Conclusion

The wide variety of methods presented shows that there is no universal way of determining the fire behavior of a material or product. It is always a combination of several parameters determined more or less independently. This gives rise to a large number of standardized methods for studying mock-ups that are at least partially representative of certain aspects of the final conditions of use. Thus, there remains an important step between the laboratory test and the assessment of the difference between the test conditions and the final conditions, both in terms of the assembly of the element studied and the fire scenario to which it is subjected.

Test methods are now designed according to the safety objectives to be achieved, totally independent of materials or product design. Future developments in methods will continue to focus on getting closer to the intrinsic...