- Author
- Ingberg, S. H.
- Title
- Fire Tests of Brick Walls.
- Coporate
- National Bureau of Standards, Washington, DC
- Report
- BMS 143, November 30, 1954, 54 p.
- Keywords
- walls | brick | fire endurance tests | plaster | clay | sand
- Abstract
- Fire-endurance tests were conducted of 54 solid and 19 hollow brick walls, supplemented by 10 fire and hose-stream tests. The fire-resistance limit of 4-in. clay and shale brick walls was found to be about 1 1/4 hr, as based on stability under fire exposure, ability to carry load, and to protect combustible material on the side not exposued to fire. Plaster on both sides increased the limit to 2 1/2 hr. For clay and shale brick solid walls of 8-in. thickness, the fire-resistance limit from the above considerations was 5 hr, which was increased to 7 hr when the walls were plastered on both sides. For combustible members projecting into the walls 4 in. from the unexposed side, the protection period was 2 hr, and if plastered, 3 hr. With the 12-in. nominal thickness, the fire-resistance limits ranged from 8 to 10 hr, depending upon the fusion temperature of the bricks, and with 7 hr as the protection period for framed-in members. For solid 8- and 12-in. walls of concrete and sand-lime bricks, the fire-resistance limits were found 1 to 2 hr higher than for comparable walls of clay and shale bricks. This was apparently due to the retarding effect on temperature rise in the wall from evaporation of the combined water in the brick cementing material. The fire-resistance limit of 8-in. clay and shale brick walls of the all-rolok design was 2 1/2 hr, and with framed-in combustible members 1 hr. With plaster, these were increased to 4 hr and 1 1/2 hr, respectively. For 12-in. rolok walls, a fire-resistance limit of 5 hr was indicated, and 2 1/2 hr as the protection period for members supported in the wall. For the plastered wall, these were 7 hr and 3 1/2 hr, respectively. For cavity walls of 10-in. nominal thickness, the fire-resistance period averaged about 5 hr, with 1 1/2 or 2 hr as the protection period for supported combustible members, depending upon the degree of embedment assumed. All wall constructions evidenced ability to meet the performance in the fire and hose-stream test required for their respective fire-resistance ratings.