FireDOC Search

Author
Waterman, T. E.
Title
Shelter Habitability in Existing Buildings Under Fire Exposure.
Coporate
IIT Research Inst., Chicago, IL
Sponsor
Office of Civil Defense, Washington, DC
Report
NRDL-TRC-16; Work Unit 1133C
June 1966
92 p.
Contract
N228-62479-68355
Keywords
shelters (fallout) | exposure | debris | pressure | building fires | combustion products | gas flow | extinguishment | fire brands
Abstract
Experiments were performed in full scale buildings to obtain information regarding the habitability of fallout shelters in existing buildings under fire exposure. One two-story and two three-story buildings of masonry and wood joist construction were used. The fire load of the room of fire origin consisted of a large crib (2 x 4 inch lumber) with the remainder of the structures loaded with furniture typical of residential construction. In two of the buildings, the spread of heat, smoke and toxic gases was monitored throughout the buildings for fires contained within one room. Inthe other building, conditions (temperature, pressure, and CO concentration) were monitored in and around a fire-resistive basement shelter during complete burnout of the structure. Radiant heat fluxes emitted at window openings were measured in all of the experiments.