Fire Spread of Thermal Insulation Materials in the Ceiling of Piloti-Type Structure: Comparison of Numerical Simulation and Experimental Fire Tests Using Small- and Real-Scale Models

Heong-Won Suh, Su-Min Im, Tae-Hoon Park, Hyung-Jun Kim, Hong-Sik Kim, Hyun-Ki Choi, Joo-Hong Chung and Sung-Chul Bae
Additional contact information
Heong-Won Suh: Department of Architectural Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Korea
Su-Min Im: Department of Architectural Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Korea
Tae-Hoon Park: Department of Architectural Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Korea
Hyung-Jun Kim: Hazard Mitigation Evaluation Technology Center, Korea Conformity Laboratories, Cheongju 28115, Korea
Hong-Sik Kim: National Fire Science Research Center, Ministry of Public Safety and Security, Chungnam 31555, Korea
Hyun-Ki Choi: Department of Fire and Disaster Prevention Engineering, Kyungnam University, Changwon 51767, Korea
Joo-Hong Chung: Department of Architecture, Sahmyook University, Seoul 01795, Korea
Sung-Chul Bae: Department of Architectural Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul 04763, Korea

Sustainability, 2019, vol. 11, issue 12, 1-21

Abstract: Large-scale fires mainly due to the ignition of thermal insulation materials in the ceiling of piloti-type structures are becoming frequent. However, the fire spread in these cases is not well understood. Herein we performed small-scale and real-scale model tests, and numerical simulations using a fire dynamics simulator (FDS). The experimental and FDS results were compared to elucidate fire spread and effects of thermal insulation materials on it. Comparison of real-scale fire test and FDS results revealed that extruded polystyrene (XPS) thermal insulation material generated additional ignition sources above the ceiling materials upon melting and propagated and sustained the fire. Deformation of these materials during fire test generated gaps, and combustible gases leaked out to cause fire spread. When the ceiling materials collapsed, air flew in through the gaps, leading to flashover that rapidly increased fire intensity and degree of spread. Although the variations of temperatures in real-scale fire test and FDS analysis were approximately similar, melting of XPS and generation of ignition sources could not be reproduced using FDS. Thus, artificial settings that increase the size and intensity of ignition sources at the appropriate moment in FDS were needed to achieve results comparable to those recorded by heat detectors in real-scale fire tests.

Keywords: fire spread; fire dynamic simulator; real-scale test; thermal insulation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
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