Flammability tests for regulation of building and construction materials

Abstract

The regulation of building materials and products for flammability is critical to ensure the safety of occupants in buildings and other structures. The involvement of exposed building materials and products in fires resulting in the loss of human life often spurs an increase in regulation and new test methods to address the problem. Flammability tests range from those in which the sample is ground to a powder prior to testing to the full-scale room corner test. Variations in test methods include the specific measurement of flammability parameters being considered, the intensity and characteristics of the fire exposure, the relative scale of the test specimen, and many other factors. As a result of specific details such as specimen orientation and fire exposure intensity, some existing regulatory test methods have been shown not to classify a type of building material or product in a manner consistent with full-scale tests that simulated actual conditions. Such failures have resulted in the development of alternative test methods for specifc applications or products. As a result, there are a wide range of tests used to classify building materials and products for flammability or reaction to fire.

Citation

Hasburgh, L.E.; Sumathipala, K. 2022. Flammability tests for regulation of building and construction materials. Chapter 10. In: Flammability testing of materials used in construction, transport and mining, Second edition. Amsterdam: Elsevier Ltd. 223-235.