Accelerated weathering of fire-retardant-treated wood for fire testing

Robert H. White

Treesearch

Accelerated weathering of fire-retardant-treated wood for fire testing

Informally Refereed

Authors:

Robert H. White

Year:

2009

Type:

Miscellaneous Publication

Station:

Forest Products Laboratory

Source:

Wellesley, MA : BCC Research, 2009: pages 246-256.

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Abstract

Fire-retardant-treated products for exterior applications must be subjected to actual or accelerated weathering prior to fire testing. For fire-retardant-treated wood, the two accelerated weathering methods have been Method A and B of ASTM D 2898. The rain test is Method A of ASTM D 2898. Method B includes exposures to ultraviolet (UV) sunlamps in addition to water sprays. D 2898 was recently revised to include Methods C and D. Method C is the “amended rain test” described in the acceptance criteria for classified wood roof systems (AC107) of the ICC Evaluation Service, Inc. Method D is the alternative rain test described in ASTM E 108 for roof coverings. Issues with the current methods are the limited availability of the UV sunlamps specified in the standard and the large amount of water used that may require special disposal.

Keywords

Weathering, fireproofing agents, fireproofing of wood, fire testing, deterioration, accelerated life testing, ultraviolet radiation, rain, simulation methods, fire retardants, fire resistance, ASTM D 2898, treated wood, wood decay, fire resistant wood, accelerated testing, FRT wood

Citation

White, Robert H. 2009. Accelerated weathering of fire-retardant-treated wood for fire testing. Proceedings of the 20th annual Conference on Recent Advances in Flame Retardancy of Polymeric Materials. Wellesley, MA : BCC Research, 2009: pages 246-256.