- Author
- Peacock, R. D. | Reneke, P. A. | Bukowski, R. W. | Babrauskas, V.
- Title
- Defining Flashover for Fire Hazard Calculations.
- Coporate
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD Fire Science and Technology Inc., Issaquah, WA
- Journal
- Fire Safety Journal, Vol. 32, No. 4, 331-345, June 1999
- Keywords
- flashover | fire hazard | computer models | experiments | fire models | heat flux | temperature correlations | validation | performance based codes
- Abstract
- As the use of performance-based methods for evaluating the fire behavior of materials and systems becomes more widespread, objective criteria to judge fire behavior become more important. This paper reviews techniques for predicting the most common of these criteria, the onset of flashover. The experimental basis for working definitions of flashover is reviewed. Comparisons of available calculational procedures ranging from simple correlations to computer-based fire models that can be used to estimate flashover are presented. Although the techniques range in complexity and results, the various predictions give estimates commensurate with the precision of available experimental data.