Fire Safety Requirements for Interior Wall and Ceiling Finish in US Codes

摘要

The key US fire test for interior wall and ceiling finish is the "25 ft" Steiner tunnel test, now ASTM E84 and UL 723 (formerly known also as NFPA 255), developed by A. J. Steiner at Underwriters Laboratories, Inc. (UL). The test method was adopted by ASTM as a tentative standard in 1950 and as an official standard in 1958 (as ASTM E 84). Since then, the standard has been revised periodically (often more than once a year), up to 2011 date editions at present. UL adopted the Steiner tunnel test as UL 723 soon after its development within the organization and it has been updated regularly, with the latest revisions being dated September 2008. NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) adopted the test method tentatively in 1953, officially in 1958 (as NFPA 255) and withdrew it in 2009 as it had not kept up with changes in the other standards. In fact, however, the default interior wall and ceiling finish test in US codes is now the NFPA 286 room-corner test.