User-friendly decision support software that implements the method is under development. Application of this economic analysis will give users the information necessary to choose the most cost-effective material among competing alternative construction materials. Through the efforts of U.S. and Canadian researchers, building designers and operators may soon be able to address indoor air quality issues in much the same manner as they would approach structural loads or energy consumption. The jointly-developed indoor air quality model can analyze ventilation and air quality in existing buildings. Smoke inhalation is the leading killer in fires.
Carbon monoxide is the principal toxicant in smoke.
The ability to predict carbon monoxide yields is crucial for improving life safety and for clarifying appropriate fire safety tests for commercial products. FSD researchers have identified mechanisms that produce the dangerous high post-flashover carbon monoxide yields. Their research to date has shown that the vast majority of fires that attain flashover generate dangerous levels of carbon monoxide, independent of what is burning. This observation has led to the conclusion that to keep carbon monoxide yields low, efforts must be focused on preventing flashover. Small-scale fire tests of combustible materials and products commonly have been required to assess the production of toxic combustion gases during fires.