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The Fire News = Actualités: Feu, 1982-01
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Canada's new Fire Research Field Station
Phillips, Alan M.
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Anot her CAFC Service/ Un autre service de I'ACCP
FIRE NEWS
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ACTUALITES : FEU
• CANADIAN ASSOCIATION OF FIRE CHIEFS
L'ASSOCIATION CANADIENNE DES CHEFS DE POMPIERS
1/
1590-7 Liverpool Court, Ottawa, Ontario K 1 B 4l2 Telephone : (613) 749-3825
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Canada ' s New Fire Research Field Station
The world ' s newest major fire research faci lit y was opened by NRC ' s
Division of Bui l ding Research in September 198 1. Combined with existing
laboratories, where fire research has been in progress for over thirty years, the facility gives Canada a world - c l ass capability for t he study of fires in st r uc t ures .
Fire research a t the Division of Building Research began in 1950 in
temporary laboratories in Ottawa. In 1958 a fire research laboratory
building special l y designed for fire experiments was opened. By the
early 1970's, however, it was clear th at t he original building did not have sufficient facilities for investigating several important fire
cond itions . A major expansion was necessary to meet the following needs:
- a location where fire tests producing s ignificant amounts of smoke could be tolerat ed,
- a facility to carry out larger tests to simulate more realistic fire conditions,
a f ac ility to study the movement of smoke in high-rise buildings .
The problem of smoke control in high -rise build in gs is particularly urgent as evidenced by the tragedies in recent fires in such buildings in various parts of the world.
The Field Station is located near Carleton Pl ace, Ontar io, abou t 65 km from the main Fire Research Laboratories in Ottawa . The site, a former farm in a predominantly rural setting, is sufficiently large
(90 hectares (220 acres)) to provide an adequate .buffe r zone to prevent any adverse effec t s due to smoke from full -sc a l e fire experiments . Calcu l ations performed by the Ontario Mi nistry of the Environment showed t hat Provincial air quality standards would be satisfied .
The Field St ation comprises a Burn Hall , a 10- storey Tower and an ancil l ar y building for support services.
The Burn Hall is an open-plan building with 1680 m2 (18,000 sq ft)
of column- free f l oor area and 12 m (40 ft) head room. A strengthened
area of floor functions as a test bed for studies .of the forces produced in structura l frames subject to fire.
FIRE RESEARCH SECTION Division of Building Research National Research Council Ottawa K1A OR6
-2-Two means of smoke removal are provided: fans located just below
ceiling level and power-operated louvres extending the full length of each side of the building.
The Burn Hall can accommodate a wide variety of experimental setups, including room and corridor arrangements, simulated apartment or hospital suites, atria and shopping mal ls, and 2-storey dwellings.
Invest igations planned include: the effect of lining materials and
furnishings on room fires, fire performance of structural frames, the effect of ventilation and fuel loads on compartment fires, fire and smoke spread in buildings, fire in cavity walls, and toxic products of combustion .
The Tower building comprises an experimental tower and a protected service tower, both 10 storeys high. The experimental tower contains a central core with typical shafts
2
e.g., elevator, stair, service, with aminimal floor area of about 37 m (400 sq ft) on each floor where controlled experimental fires can be located. The exterior cladding of the experimental fire area is removable, permitting installation of
typical building facades for study of exterior ftre spread. The Tower
and Burn Hall can be connected at ground level to simulate features of the complex assemblages of buildings in modern cities.
The service tower provides ｳ｡ｦｾ＠ access ·to experimenta l areas, with
a protected observation room on each floor overlooking the experimental
fire location. Sprinkler, hose reel, and propane gas service are
available on ｾＱＱ＠ floors.
There are two independent air systems: one handles the main air
supply and heating load and can be used to pressurize the entire building, the second supplies heated air to the experimental stair and elevator shafts and their vestibules. The air systems are necessary to study methods of controlling smoke movement by pressurizing key spaces in a building.
Other studies include stair shaft and elevator shaft pressurization, fire floor venting, natural venting of vertical shaft s and the
performance of complete smoke control systems.
The service urit has a fully equipped workshop. Gas analysis
instruments are housed in a small chemistry laboratory. An air-conditioned room is provided for a mini-computer to record and ana ly ze measurements, and for the controls and instruments for the experimental
tower. A small permanent staff will perform the more routine aspects of
instrumenting, monitoring, and controlling fire tests.
The facilities offered by both th e experimental Tower and the Burn Hall will be of interest to other agencies in Canada concerned with fire safety or research and development work that requires large-scale fire testi.
No . 13
January 1982
Alan M. Phi llip s
Manager, Fire Research Field Station Fire Research Section
Division of Building Research National Research Council of Canada
