ASTM E84-11a, Standard Test Method for Surface Burning Characteristics of Building Materials, has just been released on the heels of the E84-11 update. This is a situation that occasionally occurs with the ASTM standards. It’s due to the fact that each modification of an ASTM standard results in a new revision being released.
The ASTM E84-11 was approved on 6/15/2011. It had a number of corrections — The addition of paragraph 6.9, the addition of figure 6 and the corresponding renumbering of the following figures, and the removal of paragraph X1.6 in Annex X1 with the corresponding renumbering of the following paragraphs as well.
However, shortly after the approval, two subsequent corrections were found, resulting in the acceptance of revision E84-11a on 7/1/2011. These two additional fixes are the correction of the title of the reference to ASTM E2688 and the addition of a reference to ASTM E2690.
This fire-test-response standard for the comparative surface burning behavior of building materials is applicable to exposed surfaces such as walls and ceilings. The test is conducted with the specimen in the ceiling position with the surface to be evaluated exposed face down to the ignition source. The material, product, or assembly shall be capable of being mounted in the test position during the test. Thus, the specimen shall either be self-supporting by its own structural quality, held in place by added supports along the test surface, or secured from the back side.
The purpose of this test method is to determine the relative burning behavior of the material by observing the flame spread along the specimen. Flame spread and smoke developed index are reported. However, there is not necessarily a relationship between these two measurements.
This standard is used to measure and describe the response of materials, products, or assemblies to heat and flame under controlled conditions, but does not by itself incorporate all factors required for fire-hazard or fire-risk assessment of the materials, products, or assemblies under actual fire conditions.
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