Baled clothing?

[Dinnertime Dave]

Friday problem

Using BS9999 Table 3 Page 26 (fire growth rates) it mentions baled clothing. My question is - What is the definition of baled clothing?

I understand the problems associated with clothing on hangers having a faster fire growth rate. But I have clothing in boxes and on pallets. My initial thoughts are around the availability of air. If pushed I would plump for A2 
This make a difference on travel distances in a warehouse it complies if it is a A2 but not if A3

[nearlythere]

What is the travel distance you are concerned about?

[Phoenix]

Remember that we are interested here in the fire growth rate in the relatively early stages of a fire. Once the fire is well established we would hope that everyone is safely out of the building.  So what's significant for early fire growth rates?  Well, baled clothing (indicated as fast fire growth rate in 9999) is likely to have the capacity for fairly rapid fire growth across its faces (at the edge of the stack or within chimney type spaces between bales) so the 'fast' or '3' classification seems justified.  If the clothing in your building is presented differently, all neatly tucked away in cardboard boxes for example, then you might consider that it does not present quite the same potential for rapid fire spread in the early stages as described above.  Consequently you might deem it to be a '2' or 'medium' growth rate.  I would recommend you have a good look at the place in its normal operating mode and make a judgement on the potential for rapid fire growth during those early stages when people are still evacuating the building.

Stu

[John Webb]

The vertical surfaces of stacked cardboard boxes will also encourage rapid spread, particularly where they are stacked with small gaps between adjacent stacks, as I witnessed on numerous tests at Fire Research, but if there are sprinklers suitably sited the cardboard boxes will be extinguished rather faster than baled clothes.

(I don't have a copy of BS 9999, so I don't know how this classifies cardboard boxes.)

[Phoenix]

Very true, John.  Of course, if there are sprinklers 9999 will bring it from a 3 to a 2, whatever the mode of storage (provided the storage is in line with the appropriate "ST" classification for the designated hazard classification within the LPC Rules).

Stu

[Dinnertime Dave]

thanks for the replies

nearlythere - travel distances in aisles is 70m

stu - I can have a good look when its occupied but having to make a judgement on the word of an AI is a little more difficult. But i trust everything i am being told