Full-scale fire tests on FRP furniture

Three full-scale fire tests were carried out to study the incremental fire hazard in a dormitory room contributed by three different types of Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic (FRP) furnishings. A simulation (using propane) of a fire involving combustible materials normally found in a dormitory room was used as an ignition fire in the full- scale tests. In all tests, room temperatures, heat-release rate, optical density in the exhaust duct, and toxicity of the fire gases were measured. The results showed that when the door was closed the fire growth was severely hindered due to lack of oxygen. However, the fire gases that accumulated in the room posed an extreme hazard to the occupant. The results also showed that when a fire retardant was used in furniture, ignition was delayed and the furniture's contribution to room-fire was reduced.Trois essais de tenue au feu en vraie grandeur ont \ue9t\ue9 effectu\ue9s pour d\ue9terminer les risques d'incendie que pr\ue9sentent trois types de meubles en plastique renforc\ue9 \ue0 la fibre de verre (PRFV) dans un dortoir. La source d'inflammation utilis\ue9e pour les essais \ue9tais un feu simul\ue9 (avec du propane) de mat\ue9riaux combustibles qu'on retrouve couramment dans un dortoir. Pour chaque essai, on a mesur\ue9 les temp\ue9ratures ambiantes, le taux de d\ue9gagement de chaleur, la densit\ue9 optique dans le conduit d'\ue9vacuation et la toxicit\ue9 des gaz de combustion. Les r\ue9sultats ont d\ue9montr\ue9 que, lorsque la porte \ue9tait ferm\ue9e, le d\ue9veloppement du feu \ue9tait nettement ralenti en raison de l'insuffisance d'oxyg\ue8ne. Toutefois, les gaz de combustion s'accumulant dans la pi\ue8ce constituaient un danger extr\ue8me pour les occupants. Les r\ue9sultats indiquent \ue9galement que lorsque les meubles \ue9taient ignifug\ue9s, l'inflammation \ue9tait retard\ue9e et que la contribution des meubles \ue0 la gravit\ue9 du feu \ue9tait r\ue9duite.reprinted from: Society of Fire Protection Engineers Technology Report 88-2reprim\ue9 de: Society of Fire Protection Engineers Technology Report 88-2Peer reviewed: NoNRC publication: Ye