TABLE OF CONTENTS Several methods are available for predicting temperatures and duration of fire exposure in a compartment. These methods are presented in an arbitrary order.
The Eurocode 1, Part 2.2. [6] provides three "standard" fire curves and a parametric fire exposure. The standard fire curves include the ISO 834 curve, an external fire curve, and a hydrocarbon fire curve; these standard curves are not addressed further in this guide. The parametric fire exposure in the Euro-code was originally developed by Wickstrom. [25] Wickstrom stated [25] that this method assumes that the fire is ventilation controlled and all fuel burns within the compartment.
Wickstrom modified an approximation of the ISO 834 standard fire curve by altering the time scale based on the ventilation characteristics and enclosure thermal properties. The modified time scale compares the enclosure of interest to Magnusson and Thelandersson's "type A" enclosure with an opening factor of 0.04 m 12. Wickstrom found that the resulting curve approximated the ISO 834 standard fire curve.
The Eurocode states that this parametric exposure may be used for fire compartments up to 100 m 2 only, without openings in the roof, and for a maximum compartment height of 4 m. The Eurocode does not provide any basis for these limits.
The Eurocode provides the following temperature-time curve for a natural fire (also known as a parametric curve):
Where:
| T | = Temperature ( C) |
| t* | = t? (hours) |
| t | =... |
