Page 46 - UL_Report On_Part 1

37 IITGN-UL/Façade
Timeline of events:
Event 1: Time 18:32:00: (-5 min)
Data recording is initiated on the DAQ and all thermocouples begin to show ambient temperature of the compartment.
Event 2: Time 18:37:00: (0 min): Ignition
Wooden crib placed outside compartment 1 in proximity to façade assembly is ignited. Temperature profile inside the compartment at all floor levels is still
at ambient conditions. Fire has not propagated inside the ground floor compartment.
Event 3: Time: 18:39:12: (2.2 min)
Flames from wooden crib begin to penetrate inside the ground floor compartment through the ventilation opening and raise the temperature at roof
levels. No items within the compartment has caught fire. There is an increment in recorded temperatures by thermocouples 22, 23 and 30 (refer Figure 19)
whereas temperature at other locations is still near ambient levels.
Event 4: Time: 18:39:45: (2.75 min)
Curtains on the ground floor catch fire and smoke begins to penetrate within the compartment. Temperature recorded by thermocouple 22 placed at roof
level near flame location has reached around 200°C whereas at the far end of the façade, temperature is around 98°C. Thermocouple 23 shows a
temperature of around 150°C. This shows that fire propagated through roof from the ventilation end to the partition wall.
Temperatures at first and second floor levels are still around ambient levels, whereas smoke obscuration is more severe at the first floor level than the
ground floor. Mild smoke obscuration was observed at second floor level.
Event 5: Time: 18:40:02: (3.03 min)
Fire intensity has increased at ground floor level. Halogen lights installed at ground floor level are burnt. Smoke obscuration has also increased at ground
floor level since the past event. Temperature at TC locations 22, 23 and 30 are about 310°C, 210°C and 130°C respectively. Thermocouples T4 and T3 of tree also
show increase in the temperature to values 175°C and 80°C respectively.
Temperatures at first and second floor level are at ambient conditions but smoke obscuration has increased at both floor levels.
38 IITGN-UL/Façade
Event 6: Time: 18:40:08: (3.13 min)
Lights are burnt at first and second floor level simultaneously maintaining temperature profile in the compartment at both levels at ambient conditions.
Fire begins to spread from right corner of the façade to left through curtains thereby increasing maximum temperature near façade to around 400°C.
Event 7: Time: 18:40:20: (3.33 min)
Flames develop fully across the curtains increasing the temperature near the façade. Thermocouple placed near steel beam beneath cement board is still
showing a temperature of 19°C, whereas TC 22, 23 and 30 at roof levels are around 550°C, 200°C and 300°C. This is an indication that use of cement board as
fire protection measure is functional as it helps in inhibiting the increase in temperature near structural member.
Similar observation can be derived from first floor level thermocouple data where TC near steel beam is around 19°C while other thermocouples at roof
levels are around 33°C. Second floor level has no significant increase in temperature since the past event.
Event 8: Time: 18:40:30: (3.5 min)
ACP at ground floor is not yet ablaze. Cotton curtains are engulfed in flames. Temperatures at base level have started to increase and reach around 40°C.
Thermocouples T1, T2, T3 and T4 show temperatures of 50°C, 80°C, 160°C, and 270°C respectively, thereby indicating the temperature profile across the
height of the room which is maximum at the roof level. Temperatures at first and second floor level has not changed significantly since the past event.
Event 9: Time: 18:40:40: (3.67 min)
Wooden crib placed inside the compartment catches fire. Room is completely filled with smoke. Glass panel below the ventilation opening has fallen due
to distortion of the aluminium cladding frame and failure of binder of glass to the frame. Cushions placed on waiting table near curtains have also caught
fire. Roof TC’s 22, 23 and 30 show temperature around 675°C, 400°C and 250°C respectively. Temperature at base level is around 50°C.
Event 10: Time: 18:41:35: (4.58 min)
Entire ground floor level is under fire. Maximum roof temperature at ground floor is about 685°C. Temperature near steel beam beneath cement board is
around 25°C.
(The fire was initiated inside the compartment and was allowed to grow naturally, break the façade of ground floor, and propagate to the higher floors
through the so-called leap-frog effect.) Fire has propagated to the first floor level through curtains which have caught fire now. Temperatures at TC 57 near
glass façade at roof level is around 150°C while at other end of the façade i.e., TC 56 is around 110°C. Temperature near steel beam at first floor roof level
beneath cement board is around 18°C which indicates the effectiveness of cement board in preventing rise in temperature.
Temperatures at second floor level are still around ambient levels. Smoke obscuration has increased at this level.