STANDARDS AND TESTING
The effort to develop standards for fire resistance ratings brought together the National Bureau of Standards (now the National Institute of Standards and Technology), Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL), the National Fire Protection Association, and capital stock and mutual insurance interests. Tests were conducted during 1917 and 19IB, and the standard that exists today is substantially in the same form as it was when developed.
Materials are classified according to their fire resistance (a more accurate term is fire endurance) capabilities under procedures set forth in a standard designated in various ways by different organizations. A committee keeps the texts conformed. The standards are NFPA Standard 251, Standard Methods of l ire Tests of Building Construction and Materials Underwriters Laboratories Inc. ANSI (American National Standards Institute)/UL 263; and the American Society for Testing and Materials El 19 (the test generally is known as ASTM El 19).
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