Abstract

The average intensity and frequency of wildland fires have been on the rise over the years, leading to an increase in the risk to homes located in the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI). Fire suppression is the most used method of wildland fire control, but this suppression can cause wildland fires to become more frequent and devastating. Increased development in the WUI also puts these homes at greater risk. Current methods of passive fire protection are effective, but these methods are expensive, time consuming to set up, and not fully effective. This research proposes a permanent passive fire protection system that is built into the structure. A flame- resistant material would be attached to the sheathing with the roofing and siding attached over the material. This system would allow the easily replaceable exterior components of the structure to burn, and the interior of the structure would be protected. This system protects the structural supports of the building, so the house does not collapse, and the exterior components can be replaced. To test this permanent passive fire protection system 21 small-scale specimens were constructed with five different flame-resistant materials and three different types of siding. The flame-resistant materials include structural wrap, Kaowool, ceramic fiber insulation, Pyrogel, and intumescent paint. The sidings include wood siding, vinyl siding, and hardie board. The testing took place in a burn room to simulate the conditions of a wildland fire. Post-burn charring evaluations and temperature analyses were conducted to determine which type of material and siding were most effective at protecting the small-scale models. The charring evaluation included determining the percent charring of the OSB face of the specimens, and the temperature analysis included determining the percent difference between the internal and external temperatures of the specimens. The performance, cost and installation, constructability, and replaceability of each of the materials were considered in deciding which materials were most effective. Overall, the Pyrogel outperformed the other materials, but this material is by far the most expensive. The ceramic fiber material was overall the second most effective flame-resistant material, and this material could be as effective as the Pyrogel if used in conjunction with the other materials tested. Further testing of material combinations is required to determine if different flame-resistant material combinations could be as effective as the Pyrogel material on its own. The results of this project did prove the feasibility of a permanent passive fire protection system, but further testing of large-scale specimens is required to test the effectiveness of the system in more complex circumstances.

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