Fire issues in engineered wood composites for naval waterfront facilities

摘要

Engineered wood materials, also known as wood-plastic composites (WPCs), are being investigated by the U.S. Navy for waterfront construction applications primarily because of their superior durability characteristics compared to wood. Durability, however, reaches beyond structural integrity and biodeterioration effects. Fire performance requirements are also critical issues in the acceptance of new combustible construction materials. To address fire performance issues in waterfront construction test methods and protocols were investigated. The objectives of this study were to determine Navy requirements for waterfront component fire resistance, to identify or develop test protocol requirements, and to initiate small sample fire testing based on those requirements. Currently the Navy's criteria documents defer to NFPA 307, Construction and Fire Protection of Marine Terminals, Piers and Wharves, where component cross-sectional area is a determining factor. Because WPCs allow for hollow cross sections, these criteria will need to be modified. Standard test methods and modifications thereof were assessed for their relevance and potential application to WPCs. In particular, one test method (ASTM E108) was adapted and evaluated for wood-plastic composites, and found to provide good differentiation between various material types. ASTM D1929 was conducted to address building code acceptance criteria. Finally, it was suggested that a modified version of ASTM E119 could be used for further evaluation.