Rainscreen cladding systems are a popular building façade due to their ability to protect the building from extreme weather conditions. These systems generally have horizontal and vertical gaps between panels, allowing for thermal dilatation. In these kinds of façades, air may flow through the gaps into the space behind the façade, allowing for thermal, ventilation, and moisture control advantages. However, scarce knowledge is available about the fire behavior of these façade systems, and the effect of these gaps. The project aimed to characterize the fraction of the fire plume which may flow through gaps under external fire attack. Through temperature, velocity, and heat flux measurements in a gap assembly, the characterization of the plume fraction flowing through the gap is provided.

• This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.

Creator

• Levy, Camille S.
• Meehan, Sarah Katherine
• Kerrigan, Brendan Mark
• Harbold, Jared Clayton

Publisher

• Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Identifier

• E-project-050114-110736

Advisor

• Berardi, Umberto
• Dembsey, Nicholas A.

Year

• 2014

Sponsor

• Kresyler & Associates

Date created

• 2014-05-01

Resource type

• Major Qualifying Project

Major

• Mechanical Engineering
• Civil Engineering

Rights statement

• In Copyright