Standardization News

ASTM International Committee D07 on Wood has approved a new standard, D7746, Practice for Calculating the Superimposed Load on Wood-Frame Floor-Ceiling Assemblies for Standard Fire Resistance Tests. D7746, which was developed by Subcommittee D07.05 on Wood Assemblies, will be used in conjunction with other fire test standards.

Standards such as E119, Test Methods for Fire Tests of Building Construction and Materials, and E1529, Test Methods for Determining Effects of Large Hydrocarbon Pool Fires on Structural Members and Assemblies, specify that throughout the fire resistance test, a constant superimposed load shall be applied to a load-bearing test specimen to simulate a maximum load condition.

"There are various ways to interpret the intent of the loading requirements in E119," says Bradford Douglas, America Wood Council's vice president of engineering, and a D07 member. "Combined with the design provisions in the National Design Specification for Wood Construction (ANSI/AWC NDS-2012), testing agencies have developed varying test configurations for similar wood-frame floor/ceiling assemblies, thus providing a wide range of results."

Douglas says that the purpose of D7746 is to provide a means of conducting a standard fire resistance test for evaluating these floor/ceiling assemblies. D7746 will be used primarily by manufacturers who are seeking fire resistance tests and agencies that conduct such tests.

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CONTACT Technical Information: Bradford K. Douglas, P.E., American Wood Council • Leesburg, Va. • Phone: 202-463-2770 | ASTM Staff: Kevin Shanahan • Phone: 610-832-9737 | Upcoming Meeting: Oct. 9-11 • Madison, Wis.