Grantee/contractor reports are prepared by non-NBS persons or organizations working under grant or contract from the National Bureau of Standards. Those contract reports not incorporated into the formal NBS publication series are available directly from the National Technical Information Service (NTIS, Springfield, VA 22161) in paper copy or microfiche form unless otherwise stated. When ordering a report from NTIS you must order it by the "COM, PB, AD, or N” number as indicated.

Patents are legal documents which fully describe inventions in return for the right for 17 years to exclude others from making, using, or selling the inventions. They are obtained on NBS inventions of high commercial potential in order to establish Government ownership of the patent rights. The patents are then made available for the grant of nonexclusive licenses to all qualified applicants. A limited exclusive license may be granted under a particular patent, however, if it appears that some period of exclusivity is necessary as an incentive for the investment of risk capital. For information on licensing any of the following patents, write to the Office of the Legal Adviser, National Bureau of Standards, Washington, DC 20234. Copies of patents may be obtained from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Washington, DC 20231 for 50 cents each.

NBS-GCR-78-127. Comparison of tape drive interface characteristics, Auerbach Associates, Inc., 75 pages (June 15, 1978). Order from NTIS as PB282291.

Key words: computer magnetic tape drives; computer tape controllers; group coded recording; interface electrical characteristics; interface functional characteristics; magnetic tape drives; NRZI recording; phase encoded recording; tape drive characteristics.

This report describes and compares the various characteristics of the interface between computer tape drives and their controllers for 9-track tape drives operating at 75 inches per second or more, using the 800 bpi NRZI, 1600 bpi Phase Encoding and 6250 bpi Group Coded Recording methods. It presents the results of an investigation conducted for the National Bureau of Standards in support of the possible development of a Federal Information Processing Standard for the device level interface. Through textual descriptions and an extensive series of tables, the various functional and interface electrical characteristics of the tape drives are compared.

It was concluded that the drives reviewed could be placed in one of two general types, those with explicitly defined signal lines and those with multiplexed signalling between drive and controller. Within each of these types there is a substantial degree of commonality among drives but also important differences. At the electrical signal and physical interface level there are also significant differences of a detailed engineering nature among the drives.

NBS-GCR-78-128. Environments of fire detectors-Phase II: Effect of ceiling configuration. Volume I. Measurements, G. Heskestad and M. A. Delichatsios, 180 pages (June 1978). Order from NTIS as PB290951.

Key words: beams; ceiling height; detectors; fire detectors; fire growth; heat detectors; room fires; smoke detectors; spacing; velocity.

This report describes Phase II of a sustained research program to map ceiling environments to which fire detectors are

exposed. Phase I, reported previously, concerned flat, horizontal ceilings of large extent. Phase II extends ceiling measurements of temperature, velocity and optical density to six different beam configurations in extensive, horizontal ceilings. As in Phase I, the response times of variously located sets of fire detectors were measured (three types of heat detectors, an ionization detector and a photoelectric smoke detector). A total of 21 fire tests were conducted. The reduced data are presented in two tables, one listing detector response times and the other listing environmental data. Analysis of the data is presented in a second volume (Volume II).

NBS-GCR-78-129. Environments of fire detectors-Phase II: Effect of ceiling_configuration. Volume II. Analysis, G. Heskestad and M. A. Delichatsios, 112 pages (June 1978). Order from NTIS as PB284042.

Key words: beams; ceiling height; detectors; fire detectors; fire growth; heat detectors; room fires; smoke detectors; spacing; velocity.

This volume contains an analysis of experimental data presented in Volume I on 1) the ceiling environment generated by flaming fires under extensive beamed ceilings and 2) the response to this environment by various types of fire detectors. Data on gas temperatures, gas velocities and optical densities have been presented in readily usable form for each of six beam configurations. These data have been converted to "reduced" forms which allow predictions to be made of the environmental variables for any combination of ceiling height and fire growth rate. The experimental response of fire detectors was generally found to conform with available response theories. With the aid of these theories and the data on the "reduced" variables, optimum spacing configurations of fire detectors have been determined as a function of ceiling height for each beam configuration. It is cautioned that the resulting spacing configurations pertain to large, unobstructed beamed ceilings and may be overly conservative in many practical situations.

NBS-GCR-78-134. Development of measurement techniques for monitoring chemical purity of materials used in digital IC processing, J. Stach, M. B. Das, and R. E. Tressler, 88 pages (Sept. 1978). Order from NTIS as PB291427.

Key words: boron nitride; Cl-doped glasses; diffusion in silicon; integrated circuit processing; kinetics of oxide growth; oxidation of silicon; semiconductor processing; silicon; silicon dioxide; thermally stimulated measurement; thermal oxidation; Zn-doped glasses.

The report is in two principal parts: I. The transport of impurities from specially prepared boron nitride diffusion sources onto silicon slices was investigated. The sources were of varying degrees of purity. No transport was detected by thermally stimulated capacitance and current measurements having an estimated detection limit of 10 cm. Zinc, one of the more probable contaminating impurities, was introduced in excess and detected down to a level of 2 x 1013 cm3.

II. The kinetics of silicon thermal oxidation in the presence of chlorine, from HCI gas or from trichloroethylene vapor, were studied using the SOLGAS computer program. Calculated data are presented to show the equilibrium partial pressures of the various chemical species in the diffusion furnace atmosphere as a function of temperature in the range 800 to

1300 °C for a variety of mixtures of gases. Experimental work was also done; parabolic rate coefficients, index of refraction, etch rate, and stored charge measurements are presented.

NBS-GCR-78-135. An exploration of non-sampling error in fire incident surveys, M. A. McDaniel, L. Bickman, P. Edelman, and E. Herz, 24 pages (Dec. 1977). Order from NTIS as PB284849.

Key words: fire departments; fire incidence; fire reporting; fire victims; human behavior; statistical sampling; surveys. Non-sampling error in fire incident surveys is a potential problem for fire and human behavior research. The present report was prepared in an effort to examine fire victims' reporting biases concerning fire incidents. The telephone numbers of household fire victims in a midwestern city, during the months of September 1975 through August 1976, were obtained from the fire department. Also a sample of telephone numbers in the same area was randomly generated. All eligible and cooperative respondents were asked a series of questions concerning whether they experienced a fire during the target interval and, if they had a fire, they were questioned about it. Approximately one-half of the respondents who, according to fire department records, had had a fire failed to report it to the interviewer. Results indicated that respondents who had more serious fires, reported the incident to the interviewer significantly more often than respondents who had less serious fires. Also fires which occurred later in the 12 month reference period (i.e., closer to the time of the interview) were more often reported to the interviewer than those which occurred earlier in the reference period. Several analyses indicated that, in most cases, the fire reporters' responses agreed with fire department records concerning the characteristics of the fire incident; however, total agreement was seldom found. In addition, it was found that fire reporters tend to be similar to fire-nonreporters in terms of demographic characteristics and most survey responses although some statistically significant differences were obtained.

NBS-GCR-78-138. Human behavior in fire—A bibliography, J. L. Bryan, 23 pages (Aug. 1978). Order from NTIS as PB287412.

Key words: bibliographies; building fires; escape; evacuation; fires; high rise buildings; hospitals; human behavior; nursing homes.

This bibliography was originally prepared for the Third Joint Panel Meeting, United States-Japan Natural Resources Panel on Fire Research at the Center for Fire Research, National Bureau of Standards, March 13-17, 1978. The bibliography was revised as the result of additional literature reviews during August, 1978. The previously developed bibliographies of Dr. Leonard Bickman, Fire and Human Behavior Research Center, Applied Social Psychology Program, Loyola University; Fred I. Stahl and John Archea of the Center for Building Technology, National Engineering Laboratory, National Bureau of Standards; J. L. Pauls of the Division of Building Research, National Research Council of Canada; and Dr. Tadahisa Jin, Fire Research Institute, Fire Defense Agency, Ministry of Home Affairs, Japan were valuable sources of citations.

NBS-GCR-78-140. An examination and analysis of the dynamics of the human behavior in the fire incident at St. Joseph's Hospital, Philadelphia, PA, on August 10, 1977, J. L. Bryan and P. J. DiNenno, 62 pages (May 31, 1978). Order from NTIS as PB287935.

Key words: breathing apparatus; death; evacuation; fires; flashover; hospitals; human behavior; nursing staff; patients; room fires.

The fire incident at St. Joseph's Hospital on August 10, 1977 was detected by the nursing staff at approximately 8:45 p.m., at which time the fire had obtained a post flashover development in the area of origin, a bathroom on the second floor. The 130 year old, four-story building of ordinary construction had 171 patients. The fire extended from the second floor to the ceiling of the third floor through a pipe chase and the wall stud spaces.

The fire department was notified automatically with the activation of the local fire alarm system within the facility at 8:48 p.m. through an auxiliary system arrangement with the public fire alarm system. The seven nursing staff assigned to the area of fire origin evacuated a total of thirty-four patients in a period of 6 to 7 minutes, with twenty-two of these patients being evacuated in less than three minutes. At the time of fire department arrival on the fire floor, all the patients had been evacuated from the fire area with the exception of two male patients. The fire department personnel using breathing apparatus removed both patients. One patient could not be revived, while the other died approximately one week later.

Total evacuation of the hospital was accomplished by the staff, fire and police department personnel, with assistance from some citizens. The 171 patients were evacuated in a time period from 16 to 19 minutes.

NBS-GCR-78-141-1. Solar building regulatory study. Volume I, J. Greenberg, 93 pages (Nov. 1978). Order from NTIS as PB289823.

Key words: codes and standards; solar energy; solar heating and cooling; solar model code; solar regulatory provisions; solar regulatory requirements.

The reports contained in Volumes I and II represent studies and recommendations prepared under contract for the National Bureau of Standards (NBS) with funding provided by the Department of Energy (DoE). These reports document the results of an important project oriented toward obtaining the views of organizations representing diversified interests within the building community regarding: (1) the need for a solar regulatory system; and (2) the form such a system should take if indeed a solar regulatory system were recommended. The work was conducted under the leadership and coordination of NBS with the various participants providing their inputs and recommendations in various stages during the conduct of this project. NBS-GCR-78-141-2. Solar building regulatory study. Volume II, J. Greenberg, 385 pages (Nov. 1978). Order from NTIS as PB289824.

Key words: codes and standards; solar energy; solar heating and cooling; solar model code; solar regulatory provisions; solar regulatory requirements.

The reports contained in Volumes I and II represent studies and recommendations prepared under contract for the National Bureau of Standards (NBS) with funding provided by the Department of Energy (DoE). These reports document the results of an important project oriented toward obtaining the views of organizations representing diversified interests within the building community regarding: (1) the need for a solar regulatory system; and (2) the form such a system should take if indeed a solar regulatory system were recommended. The work was conducted under the leadership and coordination of NBS with the various participants providing their inputs and recommendations in various stages during the conduct of this project. NBS-GCR-78-147. Review of smoke particulate properties data for burning natural and synthetic materials, C. P. Bankston, R. A. Cassanova, E. A. Powell, and B. T. Zinn, 61 pages (May 1978). Order from NTIS as PB29 2066.

Key words: combustion; flaming combustion; flexible foams; optical density; particle size; polypropylene; polyurethane foams; polyvinyl chloride; pyrolysis; rigid foams; smoke; smoldering; weight loss; wood.

This report comprises a catalogue of smoke particulate properties data which were taken in the Combustion Products Test Chamber at the Georgia Institute of Technology through October 1, 1977. Results of smoke tests conducted under a variety of environmental conditions are presented for the following natural and synthetic materials: Douglas fir (wood), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), rigid and flexible polyurethane foams, and polypropylenes. Comparisons are provided which illustrate the effects of material variables, radiant heating rate (nonflaming), type of combustion (flaming vs. nonflaming), ventilation gas composition, and ventilation gas temperature upon smoke properties. The smoke particulate properties which have been tabulated are: fraction of sample weight loss which becomes particulate matter, particle mass median diameter and standard deviation, maximum optical densities at 633 nm and 458 nm, volume-surface mean particle diameter at maximum optical density, and plots of the cumulative particle mass-size distribution.

NBS-GCR-78-148. Effectiveness of program validation methods for scientific programs, W. E. Howden, 110 pages (Dec. 1978). Order from NTIS as PB289930.

Key words: program testing; scientific programs; software errors; software validations.

This report describes the results of an investigation of the effectiveness of different software validation techniques. The investigation involved two types of activities. The first included a survey of software validation methods and of previous studies of effectiveness. The second involved a project in which each of the errors in a collection of scientific programs was carefully analyzed to determine which validation method would have been most useful in preventing the error from occurring.

The report contains five sections, in addition to an appendix. Each section consists of a paper which was written to cover a specific topic. The first two papers are surveys of previous studies of dynamic and static analysis. The third paper is a survey of previous studies of the effectiveness of software validation methods. The fourth and fifth papers describe the results of the analysis of the errors in the scientific programs studies in the project.

The errors that were analyzed occur in 50 programs in edition five of the IMSL Scientific Subroutine Library. All errors were corrected in edition six. The errors are described in IMSL maintenance and recipient's letters.

The dynamic analysis method which was most effective in discovering the IMSL errors was a form of functional testing which was developed during the research project. The details of the method are contained in the paper in section four. The paper compares the method with the more widely studied kind of testing-structured testing.

NBS-GCR-78-149. Analysis of fire reports on file in the Massachusetts State Fire Marshal's Office relating to wood and coal heating equipment, J. W. Shelton, 9 pages (Nov. 1978). Order from NTIS as PB292521.

Key words: accident investigations; chimneys; coal; creosote; fire departments; fire safety; heating equipment; maintenance; stoves; wood.

An analysis of solid-fuel related fires reported by local fire departments to the Massachusetts State Fire Marshal's Office from late 1977 through June 1978 indicates that of the fires attributed to specific causes, roughly 3/4 were attributed to unsafe installations, and about 1/4 were attributed to unsafe

operation/maintenance. In less than 2 percent of the fires was the cause attributed to defects or poor design in the heating appliance itself. Thus, to the extent that the local fire department reports are complete and reliable, it appears that attention to installation, operation and maintenance is what has the most potential for reducing fires.

NBS-GCR-78-150. UNDSAFE-II-A computer code for buoyant turbulent flow in an enclosure with thermal radiation, K. V. Liu and K. T. Yang, 172 pages (July 15, 1978). Order from NTIS as PB291516.

Key words: buoyant flow; compartment fires; computer programs; corridor fires; fire models; fire spread; room fires; thermal radiation; turbulence.

This report describes a numerical computer code known as UNDSAFE-1 for predicting the flow, temperature and pressure fields in a simple two-dimensional rectangular enclosure due to a volumetric heat source. A variety of conditions such as location, extent, strength of the heat source and extended outside free boundary region as well as various thermal boundary conditions along the ceiling and the floor of the enclosure. Physical effects taken into account in this code include strong buoyancy, compressibility, turbulence and thermal radiation. The code is fully documented and explained in this report in terms of input data and format as well as available output options. A complete numerical example is presented.

NBS-GCR-78-151. One dimensional radiation model for surfaces and non-homogeneous gases and soot, V. K. Liu and J. R. Lloyd, 96 pages (Mar. 6, 1978). Order from NTIS as PB291099.

Key words: fire models; heat transfer; room fires; smoke; soot; thermal radiation.

This report presents a detailed description of the one dimensional radiation model which is currently employed in the UNDSAFE code. The model includes surface, soot and gas radiation with adiabatic boundaries for the enclosure. Interactions between gas and soot radiation are accounted for as well as the effect of overlapping bands in the gaseous radiation. The soot radiation model does not consider scattering and the gas radiation model includes the 2.7 and 6.3 μm bands for H2O and the 2.7 and 4.3 μm bands for CO2. The overlap of the 2.7 μm bands is accounted for. Samples of the results of calculations for three limiting cases including no radiation in the calculation, surface and heavy soot radiation only in the calculation, and surface and gaseous radiation only in the calculation are presented to demonstrate the model.

NBS-GCR-78-153. The architect's access to information, C. H. Burnette, 97 pages (Mar. 1979). Order from NTIS as PB294855.

Key words: access to information; architect; information format; information sources; technical information; technology application.

The purpose of this report is to provide an overview and some insight into the circumstances which constrain and influence architects when they must obtain information during the course of the design and construction process. It is intended for those outside the profession who wish to understand the conditions which influence the use of the information they provide to architects, and for architects who would consider the nature and context of their difficulties in obtaining information as they need it. While some avenues of progress and change are indicated, this report does not propose detailed solutions and improvements to be sought in the media, forms and channels of access or dissemination nor is it entirely an explanation of the systems which exist. It is, rather, a brief guide to the major

NBS-GCR-78-154. Making information useful to architects, C. H. Burnette, 101 pages (Dec. 1978). Order from NTIS as PB292782.

Key words: access to information; architect; information format; information sources; technical information; technology application.

The purpose of this report is to present rationales, practical formats and dissemination guidelines to foster the successful delivery of information to practicing architects by those in commerce, government, research organizations and trade or professional associations who produce and supply information useful to them. This report is intended as a complement to "Architect's Access to Information: Constraints on the Architect's Capacity to Seek, Obtain, Translate and Apply Information." It presents a comprehensive spectrum of exemplary practices in such a way as to provide a coordinated basis for both informal and formal actions to improve the delivery of information to architects. It is, therefore, an independent explanatory critique of the state of the art of current practice intended as a useful reference for those considering the structure, content, form and delivery of information services. A bibliography is included.

NBS-GCR-78-155. Extended range MIS C(V) measurement: A technique for monitoring semiconductor device processing, A. M. Goodman, 18 pages (Jan. 1979). Order from NTIS as PB291011.

Key words: extended-range capacitance and conductance measurements; high-voltage C(V) and G(V) measurements; semiconductor device measurements; silicon-on-sapphire measurements.

Equipment has been developed which allows the straightforward implementation of extended-range MIS C(V) and G(V) measurements for a variety of applications at applied-bias voltage magnitudes as large as 25 kV. This report briefly summarizes the objectives and the resulting accomplishments leading to the development of the apparatus. It also provides corrections and additions to previously published documents to aid in the construction and operation of the apparatus.

NBS-GCR-78-156. Home safety guidelines for architects and builders, D. Alessi and M. Brill, 126 pages (Dec. 1978). Order from NTIS as PB292928.

Key words: accident avoidance; accidents in the home; door accidents; home accidents; home safety; safety in the home; stair accidents; stair safety; window accidents; window safety.

This document has its goal the analysis, organization and presentation of state-of-the-art information on home accidents and ways to reduce their frequency and/or severity. It is intended to be used in the design and rehabilitation of dwellings and its primary users are intended to be architects, followed by homebuilders, product designers and homeowners.

The National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), collects and organizes accident data according to product, frequency, severity of injury and on age and sex of accident victims. These data are statistically representative of accidents occurring nationwide, as are the injury costs associated with each accident type.

Using this substantial and elegant data base, several sophisticated analyses of accidents involving the fixed architec

tural elements of homes, such as stairs, floors, bathtubs and showers, doors, and windows have recently been undertaken under the sponsorship of various government agencies. This series of analyses has resulted in a much clearer picture of how accidents involving these housing elements occur and of their associated costs to the nation. This document brings together these research findings as a guide to design and construction. NBS-GCR-79-157. The psychology of firesetting: A review and appraisal, R. G. Vreeland and M. B. Waller, 58 pages (Dec. 1978). Order from NTIS as PB290821.

Key words: abnormal psychology; arson; arsonists; firesetters; human behavior; literature reviews; pyromaniacs. Despite a rather large and diverse literature on firesetting, relatively little is understood about its determinants. This situation exists partly because of the enormous difficulties in carrying out systematic, well-controlled research studies on firesetting. Legal difficulties in accessing samples of arsonists, the manner of legal disposition of arson cases, and the fact that relatively few arsonists are apprehended makes it likely that research samples will be narrow and biased; it is not surprising that conclusions have often been contradictory and comparisons between groups have been extremely difficult. A further problem is that previous attempts at classification of firesetters have usually been based arbitrarily upon one aspect of the act, such as the firesetting motive, while other, potentially more important, distinguishing features may have been overlooked. After reviewing previous attempts at classifying firesetters, the present study organizes current knowledge about the characteristics of firesetters into four major categories: antecedent environmental conditions, organismic variables, actual firesetting behavior, and the consequences of firesetting. Understanding a firesetter's behavior requires an assessment of each of these categories, and types of firesetters may eventually be defined by clusters or patterns of characteristics rather than by a single, overriding feature. This approach is also useful in that it has theoretical implications as well as implications for prevention and treatment strategies.

NBS-GCR-79-158. Techniques for the preparation and analysis of standard silicon semiconductor specimens for the ion microprobe mass analyzer, G. Larrabee and R. Dobrott, 62 pages (Jan. 1979). Order from NTIS as PB292806.

Key words: dopant analysis; impurity analysis; ion microprobe mass analyzer (IMMA); microdot reference specimens; secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS); silicon sputtering.

A technique was developed to prepare sodium-, phosphorus-. arsenic-, antimony-, and gold-doped silicon and silicon dioxide reference specimens using ion-implantation techniques. The implants were done in small islands or microdots of various sizes to simulate geometries encountered in semiconductor integrated circuits. The number of dopant atoms per unit area was determined by neutron activation analysis. The reference specimens were applied to methods development and calibration of the ion microprobe mass analyzer (IMMA). IMMA detection limits were experimentally determined. A model for experimentally determining the parameters governing detection limits was developed.

NBS-GCR-79-159. An examination and analysis of the dynamics of the human behavior in the fire incident at the Kensington Gardens Nursing Home on January 1, 1978, J. L. Bryan and P. J. DiNenno, 67 pages (June 30, 1978). Order from NTIS as PB290892.

Key words: chairs; doors; evacuation; fire departments; fire fighters; nursing homes; patients; room fires; smoke; upholstered furniture.

The fire incident at the Kensington Gardens Nursing Home on January 1, 1978 was detected by the nursing staff at approximately 9:56 a.m., at which time the fire consisted of preflashover state in patient room 250. The fire apparently originated in an upholstered chair from discarded smoking materials or matches by the room's occupant. The fire consumed the chair, spread to sheets on an adjacent bed, and the privacy curtains hanging between the beds. The fire was confined to the room of origin and did not achieve flashover. The two story building consisted of an original section of ordinary construction, erected in 1937, and a new addition of protected noncombustible construction which was six years old.

The fire department was notified at 9:59 a.m. by telephone. Housekeeping and nursing personnel assigned to the second floor, west wing, detected the fire in patient room 250 and immediately closed the door to this fire room. Other patient room doors in the fire zone were then closed, and three patients were evacuated from the fire zone before the corridor became untenable from smoke migration. The housekeeping staff directed arriving fire department personnel up the exterior stairway to the fire zone. The fire department personnel removed four male patients from patient rooms within the fire zone. The seven patients in the fire zone were evacuated by the staff and the fire department in approximately ten minutes from the time of fire detection. The closing of the door to the fire involved room, and the closing of the patient room doors appeared to be critical adaptive actions in this fire incident.

NBS-GCR-79-160. Reliability modeling of smoke detectors, H. C. Rickers, 110 pages (Mar. 1979). Order from NTIS as PB295176.

Key words: component screening; electronic component reliability; failure analysis; failure models; failure rates; reliability; residential buildings; smoke detectors.

This report presented the results of a study to evaluate current reliability prediction methods for electronic devices and determine which of these methods can be best applied to residential smoke detectors. In addition, data collection efforts were initiated to establish a basis for more realistic reliability prediction models for the components employed in residential smoke detectors. This failure rate data was collected from smoke detector manufacturers, component manufacturers, and manufacturers of other electronic equipment employing similar devices used at similar stress levels in residential type environments. The study found that Fault Tree Analysis (FTA) and Failure Mode Effects and Criticality Analysis (FMECA) techniques together with failure rate models for individual components, modified to better agree with the actual data, provides the best approach. A handbook was then prepared which includes the modified component models and data in the forms of parts stress analysis prediction techniques, a description of how to conduct the FTA and FMECA procedures, and a discussion of component screening and test techniques. This handbook is available in two parts as NBS-GCR-79-161 and NBS-GCR-79-162.

NBS-GCR-79-161. Residential smoke detector reliability handbook. Section 1: Parts stress analysis, H. C. Rickers, 226 pages (Feb. 1979). Order from NTIS as PB295178.

Key words: component screening; electronic component reliability; failure analysis; failure models; failure rates; reliability; residential buildings; smoke detectors.

This Residential Smoke Detector Reliability Handbook is designed to provide a means for the accurate prediction of smoke detector failure rates in a residential environment. The methodology developed by which a smoke detector critical failure rate can be determined is divided into three major sec

tions. Section 1.0 contains the parts stress reliability prediction techniques for each major generic component type currently being used in residential smoke detectors, or exhibiting the potential for being in future designs. Section 2.0 through the application of FMECA and/or FTA techniques, presents the guidelines for the determination of those components, and their associated failure modes, which are considered critical to the audible warning capabilities of the detector. The process of applying the predicted failure rates of Section 1.0 to the FMECA/FTA guidelines of Section 2.0 will result in a critical failure rate for residential smoke detectors; i.e., the rate at which failures that will not trigger the audible alarm circuitry may occur, thus negating the protective characteristics of the unit. Finally, Section 3.0 discusses methods of screening for the predominant failure modes of those electronic components characterized as most critical to smoke detector operation, to efficiently detect and eliminate infant mortality failures. NBS-GCR-79-162. Residential smoke detector reliability handbook. Section 2: System reliability evaluation techniques. Section 3: Component screening/test techniques, H. C. Rickers, 103 pages (Mar. 1979). Order from NTIS as PB295177.

Key words: component screening; electronic component reliability; failure analysis; failure models; failure rates; reliability; residential buildings; smoke detectors.

This Residential Smoke Detector Reliability Handbook is designed to provide a means for the accurate prediction of smoke detector failure rates in a residential environment. The methodology developed by which a smoke detector critical failure rate can be determined is divided into three major sections. Section 1.0 contains the parts stress reliability prediction techniques for each major generic component type currently being used in residential smoke detectors, or exhibiting the potential for being in future designs. Section 2.0 through the application of FMECA and/or FTA techniques, presents the guidelines for the determination of those components, and their associated failure modes, which are considered critical to the audible warning capabilities of the detector. The process of applying the predicted failure rates of Section 1.0 to the FMECA/FTA guidelines of Section 2.0 will result in a critical failure rate for residential smoke detectors; i.e., the rate at which failures that will not trigger the audible alarm circuitry may occur, thus negating the protective characteristics of the unit. Finally, Section 3.0 discusses methods of screening for the predominant failure modes of those electronic components characterized as most critical to smoke detector operation, to efficiently detect and eliminate infant mortality failures. NBS-GCR-79-163. A theoretical rationalization of a goaloriented systems approach to building fire safety, J. Watts, 266 pages (Feb. 28, 1978). Order from NTIS as PB294684.

Key words: barrier analysis; compartment fires; compartments; fault tree analysis; fire models; fire protection engineering; probability statistics; systems analysis; systems safety; walls.

The Goal Oriented Systems Approach to Building Fire Safety developed by the U.S. General Services Administration is presently the only probabilistic methodology for fire protection evaluation in use in the United States. This paper describes and analyzes the GSA approach and formulates a more scientific procedure by synthesizing GSA concepts with additional probability theory. Discussion of systems analysis and modeling concepts emphasizes the need for probabilistic considerations of fire safety. The revised model, identified by the hyphenated expression: Goal-Oriented, simplifies data requirements through parameter estimation techniques. The new approach is consistent with the GSA model for several example cases. A