- Author
- Springer, G. S.
- Title
- Behavior of Furniture Frames During Fire. Final Report.
- Coporate
- Stanford Univ., Stanford, CA
- Sponsor
- National Bureau of Standards, Gaithersburg, MD
- Report
- NBS GCR 86-512, April 1986, 161 p.
- Distribution
- Available from National Technical Information Service
- Contract
- GRANT-NB83NAD4019
- Keywords
- fire tests | furniture | plastics | stress (mechanics) | wood | wooden structures
- Abstract
- The objective of this investigation was to evaluate the behavior of furniture frames during exposure to elevated temperatures such as may arise in fires. An analytic method was developed for calculating stresses and strains in wooden beams and bends at elevated temperatures. Models were established for calculating the degradation in strength of wood due elevated temperature exposure and for predicting the times to failure of loaded wooden structures. Building on these analyses and models, a computer code was written which can be used to calculate the stresses and strains inside the wood, the changes in strength, and the failure time during high temperature exposure of loaded wooden beams and bends. Tests were also performed measuring stregths, deflections and failure times of wooden bends and joints and of plastic beams exposed to elevated temperatures.