A Preliminary Report on Fire Protection Research Program Fire Barriers and Fire Retardant Coatings Tests (NUREG/CR-0381, SAND78-1456)

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Publication Information

Manuscript Completed: August 1978
Date Published:
September 1978

Prepared by:
Leo J. Klamerus
Sandia Laboratories
Albuquerque, NM 87185
Operated by Sandia Corporation for the U.S. Department of Energy

Prepared for:
Division of Reactor Safety Research
Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Washington, DC 20555-0001

Under Interagency Agreement DOE 40-550-75

NRC FIN A1010

Availability Notice

Abstract

An exposure fire test at Sandia Laboratories showed that the Regulatory Guide 1.75 separation guidelines and IEEE-383 fire retardancy standards for safety cables are not sufficient, in themselves, to protect against such fires. Additional measures have been required by NRC to protect essential safety systems against the effects of fires. Two of these measures are fire barriers or fire-retardant coatings on cabling. This report describes the second phase of a small scale and full scale testing program which has been undertaken to assess the adequacy of coatings. In addition, full scale tests are described using exposure fires to appraise the adequacy of some fire barriers placed between horizontal cable trays. The preliminary results show that all coatings and barriers offer some measure of additional protection. Their relative effectiveness is demonstrated by quantitative information obtained in the donor and donee cable trays. An evaluation of other protective measures will be undertaken in future studies.

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