- Author
- National Institute of Building Sciences
- Title
- Fire Ratings of Archaic Materials and Assemblies.
- Coporate
- National Institute of Building Sciences, Washington, DC
- Sponsor
- Department of Housing and Urban Development, Washington, DC
- Keywords
- fire ratings | historic buildings | evaluation | design applications | fire resistance | wood | panel doors | tunnel tests | lumber | construction | fire endurance | fire resistant rating | thickness | doors
- Identifiers
- fire related performance of archaic materials and assemblies; building evaluation; final evaluation and design solution; fire rating tables; upgrading the fire resistance of wood panel doors; Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing (PATH)
- Abstract
- The purpose of the Guideline on Fire Ratings of Archaic Materials and Assemblies is to assist architects, engineers, preservationists, and code officials in evaluating the fire safety of older buildings by providing documentation on the fire-related performance of a wide variety of archaic building materials and assemblies, and, for those cases where documentation cannot be found, by providing ways to evaluate general classes of archaic materials and assemblies. The term "archaic" encompasses materials and assemblies typical of an earlier time and no longer in common use. "Fire-related performance" includes fire resistance, flame spread, smoke production, and combustibility. The Guideline assumes that the building elements being evaluated-as well as their fastening, joining, and incorporation into the building structure-are mechanically sound. The user must make a determination that the original materials and the manner in which they were installed are in good condition and have not been weakened by age or deterioration. Such an assessment may be difficult because process and quality control were not good in many industries and variations among locally available raw materials and manufacturing techniques often resulted in products or installations that varied considerably in strength and durability. The properties of iron and steel, for example, exhibited great variation depending on the mill and the process used. [Foreword] Older buildings often contain materials that are fire safe but not listed in current fire ratings sources. This lack of documentation hinders the modernization and reuse of our nation's building stock. The Guideline on Fire Ratings of Archaic Materials and Assemblies is a compilation of fire ratings from earlier sources for a wide variety of materials and assemblies found in buildings from the nineteenth to the mid-twentieth centuries. This guideline also provides methods for calculating the fire resistance of general classes of archaic materials and assemblies for which no documentation can be found. First published in 1980, this guideline has found widespread use and acceptance among architects, engineers, preservationists, and code officials. It has been incorporated into numerous state and local building codes, three model code publications, and two NFPA standards. Now, for the Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing (PATH) program, the Guideline on Fire Ratings of Archaic Materials and Assemblies has been updated to reflect changes in assessment techniques and to provide additional information on doors. HUD is pleased to reissue this important and time-tested publication, knowing that it will remain a valuable resource for preserving and reusing our nation's housing and building stock.