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Fire Protection Research
Foundation Project Team
Sponsors Technical Panel
• IKEA • Ken Linder, Swiss Re
• Viking Sprinkler • Rich Pehrson, Rep. International Fire
• Reliable Sprinkler Marshals Association
• Tyco Fire and Building Products • Jason Huczek, Southwest Research
• XL Insurance Institute
• Property Insurance Research Group • John Denhardt, Strickland Fire
• Procter & Gamble Protection
• Target • Steve Wolin, Code Consultants, Inc.
• Aon Insurance • Matt Klaus, NFPA Staff Liaison
Project Contractor
• UL LLC
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Research Objective
To develop cost effective sprinkler system design criteria for the rack
storage of exposed expanded Group A plastic commodity with a
particular focus on ceiling only protection.
Protection of Exposed Expanded Plastics Stored in Racks
Figure 17.1.2.1
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NFPA 13 Commodity Classification
Class or
Group Class or Group Material
Essentially non-combustible products in corrugated cartons on combustible
Class I
Hazard Severity
pallets
Class I products in slatted wooden crates, solid wooden boxes or multiple
Class II
thickness paperboard cartons with or without pallets
Wood, paper, natural fiber cloth or Group C plastics with or without pallets.
Class III May contain a limited amount (5% by weight or volume or less) of Group A or
Group B plastics
Class I, II or III commodities in corrugated cartons with appreciable amounts
Class IV
(5-15% by weight, or 5-25% by volume) of Group A plastics
Cartoned Unexpanded Group A Plastic
Plastics
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Examples of Expanded Plastics
• Cushioned
furniture
• Mattresses
• Food containers
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HRR Growth Curve of
Standard Test Commodities
3.500
2.500
2.000
1.500
0
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140
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Time, seconds
Exposed Expanded Group A Plastics –
A Challenging Commodity to Protect
• Fast developing fire with high heat release rate
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commodity absorption of THIS DOCUMENT MAY NOT BE REPRODUCED OR
DISTRIBUTED WITHOUT PERMISSION OF
water
9 UNDERWRITERS LABORATORIES INC.
Protection of Exposed Expanded
Plastics Stored in Racks
Acceptance Criteria for Test Data to be
Considered for Supporting Revisions to NFPA 13
Key Acceptance Criteria:
• Number of operated sprinklers (50% safety factor applied)
• No sustained combustion at the outer edge of the ends of the main
array and outer edges of the target arrays.
• 537°C (1000°F) maximum 1 minute average steel temperature
measured above the fire.
Variable Investigated, But Not Incorporated Into the Design Criteria
• Blocking of certain transverse flue spaces to simulate potential
conditions that may occur in the field was evaluated, but successful
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test results were not achieved.
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FIRE TEST NUMBER Test 1 Test 2 Test 3 Test 5 Test 6
Test Date July 9, 2012 July 13, 2012 July 18, 2012 October 31, 2012 November 8, 2012
Test Parameters
Storage Type Double Row Rack Double Row Rack Double Row Rack Double Row Rack Double Row Rack
Exposed Expanded Exposed Expanded Exposed Expanded Exposed Expanded Exposed Expanded
Commodity Type Group A Plastic Group A Plastic Group A Plastic Group A Plastic Group A Plastic
4.9 m (16 ft.) on
4.9 m (16 ft.) on 4.9 m (16 ft.) on 7.3 m (24 ft.) on
4.9 m (16 ft.) on center - Main
center – center - Main center - Main Array
Vertical Barriers center - Main Array Array
Main Array (Non- Array (Non- (10 mm(3/8 in.)
(Non-combustible) (10 mm (3/8 in.
combustible) combustible) plywood)
plywood)
Number of Blocked
18 12 72 98 60
Traverse Flue Spaces
Length of Main
9.7 (32) 9.7 (32) 17 (56) 17 (56) 17 (56)
Storage Array, m( ft.)
Nominal Storage Height, m (ft.) 6.1 (20) 6.1 (20) 10. 7 (35) 12.2 (40) 9.1 (30)
Ceiling Height, m (ft.) 12.2 (40) 12.2 (40) 12.2 (40) 13.7 (45) 12.2 (40)
Aisle Width, m (ft.) 2.4 (8) 2.4 (8) 2.4 (8) 2.4 (8) 2.4 (8)
Between 2 Sprinklers Between 2 Sprinklers Between 2 Under 1 Sprinkler Under 1 Sprinkler
Ignition Location
(offset) (offset) Sprinklers (offset) (offset) (offset)
Sprinkler Type ESFR ESFR ESFR ESFR ESFR
Sprinkler Orientation Pendent Pendent Pendent Pendent Pendent
Deflector to Ceiling, cm (in.) 36 (14) 36 (14) 36 (14) 36 (14) 36 (14)
Sprinkler Spacing, sprinkler by
3 by 3 (10 by 10) 3 by 3 (10 by 10) 3 by 3 (10 by 10) 3 by 3 (10 by 10) 3 by 3 (10 by 10)
branchline, m (ft.)
Temperature Rating, ºC (ºF) 100 (212) 101 (214) 101 (214) 101 (214) 101 (214)
Nominal Sprinkler Discharge
Coefficient K, lpm/bar 0.5 320 (22.4) 363 (25.2) 363 (25.2) 363 (25.2) 363 (25.2)
11 (gpm/psig 0.5)
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Nominal Discharge
3.4 (50) 4.1 (60) 4.1 (60) 4.1 (60) 4.1 (60)
Pressure, bar (psig)
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Test 6 Arrangement
Plan View Elevation View 3/8 in. Plywood
Vertical Barrier
C (typical)
L
N 14 inches
10 ft. (typ.)
8 ft. 8 ft.
aisle aisle
3/8 inch
plywood
Vertical
Barriers ,
Ignition - 40 ft.
16 ft. on center 2 half
standard
igniters
30 ft. nominal
Exposed
Expanded
Group A
Plastic
(typical)
Horizontal Barrier, Placed on Ignition Location Vertical Barrier, 4 inches
top of pallets to span off of lab floor (typical)
transverse flues
(typical – 60 positions)
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Transverse Flue Space Blocking
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Test 6 – Sprinkler Operations (11)
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Test 6 – Main South Array Damage
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Test 6 – South Target
Array Damage
View from
Outside Arrangement
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Test 6 – Camera Locations
Ignition location: Centered under one
sprinkler, offset in transverse flue space.
10 ft.
(Typ.) N
Spr 91 Spr 92 Spr 93 Spr 94 Spr 95 Spr 96 Spr 97 Spr 98 Spr 99 Spr 100
10 ft.
(Typ.)
Spr 81 Spr 82 Spr 83 Spr 84 Spr 85 Spr 86 Spr 87 Spr 88 Spr 89 Spr 90
Spr 71 Spr 72 Spr 73 Spr 74 Spr 75 Spr 76 Spr 77 Spr 78 Spr 79 Spr 80
Spr 61 Spr 62 Spr 63 Spr 64 Spr 65 Spr 66 Spr 67 Spr 68 Spr 69 Spr 70
Spr 51 Spr 52 Spr 53 Spr 54 Spr 55 Spr 56 Spr 57 Spr 58 Spr 59 Spr 60
South
Wall
Spr 41 Spr 42 Spr 43 Spr 44 Spr 45 Spr 46 Spr 47 Spr 48 Spr 49 Spr 50
View
Spr 31 Spr 32 Spr 33 Spr 34 Spr 35 Spr 36 Spr 37 Spr 38 Spr 39 Spr 40
Initial
Ignition
Spr 21 Spr 22 Spr 23 Spr 24 Spr 25 Spr 26 Spr 27 Spr 28 Spr 29 Spr 30
Location
of South
Target
Spr 11 Spr 12 Spr 13 Spr 14 Spr 15 Spr 16 Spr 17 Spr 18 Spr 19 Spr 20
Array
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Test 6 – View from South Target Array
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Test 7 – View from NE Balcony
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Test 8 – Main North Array Damage
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Fire Travel Past Vertical Barriers –
Commodity Extending Beyond Barrier
Vertical
Barrier 10 – 12.5 cm
(4 – 5 in.)
Exposed
Expanded
Group A
Plastic
(typical)
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FIRE TEST NUMBER Test 1 Test 2 Test 3 Test 5 Test 6 Test 7 Test 8
November 8, June 8,
Test Date July 9, 2012 July 13, 2012 July 18, 2012 October 31, 2012 June 19, 2014
2012 2013
Test Results
Length of Test, minutes 31 31 31 31 31 31 31
First Sprinkler Operation
0:39 0:44 0:52 0:47 0:48 0:47 0:48
Time, min:sec
Last Sprinkler Operation
8:23 3:21 1:45 1:39 4:35 1:28 2:28
Time, min:sec
Number of Operated
Sprinklers
12 6 10 18 11 7 7
Peak Gas Temperature at
Ceiling Above Ignition, ºC 296 (564) 292 (558) 614 (1138) 539 (1002) 116 (241) 212 (414) 469 (877)
(ºF)
Maximum 1 minute
Average Gas Temperature
124 (255) 104 (220) 178 (353) 254 (489) 66 (151) 88 (191) 151 (303)
at Ceiling Above Ignition,
ºC (ºF)
Peak Steel Temperature at
Ceiling Above Ignition, ºC 52 (126) 48 (119) 63 (145) 71 (160) 54 (129) 56 (133) 58 (136)
(ºF)
Maximum 1 minute
Average Steel Temperature
at Ceiling Above Ignition,
51 (124) 47 (117) 61 (141) 69 (156) 53 (127) 53 (127) 57 (134)
ºC (ºF)
Ignition Time of Target 1:01 1:27
Array, minutes:seconds
None None None
(North Target) (South Target) None None
Yes Yes Yes Yes
Fire29Travel to Extremities (North Target Array (South Target Array
of Test Array
(East and West (West end No Burned Through to Burned Through to No No
end of Main) of Main) Extremities) Extremities)
Testing Activity Subsequent to NFPA
Second Draft TC Meeting
• During the June 2014 Second Draft meeting of the NFPA TC on
Sprinkler System Discharge Criteria, several committee members
expressed concern that there was only one design criteria for a 40 ft.
high ceiling.
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Questions?
Kerry Bell
Corporate Fellow
UL LLC
kerry.m.bell@ul.com
847-664-2629
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