Research technical reports

Put science on your side to become resilient in a world that isn't short on surprises.

With FM, you recruit a team of scientists, engineers and technicians from 14 countries, holding 50 advanced degrees. You give your company access to research that can't be replicated anywhere but the Research Campus. Within its state-of-the-art labs, scientists simulate hazards like 5-alarm fires or category-5 hurricanes, so you'll better understand their potential effects on your company's facilities.

Since you need to look at property loss from every angle, we go outside the lab, too. A blend of theoretical, computational and experimental methods address tomorrow's risk challenges. Our over a hundred  years of experience with businesses in nearly every sector allows us to ground theory in reality. And our collaborations with universities, organizations and industry groups allow us to give you unlimited expertise from which to draw.

Research and testing informs our risk management solutions and data sheets, and it helps set the high standards used to certify products as FM APPROVED.    

• Large-Scale Testing of Oxygen Reduction Systems for ASRS and Frozen Food Applications
This report describes large-scale testing to assess the Limiting Oxygen Concentration for Fire Propagation (LOCFP) in Automatic Storage and Retrieval Systems (ASRS) and frozen food storage applications.
• Gravity Smoke Vents in Storage Occupancies
  This report describes the research work on the interaction between gravity smoke vents and ceiling-level automatic sprinklers through numerical modeling and large-scale fire tests.
• Reducing Water Demands with Innovative Fire Protection Solutions
  This report describes research of emerging technologies that could be used as alternatives to traditional sprinklers, specifically Simultaneous Monitoring, Assessment and Response Technology (SMART) sprinklers and Automatic Water Cannons (AWCs), aiming at water demand reduction for fire protection. 
• Sprinkler Performance under Sloped and Obstructed Ceilings
  This report describes large-scale fire testing results quantifying the effect of ceiling slope and its construction features (e.g., purlins and girders) on sprinkler performance under sloped ceilings.
• Evaluation of Sprinkler Fire Protection of Retail Sales of Consumer Fireworks
  This report describes the results of large-scale fire testing to assess the fire hazard associated with retail sales of consumer fireworks in the U.S. and determine the appropriate sprinkler protection design.
• Development of Sprinkler Protection Guidance for Lithium Ion Based Energy Storage Systems
  The research presented in this report describes Phase 2 of a multi-phase project conducted in conjunction with the Property Insurance Research Group (PIRG) and in partnership with the Fire Protection Research Foundation (FPRF).
• Sprinkler Performance under Non-Sloped Obstructed Ceiling Construction
  This report describes numerical modeling and large-scale fire testing results quantifying the effect of ceiling construction features (e.g., purlins and girders) on sprinkler performance under non-sloped ceilings.
• Fire Plume and Ceiling Layer Correlations and Their Merging
  This report presents a re-evaluation of the correlations used to describe the evolution of gas temperatures and velocities in fire plumes and ceiling layers.
• Evaluation of Oxygen Reduction System (ORS) in Large-Scale Fire Tests
  This report highlights findings stemming from the first large-scale fire tests of this new fire protection technology.
• Evaluation of the Fire Performance of Aluminum Cladding Material (ACM) Assemblies Using ANSI/FM 4880
  This report contains the findings from FM's in-depth examination of exterior wall systems made of metal composite materials (MCMs) or aluminum composite materials (ACMs) using 16-foot-high parallel panels as outlined in the test protocol for the ANSI/FM 4880 standard.
• Numerical Simulations of Sprinkler Activations and Spray Transport under Obstructed, Sloped Ceilings
  Numerical modeling was conducted to understand protection challenges associated with obstructed, sloped ceilings in warehouses. The results quantify the effect of ceiling slope and its construction features (e.g. purlins and girders) on sprinkler activation and water flux distribution as well as the effect of sprinkler installation orientation.
• Radiation Activated Sprinklers
  This report describes the development of a radiation-activated sprinkler design by FM. Little scientific data has existed on this topic since conventional sprinklers are not designed to activate when exposed to just thermal radiation.
• Development of Protection Recommendations for Li-ion Battery Bulk Storage: Sprinklered Fire Test
  This research technical report contains definitive, empirically conclusive information on how to cost-effectively manage this increasingly prevalent storage risk.
• Evaluation of the Availability of the SMART Sprinkler System
  This report on SMART (Simultaneous Monitoring, Assessment and Response Technology) sprinklers provides an early glimpse into their reliability and cost-effectiveness. It complements information from actual fire testing already documented in two previously issued research technical reports.
• SMART Sprinkler Protection for Highly Challenging Fires - Phase 1: System Design and Function Evaluation
  Fire detection, sprinkler activation and preliminary suppression tests conducted show that the SMART (Simultaneous Monitoring, Assessment and Response Technology) sprinkler approach tested meets protection and water requirement design objectives.
• SMART Sprinkler Protection for Highly Challenging Fires - Phase 2: Full-Scale Fire Tests in Rack Storage
  Full-scale fire tests conducted show that SMART (Simultaneous Monitoring, Assessment and Response Technology) sprinklers are effective against cartoned unexpanded plastic (CUP) commodities in rack storage and lay the groundwork for evaluating SMART sprinklers against highly challenging fires (HCFs).
• Numerical Modeling of Sprinkler Activations and Spray Transport Under sloped Ceilings
  Numerical modeling was conducted to understand protection challenges associated with sloped ceilings in warehouses. The results quantify the effect of ceiling slope on sprinkler activation and water flux distribution as well as the effect of sprinkler installation orientation.
• Experimental Data for Model Validation of Smoke Transport in Data Centers
  The research yielded the first comprehensive experimental data set for validating computational models of smoke transport in data centers. The findings quantify the dependency of smoke detection in data centers on several factors including: type of fire source and location, smoke-detector location, airflow pattern and air-exchange rates.
  
  View video: Experimental Data for Model Validation of Smoke Transport in Data Centers.
• Corrosion and Corrosion Mitigation in Fire Protection Systems
  Research analyzes corrosion in fire protection systems (FPS), and recommends corrosion mitigation strategies. Recommendations include orienting pipe weld seam upward as well as methods to fill the dry pipe or preaction systems with an on-site nitrogen generator, vent trapped air in wet pipe systems, and improve water chemistry, along with potential applications of biocide and corrosion inhibitors.
• Flammability Characterization of Lithium-ion Batteries in Bulk Storage Research Technical Report
  The unique approach to commodity hazard assessment used in this study allowed for the development of sprinkler protection recommendations for warehouse storage of Lithium-ion batteries and devices containing Li-ion batteries.
  
  
  View videos: Fire Hazard of Lithium-ion Batteries in Warehouse Storage.
• Fire Protection Requirements of Empty IBCs Research Technical Report
  Findings from this study identify large orifice, quick response (QR) sprinklers as protection solutions for palletized and rack storage of Intermediate Bulk Containers (IBCs) with plastic, wood and metal pallets.
• Impact of an HVLS Fan on Sprinkler Performance in Rack Storage Fires Research Technical Report
  Results contained in this report indicate that automatic shut down of high volume low speed fans is required to maintain acceptable performance of ceiling level sprinkler protection for the suite of rack storage fires tested.
• Environmental Impact of Residential Fires (2021 Update)
  Environmental Impact of Automatic Fire Sprinklers Research Technical Report (2010)
  Methodology and results contained in this report show that in all occupancies, from residential dwellings, to office buildings, to high hazard facilities, the lack of proper risk management and effective fire protection, e.g., automatic fire sprinklers, statistically increases carbon emissions over the lifecycle of the occupancy.
• The Influence of Risk Factors on Sustainable Development
  Methodology and results contained in this report illustrate that life-cycle emissions associated with fire and natural hazards can be reduced to minimal levels through the use of automatic fire sprinkler systems and cost-effective, robust design and construction practices.