The wabush mines fire

How could a five-million-dollar fire occur in a seemingly low hazard industry? The author discusses one such fire and examines the lessons learned from it. It takes careful study to determine if well-known fire protection principles are being violated.     

Damage-limiting construction

A discussion of the use of pressure-relieving and pressure-resistant building construction to minimize the damage caused by combustion explosions.     

A systems analysis of the energy environment in buildings

The author has derived a flow diagram of fire development in order to point out areas where current technology can be applied to the fire problem as well as areas where further research is required.     

Minimum water requirements for suppression of room fires

In many areas, it is essential that no water be wasted in fighting fire. How much water is needed to extinguish typical room fires? This is the question the authors sought to answer in the experiments reported here.     

The economics of a fire protection program

How do you put a price tag on fire protection? And how are the costs of protection measured against the value of property protected? A method for quantitatively evaluating costs, not from an economist's point of view but as an engineering analysis, is described and an example of applying the method is given. Results are compared with those derived from using more traditional yardsticks for measuring the effectiveness of dollars spent on protection.     

Stability — The key to effective high expansion foam,part II

In Part I, the author reviewed the fundamentals of high expansion foam and examined the findings of tests made to evaluate it. In this, the concluding part of the paper, he discusses the effects of automatic sprinklers on high expansion foam. Walter Kidde & Company, Inc. Note: References 1–8, Tables 1 and 2, and Figures 1 and 2 will be found in Part I of the article published inFire Technology, Vol. 6, No. 1 (Feb. 1970), pp. 39–51.     

The spread of fire in corridors

Full- and quarter-scale experimental fires in corridor-room assemblies, using various combinations of floor, wall, and ceiling lining materials, yielded some interesting results. Between the small-and large-scale tests, there were marked differences in the relative effects of floor coverings and ceiling linings. Note: This paper is a contribution from the Division of Building Research, National Research Council of Canada and is published with the approval of the Director of the Division.     

Effectiveness of automatic sprinkler systems in exhibition halls

In cooperation with Mayor Daley's Committee to investigate the McCormick Place Fire, Underwriters' Laboratories tested the effectiveness of automatic sprinkler systems in a simulated exhibition hall having ceiling heights of 30 ft and 50 ft. The results may prove surprising to some who doubt the value of sprinklers in high-ceilinged structures, such as McCormick Place. Fire Protection Department Underwriters' Laboratories, Inc.     

Calculating flammability characteristics of hydrocarbons and alcohols

Dismayed by conflicting flammability data that has been published in various quarters over the years, the author set out to derive formulas for calculating flammability limits, ignition temperatures, flash points, and flame temperatures.