U.S. flag
        An official website of the United States government
          Here’s how you know
        Here’s how you know**Official websites use .gov**
              
              A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
        **Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
              
              A **lock** (  A locked padlock
) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. https://www.nist.gov/el/fcd/structure-separation-experiments-shed-burns-without-wind
  Search NIST
    Search
              Menu

      


Close
    Topics
        All Topics
                                                        Advanced communications
                                                        Artificial intelligence
                                                        Bioscience
                                                        Buildings and construction
                                                        Chemistry
                                                        Climate
                                                        Cybersecurity
                                                        Electronics
                                                        EnergyEnvironment
                                                        Fire
                                                        Forensic science
                                                        Health
                                                        Information technology
                                                        Infrastructure
                                                        Manufacturing
                                                        Materials
                                                        Mathematics and statisticsMetrology
                                                        Nanotechnology
                                                        Neutron research
                                                        Performance excellence
                                                        Physics
                                                        Public safety
                                                        Resilience
                                                        Standards
                                                        Transportation
            Publications
            Labs & Major Programs
        Laboratories
                                Communications Technology Laboratory
                                  Engineering Laboratory
                                  Information Technology Laboratory
                                  Material Measurement Laboratory
                                  Physical Measurement LaboratoryUser Facilities
                                NIST Center for Neutron Research
                                  CNST NanoFab
                                                        Research Test Beds
                                                        Research Projects
                                                        Tools & InstrumentsMajor Programs
                                Baldrige Performance Excellence Program
                                  CHIPS for America Initiative
                                  Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP)
                                  Office of Advanced Manufacturing
                                  Special Programs Office
                                  Technology Partnerships Office
            Services & Resources
        Standards and Measurements
                                Calibration Services
                                  Laboratory Accreditation (NVLAP)
                                  Quality System
                                  Standard Reference Materials (SRMs)
                                  Standards.gov
                                  Time Services
                                  Office of Weights and MeasuresSoftware
                                                        Data
                                Chemistry WebBook
                                  National Vulnerability Database
                                  Physical Reference Data
                                  Standard Reference Data (SRD)
                                                        Storefront
                                                        License & PatentsComputer Security Resource Center (CSRC)
                                                        NIST Research Library
            News & Events
        News
                                                        Events
                                                        Blogs
                                                        Feature Stories
                                                        AwardsVideo Gallery
                                                        Image Gallery
                                                        Media Contacts
            About NIST
        About Us
                                Leadership
                                  Organization Structure
                                  Budget & Planning
                                                        Contact Us
                                                        Visit
                                                        Careers
                                Student programsWork with NIST
                                                        History
                                NIST Digital Archives
                                  NIST Museum
                                  NIST and the Nobel
                                                        Educational Resources
 
 Engineering Laboratory /                  Fire Research Division
      National Fire Research Laboratory

    
    Breadcrumb
        Fire Calorimetry Database (FCD)Structure Separation Experiments Phase 1

            Research Overview
                                These experiments were conducted during the first phase of project designed to assess structure-to-structure fire spread for structures in the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI). The experiments focused on quantifying thermal exposures from auxiliary structures, e.g., sheds. The effects of shed sizes, construction materials, fuel loading, and separation distance on the ignition of primary structures (residential dwellings) with no wind have been studied and reported. Preliminary structure separation experiments using natural gas burners and an instrumented target structure were conducted to optimize instrumentation and experimental design for shed burn experiments. Full-scale fire experiments were conducted in which various sizes and types of sheds were used to generate typical radiative and convective heat exposures. In addition, indoor shed burn experiments with a target structure were conducted to assess target performance against exposures from varying sheds (construction, size, fuel loading) and separation distances. All experiments were performed without an artificially generated wind field. The exposures quantified in this study demonstrate that any auxiliary structures made from combustible materials can pose a significant fire hazard when placed next to the primary structure. For non-combustible source structures, the shed orientation with respect to the primary structure and the size of the door opening are critical factors. The findings from this study can provide technical input for national, state, and local building codes to alleviate fire spread from auxiliary structures within WUI communities.


                  Maranghides A., Nazare S., Link E., et al.  Structure Separation Experiments: Shed Burns without Wind. NIST Technical Note 2235, Sep 2022
  https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.TN.2235
                                        Maranghides A., Nazare S., Link E., et al.  Structure Separation Experiments Phase 1 Preliminary Test Plan. NIST Technical Note 2161, May 2021
  https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.TN.2161
  

      

      Experiment Name
                            Plot of Heat Release Rate
                                                  Ignition Photo
                                                  Date/Time
                                                  SpecimenSort descending
                                                  Fuel Type
                            Test Duration (min)
                            Total Heat Released (MJ)
                            Peak HRR (kW)SSEgasBurner0
                            Plot of Fire Heat Release Rate with event markers. Uncertainty bar shown at peak value.
                                                                                        Ignition
                                                                                        01/28/2021 9:44:26 AM EST
                                                                                        box burner
                                                                                        Natural Gas
                            21.00
                            311
                            418SSEgasBurner1
                            Plot of Fire Heat Release Rate with event markers. Uncertainty bar shown at peak value.
                                                                                        Ignition
                                                                                        01/29/2021 4:26:50 AM EST
                                                                                        box burner
                                                                                        Natural Gas
                            30.90
                            742
                            713SSEgasBurner2
                            Plot of Fire Heat Release Rate with event markers. Uncertainty bar shown at peak value.
                                                                                        Ignition
                                                                                        01/29/2021 6:46:22 AM EST
                                                                                        box burner
                                                                                        Natural Gas
                            31.20
                            712
                            630SSEgasBurner3
                            Plot of Fire Heat Release Rate with event markers. Uncertainty bar shown at peak value.
                                                                                        Ignition
                                                                                        02/03/2021 4:53:06 AM EST
                                                                                        box burner
                                                                                        Natural Gas
                            41.12
                            1,268
                            1,0191B-PVSh0
                            Plot of Fire Heat Release Rate with event markers. Uncertainty bar shown at peak value.
                                                                                        Ignition
                                                                                        04/21/2021 5:58:09 AM EDT
                                                                                        HDPE Shed Wood Cribs
                                                                                        HDPE and Cellulose
                            71.30
                            4,197
                            6,024HeptanePan3
                            Plot of Fire Heat Release Rate with event markers. Uncertainty bar shown at peak value.
                                                                                        Ignition
                                                                                        09/15/2021 11:18:18 AM EDT
                                                                                        Pool Burner
                                                                                        Heptane
                            4.63
                            9.15
                            50.4HeptanePoolConfirmationBurn
                            Plot of Fire Heat Release Rate with event markers. Uncertainty bar shown at peak value.
                                                                                        pouring fuel into pans
                                                                                        07/28/2021 7:08:56 AM EDT
                                                                                        Pool Burner
                                                                                        Heptane
                            3.90
                            362
                            2,487HeptanePan1
                            Plot of Fire Heat Release Rate with event markers. Uncertainty bar shown at peak value.
                                                                                        Ignition
                                                                                        09/15/2021 10:52:14 AM EDT
                                                                                        Pool Burner
                                                                                        Heptane
                            4.72
                            9.00
                            51.3HeptanePan2
                            Plot of Fire Heat Release Rate with event markers. Uncertainty bar shown at peak value.
                                                                                        Ignition
                                                                                        09/15/2021 11:05:30 AM EDT
                                                                                        Pool Burner
                                                                                        Heptane
                            4.43
                            9.43
                            59.71B-PCl0
                            Plot of Fire Heat Release Rate with event markers. Uncertainty bar shown at peak value.
                                                                                        Ignition
                                                                                        04/23/2021 5:37:27 AM EDT
                                                                                        PP Shed Wood Cribs
                                                                                        Polypropylene and Cellulose
                            48.33
                            1,542
                            3,2201B-SVSh0
                            Plot of Fire Heat Release Rate with event markers. Uncertainty bar shown at peak value.
                                                                                        Ignition
                                                                                        04/22/2021 5:12:45 AM EDT
                                                                                        Steel Shed Wood Cribs
                                                                                        Cellulose
                            66.02
                            1,997
                            2,2161B-SCl0
                            Plot of Fire Heat Release Rate with event markers. Uncertainty bar shown at peak value.
                                                                                        Ignition
                                                                                        04/22/2021 9:34:44 AM EDT
                                                                                        Steel Shed Wood Cribs
                                                                                        Cellulose
                            42.90
                            684
                            9151B-SCl0-0
                            Plot of Fire Heat Release Rate with event markers. Uncertainty bar shown at peak value.
                                                                                        Ignition
                                                                                        05/13/2021 6:04:12 AM EDT
                                                                                        Steel Shed Wood Cribs
                                                                                        Cellulose
                            23.00
                            601
                            8961B-SCh0-0
                            Plot of Fire Heat Release Rate with event markers. Uncertainty bar shown at peak value.
                                                                                        Ignition
                                                                                        05/13/2021 9:14:30 AM EDT
                                                                                        Steel Shed Wood Cribs
                                                                                        Cellulose
                            32.10
                            1,170
                            1,4041B-SVSh0-5
                            Plot of Fire Heat Release Rate with event markers. Uncertainty bar shown at peak value.
                                                                                        Ignition
                                                                                        06/01/2021 5:38:40 AM EDT
                                                                                        Steel Shed Wood Cribs
                                                                                        Cellulose
                            16.08
                            780
                            2,7111B-SVSh0-5_R1
                            Plot of Fire Heat Release Rate with event markers. Uncertainty bar shown at peak value.
                                                                                        Ignition
                                                                                        06/16/2021 5:23:19 AM EDT
                                                                                        Steel Shed Wood Cribs
                                                                                        Cellulose
                            15.52
                            956
                            3,123GasBurner_Flow50kgs_8MW
                            Plot of Fire Heat Release Rate with event markers. Uncertainty bar shown at peak value.
                                                                                        Ignition
                                                                                        04/08/2021 9:51:17 AM EDT
                                                                                        Tube Burner
                                                                                        Natural Gas
                            11.25
                            965
                            3,050GasBurner_Flow25kgs_4MW
                            Plot of Fire Heat Release Rate with event markers. Uncertainty bar shown at peak value.
                                                                                        Ignition
                                                                                        04/08/2021 11:11:37 AM EDT
                                                                                        Tube Burner
                                                                                        Natural Gas
                            24.08
                            2,048
                            4,4401B-WC00-0
                            Plot of Fire Heat Release Rate with event markers. Uncertainty bar shown at peak value.
                                                                                        Ignition
                                                                                        07/13/2021 6:36:38 AM EDT
                                                                                        Wood Shed
                                                                                        Cellulose
                            28.08
                            772
                            2,7841B-WCh0
                            Plot of Fire Heat Release Rate with event markers. Uncertainty bar shown at peak value.
                                                                                        Ignition
                                                                                        04/14/2021 6:43:35 AM EDT
                                                                                        Wood Shed Wood Cribs
                                                                                        Cellulose
                            68.60
                            2,110
                            4,1711B-WCh0-R1
                            Plot of Fire Heat Release Rate with event markers. Uncertainty bar shown at peak value.
                                                                                        Ignition
                                                                                        04/20/2021 5:25:26 AM EDT
                                                                                        Wood Shed Wood Cribs
                                                                                        Cellulose
                            67.58
                            2,064
                            3,9331B-WCh0-R2
                            Plot of Fire Heat Release Rate with event markers. Uncertainty bar shown at peak value.
                                                                                        Ignition
                                                                                        04/20/2021 8:54:22 AM EDT
                                                                                        Wood Shed Wood Cribs
                                                                                        Cellulose
                            67.97
                            2,094
                            3,8741B-WVSh0
                            Plot of Fire Heat Release Rate with event markers. Uncertainty bar shown at peak value.
                                                                                        Ignition
                                                                                        04/21/2021 9:27:09 AM EDT
                                                                                        Wood Shed Wood Cribs
                                                                                        Cellulose
                            64.95
                            3,178
                            4,7591B-WCl0
                            Plot of Fire Heat Release Rate with event markers. Uncertainty bar shown at peak value.
                                                                                        Ignition
                                                                                        04/22/2021 7:15:04 AM EDT
                                                                                        Wood Shed Wood Cribs
                                                                                        Cellulose
                            40.07
                            1,456
                            4,0111B-WCl0-0
                            Plot of Fire Heat Release Rate with event markers. Uncertainty bar shown at peak value.
                                                                                        Ignition
                                                                                        05/06/2021 5:39:00 AM EDT
                                                                                        Wood Shed Wood Cribs
                                                                                        Cellulose
                            12.48
                            688
                            3,381

      Bryant, R. and Bundy, M. The NIST 20 MW Calorimetry Measurement System for Large-Fire Research, Technical Note (NIST TN) 2077, 2019https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.TN.2077
        NIST Fire Calorimetry Database (FCD)https://doi.org/10.18434/mds2-2314

      Last Updated September 22, 2022
 HEADQUARTERS
            100 Bureau Drive
              Gaithersburg, MD 20899301-975-2000
            Webmaster | Contact Us | Our Other Offices
        Twitter
            
Facebook
            
LinkedIn
            
Instagram
            
YouTube
            
Giphy
            
RSS Feed
            
Mailing List
                              How are we doing? Feedback

  
  Site Privacy
                      Accessibility
                      Privacy Program
                      Copyrights
                      Vulnerability Disclosure
                      No Fear Act Policy
                      FOIA
                      Environmental Policy
                      Scientific Integrity
                      Information Quality Standards
                      Commerce.gov
                      Science.gov
                      USA.gov
                      Vote.gov