Survey Results of Combustible Contents and Floor Areas in Canadian Multi-Family Dwellings

Abstract

This paper presents the results of a survey of floor areas and combustible contents in multi-family dwellings such as semi-detached houses, town houses and low-rise apartments. The survey was primarily based on measurements and photographic information obtained from real-estate websites. This is a novel method, which reduces the effort required to conduct fire load surveys in residential buildings. In addition to quantifying combustible contents, an important objective of the survey was to determine the similarities in combustible contents and configurations of these dwellings, which could be used in designing fire experiments. The survey provided an insight into the types and quantity of combustible contents found in the dwellings, as well as the types of floor configurations and other information that are pertinent to fire issues. Typical furnishings that constituted a significant portion of the movable fire load were identified and possible values of fire load densities were calculated for rooms such as: kitchens, dining rooms, living rooms and bedrooms. The average fire load densities in various rooms were estimated to be: kitchens-807 MJ/m 2 ; dining rooms-393 MJ/m 2 ; living rooms-412 MJ/m 2 ; basement living rooms-288 MJ/m 2 ; primary bedrooms-534 MJ/m 2 ; and, secondary bedrooms-594 MJ/m 2 . Although kitchens had the highest fire load densities the actual fire load (heat content) was found to be lower than bedrooms, which have a higher fire load due to the presence of mattresses, clothing and carpeting.

Fire resistance of cold‐formed steel framed shear walls under various fire scenarios

“…The Severe Fire and Mild Fires were intended to encompass a range of postflashover fire conditions that could occur in modern residential kitchens. A combination of statistical data, empirical formulations, and engineering judgement was used to define these scenarios. The duration of the fire was estimated using typical North American kitchen fire load densities and dimensions with different opening factors.…”

“…A combination of statistical data, empirical formulations, and engineering judgement was used to define these scenarios. The duration of the fire was estimated using typical North American kitchen fire load densities and dimensions with different opening factors. The target temperatures were based on statistical analysis of compartment fire data…”

“…For kitchens in multifamily dwellings in Canada, Bwalya reported a mean floor area of (9.8 ± 3.6) m 2 and an average fire load density (FLD) of (807 ± 123) MJ/m floor , where the reported uncertainty is the standard deviation for 515 housing units. To obtain the time to burnout, Kawagoe's formulation was used to estimate the heat release rate (HRR) of the fully developed fire (Equation ).…”

“… The primary goal of the furnished kitchen compartment fire was to provide a comparison with the design fire scenarios. The compartment FLD and floor area were selected to match the mean values reported by Bwalya . An opening factor of 0.08 m 1/2 was used to provide similar time to burnout as in the Mild Fire.…”

“…The compartment FLD and floor area were selected to match the mean values reported by Bwalya. 20 An opening factor of 0.08 m 1/2 was used to provide similar time to burnout as in the Mild Fire. Table 1 summarizes the compartment dimensions, fire loads, and time to burnout for the investigated fire scenarios.…”