Test Data - Background

In UK, the thermal response of various construction materials and assemblies to standard fire conditions in accordance with BS476 has been recorded in various publications since 1950s. However, the results of most fire tests are in “commercial confidence” and the detailed thermal information can only be obtained directly from the product manufacturers. On the other hand, some information is in the public domain, particularly for generic building materials such as steel and concrete. In chronology order, some of the accessible publications are listed below:

1) National Building Studies Research Papers No. 12 & 18: 1953
The Research Paper No. 12 (HMSO 1953) compiled the results of the fire tests conducted by the Building Research Station in the UK from 1936 to 1946 (see Figure 1). The fire tests covered over 200 structural elements of walls, partitions, columns, floors and beams, made of generic building materials, as summarised in Table 1. Generally, the temperature data recorded in the tests were tabulated at a few specified times, for examples ½ hour, 1 hour, and 1½ hour etc.

The Research Paper No. 18 (HMSO 1953) compiled the results of the fire tests on reinforced concrete columns conducted by Building Research Station (see Figure 2). Some of the column tests had been reported in the Research Paper No. 12. The series of column tests aimed to investigate the relationships between the fire resistance of reinforced columns and the applied load, the concrete strength, the column size, the design of reinforcement, as well as the various aggregates. The recorded temperature data for each column were tabulated in the Research Paper.

The Research Paper also presented the figures for the temperature-time curves at various depths for different column sizes as shown in Figure 3, as well as the figures showing the temperature gradients across the column cross-sections at hourly intervals during the fire tests as shown in Figure 4.

(a) 38.1 mm square column	(b) 48.3 mm square column
Figure 3 Temperatures at various distances from the centres of the columns (National Building Studies Research Paper No. 18: 1953)

(a) 38.1 mm square column	(b) 48.3 mm square column
Figure 4 Temperature gradients in columns of various sizes (National Building Studies Research Paper No. 18: 1953)

2) Building Research Establishment (BRE) Reports: 1975 & 1976
The BRE Reports (Fisher & Smart 1975; 1976) contained the results of sponsored fire resistance tests on proprietary building constructions or materials undertaken at the Fire Research Station, Borehamwood, between 1950 and 1972 (see Figure 5). The fire tests covered quite a comprehensive collection of structural elements of walls, partitions, floors, ceilings, columns, beams, glazing and roofs, made of generic building materials. However, the Reports only provided the final test results in fire-resistance ratings, with minimum information on temperature data, which are not useful for performance-based fire designs.

3) Compendium of UK Standard Fire Test Data – 1, 2 & 3: 1988 to 1990
Compendium No. 1 & No. 2 (Wainman & Kirby 1988; 1989) covered the fire resistance tests on unprotected steelwork exposed to heating conditions in accordance with BS476 which had been largely carried out at the Swinden Laboratory, Rotherham in the UK, from 1979 to 1988. Additional thermal data on some floor beams reported in the two Compendia were later supplemented in Compendium No. 3 (Wainman & Preston 1990). These Compendia provided detailed temperature data from the fire tests, in tabulated forms, on various types of floor beams and columns as summarised in Table 2. This has significantly contributed to the development of calculation methods for fire resistance design in the field of structural fire engineering.

Table 2 Fire tests compiled in Compendium No. 1 to No. 3 (1988-1990)

Elements	Types of specimen
Steel beams	• Floor beams • Shelf angle floor beams • Slim floor beams
Steel columns	• Unprotected columns • Web-encased columns • Columns in wall

In addition to the test data, the predicted temperature profiles for the floor beams in Compendium No. 1 to No. 3 by a finite element program FIRES-T2 were also given in a separate document by Wainman et al. (1990).

4) Additional Fire Test Results
The fire resistance of a wide range of steel and composite steel-concrete structural elements have been determined by testing in accordance with BS476 standard fire tests since 1985. These tests were carefully planned and detailed thermal data from fire tests were properly recorded. Table 3 lists some of the test reports, in which the temperature data were generally tabulated in details. Some of the data have been included in BS5950-8 (PDF version of the reports are available).

Table 3 References containing thermal data from various fire tests

Material	Member	Reference	Descriptions	Thermal data
Concrete	Beams & Columns	N.A.
	Floors	1) CIRIA Report 107 (1985)	3 ribbed concrete floors	Graphical
Steel & Composite	Beams	British Steel Report No.		Tabulated
		2) SL/HED/R/S1199/18/92/C	2 protected floor beams
		3) SL/HED/R/S2298/2/93/C	Flange plated slim floor beams
		4) SL/HED/R/S2442/3/96/C	A arched metal deck floor beam
		5) SL/HED/R/S2442/4/96/C	A composite slim floor beam
		6) SL/HED/TN/S2440/4/96/D	A composite slim floor beam
		7) SL/PDE/R/S2442/5/96/C	A shelf angle floor beam
		8) SL/PDE/R/S2442/6/96/C	3 composite metal deck shelf angle floor beams
	Columns	9) RS/R/S1199/5/86/B	Columns protected with AAC blocks	Tabulated
		10)SL/HED/R/S2070/1/94/R	Cold formed SHS columns protected with spray applied vermiculite cement
		11)SL/HED/R/S2139/1/92/D	3 concrete-filled CHS columns
		12)SL/LP/R/S2348/1/93/D	2 concrete-filled CHS columns	Graphical Tabulated
		13)SL/HED/R/S2442/1/94/C	Web-encased columns
	Connections	14)SL/HED/R/S2442/2/95/C	Bolted beam/column & beam/beam connections	Tabulated
	Floors	15)CIRIA Report 107 (1985)	1 trapezoidal profile LWC slab	Graphical
		16)British Steel Report No. RS/RSC/S10244/1/87/D	Composite concrete/steel deck floor system	Tabulated
	Others	17)HMSO Symposium No. 2 (1968)	6 steel plate floor assemblies & 14 protected steel girders	Graphical
Timber	Beams & columns	18)HMSO Symposium No. 3 (1970)	Laminated timber beams and columns	Graphical
Masonry		N.A.