The cone calorimeter used for predictions of the full-scale burning behaviour of upholstered furniture

In the EC‐sponsored CBUF (Combustion Behaviour of Upholstered Furniture) study three different models were developed for using Cone Calorimeter results to predict full‐scale furniture burning. Model I is a correlation‐based approach and has the most comprehensive coverage of styles and furniture types. Model II is based on area‐convolution. It has been developed, so far, for several of the common upholstered furniture styles. Model III is based on an extension of a thermal flame spread model and is here developed only for mattresses. Models II and III offer the prediction of the burning item's time history, while Model I computes the peak HRR, the time to peak, and several other primary characteristics. The predictability of all three models is good. At present, the models presented do not consider furniture with plastic frames, and only a limited predictability is offered for office‐type furnitures items which contain a hard‐plastic shell. The models offer a very significant improvement over the existing state of the art.