- Author
-
Boller, K. H.
- Title
- FPL Facility for Evaluating Strength-Performance of Walls Exposed to Fire.
- Coporate
- Forest Products Lab., Madison, WI
- Report
-
FPL 199
1973
5 p.
- Distribution
- Available from National Technical Information Service
- Keywords
-
walls
|
evaluation
|
panel walls
|
housing
|
load capacity
|
research facilities
- Identifiers
- design load
- Abstract
- To simulate the design loads on wall panels of homes when one surface is exposed to fire, the FPL facility used for 40 years to evaluate 10- by 10-foot panels was modified so that: (1) it would support a conventional 8-foot-high by 10-foot-wide wall panel of a home; (2) it would apply compressive, edgewise, vertical loads along the 10-foot edge; (3) the applied loads would be uniformly distributed by a hydraulic system of jacks; (4) the loads could be monitored by electronic load cells; and (5) the system would have a load capacity of 40,000 pounds. It was estimated that design loads on such a panel in a first-story wall of a two-story home would be 1,250 pounds per linear foot. The capacity of this facility exceeds the minimum requirements because it is intended to accommodate future considerations.