Sep 01, 2005

After an investigation of three years, the National Institute of Standards and Technology released a report on the fires and collapses of New York City’s World Trade Center towers following terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. The report, published on June 23, details recommendations made to organizations that develop building and fire safety codes, standards and practices for specific changes that would improve the safety of tall buildings, their occupants and first responders.

In response to the NIST report, ASTM Committee E05 on Fire Standards formed an advisory group that will: 1) review the draft report, 2) develop recommendations, and 3) propose work items for consideration by Committee E05.

Specifically, the review will identify items in the NIST report that are involved with the following:

• The development or revision of ASTM standards intended for analysis and assessment of structural fire protection and fire resistance of building assemblies.

• The development or revision of ASTM standards that deal with buildings, structures, building materials, building assemblies, interior finish, furnishings and contents.

• The development or revision of ASTM standards intended to measure and describe the response of building materials, products and assemblies to sources of heat and/or flame under controlled conditions, including fire growth rate and products of combustion, for example, smoke and toxic gas.

• The evaluation of E05 standards related to computer fire modeling and determination as to whether new standards or revisions to existing standards are needed.

• The development or revision of fire test methods for measuring fire responses and properties of materials, products and assemblies when exposed to laboratory sources of heat, or flame, or both, especially input data from computer fire modeling.

• Fire-related research relevant to E05 activities.

• Analysis of additional ASTM standards mentioned in the report, including those not under the jurisdiction of Committee E05.

The advisory group is currently working on its study of the NIST report. A presentation on the report will be made when the group meets at the Committee E05 meeting at the ASTM Committee Week in Dallas, Texas Dec. 4-7. For membership or meeting details, contact Thomas O’Toole, ASTM International (phone: 610/832-9739; totoole@astm.org).

Release #7226