V APTE , formerly CSIRO, Australia

The editor and the authors are pleased to present this book on flammability testing of materials and products used in the construction, transportation and mining sectors. A vast array of flammability tests exists for different materials and products for a variety of end uses. However, it is not the intent of this book to present encyclopaedic information on all flammability tests available internationally.

The objective of the book is to reflect current thinking and trends on flammability testing and allied topics, with applications in construction, transportation and mining industries. The book gives an overview of the subject under discussion, and the readers are encouraged to obtain details from the references cited at the end of each chapter. With this viewpoint, the book is designed as a collection of papers written by international experts in fire science and engineering. The book would serve as a good source of information for those who wish to know what flammability is, and what test methods are used to assess the flammability of materials and products for various applications.

Current generation flammability tests, which are the outcomes of the latest advances in fire research are summarised. Traditional ad-hoc tests, still practised in many industries are also discussed. Compliance criteria for some applications are presented wherever available and possible.

The current trend in fire research is to minimise the use of ad-hoc flammability tests, and instead, use tests which measure 'fundamental' flammability properties, such as heat release rate,...