Fire and MaterialsPub Date : 2026-10-05Epub Date: 2026-07-14DOI: 10.1002/fam.70088
Xinying Wang, Kuibin Zhou, Zhi Li, Guohui Li
{"title":"Burning Behavior of Bamboo Crib Fires","authors":"Xinying Wang, Kuibin Zhou, Zhi Li, Guohui Li","doi":"10.1002/fam.70088","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/fam.70088","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The expanding application of bamboo materials and scaffolding in construction has brought the issue of its fire safety to the forefront. However, current research on charring solid combustion has predominantly focused on wood, while systematic studies on bamboo remain limited. To address this gap, a series of burning tests were conducted to compare the combustion dynamics of bamboo and wood cribs of identical dimensions. Parameters including mass loss rate, flame height, flame temperature, and radiant heat flux were measured for comparative analysis. Bamboo combustion is typically characterized by a rapid flareup followed by a sharp decay in flame height and temperature during the initial and final stages, respectively, which results in a total burning time markedly shorter than that of wood (e.g., 28% shorter in Test P<sub>3</sub>). The bamboo crib fire demonstrated significantly more aggressive combustion behavior than its wood counterpart. Specifically, it exhibited 22%–39% higher peak mass loss rate, 3%–27% higher peak flame height, and approximately 10% higher peak temperature compared to wood. The available models for mass loss rate and flame height were assessed against experimental data from bamboo crib fires. Furthermore, a solid flame radiation model was developed to predict the radiant heat flux from the bamboo crib fires, with predictions agreeing with experimental measurements within 20% error. The model's limitations were identified by comparing its predictions with the experimental measurements.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":12186,"journal":{"name":"Fire and Materials","volume":"50 7","pages":"707-721"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-10-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149100095","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Fire and MaterialsPub Date : 2026-10-05Epub Date: 2026-08-11DOI: 10.1002/fam.70091
Robert Svensson, Evalyne Arinaitwe, Frida Vermina Plathner, Johan Sjöström, Paul Otxoterena, Anna Sandinge, Per Blomqvist, Margaret McNamee
{"title":"Wildfire Emissions From European Boreal Fuels: Effects of Fuel Type and Moisture Content","authors":"Robert Svensson, Evalyne Arinaitwe, Frida Vermina Plathner, Johan Sjöström, Paul Otxoterena, Anna Sandinge, Per Blomqvist, Margaret McNamee","doi":"10.1002/fam.70091","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/fam.70091","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The increasing severity of wildfires poses significant challenges through the release of greenhouse gases and other harmful gases and particles. Although field measurements exist, there is a lack of systematic data collection to understand the influence of moisture content on the particle and gas emissions of boreal fuels, particularly for European boreal forest fuels. This study investigates the influence of moisture content and fuel type on flaming combustion emission characteristics of surface fuels collected from two Swedish forest types, which share key characteristics with fire-prone forests across the European boreal. The results are based on bench-scale controlled combustion conditions in a cone calorimeter, where gaseous and particle emissions were measured using Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy and an Electrical Low-Pressure Impactor, respectively. Moisture content of the fuels only insignificantly affected combustion efficiency, with higher moisture content leading to increased emissions of incomplete combustion products (CO, CH<sub>4</sub> and NH<sub>3</sub>). Thus, although moisture affects the amount of fine fuel consumed in a wildfire, it is not significant for the emissions factors during the flaming combustion. The combustion of mosses was instead significantly less efficient than that of litter for all moisture contents. Average emission factors highlighted clear differences between fuel types, with mosses producing higher CO (87 ± 20 g/kg) and lower CO<sub>2</sub> (1350 ± 220 g/kg) compared to litter (47 ± 12 g/kg and 1620 ± 81 g/kg, respectively). Particle emissions were strongly dependent on fuel type with <span></span><math>\u0000 <semantics>\u0000 <mrow>\u0000 \u0000 <msub>\u0000 \u0000 <mi>EF</mi>\u0000 \u0000 <mrow>\u0000 \u0000 <mi>PM</mi>\u0000 \u0000 <mn>2.5</mn>\u0000 </mrow>\u0000 </msub>\u0000 </mrow>\u0000 <annotation>$$ {EF}_{PM2.5} $$</annotation>\u0000 </semantics></math> of 29 ± 12 g/kg for mosses compared to 98 ± 15 g/kg for \u0000 <i>Pinus sylvestris</i>\u0000 needles and twigs.</p>","PeriodicalId":12186,"journal":{"name":"Fire and Materials","volume":"50 7","pages":"752-770"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-10-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/fam.70091","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149100117","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Fire and MaterialsPub Date : 2026-10-05Epub Date: 2026-08-31DOI: 10.1002/fam.70093
Mahalingam Chellamuthu, Lakshmi Priya Subramanian
{"title":"Elevated-Temperature and Post-Fire Mechanical–Microstructural Evolution of 350-Grade Fire-Resistant Structural Steel","authors":"Mahalingam Chellamuthu, Lakshmi Priya Subramanian","doi":"10.1002/fam.70093","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/fam.70093","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Fire-resistant steel (FRS) is rapidly transforming modern construction by significantly enhancing structural resilience during and after fire events. Unlike normal structural steel (NSS), FRS exhibits exceptional mechanical performance at elevated temperatures, yet its behaviour under extreme heat and subsequent cooling remains insufficiently understood. This study delivers a thorough experimental investigation of 350-grade FRS subjected to high temperatures between 500°C and 1000°C, followed by cooling via air and water. Through detailed tensile testing at elevated temperatures and after cooling, key mechanical properties, including yield strength, ultimate strength, Young's modulus and ductility, are quantified to reveal critical performance trends. Results demonstrate that FRS retains much of its strength up to 500°C, contrasting sharply with NSS, but degrades significantly beyond 600°C. Interestingly, post-fire tests highlight the pivotal influence of cooling conditions: specimens cooled in air exhibit strength losses beyond 800°C, whereas water-cooled specimens show strength gains accompanied by reduced ductility. This dichotomy underscores the vital role of cooling regimes in shaping residual structural capacity. Complementary microstructural analyses using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) reveal phase transformations that directly correlate with these mechanical changes, offering new insights into the metallurgical mechanisms driving FRS behaviour after fire exposure. Collectively, these findings deepen our understanding of FRS post-fire performance and pave the way for more resilient, fire-safe structural designs.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":12186,"journal":{"name":"Fire and Materials","volume":"50 7","pages":"788-807"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-10-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149100521","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Effect of Blockage and Longitudinal Ventilation on Longitudinal Temperature Distribution in Tunnel With the Unpowered Ventilation Cap","authors":"Junwei Chi, Peng Wu, Qianqian Huang, Ru Zhou, Min Hao, Juncheng Jiang","doi":"10.1002/fam.70095","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/fam.70095","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Urban tunnel fires often produce huge smoke and cause serious consequences. The temperature attenuation of fume in fire is very important for fire prevention and rescue. In this paper, a 1/15 reduced-size tunnel test platform is utilized to probe the impact of blockage on longitudinal temperature attenuation in the tunnel under the action of the unpowered ventilation cap. The results demonstrate that the tunnel with the unpowered ventilation cap has a higher overall longitudinal temperature and a greater longitudinal temperature attenuation coefficient than the tunnel lacking the unpowered ventilation cap. In light of the experimental conclusions, the forecasting model of the maximum ceiling temperature is improved by introducing correlation factors, which indicate an excellent correlation with the current experimental conclusions. The research outcomes have paramount significance for fire rescue and safety prevention and have certain reference values for the layout of ventilation devices in tunnels.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":12186,"journal":{"name":"Fire and Materials","volume":"50 7","pages":"818-828"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-10-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149100721","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Fire and MaterialsPub Date : 2026-10-05Epub Date: 2026-09-07DOI: 10.1002/fam.70092
Felix Armbrust, Jochen Zehfuß, Olaf Riese
{"title":"Investigation of Systematic Discrepancies Between MCC and TGA Measurements Affecting the Determination of Heat of Combustion","authors":"Felix Armbrust, Jochen Zehfuß, Olaf Riese","doi":"10.1002/fam.70092","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/fam.70092","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The determination of step-resolved effective heats of combustion is essential for detailed pyrolysis modelling in fire growth and flame spread predictions, especially in multi-step processes where the heat of combustion can differ between reaction steps. Typically, the effective heat of combustion is determined from the ratio of heat release rate to mass loss rate, measured for example by microscale combustion calorimetry (MCC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). However, reliable determination requires precise agreement between the experimental boundary conditions of both methods, a requirement systematically compromised by inherent deviations in MCC measurements compared to TGA. The literature attributes this limitation to various causes, yet a comprehensive investigation of their origins and combined impact has been absent. A systematic investigation reveals several key causes of these discrepancies. Non-constant heating rates in MCC render mass loss and heat release events below 170°C invalid for analysis. A temperature gradient within the pyrolysis chamber, revealed through dedicated measurements using an additional thermocouple inserted into the pyrolyser, induces temperature shifts and apparent heating rate deviations. Additionally, baseline correction problems arise at low initial sample masses when using an electrochemical oxygen sensor, which is often implemented in MCC devices. Based on these findings, compensation strategies are developed, evaluated and assessed with respect to their consequences on the resulting effective heat of combustion.</p>","PeriodicalId":12186,"journal":{"name":"Fire and Materials","volume":"50 7","pages":"771-787"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-10-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/fam.70092","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149100010","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Fire and MaterialsPub Date : 2026-10-05Epub Date: 2026-07-28DOI: 10.1002/fam.70090
Prasun Kumar Roy, Manorama Tripathi, Amit R. Kundu, Prakash D. Trivedi
{"title":"Enhanced Fire Protection: Improved Efficacy of ABPBI Over Aramids as the Outer Layer in Firefighter Suits","authors":"Prasun Kumar Roy, Manorama Tripathi, Amit R. Kundu, Prakash D. Trivedi","doi":"10.1002/fam.70090","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/fam.70090","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The outer shell of firefighter protective clothing is typically made from high-performance, inherently flame-retardant fibers such as aramids, polybenzimidazoles, polyamide-imides, and polyimides. Among these, Poly[2,2′-(m-phenylene)-5,5′-bisbenzimidazole] (PBI) is valued for its non-flammability and low smoke emission. Poly(2,5-benzimidazole) (ABPBI), synthesized from less carcinogenic monomers, offers even higher thermal and flame resistance, with an exceptionally high Limiting Oxygen Index (LOI) of ∼72, compared to PBI (∼38.3) and aramids (∼25). Despite this, studies on ABPBI's potential in the field of fire-retardant textiles remain limited. Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations, including HOMO–LUMO analysis, bond dissociation energy (BDE), and Mayer bond order analysis, were performed to provide molecular-level insight into the thermal stability of both polymers. This study evaluates the performance of ABPBI fabric for use as an outer shell in firefighter clothing, benchmarking it against a conventional aramid fabric. Twill-woven ABPBI and aramid fabrics (2/1, 260 gsm) were characterized and subjected to vertical flammability tests and radiant and convective heat exposures. Both fabrics exhibited no after-flame or after-glow and exhibited < 5% char residue. However, under convective heat (84 kW m<sup>−2</sup> for 30 s), the aramid fabric exhibited “break-open” behavior due to brittleness, whereas ABPBI retained its flexibility and dimensional stability. Dynamic Mechanical Analysis of heat-exposed ABPBI revealed a tenfold decrease in storage modulus, linked to a 26.2% oxygen loss and 9.3% carbon increase (EDS analysis), however aramid could not be tested. Exposure to a radiant heat flux of 10 kW m<sup>−2</sup> for 180 s did not cause any noticeable loss in tensile strength of either the aramid or ABPBI fabric. The entire ensemble of firefighter clothing with ABPBI outer shell exhibited a Thermal Protective Performance of 60 cal cm<sup>−2</sup>, and aramid shell based ensemble exhibited 44 cal cm<sup>−2</sup>, both exceeding the minimum requirement of 35 cal cm<sup>−2</sup>. The combined computational and experimental results confirm the superior thermal stability, char-forming ability, and protective performance of ABPBI, supporting its potential as an advanced outer-shell material for firefighter protective clothing.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":12186,"journal":{"name":"Fire and Materials","volume":"50 7","pages":"738-751"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-10-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149100487","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Fire and MaterialsPub Date : 2026-10-05Epub Date: 2026-08-27DOI: 10.1002/fam.70094
Jie Wang, Yihao Chen, Dongmei Gao, Yong Wang, Kaihua Lu
{"title":"Experimental Investigation of Aging Effects on the Combustion Performance of the Tunnel Cable","authors":"Jie Wang, Yihao Chen, Dongmei Gao, Yong Wang, Kaihua Lu","doi":"10.1002/fam.70094","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/fam.70094","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Cables are laid tightly in the tunnel, which are an important part of modern power transmission infrastructure. Large power transmission and cable aging can cause cable fires easily, and high fire smoke temperature threatens the stability of tunnel structure, meanwhile smoke toxicity causes evacuees poisoning in the tunnel. The combustion performance including the ignite time (TTI), heat release rate (HRR), critical heat flux, fire performance index (FPI), fire growth index (FGI), and smoke production about ZR-Y44JV cable used in tunnels are investigated by cone calorimeter and multifunctional flue gas analyzer. The cable aging time and temperature in experiments are determined based on the thermal aging mechanism of cable sheath and cable insulation. The increase of aging time leads to flash ignition and the increase of ignition time and changes the HRR curve, wherein the plateau stage occurs after the second heat release peak, and the initial peak PHRR1 decreases firstly and then increases. Due to the early pyrolysis, the mass loss of cable combustion changes earlier than the initial HRR change point. The occurrence time of the peak mass loss rate (MLR) is delayed firstly and then advanced with the increasing cable aging time, and the maximum MLR peak time is earlier than that of the unaged cable. It is verified that the aging ZR-YJV cable is still suitable for the hot thickness material model. The fire performance index and fire growth index of the cable are calculated and show that the fire hazard decreases firstly and then increases.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":12186,"journal":{"name":"Fire and Materials","volume":"50 7","pages":"808-817"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-10-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149100536","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Fire and MaterialsPub Date : 2026-10-05Epub Date: 2026-07-14DOI: 10.1002/fam.70089
Steven J. Paulussen
{"title":"HRR–Time Behaviour of Untreated Wood Under SBI Conditions: Implications for the Interpretation of FIGRA and THR\u0000 600","authors":"Steven J. Paulussen","doi":"10.1002/fam.70089","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/fam.70089","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Reaction-to-fire classification of wood-based materials in Europe relies on SBI-derived parameters such as FIGRA and THR<sub>600</sub>. While these parameters provide a robust and practical basis for classification, their relationship to the underlying HRR–time development remains difficult to interpret. This study investigates HRR–time behaviour of 41 untreated hardwood species tested under identical SBI conditions. Fire behaviour was analysed using measured HRR–time curves together with derived parameters including FIGRA<sub>0.2</sub>, time to reach FIGRA<sub>0.2</sub> (<i>t</i>\u0000 <sub>0.2</sub>), and THR<sub>600</sub>. A subset of eight species was tested in triplicate to assess repeatability. The results show that untreated hardwood species exhibit distinct and repeatable HRR–time responses under controlled SBI conditions. Early-stage fire development, including the initial HRR peak and associated FIGRA values, was highly repeatable, whereas divergence increased during later combustion stages. Volumetric mass showed a stronger relationship with <i>t</i>\u0000 <sub>0.2</sub> (<i>R</i>\u0000 <sup>2</sup> = 0.57) than with FIGRA<sub>0.2</sub> (<i>R</i>\u0000 <sup>2</sup> = 0.49), indicating that volumetric mass is more strongly associated with the timing of fire growth development than with the magnitude of heat release itself. Specimens with comparable volumetric mass, FIGRA<sub>0.2</sub> or THR<sub>600</sub> values were found to exhibit different HRR–time developments, including differences in peak heat release, combustion duration, and post-peak behaviour. At the same time, some specimens with comparable FIGRA<sub>0.2</sub> and THR<sub>600</sub> values showed closely clustered early-stage HRR responses, indicating that these parameters provide robust but non-unique descriptors of SBI fire behaviour. The findings demonstrate that FIGRA<sub>0.2</sub> and THR<sub>600</sub> provide practical classification descriptors, while the full HRR–time curve retains additional information on temporal combustion dynamics. HRR–time analysis therefore provides a physically meaningful framework for interpreting SBI fire behaviour and may provide a useful basis for assessing the effects of material properties, system configuration, ageing and other modifications on HRR–time behaviour of wood systems under SBI conditions.</p>","PeriodicalId":12186,"journal":{"name":"Fire and Materials","volume":"50 7","pages":"722-737"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2026-10-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/fam.70089","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149100084","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}