Abstracts EDITOR'S NOTE: For information on how to set up your own abstract file and information retrieval system incorporating abstracts from FIRE TECHNOLOGY and other sources, see the article, "Information R e t r i e v a l - - T h r e e Practical Methods," on page 69 of the February 1965 issue. In clipping these abstracts for mounting on file cards, the reverse side of each page should be photocopied to retain the abstracts appearing thereon.

KEY WORDS: aqueous film-forming foams, extinguishing, foam(s), hydrocarbons, interfaclal tensions, measurement, vapors. A B S T R A C T : The automatic method for measuring surface and interracial tension of aqueous film-forming foams is a definite improvement over the manual method, which lacks reliability because of inadequate precision, operator variability, and operator fatigue. Surface and interfacial tension measurements are important for aqueous film-forming foams being considered for use in the fire fighting field, since these measurements indicate whether or not an aqueous film will spread over a spilled hydrocarbon fuel and thus aid extinguishment or vapor suppression to prevent reignition. William Mac L. Pierce REFERENCE: "Automated Surface and Interfaclal Tension Measurements of AFFF's," D. E. Elliott and P. J. Chiesa, Jr., Fire Technology, Vol. 9, No. 4 (November 1973), pp. 2 7 5 - 2 8 4 .

Abs: 7 3 - 4 6 , Fire Technology, November 1973; Boston, MA KEY WORDS: flameless combustion, cellulose, light transmission, monitors, polyurethane foam, smoke density, smoke tests. A B S T R A C T : A method is described for simultaneously measuring sample weight loss during nonflaming combustion, while detecting light transmission in a National Bureau of Standards smoke density chamber. The samples tested were NBS Standard Reference Material $RM 1006 and a TDI-type flexible polyurethane foam. A sensitive force transducer capable of operation in humid and corrosive environments under dynamic load conditions was used In the measurement of light transmission. The method should have value in the study of response and smoking tendency of fire retarded materials. William Mac L. Pierce REFERENCE: "Monitoring Weight Loss in an NBS Smoke-Density Chamber," W. P. Chlen, J. D. Seader, and M. M. Birky, Fire Technology, Vol. 9, No. 4 (November 1 9 7 3 ) , p p . 2 8 5 - 2 9 8 .

Abs." 7 3 - 4 7 , Fire Technology, November 1973; Boston, MA KEY WORDS: flammability, po/ystyrene, polyurethane foam. A B S T R A C T : Two brands of polyurethane foam form intumescent chars when heated with a burner flame. If coated with a poly(vinylchloride) copolymer resin as a moisture barrier, both foams form an intumescent char. If coated with polystyrene, one brand forms an intumescent char; whereas the other brand melts back keeping a fresh burning surface without forming the intumescent char. William Mac L. Pierce REFERENCE: "Enhanced Flammability of Polyurethane Foam," Bruce V. Ettling, Fire Technology, Vol. 9, No. 4 (November 1973), pp. 2 7 1 - 2 7 4 .

Abs: 7 3 - 4 8 , Fire Technology, November 1973; Boston, MA

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KEY WORDS: combustion, construction, damage, explosion relief, explosions, explosion suppression, pressure. A B S T R A C T : In explosion protection based on construction, reliance is usually p l a c e d on a combination of pressure-resistance and Rressure-relieving construction. The pressure that a building must be capable of withstanding is based on the maximum pressure that could be developed consistent with the possible venting area. Typical pressure-relleving construction includes sheets of corrugated steel, aluminum, and asbestos. Explosion venting windows are approved and acceptable. Pressure-relleving construction should function at as low a pressure as possible (not over 20 pounds per square foot). Pressure-resistant walls and their supports should be capable of resisting explosion forces of 100 pounds per square foot. Monolithic walls or those having a high degree of elasticity are most desirable. REFERENCE: "Damage-Limiting Construction," George E. Weldon, Fire Technology, Vol. 9, No. 4 (November 1973), pp. 2 6 3 - 2 7 0 . William M a c L. Pierce Abs: 7 3 - 4 9 , Fire Technology, November 1973; Boston, M A

KEY WORDS: buildings, dry-pipe sprinkler systems, mathematical formance, sprinklers, sprinkler systems, wet-pipe sprinkler systems.

models, sprinkler per-

A B S T R A C T : Id~a|ty, a fire should be controlled with a minimum number of sprinklers opening; too much water will cause excessive water damage, too little will not control the fire. Fewer sprinklers open in older buildings than do in newer buildings, but an explanation is not available. On the average, twice as many sprinklers operate in dry systems as do in w e t systems. A t e n t a t i v e mathematical model indicates that this is the result of delays in operation. Dry-plpe sprinklers require 50 percent more time to get water on the fire as do wet-pipe sprinklers. The data support the mathematical model, which has general application describing the spread of fire. REFERENCE: "The Number of Sprinklers Opening and Fire Growth," R. Baldwin and M. A. North, Fire Technology, Vol. 9, No. 4 (November 1973), pp. 2 4 5 - 2 5 3 . William M a c L. Pierce Abs: 73-50, Fire Technology, November 1973; Boston, MA

KEY WORDS: aviation fuels, fire control, flame propagation, gravel, spill fires. A B S T R A C T : Crushed and graded stone a g g r e g a t e (¾-inch size), when used as a ground cover, prevents or retards horizontal Rome propagation when the level of the cover is 2 to 3 inches above the level of fuel, such as JetA, JP-4, or aviation gasoline. The average size o f the aggregate and the height of the cover a b o v e the fue~ level are maior contributing factors in establishing the rate of flame spread for a particular fuel. The use of 3/s-inch ground cover materials, such as traprock, gravel, or no-fines concrete a g g r e g a t e in areas exposed to the hazards associated with a large fuel spill, could contribute materially toward reducing the devastating effects of a major fuel fire. William Mac L. Pierce REFERENCE: "The Use of Ground Cover Materials to Suppress Fuel Fires at Airports," George B. Geyer, Fire Technology, Vo!. 9, No. 4 (November 1973), pp. 2 5 4 - 2 6 2 . Abs: 7 3 - 5 1 , Fire Technology, November 1973; Boston, M A KEY WORDS: homes for the aged, life safety, fatal fires, automatic sprinklers, fire detection, frame buildings, regulations. ABSTRACT: Fire in a single-story, wood frame addition to the Sexton Nursing Home in Kearney, Nebraska killed four of tl~e seven residents in spite of the activation of an automatic fire detection system and prompt emergency response. The fire was knocked down by the fire department within six minutes of the activation of the detection system, but two of the occupants died of extensive burns. Lack of sprinklers, the presence of combustible interior finish and contents, and a locked exit contributed to the deaths and iniuries. The fire spread over combustible interior finish and involved the lounge, which was a vital link in the means of egress. REFERENCE: "Sexton Nursing Home Fire," Fire Journal (National Fire Protection Association, 60 Batterymarch St., Boston, MA 0 2 1 1 0 ) , Vol. 67, No. 3 ( M a y 1973), pp. 6 4 - 7 0 . Abs: 7 3 - 5 2 , Fire Technology, August 1973; Boston, M A

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KEY WORDS: multiple death fires, fire records, transportation, industrial fires, life safety, homes for the aged, mine fires, fire deaths, public assembly occupancies. ABSTRACT: Multiple death fires in the United States decreased from 208 in 1971 to 193 in 1972, but the deaths in these fires increased from 911 in 1971 to 992 in 1972. The worst loss of life was in the Sunshine Mine in Kellog, Idaho, where 91 men died from toxic gases from a mine fire. In 1972, seven multiple death fires killed 46 people in institutional fires. In residential fires, 6 2 7 died in t 5 3 f i r e s - - as usual, the largest category. In Sacramento, twentytwo were killed when a jet aircraft crashed into an ice cream parlor on September 24, 1972. Nineteen people died in Weirton, West Virginia on December 15, 1972 in a gas explosion in a new coke oven.

REFERENCE: "Multiple Death Fires, 1 9 7 2 , " Fire Journal (National Fire Protection Association, 60 Batterymarch St., Boston, M A 0 2 1 1 0 ), Vol. 67, No. 3 ( M a y 1973 ), pp. 7 1 - 7 4 , 102, 103. Abs: 7 3 - 5 3 , Fire Technology, August 1973; Boston, MA KEY WORDS: systems analysis, fire protection, d a t a systems, simulation, models, planning. ABSTRACT: A three-year study of the application of systems management to fire department operations in Wichita Falls, Texas was based on a computerized analysis of existing operations, the development of a simulation model of fire protection operations, and o systems analysis of the total fire protection operations. The model was used to evaluate new concepts of resource allocation, the most promising of which was the deployment of two-man patrol vehicles during periods of peak activity in the areas of highest fire alarm probability. With no increase in manpower, the average number of men at the fire was increased by 1.8 and the average response time was decreased by 1.2 minutes. REFERENCE: "Application of Systems Management Techniques to Fire Protection Operations," Col. Paul M. Yeager, Dr. Charles Pinnel, and Dr. Robert J. Anderson, Fire Journal (National Fire Protection Association, 60 Batterymarch St., Boston, M A 0 2 1 1 0 ), Vol. 67, No. 2 (March 1973 ), pp. 7 4 - 7 7 .

Abs: 7 3 - 5 4 , Fire Technology, August 1973; Boston, MA KEY WORDS: smoke, flame spread, test fires, fire research, gypsum, fire hazards, carpets. ABSTRACT: This report covers o continuing program of the National Bureau of Standards in the investigation of the growth and spread of smoke and fire through a corridor when a fire is iniated in an adjoining room. In one test with gypsumboard walls and ceiling and a brick floor in the corridor with a fuel load of 2.7 pounds per square foot in the burn room, no flames left the burn room. The temperature at the end of the 30-foot corridor was 590 ° F with a velocity of 600 feet per minute at the exit window. With a rug and pad on the corridor floor, the flame reached the exit window in 11 minutes with a temperature of 1,382 ° F and a velocity of 1,040 feet per minute. REFERENCE: "The NBS Program on Corridor Fires," Francis C.W. Fung, Miles E. Suchomel, and Philip L. Oglesby, Fire Journal (National Fire Protection Association, 60 Batterymorch St., Boston, M A ) , Vol. 67, No. 3 ( M a y 1973), pp. 4 1 - 4 9 .

Abs: 73-55, Fire Technology, August 1973; Boston, MA

KEY WORDS: tanks, leakage, flammable liquids, temperature, pressure, standpipes, underground storage. ABSTRACT: Inaccuracies in the measurement of leakage from gasoline tanks result from the failure to measure accurately the liquid temperature changes and the failure to allow for movement of the tank ends as pressure is increased. Average temperature is measured at the top of the tank while the contents are being mixed by a circulating pump. The error from tank end movement is eliminated by pre-expanding the tank ends before the leakage test. A hydrostatic standpipe on top of the tank is maintained at 42 inches of gasoline for two hours before the 1eokoge measurement begins. Any volume change after that not attributabJe to temperature changes, is the result of leakage. REFERENCE: "Testing Underground Flammable Liquid Tank Systems for L e a k a g e , " F. R. iMcLean, Fire Journal (National Fire Protection Association, 60 Batterymarch St., Boston, MA ~02110),Vol. 66, No. 6 (November 1972), pp. 2 4 - 2 7 , 31.

Abs: 7 3 - 5 6 , Fire Technology, August 1973; Boston, MA

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KEY WORDS: fire alarms, signals, ~;lgnaling systems, warning systems. ABSTRACT: People do not respond today to the fire alarm signals that were effective forty years ago. In a test, an ordinary school class dismissal signal was interpreted b y fire professionals as a fire alarm or bomb warning. To convert highly sophisticated e a r l y warning technology into people-oriented action and reaction, it is necessary to make the occup ants clearly and unmistakably aware of a fire. To provide a characteristic, universal fire alarm, a slow " w h o o p " signal has been proposed. The sound, which is distinguishable from any normal ambient sound, is reproducible by mechanical, electrical, pneumatic, and electronic means. William Mac L. Pierce REFERENCE: "The Alarming Problem," W. Y. Humphreys, Fire Journal (National Fire Protection Association, 470 Atlantic Ave., Boston, MA 0 2 2 1 0 ) , Vol. 67, No. 5 (Septern bet 1973 ), pp. 15-17, 20. Abs: 7 3 - 5 7 , Fire Technology, November 1973; Boston, MA KEY WORDS: arson, building fires, fire deaths, fire losses, fires, injuries, smoking. ABSTRACT: In 1972, the rate of fire deaths continued a 20-year decrease. Fire-related injuries remained constant while the number of fires increased 1.7 percent. Building fires increased 5.7 percent; but grass, brush, and rubbish fires decreased 7.1 percent. Losses from building fires totalled more than $2.4 billion. The number of incendiary and suspicious fires increased by 16.8 percent and the losses by 22.6 percent. Incendiary fires have been a special problem in schools, churches, restaurants, and taverns. Dwelling and motor vehicle fire account for 40.4 percent of all fires and 26.2 percent of the losses as well as more than half the deaths. William Mac L. Pierce REFERENCE: "Fires and Fire Losses Classified, 1972," Fire Journal (National Fire Protection Association, 470 At(antlc Ave., Boston, MA 0 2 2 1 0 ) , Vol. 67, No. 5 (September 1973), pp. 23-26. Abs: 7 3 - 5 8 , Fire Technology, November 1973; Boston, MA KEY WORDS: collapse, fire experience, fire hazards, fire insurance, fire tests, fuel loads, parking facilities, steel construction. ABSTRACT: A survey of 1,668 parking structures having 778,000 car spaces "with a total value of $2 billion reported a total fire loss of $130,000 in a year. Damage to automobiles in 7 7 percent of the fires amounted to less than $500. The automobile fuel load of 376 pounds per car is equivalent to 703 pounds of wood. In parking structures, the fire load is well below two pounds per square foot. Tests indicate that the overall fire load in an open air structure is very low. Tests also indicate that fire does not spread from the car of origin to a car two feet away, even with flame impingement. William Mac L. Pierce REFERENCE: "Fire Experience and Fire Tests in Automobile Parking Structures," Richard E. Gawain, Fire Journal (National Fire Protection Association, 470 Atlantic Ave.~ Boston, MA 0 2 2 1 0 ) Vol. 67, No. 4 (July 1973), pp. 5 0 - 5 4 . Abs: 7 3 - 5 9 , Fire Technology, November 1973; Boston, MA KEY WORDS: acoustic insuiatlon, ceilings, fire tests, fuel loads, gypsum, mode( laws, smoke detectors, wafts. ABSTRACT: A series of full-scale fire tests is in progress to determine if the ceiling assemblies as used and accepted could provide the degree of protection required for a so-called onehour corridor, regardless of the fire resistance value of ceilings in adjacent rooms. In a test with the fire in a room with an acoustical ceiling, the corridor ceiling remained intact although the room ceiling co(lapsed in 27 minutes. In a test fire in a room with a gypsum-plaster-on-metallath ceiling, the corridor ceiling was intact while their was some flaking on the room ceiling but no obvious breaks. Cross-corrldor doors prevented heat spread throughout the corridors. William Mac L. Pierce REFERENCE: "Project Corridor," Robert E. Bishop, and William T. Pacchetti, Fire Journal (National Fire Protection Association, 470 Atlantic Ave., Boston, MA 0 2 2 1 0 ) , Vol. 67, No. 4 (July 1973), pp. 109-112, 124. Abs: 7 3 - 6 0 , Fire Technology, November 1973; Boston, MA