- Author
- Foster, H. D. | Pinkston, E. R. | Ingberg, S. H.
- Title
- Fire Resistance of Walls of Gravel-Aggregate Concrete Masonry Units.
- Coporate
- National Bureau of Standards, Washington, DC
- Report
- BMS 120, March 30, 1951, 19 p.
- Keywords
- walls | gravel | aggregates | concretes | masonry | fire endurance tests | fire resistance tests | hoses | tests
- Abstract
- Fire-endurance test results for 12 walls of gravel-aggregate concrete masonry units are given and hose-stream test results for three of the walls. The concrete units used in five of the walls were made with calcareous aggregates representing the group of natural aggregates less susceptible to damage by fire. The units used in the other seven walls were made with siliceous aggregates representing the group more susceptible to fire damage. The constructions included 4-in. nonload-bearing partitions and 8- to 12-in. load-bearing walls. The fire resistance of the 4-in. unplastered partition of units made with calcareous aggregates and of the 4- and 8-in. walls of units made with siliceous aggregates were limited to 1 hr or less either by collapse or load failure. The values for the 4-in. plastered partition and the 8-in. load-bearing walls made with calcareous aggregates ranged from 1 hr 51 min for the partition to 3 hr 57 min for one of the 8-in. load-bearing walls, and were determined by the temperature rise on the unexposed surface. The values for the 12-in. single-unit plastered wall and the 12-in. two-unit wall of siliceous aggregateds were 5 hr or more and were limited by the temperature rise on the exposed surface. The hose-stream tests conducted at the end of the fire-endurance tests indicated that masonry walls built of units made with calcareous aggregates would meet the requirements of that test. Walls of units made with siliceous aggregates that were 8 in. or less in thickness in most cases had fire-endurance values of less than 1 hr and did not require the hose-stream test. Walls of units thicker than 8 in. made with siliceous aggregates that withstood long fire exposures may be expected to meet the hose-stream test requirements.