TY - JOUR A1 - Schilling, Markus A1 - Marschall, Niklas A1 - Niebergall, Ute A1 - Wachtendorf, Volker A1 - Böhning, Martin T1 - Unveiling Effects of Biodiesel and Diesel on Environmental Stress Cracking of PE-HD N2 - The behavior of high‐density polyethylene with respect to resistance against environmental stress cracking (ESC) is usually regarded as an inherent material property being specific for respective types of PE‐HD and tested using standardized methods, conditions, and also standard testing liquids (usually aqueous surfactant solutions). On the other hand, for practical applications the ESC behavior of those polymeric materials, commonly used for pipes or containers, in contact with other liquids (e.g., fuels) is often of relevant interest, but for a reasonable assessment, where consistent benchmark data for a direct comparison are often missing, it is essential to determine the actually prevailing failure mode and classify it related to crack propagation or other mechanisms. Using the well‐established Full Notch Creep Test, which favorably allows for a detailed microscopic fracture surface analysis after failure, the behavior of two typical PE‐HD types for container applications is investigated in biodiesel and diesel and compared to a standard surfactant solution. This enables a clear identification of characteristic features of the interaction of biodiesel and diesel as sorptive fuels in contact with the polymer, revealing the complex interplay of sorption and plasticization as well as ESC inducing effects on PE‐HD, which could be clearly shown for both fuels. KW - Biodiesel KW - Confocal laser scanning microscopy (LSM) KW - Diesel KW - Full notch creep test (FNCT) KW - Plasticization PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-650525 DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/pen.70239 SN - 0032-3888 SP - 1 EP - 16 PB - Wiley CY - Hoboken (NJ) AN - OPUS4-65052 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Dudziak, Mateusz A1 - Dural, Esra A1 - Dey, R. A1 - Ullrich, M. S. A1 - Huth, Christian A1 - Thomson, C. A1 - Schartel, Bernhard T1 - Together We Can: Synergistic Flame Retardancy by Melamine Polyphosphate and Phosphorylated Microalgae in Polylactide Biocomposites N2 - A strategy for enhancing the sustainable flame retardancy of polylactide (PLA) composites by partially replacing melamine polyphosphate (MPP), a commercial flame retardant proposed for PLA, with wastewater polyphosphate-enriched microalgae (P-Algae) has been explored. The incorporation of P-Algae at a 1:1 ratio with MPP leads to a notable synergistic effect, surpassing the expected additive behavior of the individual components. Comprehensive characterization encompassing thermogravimetric analysis coupled with FTIR, pyrolysis combustion flow calorimeter (PCFC), cone calorimeter, oxygen index (LOI), UL-94 tests, and rheological measurements—demonstrates that the presence of this biomaterial can significantly enhance flame retardant performance. Replacing 50% of MPP with P-Algae in PLA resulted in a 17% reduction in peak heat release rate (pHRR) and maintained a V-0 rating in UL-94 testing. The use of P-Algae does not compromise the flame retardancy of PLA but rather contributes positively, offering a promising path toward more sustainable flame-retardant systems. By leveraging naturally derived biomass, this approach aligns with the growing demand for novel eco-friendly technologies in polymer engineering. Insights into an innovative renewable additive as a functional and effective component in flame-retardant biocomposites have been achieved. KW - Flame retardancy KW - Melamine polyphosphate KW - Phosphorus- enriched microalgae KW - Polylactide PLA KW - Synergism PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-640539 DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/pat.70350 SN - 1099-1581 SN - 1042-7147 VL - 36 IS - 9 SP - e70350 PB - John Wiley & Sons Ltd. AN - OPUS4-64053 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Klippel, A. A1 - Hofmann-Böllinghaus, Anja A1 - Piechnik, K. A1 - Gnutzmann, Tanja T1 - Development of toxicity assessment method for bus interior materials N2 - In recent years, fire safety requirements for bus interior materials have been increased and introduced into international regulations. Fire safety requirements for the burning rate, melting and dripping behaviour of interior materials already exist for many years. However, it remains unclear to what extent the release of smoke, combustion products and their toxicity should be limited. Therefore, a research and development project 82.0723 funded by BASt (Federal Highway Research Institute) was initiated to develop a simplified procedure for testing the toxicity and smoke development in case of fire of interior materials used in buses. The scope of the research included calculations to assess the toxicity of fire gases and the derivation of specifications for the formation of practicable limit values for smoke toxicity. Further investigations are needed to derive these limit values for smoke toxicity in order to be applicable for real fire scenarios in buses. T2 - Conference Fire in Vehicles FIVE CY - Stavanger, Norway DA - 24.04.2023 KW - Bus materials PY - 2023 SP - 80 EP - 90 AN - OPUS4-57627 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Manes, M. A1 - El Houssami, M. A1 - Campbell, R. A1 - Sauca, A. A1 - Rush, D. A1 - Hofmann-Böllinghaus, Anja A1 - Andersson, P. A1 - Wagner, P. A1 - Veeneklaas, J. A1 - van Hees, P. A1 - Guillaume, E. T1 - Closing Data Gaps and Paving the Way for Pan-European Fire Safety Efforts: Part I—Overview of Current Practices for Fire Statistics N2 - The analysis of the current state of fire statistics and data collection in Europe and other countries is needed to increase awareness of how fire incidents affect buildings and to support pan-European fire prevention and fire mitigation measures. The terminology and data collected regarding fire incidents in buildings in the EU Member States were mapped to obtain meaningful datasets to determine common terminology, collection methodology, and data interpretation system. An extensive literature review showed that fire data collection systems have been instrumental in informing firefighting strategies, evidence-based planning, prevention, and educational programmes. Differences and similarities between fire data collection systems were also investigated. The amount and quality of the information in fire statistical recording systems appear to be influenced by the complexity and structure with which the data are collected. The analysis also examined the existing fire statistics in the EU Member States and a few other countries. Finally, a detailed investigation of the number of fires, fire deaths, and injuries from 2009 to 2018 in several countries was examined based on data from a report by CTIF. The trends showed differences attributable to the existing fire statistical practices in terms of terminology and data collection, and interpretation. Part II proposes a common terminology for selected fire statistical variables. The results provide relevant information regarding fire safety at the European level and should be used to guide the development of more uniform fire statistics across Europe. KW - Fire statistics KW - European project PY - 2023 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-575711 DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/s10694-023-01415-6 SN - 1572-8099 SP - 1 EP - 44 PB - Springer CY - Heidelberg AN - OPUS4-57571 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - El Houssami, M. A1 - Försth, M. A1 - Fredriksson, H. A1 - Drean, V. A1 - Guillaume, E. A1 - Hofmann-Böllinghaus, Anja A1 - Sandinge, A. T1 - Fire safety of interior materials of buses N2 - This study provides an analysis on the fire safety of passengers and the fire protection of coaches and buses. A brief review of major bus fire incidents, an overview of current regulations in Europe, and their limitations are presented. The study finds that the current small-scale fire test methods described in UN ECE Reg No. 118 need to be replaced by test methods that can assess the reaction to fire of materials when exposed to ignition sources of varying sizes. To address these shortcomings, the study proposed an expert recommendation to update the material fire safety requirements and testing for buses. Additional measures are proposed, derived from objectives and strategies applied in other transport sectors, and can be tested through existing European and international standards, which are widely used by several industries. These measures aim to extend the time with tenable conditions for a safe evacuation in case of fire, reduce the degree of damage to buses, reduce the risk for fast and excessive thermal exposure on modern energy carriers needed for a more sustainable transport sector. KW - Fire KW - Bus interior materials KW - Rregulations PY - 2023 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-575700 DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/fam.3134 SN - 1099-1018 SP - 1 EP - 15 PB - Wiley CY - London AN - OPUS4-57570 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Piechnik, Kira A1 - Heydick, Lukas A1 - Hofmann-Böllinghaus, Anja A1 - Klippel, Andrea T1 - Comprehensive laboratory study on smoke gases during the thermal oxidative decomposition of forest and vegetation fuels N2 - AbstractThis study investigates the composition of smoke gases in forest and vegetation samples to draw conclusions about the actual smoke gas composition during wildfires. The focus is particularly on regions with extensive pine forests, like in Eastern Germany. The relevance of smoke gases is well illustrated by the example of wildfires in Québec, influencing air quality in New York, in 2023. By employing a modified DIN tube furnace, a bench‐scale test set‐up, the research emphasizes the examination of smoke composition from tree species and ground cover, prioritizing gases while disregarding particles. Key smoke gases are identified as CO, CO2, SO2, HCN, C3H4O (acrolein) and CH2O (formaldehyde) and their concentrations are compared with Acute Exposure Guideline Levels (AEGL) limits. Acknowledging the limitations of AEGL usage and the problem with direct quantitative comparison of toxicant concentrations (cf. ISO 29903‐1:2020), the study highlights variations in smoke composition across different samples. The results of the studies reveal a significant disparity in CO concentration between dry and fresh pine needles. Frequently, the AEGLs of key gases are exceeded significantly. The elemental analysis of the barks indicates distinct differences in composition, reflecting in the concentrations of smoke gases. The ratio of 1 mole of substance turnover to the identified key components will be used to determine input parameters for the subsequent numerical simulation. KW - Forest KW - Wildfire KW - Ignition PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-617744 DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/fam.3253 SP - 1 EP - 12 PB - Wiley online library AN - OPUS4-61774 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Wu, Hongyi A1 - Buhk, Frederik A1 - Christiani, Ricardo A1 - Hofmann-Böllinghaus, Anja T1 - Influence of local vegetation on ignition and fire spread of vegetation fires-Experimental and numerical approach N2 - Within the framework of the European TREEADS project, Brandenburg and Saxony-Anhalt were designated as model regions. This designation facilitated the investigation of vegetation types, soil structure, and soil dryness. Brandenburg and Saxony-Anhalt are identified as the driest regions in Germany according to the annual mean soil moisture data. In these regions, 48% to 73% of the forests are composed of pine species. The soil profile is characterized by a relatively thin organic layer, measuring between 0.2 and 0.3 meters, underlain by sandy substrates. Consequently, surface and ground fires are more prevalent in these areas compared to other types of fires, such as crown fires. To investigate the influence of local vegetation, it goes through two aspects. One is laboratory study, the local vegetation samples were collected and tested for the thermal properties, such as activation energy, heat content and reaction kinetic of pyrolysis and dehydration. At the same time, small and medium scale combustion experiments were conducted to investigate the burning behavior. The other aspect is using the thermal properties as the input parameters for the development of numerical simulation in the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) tool. These models were then be validated with the combustion experiments, as a baseline for the further scaling up of the models, in order to investigate how the parameters influencing the fire spread in a large-scale case numerically. T2 - Interflam 2025, 16th International Fire Science and Engineering Conference CY - London, United Kingdom DA - 30.06.2025 KW - Wildfire PY - 2025 SP - 2221 EP - 2225 PB - Interscience CY - London AN - OPUS4-63932 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - GEN A1 - Müller, Simon T1 - FireSpread_MedEU N2 - Wildfires are becoming more frequent and severe under the influence of climate change, posing increasing risks to ecosystems, human health, and infrastructure. Accurate spatiotemporal data on wildfire propagation is essential for advancing fire behavior modeling, improving management strategies, and mitigating future impacts. However, existing datasets with both high spatial and temporal resolution are rare, costly, and time-consuming to produce. To address this gap, we present FireSpread_MedEU, a dataset comprising 313 consecutive burned area maps from 102 wildfire events across the Mediterranean and Europe between 2017 and 2023. Burned areas were derived from high-resolution Planet optical satellite imagery (~3 m spatial, mostly daily temporal resolution) using a semi-automated workflow, followed by manual refinement to ensure highest accuracy. Each dataset entry is enriched with detailed metadata and a subjective quality assessment. With its high level of spatiotemporal precision, FireSpread_MedEU provides essential data for the development and validation of machine learning models or wildfire simulation models. It opens new research opportunities in wildfire behavior analysis, risk assessment, and predictive modeling. KW - Wildfire KW - Spread KW - Machine Learning PY - 2025 DO - https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.16813435 PB - Zenodo CY - Geneva AN - OPUS4-64768 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Festag, Sebastian A1 - Esser, Jonas A1 - Maiworm, Björn A1 - Hofmann-Böllinghaus, Anja T1 - Herausforderungen des modernen Holzbaus: Erste statistische Erkenntnisse aus realen Gebäudebränden in Holzbauweise N2 - Hinsichtlich des Brandschutzes zeigt der durch die Bundesregierung geförderte Holzbau Herausforderungen gegenüber Massivbauweisen. Diese spiegeln sich in Erfahrungen von Feuerwehren wider, aber nun auch in statistischen Untersuchungen der Brandschadenstatistik der Vereinigung zur Förderung des deutschen Brandschutzes sowie der Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Leiterinnen und Leiter der Berufsfeuerwehren (AGBF) und des Deutschen Feuerwehrverbands (DFV). Im Zeitraum von 2013 bis 2017 wurden in der vfdb-Brandschadenstatistik Daten zu 5016 Alarmierungen bei Gebäudebränden in Deutschland systematisch mit einem einheitlichen Erfassungsbogen erfasst und seit 2016 „bemerkenswerte Brandeinsätze“ durch einen Evaluierungsbogen zu Maßnahmen des vorbeugenden Brand- und Gefahrenschutzes von AGBF/DFV. Grundlage des vorliegenden Beitrags sind die Auswertung und der Vergleich beider statistischer Datensätze hinsichtlich der Brände in Gebäuden in Holzbauweise. Es zeigt sich, dass der Holzbau mit brandschutztechnischen Herausforderungen verbunden ist. KW - Brandschutz KW - Brandstatistik PY - 2025 DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/bate.202400078 SN - 1437-0999 VL - 2025 IS - 102 SP - 1 EP - 8 PB - Wiley AN - OPUS4-63000 LA - deu AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Klippel, A. A1 - Hofmann-Böllinghaus, Anja A1 - Gnutzmann, Tanja A1 - Piechnik, K. T1 - Reaction-to-fire testing of bus interior materials: Assessing burning behaviour and smoke gas toxicity N2 - Although fire safety regulations for buses have been adapted in recent years regarding, for example, fire detection and engine fire suppression systems, the changes in regulations for bus interior materials are minimal. A comparison of fire safety regulations for interior materials in other transport sectors for trains, ships or aircraft reveals a much lower level of requirements for bus materials. Although repeated bus accidents as well as fire statistics show the danger a bus fire can pose to passengers. In particular, the combination of a fire incident and passengers with reduced mobility led to severe disasters in Germany and other European countries. To enhance the fire safety for passengers, the interior bus materials are crucial as the fire development in the bus cabin determines whether escape and rescue is possible. Against this background, bus interior materials were tested in different fire test scenarios. Measurement of a wide variety of parameters, for example, the mass loss, ignition time, smoke gas composition, heat release rate among others were carried out. Tested materials complied to the newest set of requirements. For this purpose, interior materials and their components had to be identified according to their chemical structure. Parts of the tests were funded by BASt (Federal Highway Research Institute) in the project 82.0723/2018. Experimental results show reaction-to-fire behaviour which lead to very limited times for escape and rescue in case of fire in a bus cabin. Based on the studies on fire behaviour and toxicity assessment, recommendations for improved fire safety regulations for interior materials could be made. KW - Burning behaviour KW - Bus interior materials KW - Cone calorimeter KW - DIN tube furnace KW - FTIR spectroscopy KW - Reference values KW - Smoke toxicity PY - 2023 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-576085 DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/fam.3108 SN - 1099-1018 VL - 47 IS - 5 SP - 665 EP - 680 PB - Wiley CY - New York, NY AN - OPUS4-57608 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Anderson, Johan A1 - Chiva, Roman A1 - Dumont, Fabien A1 - Lalu, Octavian A1 - Hofmann-Böllinghaus, Anja T1 - Assessment of fire performance of facades in a round robin using the European approach N2 - In recent years, an experimental round robin of full-scale façade tests was conducted using the proposed new European approach for assessing the fire performance of façades. The initial results were used to develop a calibration scheme and to propose assessment criteria aligned with appropriate safety levels. During the project, a need emerged to evaluate the stability of the fire source and the Consistency of heat exposure. This paper addresses these concerns by comparing the mass loss rates across a series of tests and analysing averaged temperature readings at various locations on the façade. The findings indicate that the method demonstrates high stability in terms of mass loss rates and provides consistent and appropriate heat exposure. T2 - Interflam 2025, 16th International Fire Science and Engineering Conference CY - London, UK DA - 30.06.2025 KW - Facade systems KW - Testing PY - 2025 VL - 2025 SP - 562 EP - 572 PB - Interscience CY - London AN - OPUS4-63998 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Anderson, J. A1 - Boström, L. A1 - Chiva, R. A1 - Guillaume, E. A1 - Colwell, S. A1 - Hofmann-Böllinghaus, Anja A1 - Toth, P. T1 - European approach to assess the fire performance of façades N2 - Several attempts have been made in the past to develop a European harmonized testing and assessment method for façades before the European commission decided to publish a call for tender on the topic. A project consortium from five countries (Sweden, UK, France, Germany and Hungary) applied to the call for tender and was contracted to develop a European approach to assess the fire performance of façades. 24 sub-contractors and 14 stakeholder entities were part of the project. The objective of the European project was to address a request from the Standing Committee of Construction (SCC) to provide EC Member States regulators with a means to regulate the fire performance of façade systems based on a European Approach agreed by SCC. The initial stages of this Project were focused on establishing a Register of the regulatory requirements in all Member States in relation to the fire Performance of façade systems, and to identify those Member States who have regulatory requirements for the fire performance façade systems which go beyond the current EN 13501 (reaction to fire and fire resistance) classification systems and to collate the details of these additional requirements. After having confirmed the regulatory needs a testing and classification methodology based on BS 8414 and DIN 4102-20 was developed to address the identified key performance and classification characteristics. This paper is a short overview of results the two-year development work, which Final Report published by the European Commission in 2018. KW - Facade KW - Regulation KW - Testing PY - 2021 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-530501 DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/fam.2878 SN - 1099-1018 VL - 45(5) IS - Special issue: Facade fire safety SP - 598 EP - 608 PB - Wiley CY - Oxford AN - OPUS4-53050 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Hofmann-Böllinghaus, Anja A1 - Klippel, Andrea T1 - Vehicle Fires: Significant Fire Hazard in Transportation Infrastructure N2 - Vehicle fires in transportation infrastructure such as depots, car parks, tunnels and stations are a recurring phenomenon, with recent years witnessing an alarming number of severe incidents, particularly in vehicle depots. These fires often result in the total loss of both vehicles and buildings, with striking similarities in their progression. Analysis of recent fire events, including a study conducted for the German insurer Provinzial, shows that fires in bus depots, military facilities and car parks tend to spread rapidly and destructively. While building regulations vary across sectors and countries, the fire safety standards for interior materials in road vehicles remain globally harmonized and are based on outdated regulations such as FMVSS 302, which offer only a minimal level of protection. In contrast, materials used in trains, ships, and aircrafts must comply with significantly stricter fire safety standards, which may explain the relatively lower incidence of fires in these sectors. Common fire protection systems in depots, such as sprinklers and vents, often fail to account for the specific characteristics of automotive vehicles, including their watertight design and the rapid development of hot gas layers that accelerate fire spread. Insurance companies have begun to acknowledge these challenges. Given the high flammability, heat release and smoke toxicity of materials commonly used in vehicles, combined with the growing share of combustible plastics over the past decades, this paper argues for a paradigm shift. Instead of relying solely on inhancing building protection, introducing significantly stricter fire safety requirements for vehicle materials could offer a more effective and sustainable approach to safeguarding transportation infrastructure. Ongoing experimental investigations are being conducted to evaluate the reaction to fire behavior of various bus interior materials. These studies focus on the emission of toxic gases during combustion, with particular attention to substances exceeding critical AEGL thresholds. Materials such as polyurethane foams and hard plastics have shown significant variation in their smoke gas profiles, highlighting potential health and safety risks in fire scenarios. The research aims to support the development of safer material choices and regulatory measures. Upon completion of tests with additional materials, all findings will be published to ensure transparent and comprehensive reporting. T2 - Interflam 2025, 16th International Fire Science and Engineering Conference CY - London, United Kingdom DA - 30.06.2025 KW - Vehicle fires KW - Transportation PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-63922 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Geoerg, Paul A1 - Schumann, Jette A1 - Holl, Stefan A1 - Holl, Maik A1 - Hofmann-Böllinghaus, Anja T1 - The influence of individual impairments in crowd dynamics N2 - The importance of empirical relations to quantify the movement of pedestrians through a facility has increased during the last decades since performance-based design methods became more common. Bottlenecks are of special interest because of their importance for egress routes and as they result in a reduced capacity. The empirical relations as the density-dependent movement speed or flow rate were derived by studies under laboratory conditions, which were usually conducted with populations of homogeneous characteristics forbetter control of influencing variables. If individual characteristics of a crowd become more heterogeneous, individuals were forced to adapt their individual movement and control individual manoeuvring. These unintended interactions lead to a different shape of the fundamental empirical relations. Here, we present results from a movement study under well-controlled boundary conditions in which participants with and without different characteristics of disabilities participated. To consider the effect of different heterogeneities on the capacity of a facility, fundamental diagrams are generated using the Voronoi method. If participants with visible disabilities (such as using assistive devices) are part of a crowd, significant differences relating to the shape of the empirical Relations and the capacities are found. This indicates that the heterogeneity of a Population leads to an increased interpersonal interaction which results in influenced movement characteristics. KW - Engineering egress data KW - Heterogeneity KW - Human behaviour KW - Movement characteristics KW - Pedestrian dynamics PY - 2020 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-508943 DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/fam.2789 SN - 0308-0501 VL - 45 IS - 4 SP - 529 EP - 542 PB - Wiley Online Libary CY - New Jersey, USA AN - OPUS4-50894 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Piechnik, Kira A1 - Hofmann-Böllinghaus, Anja A1 - Klippel, Andrea T1 - Self‐ignition of forest soil samples demonstrated through hot storage tests N2 - AbstractThe increasing threat of forest fires on a global scale is not only a matter of concern due to the potential harm they may cause to both human and animal life but also due to their significant role in exacerbating climate change. In light of these circumstances, one might inquire as to whether forest soil can self‐ignite and, if so, under what conditions and at what temperatures this phenomenon may occur. This question is being addressed in the German pilot “Fire science of wildfires and safety measures” of the EU project TREEADS, and the first results are presented below. The importance of basic research into the self‐ignition of forest soil cannot be underestimated, as it provides crucial knowledge to prevent forest fires and protect human and animal health. Furthermore, mitigating the occurrence of forest fires can also play a role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to global efforts to combat climate change. The procedure of the hot storage test is an effective means of determining whether a material can self‐ignite. During the investigation of six soil samples, it was found that five of them were indeed capable of self‐ignition. In addition to determining whether the material ignites, the modified hot storage test also analyzed the resulting smoke gases and measured their concentration. The research question of whether regional forest soil is capable of self‐ignition can be answered with yes based on these initial tests. Further experiments are needed to determine if self‐ignition causes forest fires. KW - FTIR KW - Hot storage KW - Ignition KW - Soil KW - Wildfire PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-594617 DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/fam.3198 SN - 1099-1018 VL - 48 IS - 4 SP - 495 EP - 507 PB - Wiley CY - New York, NY AN - OPUS4-59461 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Nandish, Ranjith A1 - Knaust, Christian A1 - Hofmann-Böllinghaus, Anja A1 - Gnutzmann, Tanja A1 - Zehfuß, Jochen T1 - Simulation of wood pyrolysis with component-based mechanism N2 - This paper presents a comprehensive fire simulation study that models the pyrolysis process of beech wood using kinetic parameters with the Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS). The kinetic methodology is based on the application of these kinetic parameters to govern the underlying pyrolysis reactions. The primary objective was to numerically model the pyrolysis process for beech wood using both single-component (single-step, single reaction scheme) and multi-component (single-step, multi-reaction scheme) kinetic reaction schemes. The accuracy of the numerical model was validated by comparing FDS simulation results with experimental data obtained from thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and cone calorimeter tests. This approach aids in identifying reliable kinetic reaction input parameters for modelling wood fires. A case study was included to demonstrate the implementation of the kinetic reaction schemes. Numerical results from the TGA simulations for the small-scale pure cellulose test using the single-component approach exhibit consistency with the experimental data. Furthermore, the results demonstrated that the multi-component approach more accurately replicates the shape of the experimental curve for beech wood compared to the single-component approach. However, discrepancies in the tail regions of the curves obtained from the FDS simulations showed the need for further improvement in the modelling approach, particularly regarding the exclusion of char oxidation reactions, which needs to be investigated further. KW - Simulation KW - Wood PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-639272 DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00231-025-03571-7 SN - 0947-7411 VL - 61 IS - 6 SP - 1 EP - 14 PB - Springer Science and Business Media LLC AN - OPUS4-63927 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hofmann-Böllinghaus, Anja A1 - Klippel, Andrea A1 - Gnutzmann, Tanja A1 - Kaudelka, Sven A1 - Rabe, Frederik T1 - Influence of modern plastic furniture on the fire development in fires in homes: large-scale fire tests in living rooms N2 - About 80% of all fire fatalities in Germany occur because of fires in homes. It has been known for some time that modern materials (synonym for materials consisting mostly of synthetic polymers) tend to burn differently from older materials (synonym for materials consisting mostly of fibrous cellulosic substances) and it has been acknowledged that the amount of combustible plastics in homes has increased significantly over the last decades. To investigate the influence of modern furniture and ventilation conditions of fires in homes, a series of four large-scale tests in two Living rooms (LRs) with adjacent rooms (ARs) was performed by BAM and the Frankfurt fire service. Two LRs, one with older furniture and one with modern furniture, were tested twice each. Each test started with the ignition of a paper cushion on an upholstered chair. The influence of modern materials on the fire development was investigated, as well as the influence of the ventilation on the fire development. In all settings, an upholstered chair was the first burning item. Results of the test series show that fires in rooms with modern furniture develop faster than fires in rooms with older furniture. This is true for temperature development in the rooms as well as for smoke production. KW - Room fire KW - Furniture KW - Modern KW - Gas analysis KW - Smoke PY - 2021 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-527568 DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/fam.2934 VL - 45 IS - 1 SP - 155 EP - 166 PB - Wiley CY - London AN - OPUS4-52756 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Manes, M. A1 - Sauca, A. A1 - El Houssami, M. A1 - Andersson, P. A1 - McIntyre, C. A1 - Campbell, R. A1 - Rush, D. A1 - Hofmann-Böllinghaus, Anja A1 - Wagner, P. A1 - Leene, M. A1 - Oberhagemann, D. A1 - Jomaas, G. A1 - Grone, F. A1 - Guillaume, E. T1 - Closing Data Gaps and Paving the Way for Pan-European Fire Safety Efforts: Part II—Terminology of Fire Statistical Variables N2 - A well-defined terminology of fire-related variables is important for correct analyses and supporting knowledge-based decisions regarding the evaluation of building fires at the European level. After developing an overview of current practices for fire statistics in Part I, the terminology used and the data collected by the EU Member States and eight other countries regarding fire incidents, property damage and human losses were mapped to increase awareness of their practice and support a comprehensive assessment of several fire statistical datasets. A questionnaire was distributed to relevant authorities responsible for the collection, elaboration/analysis, and fire statistical data publications to define and select the essential variables for an appropriate fire assessment and fire incident description. Based on the results of the questionnaire able to identify the essential fire statistical variables and a detailed analysis of current definitions adopted in the fire statistics of the EU Member States and other countries, a common terminology is proposed to collect the necessary data in the EU Member States and obtain meaningful datasets based on standardised terms and definitions. The results will generate essential outputs to move towards harmonised fire statistics at the EU level and contribute to an appropriate analysis able to improve fire prevention and fire mitigation in building fires. KW - Fire statistics PY - 2023 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-575725 DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/s10694-023-01408-5 SN - 1572-8099 SP - 1 EP - 32 PB - Springer CY - Heidelberg AN - OPUS4-57572 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Hofmann-Böllinghaus, Anja ED - Vogdt, F. U. T1 - Brandschutz N2 - Grundlagen des vorbeugenden baulichen Brandschutzes KW - Brandprüfungen KW - Bauvorschriften PY - 2022 SN - 978-3-8348-2189-8 SP - 199 EP - 220 PB - Springer ET - 1 AN - OPUS4-54317 LA - deu AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR ED - Hofmann-Böllinghaus, Anja ED - Anderson, J. T1 - Special issue: Facade fire safety N2 - Façade fires are of growing concern worldwide. Severe facade fires in different parts of the world as well as activities in many countries regarding the testing of facades show the urgency of the fire safety challenges in façade fires. The need for knowledge and a wide Archive of work in this area has become evident after recent incidents which involved extensive facade fires. These include the tragic fires in Dubai and Grenfell Tower in 2017 in the United Kingdom. In many cases, the widespread live news coverage of the events and size of These fires has emphasized the need for progress in the understanding of the processes involved in these fires and put pressure upon the fire safety engineering community to find effective solutions. KW - Testing KW - Safety PY - 2021 UR - https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/10991018/2021/45/5 SN - 0308–0501 SN - 1099-1018 VL - 45 IS - 5 SP - 583 EP - 696 PB - Wiley CY - Oxford AN - OPUS4-53102 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -