The international FORUM of fire research directors: A position paper on evaluation of structural fire resistance

The International FORUM of Fire Research Directors periodically takes positions on issues dealing with the direction and implementation of fire research with the potential for significant impact on safety and/or global standards and test methods. This short communication represents the FORUM's position on structural fire resistance test methods and evaluation procedures. It is proposed that the prediction of the performance of coupled building systems to the point of impending failure in a fire be established as an overriding goal for the construction and building products industries, and that research be channeled to produce the material data bases, the new instrumentation, the expanded test facilities, and the innovative analytical methods to support the changes to standards, codes and practices that are necessary to attain this goal.