There are four different fire resistive tests that cover wall system design. The main and oldest of the four tests is known as ASTM E119 Standard Test Methods for Fire Tests of Building Construction and Materials. The next two tests concern penetrations and construction
There are four different fire resistive tests that cover wall system design. The main and oldest of the four tests is known as ASTM E119 Standard Test Methods for Fire Tests of Building Construction and Materials. The next two tests concern penetrations and construction joints in a fire resistive wall. The fire test on penetrations is ASTM E814 Standard Test Method for Fire Tests of Penetration Firestop Systems. Construction joints between fire resistive walls are evaluated under ASTM E1966 Standard Test Method for Fire-Resistive Joint Systems. The fourth test was especially developed for exterior walls. Its intent is to measure the impact of foam plastics when used in an exterior wall that will be used on an otherwise non-combustible wall.
ASTM E119 is designed to gauge the ability of various construction elements to maintain their structural integrity while holding a fire to its location of origin. The test procedure covers walls, floors, roofs, beams, and columns. A building element such as a wall is subjected to controlled fire on one side. The wall must not exceed specific temperatures on the surface on the other side. It is meant to measure heat transfer and the transmission of hot gases through the wall itself. If the wall or building element is to be load-bearing, the test will evaluate the wall’s ability to maintain its structural capacity under test conditions (elevated temperatures). The application of a standard fire hose stream may be applied after the fire portion to determine structural integrity.
The test is designed for comparative purposes only. It provides data to illustrate how one type of wall performs compared to another. It is not meant to predict a tested wall’s performance in the event of an actual fire. Also, the test does not provide information as to how the element will perform in sizes other than what was tested. It does not evaluate smoke migration or toxicity. The test only considers elements isolated from the rest of the structure. It does not look at, for example, the intersection of a wall and a floor assembly.
The wall size for a fire test is a nominal 10 foot X 10 foot, or 100 square feet. The wall is built within a steel/concrete frame and then placed in front of the furnace itself. Installation is done in such a way that one side of the partition will be exposed to the fire, and the other side is not. The temperature on the exposed side is closely monitored and controlled. There is a recognized time-temperature curve shown here that must be followed. The temperature within the furnace increases at a very rapid pace, then tapers off with time. Within the first five minutes the temperature will reach be 1000oF, while after 2 hours the temperature will be 2000oF.
This picture shows the wall to be tested clamped in front of the furnace. Under the nine gray squares are heat measuring devices called thermocouples. The thermocouples are used to measure the unexposed side of the wall. During the test the average temperature at the nine locations cannot exceed 250oF plus ambient (the temperature in the room when the test is started). Also, no single temperature can exceed 325oF plus ambient. The picture on the left is a wall in the middle of a test. You will notice that there appears to be smoke rising from the test specimen. When that is seen, a lab technician is to place what is called “cotton waste” at the location where the smoke is emanating from. Should the cotton char, that indicat