Fire Safety of Passenger Trains. Phase 2. Application of Fire Hazard Analysis Techniques.
Fire Safety of Passenger Trains. Phase 2. Application
of Fire Hazard Analysis Techniques.
(7536 K)
Peacock, R. D.; Reneke, P. A.; Averill, J. D.; Bukowski,
R. W.; Klote, J. H.
NISTIR 6525; 185 p. December 2002.
Available from:
: National Technical Information Service
(NTIS), Technology Administration, U.S. Department of
Commerce, Springfield, VA 22161.
Telephone:
1-800-553-6847 or 703-605-6000;
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Order number: PB2003-101962
Keywords:
passenger trains; fire safety; fire hazards; hazard
analysis; cone calorimeters; egress; fire hazards
assessment; fire models; furniture calorimeters; heat
release rate; railroad safety; test methods;
transportation
Abstract:
A comprehensive multi-phase fire safety research program
is being conducted by the National Institute of
Standards and Technology to demonstrate the practicality
and effectiveness of heat release rate-based test
methods and hazard analysis techniques when applied to
passenger train fire safety. The results of Phase II of
the program which focused on the application of hazard
analysis techniques using heat release rate data and
computer modeling to evaluate passenger rail car fire
performance is presented. In addition to materials, the
impact of car geometry, detection and suppression
systems, and egress time on the safety of passengers and
crew for representative intercity passenger coach,
dining, and sleeping rail car designs were evaluated.
For the three passenger rail car analyses conducted,
passengers and crew are safe from unreasonable hazard of
death or injury from interior fires involving materials
or components exhibiting fire growth rates at or below a
medium t-squared level, similar to the growth and HRR of
a typical upholstered sofa. For all but the most severe
ignition sources, conditions in all three passenger rail
car designs studied remain tenable sufficiently long
enough to allow safe passenger and crew egress, e.g.,
more than 10 minutes in some cases.
Building and Fire Research Laboratory
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Gaithersburg, MD 20899