ASTM E2579

Solid board, lumber and timber products (including solid boards, lumber, timber, fingerjoined lumber, glulam, laminate wood, laminated veneer lumber and parallel strand lumber products); panel products (including fibreboard, hardboard, oriented strandboard, waferboard and plywood panel products); decorative wood products and shingles and shakes used as interior wall and ceiling finish are often evaluated with Test Method E 84 to comply with code requirements. This practice describes specimen preparation and mounting procedures for such materials and systems.

If it can be demonstrated that none of the methods described in this practice are applicable to a particular product, other mounting methods shall be permitted to be used. This information shall be included in the report.

The limitations for this procedure are those associated with Test Method E 84.

1. Scope

1.1 This practice describes procedures for specimen preparation and mounting when testing wood products to assess flames spread and smoke development as surface burning characteristics using Test Method E 84.

1.2 Testing is conducted with Test Method E 84.

1.3 This practice does not provide pass/fail criteria that can be used as a regulatory tool.

1.4 Use the values stated in inch-pound units as the standard, in referee decisions. The values in the SI system of units are given in parentheses, for information only; see IEEE/ASTM SI-10 for further details.

1.5 This fire standard cannot be used to provide quantitative measures.

1.6 Fire testing of products and materials is inherently hazardous, and adequate safeguards for personnel and property shall be employed in conducting these tests. Fire testing involves hazardous materials and equipment. This standard gives instructions on specimen preparation and mounting, but the fire-test-response method is given in Test Method E 84. See also Section 10.

1.7 The text of this standard references notes and footnotes which provide explanatory materials. These notes and footnotes shall not be considered requirements of the standard.

1.8 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

2. Referenced Documents

C1396/C1396M Specification for Gypsum Board
D1038 Terminology Relating to Veneer and Plywood
D1554 Terminology Relating to Wood-Base Fiber and Particle Panel Materials
D9 Terminology Relating to Wood and Wood-Based Products
E176 Terminology of Fire Standards
E84 Test Method for Surface Burning Characteristics of Building Materials
IEEE/ASTMSI-10 International System of Units (SI): The Modern Metric System
CSA O121 Douglas Fir Plywood
HP-1 Interim Voluntary Standard for Hardwood and Decorative Plywood
Voluntary Product Standard PS 1-95 Construction and Industrial Plywood

Index Terms

fibreboard; fingerjoined lumber; fire; fire test; flame spread; glulam; hardboard; laminate wood; laminated veneer lumber; lumber; oriented strandboard; parallel strand lumber; plywood; shingles and shakes; smoke developed; solid boards; Steiner tunnel; timber; waferboard; wood products; ICS Number Code 13.220.40; 79.080

Citing ASTM Standards

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