Fire Safety Science Digital Archive

A simplified model of flame spread that includes consideration of fuel burnout is applied to the evaluation of upward flame spread on thin lining materials adhered to noncombustible substrates. A flammability parameter based on characteristic unit heat release rates, flame spread times and burning durations is derived. Methods to evaluate this flammability parameter from small-scale heat release rate measurements in the Cone Calorimeter are developed. Comparisons between predictions and large-scale room/corner fire tests for a number of textile wall covering materials are presented.