Impact of Cornice Installation Orientation and Material on Flame Spread and Compartment Temperature

Fire safety in architectural design is a critical global issue that affects all individuals. Passive fire protection strategies are designed to impede the spread of fires in structures. This study conducted experiments to evaluate the fire behavior of polyurethane foam and pine wood cornices positioned at various installation orientations. The influence of these orientations on fire behavior was analyzed, given the importance of fire-resistant materials for passive fire protection. Typical installation orientations include sidewall-vertical, sidewall-horizontal, corner-vertical, corner-horizontal, center-vertical, and center-horizontal. Small-scale compartment lap tests were performed on the specified cornices. Flame propagation was assessed using thermographic techniques, and images were captured using a digital camera. The compartment temperature was measured using 15 calibrated K-type thermocouples arranged in three layers at different heights. The results indicate that polyurethane foam and pine wood cornices placed in the corner-vertical orientation exhibited the most rapid flame spread and the highest compartment temperature compared with other orientations. It was determined that the corner-vertical position posed the greatest fire hazard, as the heat release rate in this position was 129.3% higher than in the center horizontal position for pine wood cornices and 309 % higher than in the center-horizontal position for polyurethane foam cornices.