Testing involved igniting a variety of mattresses and measurements of air temperature, carbon monoxide levels, oxygen depletion to determine when untenable conditions were produced.  Suitability for use in correctional facilities was assessed in relation to the fire risk.    A comprehensive report,

Fire Safety Considerations of Correctional Facilities,” is available on their web site:  URL:  http://www.mfbb.org.au . 

The report documents and explains the fire tests and includes the recommendations that were made to the Prison Fire Safety Advisory Group.

A companion video of all the tests, FIAU Prison Mattress Test Burns, has been prepared to aid readers of the technical report in understanding the results of the study.

Please request a copy, either in VHS or PAL format, from fstockton@mfbb.vic.gov.au . 

Provide your complete name, mailing address and format needed in the e-mail.

Inquiries may be addressed to Inspector Frank Stockton, Manager, Fire Investigation & Analysis Unit (fstockton@mfbb.vic.gov.au) or Mr. Luke Hopper, Project Manager, Community Safety (lhooper@mfbb.vic.gov.au) .

Tiny Vibrations Provide Warning of Collapse

In the future, devices attached to buildings may “listen” for signs of structural collapse.  Professor Ziyad Duron at Harvey Mudd College is studying the minute vibrations in burning structures for ways to provide reliable advanced warning of collapse. This research funded by NIST as part of a joint USFA-NIST research effort to look for indicators of building collapse is in its second year.  House burns conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) and the Kinston, NC Department of Fire and Rescue provided an opportunity to test sensors and develop analysis methods.  Professor Duron and his students attached micro-accelerometers to the brick facing on a single family detached house.  

The sensitive instruments are capable of measuring the vibrations of the exterior wall caused by the pulsating flames from furniture fires within the structure.  For this test, the roof was loaded with a water-filled tank to force a sharply defined collapse. Vibrations of the house taken during the test indicated that warning signs of collapse could be detected about three minutes before the tank fell through the partially burned roof.  This result is encouraging, but will it work in larger, heavier and complex buildings?  No one knows.  The researchers would like a chance to find out in other field-testing opportunities.   For further information contact: Professor Ziyad Duron, Harvey Mudd College, (1) + 909-607-3883 or e-mail ziyad_duron@hmc.edu.

Problems in home electrical wiring, like arcing and sparking, cause more than 40,000 home fires annually.  These fires claim more than 350 lives and injure 1,400 victims each year [1]  Electrical fires may be caused by a phenomenon called “arcing”.  Typical household fuses 

and circuit breakers may not respond to early arcing and sparking conditions in home wiring. By the time a fuse or circuit breaker opens a circuit to alter these conditions, a fire already may have begun. In the 1990s arc fault circuit interrupters (AFCIs) were introduced. 

The AFCI is a new electrical safety device for homes and it is expected to provide better protection from unsafe home wiring.    AFCI involves a technology that detects arcing-faults in electrical circuits that could cause fires. By recognizing characteristics unique to arcing

and functioning to de-energize or open the circuit when an arc-fault is detected, AFCIs further reduce the risk of fire beyond the scope of conventional fuses and circuit breakers.  Once the circuit is open, the arcing stops and an electrical fire is prevented. 

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