National Institute of Building Sciences

New methods that have been developed since 1983 to examine acute combustion toxicity include the University of Pittsburgh II radiant furnace method, a radiant furnace smoke toxicity protocol developed by NIST and SwRI, and the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) toxic hazard test method. All three use radiant heat to decompose materials. 

National Fire Protection Association National Institute of Building Sciences nanometer... 

Several tests are under development. The cone calorimeter is a heat-release calorimeter using oxygen depletion as a measurement technique. The LIFTS (lateral ignition and flame spread test) apparatus is similar to the radiant panel, but turned on its side. The NIBS toxicity test is under development by the National Institute of Building Sciences. Several tests are aimed specifically at plastics in aircraft passenger compartments. These are described in ASTM E906. 

HAZUS. 1999. Earthquake Loss Estimation Methodology. Technical Manual, Federal Emergency Management Agency and National Institute of Buildings Sciences, Washington, D.C., USA. 

FEMA-National Institute of Building Sciences. HAZUS-MH MRl. 2003. Multi-hazard Loss Estimation Methodology Earthquake Model. Washington, DC. 

There are seemingly endless programs to better understand fire tests and continually develop more realistic fire tests. Ohio State University has one with specific heat limits. The NIST has a cone calorimeter for heat release that is more sophisticated than the OSU one. And the National Institute of Building Science has an evolutionary version of the NIST smoke and toxicity test [361]. 

NIBS (2003) HAZUS MR4 technical manual. National institute of Building Sciences, Washington, DC... 

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