Abstracts EDITOR'S NOTE: F o r information on how to set up y o u r own a b s t r a c t file and information retrieval system incorporating a b s t r a c t s from FIRE TECHN O L O G Y and other sources, see the article, " I n f o r m a t i o n R e t r i e v a l - - T h r e e Practical M e t h o d s , " on page 69 of the F e b r u a r y 1965 issue. In clipping these a b s t r a c t s for mounting on file cards, the reverse side of each page should be photocopied to retain the a b s t r a c t s appearing thereon. The classification code numbers followed by an asterisk (*) refer to new categories assigned subsequent to the publication in M a y 1964 of the N F P A Library Classification System for Fire Protection. The corresponding subject heading entries are designated in the footnotes. NFPA Lib. Class. 8.7D.1 KEY WORDS: concretes, reinforcing steel beams (structural), roofs, floors, slabs (non-metallic) fire resistance, heat transmission, lightweight concretes, fire tests. ABSTRACT: In most cases, concrete beams and slabs are so supported that restraint to longitudinal expansion and to rotation at the supports occurs producing a redistribution of stresses greatly enhancing the fire endurance. With restrained floors and roofs, the heat transmission end point generally governs. Transmission of heat through concrete is principally affected by the thickness of concrete, the type of aggregate, and the moisture condition of the concrete. Structural lightweight concretes have better fire resistance than normal weight concretes. REFERENCE: "Factors Influencing the Fire Resistance of Concrete," Armand H. Gustaferro, Fire Technology, Vol. 2. No. 3 (August 1966) pp. 187-195. Abs: 66+31, Fire Technology, August 1966; Boston, Mass.

NFPA Lib. Class. 1 6.3E.6 KEY WORDS: pressure drop, deluge sprinkler systems, friction, hydraulics, equivalent length, pipe, pipe flow. ABSTRACT: Test data is given to permit more accurate calculation and analysis of deluge sprinkler systems than by the equivalent pipe-length method. Friction losses in the run of crossmain and branch-line tees are negligible. Losses in the side outlet of cross-main tees and in the run of bullhead tees on branch lines are significant. The friction loss factor for tees cannot be accurately expressed for all flows in terms of equivalent length of pipe. The pressure drop in the side outlet of the cross-main tee will vary greatly as the flow in the cross main varies. REFERENCE: "Pressure Losses in Deluge Sprinkler Fittings," T. Francis O'Connor, Fire Technology, Vol. 2, No. 3 (August 1966), pp. 2 0 4 - 2 1 0 . Abs: 6 6 - 3 2 , Fire Technology, August 1966; Boston, Mass.

NFPA Lib. Class. 4.2C KEY WORDS: pressure surge, fluid flow, rupture disks, bursting, water hammer, pipelines. ABSTRACT: The distinguishing feature of a pressure surge is the presence of a high-pressure region which moves at a velocity in excess of the speed of sound in the fluid through the pressure enclosure. The pressure surge may originate from a sudden closure of a valve, rapid strokes of a pump, or a rupture of the pressure enclosure. Events governing the destruction of the pressure enclosure are measured in small time intervals, so that if protection involves mechanical movement, the movement must be rapid-actlng. This implies large forces and lowmass moving parts. REFERENCE: "Pressure Surge Protection," James R. Jedllcka, Fire Technology, Vol. 2. No. 3 (August 1966), pp. 2 3 9 - 2 4 5 . Abs: 6 6 - 3 3 , Fire Technology, August 1966; Boston, Mass.

2S1

252

Fire

Technology

N F P A Lib. Class. 4 . 3 B KEY WORDS: burning rate, heat transfer, fire spread, wind-blown flames, flame radiation, wake gas temperature. ABSTRACT: The factors important in flame heat transfer and fire spread include: liquid fuel burning rates, flame lengths, wake gas temperatures, and flame radiation. For fires a b o v e liquid pools, the burning rate is determined by the rate of heat transfer back to the pool. With the exception of methanol fires the burning rates decreased with increasing wind velocity. The radiant energy release from methanol fires is about one-fifth of that from acetone fires, which in turn is one-fifth of that from hydrocarbon fires. This is the second paper on this subject, the first of which a p p e a r e d in Fire Technology for May, 1966. REFERENCE: "Burning Rates and Heat Transfer from Wind-blown Flames," J. R. Welker and C. M. Sliepcevich, Fire Technology, Vol. 2, No. 3 (August 1966), pp. 2 1 1 - 2 1 8 .

Abs: 6 6 - 3 4 , Fire Technology, August 1966; Boston, Mass.

N F P A Lib. Class. 9 . 3 K . 2 KEY WORDS: electric equipment, explosions, purged equipment, explosion-proof equipment, inert gases, chemical atmospheres, pressure piling, explosion pressure, turbulence. ABSTRACT: The methods of the prevention of the ignition of explosive mixtures of gas or vapor in air by electrical equipment include: the use of purged equipment, the inerting of an explosive atmosphere with a non-flammable gas, and the use of the explosion-proof equipment. It is necessary to consider gaps or clearances at joints and shaft openings in the enclosure, strength of the enclosure and the maximum temperature that may be attained at the external surface of the enclosure in the design and testing of explosion-proof equipment. REFERENCE: "Testing Electrical Equipment for Chemical Atmospheres," William C. Westerberg,

Fire Technology, Vol. 2 No. 3 (August 1966), pp. 2 2 6 - 2 3 3 . Abs: 6 6 - 3 5 , Fire Technology, August 1966; Boston, Mass.

N F P A Lib. Class. 1 5 . 4 C KEY WORDS: rocket propellants, hydrazine, unsymmetrical dimethyl hydrazine, foams, fire fighting, foam extinguishers, vapor suppressants. ABSTRACT: Aero-O-Foam 100 applied through conventional Type II applicators was an effective extinguishing agent for spill, deep, and running fires of unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine-hydrazine rocket fuels. The foam was effective on fires on which water application may be too slow because of the depth of fuel or where a life hazard exists. The foam can be used in case of a rocket fuel spill to suppress the toxic vapors and to reduce the chances for ignition. There was no significant suppression of the deflagration reaction of hypergolic mixtures of the rocket fuel and nitrogen tetroxide. REFERENCE: "Foam Fire Protection of Liquid Propellants," Donald N. Meldrum, John R.Williams, and Donald Gilroy, Fire Technology, Vol. 2, No. 3 (August 1966), pp. 2 3 4 - 2 3 8 . Abs: 6 6 - 3 6 , Fire Technology, August 1966; Boston, Mass.

N F P A Lib. Class. 8 . 8 H KEY WORDS: structural members, wall finishes, flashover time, model fires, building fires, penetration, wind effects, burning rate, flame dimensions, life safety. ABSTRACT: Model fires provide a valuable tool for studying fire behavior in full size structures.. The flashover times, the time at which the fire engulfs the entire compartment of origin, is of importance to the life safety and fire damage to structural members. The fiashover time gives the uppermost limit for safe evacuation. In model rooms with a wail and ceiling cover of plasterboard the fiashover time was much greater than with rooms with either combustible fiberboard lining or noncombustible unbonded fiberglass. The buildup of a room fire does not depend on the combustibility of the wall covering. REFERENCE: "Studies of Building Fires with Models," F. Salzberg and T. E. Waterman, Fire Technology, Vol. 2. No. 3 (August 1966), pp. 1 9 6 - 2 0 3 .

Abs: 6 6 - 3 7 , Fire Technology, August 1966; Boston, Mass.

AbstracLs

2S3 NFPA Lib. Class. 10.3C.1 8

KEY WORDS: protective clothing, flame retardants, convection heating, conduction heating. ABSTRACT: Wearing apparel for use in hazardous thermal environments must not contribute to the wearer's injury. The clothing system must act as o thermal barrier which will effectively protect the wearer for a given length of time. A pracHcal application of the theory is the development of a two-layer system using " N o m e x " fiber in both coveralls and underwear for race drivers' uniforms. Industrial gloves are being developed which will be rated for a specific maximum use in temperature and time. A knowledge of the necessary protection forms the basis for the system design. REFERENCE: "Development of Clothing for Protection from Convective Heat," W. P. Behnke and R. E. Seaman, Fire Technology, Vol. 2. No. 3 (August 1966), pp. 2 1 9 - 2 2 5 .

Abs: 66-38, Fire Technology, August 1966; Boston, Mass.

NFPA Lib. Class. 10.5 KEY WORDS: riots, fire control, control centers, task forces, convoys, law enforcement, fire service operations. ABSTRACT: In civil disturbances, the fire department is responsible for fire control and not riot control. The experience of the Los Angeles Fire Department during the riots from Aug. 1113, 1965 shows the value of pre-planning, the advantages of a NoHonal Guard convoyed task force of at least three units, and the need to separate the situation map from the status board in the dispatching office. Radio communications on mu{tiple channels is essential. Training must be given in depth in convoy deployment, hit and run maneuvers, defensive measures, supply and service functions and operational control center activities.

REFERENCE: "The Watts Fires and Their Lessons," Charles W. Bahme, Fire Journal (National Fire Protection Association, 60 Batterymarch St., Boston, Mass. 0 2 1 1 0 ), Vol. 60, No. 2 (March 1966), pp. 10-14. Abs: 6 6 - 3 9 , Fire Technology, August 1966; Boston, Mass.

NFPA Lib. Class. 6.4H.4 KEY WORDS: pyrotechnics, cherry bombs, life safety, sparklers, skyrockets, Roman candles, firecrackers, injuries. ABSTRACT: The record of the "safe and sane" ("common," "small stuff") fireworks is poor. Sixty per cent of the 5,888 persons injured in fireworks incidents were innocent bystanders. Nine of the tee fireworks fatalities reported in 1965 were caused b y "small stuff." There were nine cases involving the loss of eyesight and 55 of other eye injuries. A truck driver was killed and ten dock workers were injured when a truckload of Japanese-made firecracker party favors exploded. Four small children were killed in a building fire started by "small stuff" fireworks. A woman was fatally burned trying to take a sparkler a w a y from a small child. REFERENCE: "Fireworks: The Small Stuff," Ernest E. Juillerat, Fire Journal (National Fire Protection Association, 60 Batterymarch St., Boston, Mass. 0 2 1 1 0 ) , Vol. 60, No. 3 ( M a y 1966), pp. 1 2 - 1 6 .

Abs: 6 6 - 4 0 , Fire Technology, August 1966; Boston, Mass.

NFPA Lib. Class. 8.15F KEY WORDS: air rights structures, access, fire resistance, automatic sprinkler systems, flammable liquids, hazardous chemicals. ABSTRACT: The complex fire problems of air rights structures include the limited means of access for fire department equipment, the unusuaJly high requirements for fire resistance on the underside of buildings over transportation routes, and the problem of protecting the tunnels formed. Automatic sprinklers increase the fire protection for the underside of the air rights structures and for the people and vehicles under the buildings. If the transportation of hazardous chemicals and flammable liquids is forbidden in highways under air rights buildings, the fire hazards will be reduced. REFERENCE: "Fire and the Air Rights Structure," D. McClanahan, C. O. Carlson, and A. L. Elliott, Fire Journal (National Fire Protection Association, 60 Batterymarch St., Boston, Mass. 0 2 1 1 0 ) , Vol. 60, No. 3 ( M a y 1966), pp. 5 - 1 1 .

Abs: 6 6 - 4 1 , Fire Technology, August 1966; Boston, Mass.

254

Fire Technology NFPA Lib. Class. 6.81.7

KEY WORDS: hyperbaric chambers, spray systems, extinguishing clothing fires. ABSTRACT: In a hyperbaric chamber at 45 pounds per square inch, a hand hose line with a spray nozzle can, in two seconds, extinguish a clothing fire that took 45 seconds with a fixed water spray from an overhead system. The fixed system is an additional requiremernt because of possible incapacitation of the occupants. Smothering does not work. All chamber occupants should be clothed in fiame-retardant-treated coveralls or jump suits which insure nearly complete protection against ignition. Large chambers should be divided into two or more compartments to allow escape into an adjoining section. REFERENCE: "Fire Suppression in Hyperbaric Chambers," Louis Segal, Harlan L. Turner, Dr. Roman L. Yanda, and Chappel Moore, Fire Journal (National Fire Protection Association, 60 Batterymarch St., Boston, Mass. 0 2 1 1 0 ) , Vol. 60, No. 3 ( M a y 1966), pp. 17, 18, 87.

Abs: 6 6 - 4 2 , Fire Technology, August 1966; Boston, Mass.

NFPA Lib. Class. 3.1 KEY WORDS: building codes, tions, interpretations.

enforcement,

discretionary

powers,

administrative

regula-

ABSTRACT: It is impossible for any statute or ordnance to provide all the requirements necessary for public safety in a fire protection or building code. Enforcing officials must assume that they have certain delegated or discretionary powers, whether or not these powers are actually mentioned in laws or ordnances. Discretionary action must be shown to be necessary to achieve the intentions of the code and to be reasonable and not arbitrary or discriminatory. The enforcing official must realize that a code does not stand alone, but it is supported by a whole b o d y of court decisions and by the inherent powers of government. REFERENCE: "Discretionary Powers in Code Enforcement," Horatio Bond, Fire Journal, Vol. 60, No. 1 (Jan. 1966), pp. 4 0 - 4 1 . Abs: 6 6 - 4 3 , Fire Technology, August 1966; Boston, Mass.

NFPA Lib. Class. 1.4C.1 KEY WORDS: hotels, fires, Christmas trees, decoration, interior finishes, air conditioning, smoke, stair towers, open stairways, fire doors, natural gas, elevator shafts, pipe shafts. ABSTRACT: Smoke from combustible decorations and interior finish spread b y means of substandard stair towers and air-conditioning ducts wlthout automatic dampers to kill four people in one hotel fire. Eleven died in a fire trap hotel with open stairways, insufficient exits, combustible interior finish, inoperative fire doors, a large light well in the center of the building, and no automatic fire protection. In a hotel in which 11 died in on explosion and fire, the major fire protection flaws were the non-firestopped pipe shafts and an i n a d e q u a t e l y protected elevator shaft. REFERENCE: "Three Hotel Fires," Ernest E. Juillerat and Robert E. Gaudet, Fire Journal (National Fire Protection Association, 60 Batterymarch St., Boston, Mass. 0 2 1 1 0 ) , Vol. 60, No. 3 ( M a y 1966), pp. 3 5 - 4 3 .

Abs: 6 6 - 4 4 , Fire Technology, August 1966; Boston, Mass.

NFPA Lib. Class. 1.4 KEY WORDS: multiple-death fires, large-loss fires, automatic sprinklers, fire loss statistics, fire deaths, fire losses. ABSTRACT: During 1965, fires in which three or more persons were killed decreased 4 per cent. Fires causing $ 2 5 0 , 0 0 0 or more loss increased 9 per cent and the total loss from these fires increased 11 per cent. Dwelling fires caused 673 fatalities in 175 fires, including 5 0 7 children. In other multiple-death fires, 151 children died. The total fire deaths were 1,325 in 1965 compared to 1,224 in 1964. The worst loss of llfe ( 5 4 ) resulted from an infilght fire on a DC-8 in British Columbia. There was a 25-million-dollar loss in electronic equipment in an unsprinklered building at a Florida missile tracking station. REFERENCE: "The Major Fires of 1965." An NFPA Fire Record Department Study, Fire Journal (National Fire Protection Association, 60 Batterymarch St., Boston, Mass. 0 2 1 1 0 ) , Vol. 60, No. 3 ( M a y 1966), pp. 5 2 - 5 9 .

Abs: 6 6 - 4 5 , Fire Technology, August 1966; Boston, Mass.