Fire Safety of Passenger Trains, Phase II: Application of Fire Hazard Analysis Techniques [Interim Report, December 2001] [DOT/FRA/ORD-01/16]

Details

• Creators:
  Peacock, Richard D. ; Reneke, Paul A. ; Averill, Jason D. ; Bukowski, Richard W. ; Klote, John H.
• Corporate Creators:
  Building and Fire Research Laboratory (U.S.)
• Subject/TRT Terms:
  Burning Rate Calorimeters Computer Models Computer Simulation Crash Analysis Emergency Response Time Field Studies Fire Detection Systems Fire Fighting Equipment Fire Prevention Fire Resistance Fire Risk Assessment Flammability Tests Flammable Materials Furniture Furniture--Fire Testing Hazard Analysis Hazard Evaluation Heat Laws And Legislation Materials By Flammability Mathematical Prediction Passenger Compartments Passenger Trains Passenger Trains--Fires And Fire Prevention Passenger Trains--Testing Performance--Testing Performance Tests Railroads--Safety Regulations Smoking And Fires Software System Design

  More +
• Publication/ Report Number:
  DOT/FRA/ORD-01/16 ; DOT-VNTSC-FRA-01-11
• Resource Type:
  Tech Report
• Geographical Coverage:
  United States
• Corporate Publisher:
  United States. Federal Railroad Administration. Office of Research and Development
• Abstract:
  On May 12, 1999, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) issued regulations for passenger rail equipment safety standards that included small-scale fire tests and performance criteria to evaluate the flammability and smoke characteristics of individual materials used in intercity passenger and commuter rail systems.
  
  A major conclusion of a FRA-funded 1993 study was that the use of fire hazard analysis techniques, based on computer modeling and supported by measurement methods using heat release rate (HRR), could provide a more credible and cost-effective means to predict real- world fire behavior of passenger rail car materials.
  
  A comprehensive multi-phase fire safety research program is being conducted by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to demonstrate the practicality and effectiveness of HRR-based test methods and hazard analysis techniques when applied to passenger train fire safety. The results of the research program will assist the FRA in determining appropriate revisions to the fire safety requirements for inclusion in Phase II of the passenger equipment final rule.
  
  This document presents the results of Phase II of the program which focused on the application of hazard analysis techniques using HRR data and computer modeling to evaluate passenger rail car fire performance. 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.
  
  The Phase I report contains an evaluation of rail car interior materials using the Cone Calorimeter. The Phase III report contains the results of full-scale tests of a passenger rail coach car to verify material fire performance and the fire hazard analysis based on the computer model.
  
  This study has been carried out as part of FRA's R&D Program. See Section 4.9 Occupant Protection in FRA's "Five-Year Strategic Plan for Railroad Research, Development, and Demonstrations."
  
  This report is also published by NIST as NISTIR 6525.
  
  
• Format:
  PDF
• Collection(s):
  US Transportation Collection
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha256:afd07c81e3afbe84af3d84545b0a5cea6615b329ab5af162fe82b971d437eb77
• Download URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/23152/dot_23152_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 5.82 MB ]