Page 4 - Open-Access-August-2019

Point of view

FIRE EnGInEERInG

REsEARCH FACILItY S. K. SIngh

CSIR-Central Building Research Institute, Roorkee, a constituent
laboratory of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research
(CSIR), is the only institute that is continuously pursuing research
and providing solutions to the problems of building materials,
health monitoring and rehabilitation of structures including
disaster mitigation, fire safety and energy efficient housing.
Since its inception in 1947, the institute has been assisting the
building construction and building material industries with its
state of the art facility and through path-breaking innovations in
fire engineering.

Fire resistance evaluation of structural, housing
elements and components.
Figure 2: Fire extinguisher lab.
4. Ignitability as per BS 476: Part 5
5. Limiting oxygen index (LOI) as per ASTM D2863
6. ISO ignitability, ISO: 5667

7. Fire propagation index BS 476: Part 6
8. Surface spread of flame classification, BS 476:Part 7
9. Specific optical density and smoke generated by materials,
ASTM E662
10. Determination of toxicity index as per NES 713

11. Flame proof material as per BS 3119
Figure 1: Fire engineering lab. 12. Test of cellular plastics and cellular rubber materials as per
Fire resistance evaluation forms a critical step in evaluating fire BS 4735
protection. To support fire performance evaluation activity, Fire 13. Heat release study of materials, ISO 5660/ASTM E1354
Research Group of CSIR-CBRI is well equipped with wide array
of sophisticated facilities. A wide range of building materials
and several products, such as fire doors, partitions, protected
steel sections, roof slabs, cabinets, strong room doors, glazing,
bulk heads and structural element under stressed condition,
are evaluated tested for non-combustibility, ignitability, limiting
oxygen index (LOI), fire propagation index, surface spread
of flame, specific optical density and smoke generated by
materials, heat release study of materials and more. Post fire
investigations and rehabilitation measures for several buildings
and structures are also supported by CSIR-CBRI, Roorkee team.

Key services provided by Fire research Group:
1. Fire resistance evaluation of building elements, safety and
security equipment:
For one hour, two hours, three hours and four hours
2. Fire performance evaluation of electrical cables as per IEC
331/IEC 332/IEEE 383
3. Non-combustibility IS:3808/BS476:Part4/ISO:1182 Figure 3: Horizontal member fire testing facilities.

6 The IndIan ConCreTe Journal | auGuST 2019