edition,National Fire Protection Association.

7. ISO 834, Fire-resistance tests — Elements of buildingconstruction, International Organization for Stan-dardization, 1 rue de Varembé, Case postale 56,CH-1211, Geneva 20, Switzerland.

8. UL Fire Resistance Directory, 2006.9. NFPA 914, Code for Fire Protection of Historic Struc-

tures, 2007 edition, National Fire Protection Asso-ciation.

10. ISO 9705, Fire Tests — Full Scale Room Fire Tests forSurface Products International Organization forStandardization, 1 rue de Varembé, Case postale56, CH-1211, Geneva 20, Switzerland.

11. NFPA 301, Code for Safety to Life from Fire on Mer-chant Vessels, 2008 edition, National Fire ProtectionAssociation.

12. International Code of Safety for High Speed Craft, Inter-national Maritime Organization 4 Albert Embank-ment, London, SE1 7SR, United Kingdom, 2000.

13. FM 4880, Approval Standard for Class 1 InsulatedWall or Wall and Roof/Ceiling Panels; Plastic InteriorFinish Materials; Plastic Exterior Building Panels;Wall/Ceiling Coating Systems; Interior or ExteriorFinish Systems, FM Global, Norwood, MA, 2004.

14. 16 CFR 1630, “Standard for the Surface Flamma-bility of Carpets and Rugs” (FF 1-70).

15. 16 CFR, Part 1209, “Interim Safety Standard forCellulose Insulation.”

16. 16 CFR, Part 1404, “Cellulose Insulation.”17. CAN/ULC S102.2, Standard Method of Test for

Surface Burning Characteristics of Floor Coveringsand Miscellaneous Materials and Assemblies,Underwriters Laboratories of Canada, Scarbor-ough, Ontario, Canada.

18. California Technical Bulletin 116, Cigarette Test ofUpholstered Furniture, California Bureau of HomeFurnishings and Thermal Insulation, 3485 OrangeGrove Ave., North Highlands, CA, 1980.

19. California Technical Bulletin 117, Flame and Smol-dering Resistance of Furniture Components, Califor-nia Bureau of Home Furnishings and ThermalInsulation, 3485 Orange Grove Ave., North High-lands, CA, 2000.

20. California Technical Bulletin 133, Flammability TestProcedures for Seating Furniture and Use in PublicOccupancies, California Bureau of Home Furnish-ings and Thermal Insulation, 3485 Orange GroveAve., North Highlands, CA, 1991.

21. 16 CFR 1632, “Standard for the Flammability ofMattresses and Mattress Pads” (FF 4-72).

22. California Technical Bulletin 129, Flammability TestProcedures for Mattresses for Use in Public Buildings,California Bureau of Home Furnishings and Ther-mal Insulation, 3485 Orange Grove Ave., NorthHighlands, CA, 1992.

23. ISO 1182, Reaction to fire tests for building products— Non-combustibility test, International Organiza-tion for Standardization, 1 rue de Varembé, Casepostale 56, CH-1211, Geneva 20, Switzerland.

24. NFPA 1, Fire Code, 2009 edition, National Fire Pro-tection Association.

NFPA Fire Test Standards Referenced

The following publications are available from the Na-tional Fire Protection Association, 1 BatterymarchPark, Quincy, MA 02169-7471.

NFPA 251, Standard Methods of Tests of Fire Resis-tance of Building Construction and Materials, 2006edition.NFPA 252, Standard Methods of Fire Tests of Door As-semblies, 2008 edition.NFPA 253, Standard Method of Test for Critical Radi-ant Flux of Floor Covering Systems Using a RadiantHeat Energy Source, 2006 edition.NFPA 255, Standard Method of Test of Surface BurningCharacteristics of Building Materials, 2006 edition.

NFPA 256, Standard Methods of Fire Tests of RoofCoverings, withdrawn, last edition 2003.

NFPA 257, Standard on Fire Test for Window andGlass Block Assemblies, 2007 edition.

NFPA 258, Recommended Practice for DeterminingSmoke Generation of Solid Materials, withdrawn, lastedition 2003.

NFPA 259, Standard Test Method for Potential Heat ofBuilding Materials, 2008 edition.

NFPA 260, Standard Methods of Tests and Classifica-tion System for Cigarette Ignition Resistance of Com-ponents of Upholstered Furniture, 2009 edition.

NFPA 261, Standard Method of Test for DeterminingResistance of Mock-Up Upholstered Furniture Mater-ial Assemblies to Ignition by Smoldering Cigarettes,2009 edition.

NFPA 262, Standard Method of Test for Flame Traveland Smoke of Wires and Cables for Use in Air-Han-dling Spaces, 2007 edition.

NFPA 263, Standard Method of Test for Heat and Vis-ible Smoke Release Rates for Materials and Products,withdrawn, last edition 1995.

NFPA 265, Standard Methods of Fire Tests for Evalu-ating Room Fire Growth Contribution of Textile Cov-erings on Full Height Panels and Walls, 2007edition.

NFPA 266, Standard Method of Test for Fire Charac-teristics of Upholstered Furniture Exposed to FlamingIgnition Source, withdrawn, last edition 1999.

NFPA 267, Standard Method of Test for Fire Charac-teristics of Mattresses and Bedding Assemblies Exposedto Flaming Ignition Source, withdrawn, last edition2000.

NFPA 268, Standard Test Method for Determining Ig-nitability of Exterior Wall Assemblies Using a RadiantHeat Energy Source, 2007 edition.

NFPA 269, Standard Test Method for Developing ToxicPotency Data for Use in Fire Hazard Modeling, 2007edition.

NFPA 270, Standard Test Method for Measurement ofSmoke Obscuration Using a Conical Radiant Source ina Single Closed Chamber, 2008 edition.

NFPA 271, Standard Method of Test for Heat and Visi-ble Smoke Release Rates for Materials and ProductsUsing an Oxygen Consumption Calorimeter, 2004 edi-tion.

NFPA 272, Standard Method of Test for Heat and Vis-ible Smoke Release Rates for Upholstered FurnitureComponents or Composites and Mattresses Using an



References 1213


Oxygen Consumption Calorimeter, withdrawn, lastedition 2004.NFPA 274, Standard Test Method to Evaluate Fire Per-formance Characteristics of Pipe Insulation, 2009 edi-tion.NFPA 275, Standard Method of Fire Tests for the Eval-uation of Thermal Barriers Used Over Foam Plastic In-sulation, 2009 edition.NFPA 285, Standard Fire Test Method for Evaluationof Fire Propagation Characteristics of Exterior Non-Load-Bearing Wall Assemblies Containing Com-bustible Components, 2006 edition.NFPA 286, Standard Methods of Fire Tests for Evalu-ating Contribution of Wall and Ceiling Interior Finishto Room Fire Growth, 2006 edition.NFPA 287, Standard Test Methods for Measurement ofFlammability of Materials in Cleanrooms Using a FirePropagation Apparatus (FPA), 2007 edition.NFPA 288, Standard Methods of Fire Tests of FloorFire Door Assemblies Installed Horizontally in Fire Re-sistance–Rated Floor Systems, 2007 edition.NFPA 289, Standard Method of Fire Test for IndividualFuel Packages, 2009 edition.NFPA 290, Standard for Fire Testing of Passive Pro-tection Materials for Use on LP-Gas Containers, 2009edition.NFPA 701, Standard Methods of Fire Tests for FlamePropagation of Textiles and Films, 2004 edition.NFPA 703, Standard for Fire Retardant–Treated Woodand Fire-Retardant Coatings for Building Materials,2009 edition.NFPA 705, Recommended Practice for a Field FlameTest for Textiles and Films, 2009 edition.

ASTM Fire Test Standards Referenced

The following publications are available from ASTMInternational, 100 Bar Harbor Drive, P.O. Box C700,West Conshohocken, PA, 19428-2959.

ASTM D 1929, Standard Test Method for DeterminingIgnition Temperature of Plastics, 2001.ASTM D 2859, Standard Test Method for Flammabil-ity of Finished Textile Floor Covering Materials, 2006.ASTM D 2863, Standard Test Method for Measuring theMinimum Oxygen Concentration to Support Candle-Like Combustion of Plastics (Oxygen Index), 2006a.ASTM E 84, Standard Test Method for Surface Burn-ing Characteristics of Building Materials, 2008a.ASTM E 108, Standard Test Methods for Fire Tests ofRoof Coverings, 2007a.

ASTM E 119, Standard Test Methods for Fire Tests ofBuilding Construction and Materials, 2008a.

ASTM E 136, Standard Test Method for Behavior ofMaterials in a Vertical Tube Furnace at 750°C, 2004.

ASTM E 162, Standard Test Method for Surface Flam-mability of Materials Using a Radiant Heat EnergySource, 2008.

ASTM E 648, Standard Test Method for Critical Radi-ant Flux of Floor-Covering Systems Using a RadiantHeat Energy Source, 2008.

ASTM E 662, Standard Test Method for Specific Opti-cal Density of Smoke Generated by Solid Materials,2006.

ASTM E 814, Standard Test Method for Fire Tests ofThrough-Penetration Fire Stops, 2008.

ASTM E 906, Standard Test Method for Heat and Vis-ible Smoke Release Rates for Materials and Products,2007.

ASTM E 970, Standard Test Method for Critical Radi-ant Flux of Exposed Attic Floor Insulation Using a Ra-diant Heat Energy Source, 2007.

ASTM E 1352, Standard Test Method for Cigarette Ig-nition Resistance of Mock-Upholstered Furniture As-semblies, 2008a.

ASTM E 1353, Standard Test Methods for CigaretteIgnition Resistance of Components of Upholstered Fur-niture, 2008a.

ASTM E 1354, Standard Test Method for Heat andVisible Smoke Release Rates for Materials and ProductsUsing an Oxygen Consumption Calorimeter, 2008.

ASTM E 1474, Standard Test Method for Determiningthe Heat Release Rate of Upholstered Furniture andMattress Components or Composites Using a BenchScale Oxygen Consumption Calorimeter, 2007.

ASTM E 1529, Standard Test Methods for Determin-ing Effects of Large Hydrocarbon Pool Fires on Struc-tural Members and Assemblies, 2006.

ASTM E 1537, Standard Test Method for Fire Testingof Upholstered Furniture, 2007.

ASTM E 1590, Standard Test Method for Fire Testingof Mattresses, 2007.

ASTM E 1623, Standard Test Method for Determina-tion of Fire and Thermal Parameters of Materials, Prod-ucts, and Systems Using an Intermediate ScaleCalorimeter (ICAL), 2004.

ASTM E 1678, Standard Test Method for MeasuringSmoke Toxicity for Use in Fire Hazard Analysis, 2007.

ASTM E 1822, Standard Test Method for Fire Testingof Stacked Chairs, 2007.

ASTM E 1966, Standard Test Method for Fire-Resis-tive Joint Systems, 2007.

ASTM E 1995, Standard Test Method for Measure-ment of Smoke Obscuration Using a Conical RadiantSource in a Single Closed Chamber, With the Test Spec-imen Oriented Horizontally, 2008.

ASTM E 2010, Standard Test Method for PositivePressure Fire Tests of Window Assemblies, with-drawn, last edition 2001.

ASTM E 2032, Standard Guide for Extension of Datafrom Fire Resistance Tests Conducted in Accordancewith ASTM E 119, 2008.

ASTM E 2058, Standard Test Methods for Measure-ment of Synthetic Polymer Material FlammabilityUsing a Fire Propagation Apparatus (FPA), 2006.

ASTM E 2074, Standard Test Method for PositivePressure Fire Tests of Window Assemblies, with-drawn, last edition 2000.

ASTM E 2231, Standard Practice for Specimen Prepa-ration and Mounting of Pipe and Duct Insulation Ma-terials to Assess Surface Burning Characteristics,2007a.

ASTM E 2257, Standard Test Method for Room FireTest of Wall and Ceiling Materials and Assemblies,2008.

ASTM E 2404, Standard Practice for Specimen Prepa-ration and Mounting of Textile, Paper or Vinyl Wall orCeiling Coverings to Assess Surface Burning Charac-teristics, 2007a.

ASTM E 2573, Standard Practice for Specimen Prepa-ration and Mounting of Site-Fabricated Stretch Sys-tems to Assess Surface Burning Characteristics, 2007a.

ASTM E 2579, Standard Practice for Specimen Prepa-ration and Mounting of Wood Products to Assess Sur-face Burning Characteristics, 2007.

ASTM E XXXX, Standard Practice for SpecimenPreparation and Mounting of Reflective Insulation andSheet Radiant Barriers for Building Applications.

UL Fire Test Standards Referenced

The following publications are available from Under-writers Laboratories Inc., 333 Pfingsten Road, North-brook, IL 60062-2096.

UL 9, Standard for Fire Tests of Window Assemblies,revised 2005.UL 10B, Standard for Fire Tests of Door Assemblies,2008.UL 214, Standard for Safety Tests for Flame-Propaga-tion of Fabrics and Films, withdrawn.UL 263, Standard for Fire Tests of Building Construc-tion and Materials, 2003.UL 555, Standard for Fire Dampers, 2006.UL 555C, Standard for Ceiling Dampers, 2006.UL 555S, Standard for Leakage Rated Dampers for Usein Smoke Control Systems, revised 2006.UL 723, Standard for Test for Surface Burning Charac-teristics of Building Materials, 2003.UL 790, Standard for Standard Test Methods for FireTests of Roof Coverings, 2004.UL 910, Standard for Safety Test for Flame-Propaga-tion and Smoke-Density Values for Electrical and Op-tical-Fiber Cables Used in Spaces TransportingEnvironmental Air, withdrawn.UL 1040, Standard for Fire Test of Insulated Wall Con-struction, revised 2001.UL 1479, Standard for Fire Tests of Through-Penetra-tion Firestops, 2003.UL 1056, Standard for Safety Fire Test of UpholsteredFurniture, withdrawn.UL 1715, Standard for Fire Test of Interior Finish Ma-terial, 1997.UL 1895, Standard for Safety Fire Test of Mattresses,withdrawn.UL 1975, Standard for Fire Tests for Foamed PlasticsUsed for Decorative Purposes, 2006.UL 2079, Standard for Tests for Fire Resistance ofBuilding Joint Systems, 2004.



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Fire Tests for Life Safety CodeUsers - nfpa.org/media/Files/forms and premiums/101 handbook...1895, Standard for Safety Fire Test of Mattresses(withdrawn) ... Material Flammability