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Effective fire protection of steel can be fully realized when spray-applied fire resistive materials (SFRMs) are bonded sufficiently to structural steel during the event of a fire. The adhesion mechanisms and characterization at elevated temperatures, however, have remained elusive, owing to a shortage of quantitative experimental measurements of adhesion between SFRMs and structural steel. In complement with recent efforts aiming to measure the adhesion at ambient temperature, this contribution reports an experimental method based on a fracture mechanics approach to quantify temperature dependent adhesion behaviors of SFRMs adhered to steel substrates. Using this test method, it is shown that a sharp loss in adhesion occurs at temperatures well below 200 °C, and a less severe rate at higher temperatures. Thermogravimetric analysis and quasi-state uniaxial compression tests reveal that SFRMs undergo pronounced losses in mass and modulus upon elevated temperature exposures, respectively. Additionally, the dependence of the bulk properties on temperature correlates strongly with that of fracture energy. A mechanism based on mechanical softening and dehydration of SFRMs is proposed to explain the thermally induced adhesion loss. Furthermore, a comparison with the ASTM E736 was made by invoking a fracture mechanics theory. Calculation of bond strengths reveals temperature dependence analogous to the fracture energy data. Also, the residual bond strengths above 150 °C fall below the threshold value (i.e., ≥ 7.2 kPa or 150 lb/ft2) described in the ASTM E736. Importantly, the SFRMs are found to retain appreciable bond strengths greater than their own body masses, permitting them to remain intact in the event of a fire, in the absence of external perturbations. Published 2015. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The expression 'heat flux' without any qualifier like 'to a surface at ambient temperature' as frequently used in fire safety science and engineering literature and standards is ambiguous and misleading. Boundary conditions in fire safety engineering problems cannot be expressed as a given heat flux (or net heat flux), as the heat flux depends on and varies with the exposed surface temperature and thereby the properties of the target body. Therefore, it is important that the terminology is reviewed and that an agreement is reached on how to express thermal exposure in a well-defined and unambiguous way. A proposal is given on how the boundary conditions can be defined in a consistent way that is applicable to fire resistance and reaction-to-fire problems. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY The development of fire-safety measures for high-speed passenger trains has been focused on preventing fire initiation or delaying fire growth and spread through small-scale tests of the materials used in trains. However, new fire-safety approaches for trains consider a systemic approach. This approach considers numerous global factors that influence fire dynamics, such as the influence of vehicle design, selection of materials, and active and passive protection systems installed. In the present paper, the results of small-scale and full-scale tests carried out on the new generation of high-speed trains operating in Spain are presented. This rolling stock is classified as category B according to the Technical Specification for Interoperability and Operation Category 3 according to EN 45545-1. The results confirmed good fire behaviour using both approaches (small and full-scale tests). Additionally, several analyses have been performed, including an analysis of the quality of materials used for making different components of the passenger compartment and the influence of ignition source position on fire development. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY The effect of TiO2 and/or clay nanoparticles on water vapour permeability and the reaction to fire performance of coated and impregnated spruce wood were studied. Water vapour permeability properties were used to assess the moisture transfer properties and durability of the specimens using the cup test. The reaction to the early stage fire development properties of the specimens was analysed using a small scale cone calorimeter test. Comparisons between the different treated and untreated specimens on the moisture and reaction to fire performances were performed. The results revealed poor reaction to fire and water vapour resistance of specimens treated with TiO2 and/or clay nanoparticles containing treatments. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following the publication of the National Annex to Eurocode 6 Part 1-2 in June 2013, all documents are now available for the structural fire design of masonry in accordance with the Eurocode. As Eurocode 6 has been declared of equivalent value by the Expert Commission for Construction Technology, it is now ready to be applied in Germany. In spite of the changeover to the European concept, including the introduction of newly defined fire resistance classes, the Eurocode 6 tables for determining the duration of fire resistance as a function of the wall thickness are nearly unchanged compared to the familiar values in DIN 4102-4. The few changes and adaptations to the current state of technology are discussed here and explained. The emphasis of the new approach is that the changed vertical loadbearing capacities - in accordance with EN 1996 - and their effect on fire resistance are taken into account. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY Advanced fire modelling software have been developed and improved during the last couple of decays and these kinds of software have been shown to be valuable tools for fire safety engineers. However, the advances made have not replaced the need for simple hand-calculation methods. Simple hand-calculations methods can be used to obtain a first estimate of, for example, smoke layer temperatures in a performance-based design or to help an engineer determine if it is necessary to perform a detailed computational fluid dynamics calculation, but the current hand-calculations methods are limited. The current methods can for example only predict smoke gas temperatures in the fire room. A correlation that could predict temperatures in an adjacent space would be useful in performance-based design when, for example, evaluating the conditions for evacuees or sensitive equipment in an adjacent space to the room of fire origin. In this paper, a correlation for predicting gas temperatures in a room adjacent to a room involved in a pre-flashover fire is developed. The correlation is derived from results from computer simulations and the external validity is studied by comparing results from the correlation with full-scale test data. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An empirical equation for evaluating the fire resistance of reinforced concrete (RC) columns is presented. Data from a large set of experimental studies are analysed to study the influence of various parameters on the fire resistance of RC columns. The fire test data are utilised to develop a simplified equation for expressing the fire resistance of RC columns as a function of influencing parameters. The validity of the equation is established by comparing the predictions from the empirical equation with data obtained from fire resistance experiments and analytical studies. Predictions from the proposed equation are in good agreement with the test results and computer models, and provide better estimates of fire resistance than those predicted from current codes of practice. The proposed equation also incorporates parameters such as load eccentricity, which is not included in the current equations available in the literature. Furthermore, the proposed equation expresses the fire resistance in terms of conventional structural and material design parameters, and thus facilitates easy calculation of fire resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author presents information on the concepts related to the coexistence with the scenario of fire as of February 2014. Topics discussed include the clarification of any disaster typology as definitive, importance of experiential insights and embodied practices for learning to coexist with fire, and role of quantitative methods and modelling in the fire research.

Masonry construction - the dominant construction style for new residential buildings in Germany - can and must demonstrate its sustainability in terms of energy-efficiency. The M1 energy-plus masonry house is a pilot project that provides the first practical demonstration of how the benefits of masonry construction - such as its loadbearing capacity, fire safety and sound insulation - can be combined with current and anticipated energy-efficiency standards. With simple, well-thought-out design details and carefully matched technical construction equipment, masonry energy-plus houses are no longer just a vision. The main focus of the M1 project is to develop a cost-efficient and saleable product which opens up new opportunities for consumers, designers and developers alike (see pp. 118-138). (Photo: Xella) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers world news briefs. German firm Lanxess opens a $16 million rubber research center in Qingdao, Shandong province, China. Albemarle and the China Plastics Processing Industry Association merged to restore the work of the Sichuan Fire Research Institute. OSS opens a fragmentation plant in Knowsley, Meyserside.