- Author
- Beene, D. E., Jr.
- Title
- Fire Endurance Testing of Fiberglass Piping. Final Report.
- Coporate
- Coast Guard, Groton, CT
- Sponsor
- Coast Guard, Washington, DC
- Report
- CG-D-04-93; MF&SRB Report 89, April 1992, 53 p.
- Distribution
- Available from National Technical Information Service
- Keywords
- plastic pipes | fire endurance tests | hydrocarbons | pool fires | machinery | fire tests | propane
- Identifiers
- fiberglass reinforced plastic piping (FGP); piping materials; machinery space fires; deck fire tests; propane burner tests
- Abstract
- The U.S. Coast Guard has conducted fire endurance tests on several types of fiberglass reinforced plastic piping (FGP) as well as other common piping materials. The test piping, including joints and fittings, was exposed to large hydrocarbon pool fires (Phase 1), propane flames from a multi-burner array (Phase 2), and simulated localized machinery space fires (Phase 3). Test objectives included the following: (1) to investigate FGP fire endurance under various conditions when exposed to large hydrocarbon fuel fires, (2) to evaluate FGP fire endurance test methods being considered by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), (3) to obtain temperature and heat flux data representative of real shipboard fires involving hydrocarbon fuels, and (4) to compare the fire endurance of FGP with that of other common piping materials in the same fire conditions. Conclusions derived from the tests include 91) joints are the weakest link in FGP systems, (2) seal failure caused by a fire can destroy the integrity of FGP or metal piping even though the pipe itself remains intact, and (3) when FGP contains flowing water, its fire endurance can be increased significantly.