ABSTRACT
Fire testing was originally established to provide a method to classify the re resistance, ¡ame spread, or other characteristic of an assembly or material. Typical data provided were limited to pass/fail, a rating, or an arbitrary classication. Fire protection engineering has developed to allow the numerical analysis of re safety issues, and re testing has evolved to address the need for information. In the last 20 years, standardized testing has evolved from test methods that provide limited insight to actual re performance to test methods that provide direct input for performancebased design applications.
