Gypsum Plasterboard Research Articles

Fire performance enhancement of cold-formed steel walls: experimental and numerical study

Cavity-insulated cold-formed steel (CFS) walls, with gypsum plasterboard (GP) on both sides, are widely used in the construction industry. However, their fire performance is compromised by the faster rise in the temperature of the hot flange (HF), which is influenced by cavity insulation and board joints. This study aims to optimize cavity insulation configuration to enhance fire performance. Two mid-scale, non-load-bearing fire experiments on CFS walls were conducted, employing double-layered GP boards and rock wool insulation, under ISO834 time-temperature fire conditions. Meanwhile, a finite element model of physical space fluid-heat coupling of furnace-CFS walls considering joints with time was developed to reveal joint mechanisms and configurations. The results showed that non-insulated stud CFS walls had slower HF temperature rise and similar insulation compared to insulated counterparts, delaying HF temperature reach to 537 °C by 14 min. The base-layer joints had the least adverse impact on the HF temperature rise than overlapped joints and face-layer joints. The HF temperatures for various joint configurations reached 537 °C at different times: 57 min for the face layer, 62 min for the base layer, and 49 min for overlapped joints. Considering the construction cost-effectiveness, it was found that adding steel strips (the same width as the flange) at the joint position could significantly decelerate the HF temperature rise. In 60 min, the HF temperature in the model with additional steel strips dropped by 94 °C lower than in the 10 mm overlapped joint model. Finally, based on finite element results, design equations were proposed for predicting HF temperature variation over time across joint types.

Change in Microstructure, Mechanical Strength, Fire Resistance, and Radiation Attenuation Properties of Gypsum Plaster with Boric Acid

AbstractIn this study, the effect of boric acid addition on the microstructure of gypsum plaster was investigated to determine an environmentally friendly gypsum additive that may enhance mechanical strength, fire resistance, and X-ray radiation attenuation properties. The mechanical strengths of bare gypsum and boric acid-added (0–0.5% by weight with respect to gypsum amount) gypsum plasters were evaluated in terms of compressive and bending strengths. The effects of the different addition procedures of boric acid (0.1% by wt.) on the fire resistance of the gypsum plasterboard were also evaluated. X-ray radiation attenuation properties of boric acid-added (0.1% by wt.) gypsum plasterboard were investigated as well. XRD, ATR-FTIR, Helium pycnometer, N2 adsorption–desorption, and SEM analysis were performed to determine the microstructural properties of gypsum plaster. XRD and ATR-FTIR analysis revealed that boric acid did not change the calcium sulfate dihydrate structure of gypsum plaster. Whereas, Helium pycnometer, N2 adsorption–desorption, and SEM analysis showed that the physical properties of gypsum changed with an increase in pore volume, skeletal density, and particle size after boric acid addition. The increase in the pore volume and particle size decreased the mechanical strength of gypsum. However, boric acid addition on the gypsum plaster plate, especially using the spraying method, enhanced the fire resistance of gypsum. Additionally, boric acid slightly enhanced the X-ray radiation attenuation properties (0.7%) of the gypsum plasterboard.

A Review Study on Comparison of G+10 Structure with Several Materials Masonry, Concrete and Glass Fiber Reinforced Gypsum Panel (GFRG)

Glass fiber reinforced gypsum plasterboard (GFRG) is an environmentally friendly product. They are made of modified plaster and reinforced with fiberglass strips. Its main use is in the construction of walls, but it can also be used in combination with reinforced concrete on floors and roofs. The panels have voids that can be filled with concrete or reinforced with steel bars to increase strength and ductility. These panels can be used as an alternative building material to replace bricks and concrete blocks. IIT Madras has conducted several research studies and developed a structural design manual for designing buildings constructed by GFRG. Phosphor gypsum is a by-product of the fertilizer industry. In addition to its use as a fertilizer, building material, and soil stabilizer, approximately 85% of phosphor gypsum is disposed of near phosphate plants, which require large disposal sites. Phosphorus from gypsum can be effectively removed by creating glass fiber reinforced gypsum plasterboard (GFRG), also known as fast wall. They may or may not be used as support structures. In this research work we design three different models of G+10 in 5th zone of earthquake as on IS code. The lateral load such as earthquake is to be classified as live horizontal forces acting on the structure depending on the structure’s geographic location, height, shape and structural material. In this study, a multi-story Glass fiber reinforced panel and Brick-infill and concrete block infill wall building has been shown and performed by using software ETABS constructed on a plan ground having G+10 stories. Keywords: GFRG Panels, Concrete Blocks, Clay Bricks, Lateral Loading, Light weight Construction and Masonry etc.

Development of a Systematic Approach for the Assessment of Adhesive Tape Suitability to Ensure Airtightness

Ensuring the tightness of buildings using self-adhesive tapes is one of the cost-effective, efficient, and reliable solutions. There is a lack of research, standards, and methodologies for construction adhesive tape, especially for assessing the functional properties of the tape after ageing. The aim of this work is to evaluate the tightness of different building surfaces and adhesive tape systems by conducting artificial ageing. It was found that adhesive tapes with an acrylic adhesive base ensured a fully sealed system. In all cases, tapes applied to surfaces such as plywood, gypsum plasterboard, cement-bonded particle board, plastered cement-bonded particle board, and plastic board provided sufficient sealing. The air permeability of the tapes on the OSB was two to seven times higher than that of the defined sealed system with other surfaces. In most cases, air permeability increased on OSB, gypsum plasterboard, and plastered cement-bonded particle board after ageing. The least problematic surface is the plastic board. In all tested cases, adequate sealing was observed after ageing, with only three of all tested tapes not providing sufficient bonding strength.

Thermal insulation performance of non-load-bearing light gauge slotted steel stud walls

Light gauge steel stud walls have been widely used in buildings as load-bearing members. But if used as non-load-bearing walls, more rows of perforations can be placed on stud webs and then the thermal bridge effect can be reduced. Experiments on six non-load-bearing light gauge slotted steel stud walls were conducted using a calibrated hot box. The temperatures of the steel studs and gypsum plasterboard were monitored for subsequent analysis of thermal bridging. The effects of parameters (number of rows of perforations, stud web height, and the ratio of window area to wall area) on the insulating capacity of the wall were identified and analyzed. Thermal transmittance decreases by 18.5% and 29.6% for specimens with 3 and 7 rows of perforations in comparison with the specimen without perforations, while it decreases by 29.8% and 42.7% respectively for 150 mm and 200 mm thick walls compared with that of the 100 mm thick wall. However, thermal transmittance increases obviously for the wall with a window opening relative to the wall without a window opening, reaching 14.7% in this test since more studs are placed around the window opening. A three-dimensional finite element (FE) model of the wall was developed and validated against experimental results, and then was used for parametric studies. A general method of calculating the thermal transmittance of the light gauge slotted steel stud wall was suggested based on the experiment and the FE model results, which can consider influences of wall thickness, web perforations, window openings, and thermal properties of materials.

Life Cycle Assessment of Plasterboard Production: A UK Case Study

Plasterboard, which serves as a nonstructural building material, is widely employed for lightweight wall construction and surface finishing in walls and ceilings. Amid mounting concerns regarding product sustainability and the adoption of Net Zero strategies, evaluating the environmental performance of materials has become crucial. This study aims to conduct a comprehensive life cycle assessment (LCA) for wall gypsum plasterboard, aiming to pinpoint areas for potential environmental improvement. The LCA methodology, adhering to established guidelines and considering midpoint impact categories, was employed to quantify environmental impacts across various stages of the plasterboard life cycle—encompassing raw material extraction, plasterboard manufacturing, transportation during all stages, and end-of-life treatment of plasterboard waste. Primary data were sourced directly from a plasterboard manufacturer and recycler and supplemented with secondary data obtained from the Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) and the Ecoinvent 3.9 database. Among the identified impact categories, the human carcinogenic toxicity category emerged as the most affected category, primarily due to the raw material supply stage, followed by freshwater ecotoxicity, which was impacted due to the material supply stage.

Enhancing the fire resistance of light gauge steel framed floor-ceiling systems through external insulation

Light Gauge Steel Framed (LSF) floor-ceiling systems, composed of thin-walled cold-formed steel (CFS) structural components, offer a high strength-to-weight ratio and cost-effectiveness, leading to their widespread adoption in modern construction. However, research on the fire behaviour of LSF floor-ceiling systems is limited. The industry-standard approach of using two 16 mm gypsum plasterboards for ceilings achieves a maximum Fire Resistance Level (FRL) of 90 min, mainly due to the significant fall-off associated with gypsum plasterboard. Traditional methods for increasing FRL involve adding more layers of gypsum plasterboard; however, the efficacy of achieving a 120-min FRL with three 16 mm gypsum plasterboards remains uncertain. This paper addresses these issues by developing innovative LSF floor-ceiling systems that incorporate external insulation (rigid stone wool) to mitigate the impact of critical ceiling fall-off behaviour and enhance FRL. The research includes dimensional stability tests of rigid stone wool, thermal and structural finite element modelling, and load-bearing small-scale fire tests. The new LSF floor-ceiling system has been shown to achieve an FRL of 130 min, approximately 45 % higher than conventional floor-ceiling systems, offering enhanced fire resistance and increased thermal comfort as a single, integrated solution.

Environmental Life Cycle Assessment of a Novel Hemp-Based Building Material.

The global construction sector contributes a significant share of total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In Australia, infrastructure activity alone generates 18% of the GHG emissions. The use of low-embodied carbon building materials is crucial to decarbonise the construction sector and fulfil national and international climate goals. Industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) is a promising feedstock for low-carbon construction materials because of its carbon sequestration capacity, fast-growing cycles, and technical functionality comparable to traditional materials. This study utilised the life cycle assessment (LCA) guideline ISO 14040:2006 to estimate the carbon footprint (CF) of hemp-based building materials in Western Australia capturing region-specific variations in terms of inputs, soil, productivity, and energy mix. The functional unit was 1 m2 of a hemp-based board, and the system boundary was cradle-to-gate, i.e., pre-farm, on-farm, and post-farm activities. The CF of 1 m2 of hemp-based board was estimated to be -2.302 kg CO2 eq. Electricity from the public grid for bio-based binder production during the post-farm stage was the main contributor to total CO2 eq emissions (26%), followed by urea production (14%) during the pre-farm stage. Overall, the use of electricity from the public grid during the post-farm stage accounted for 45% of total emissions. Sensitivity analysis showed that the CF of hemp-based boards was highly sensitive to the source of energy; i.e., total replacement of the public grid by solar power decreased the CF by 164% (-2.30 to -6.07 kg CO2 eq). The results suggested that hemp-based boards exhibit lower embodied GHG emissions compared to traditional materials, such as gypsum plasterboards.

Analiza utjecaja protupožarne obloge na bazi gipsa na pougljenje drvenih nosivih elemenata

Fire resistance of load-bearing wooden structures is evaluated by the charring of surface layers of wooden bearing elements. The degree of resistance is determined by the onset and course of charring; these basic parameters are affected by the cover structure as well as by cavity fillers between the individual bearing elements. This article focuses on analysing the structure of fire protection covers based on gypsum boards, namely gypsum plasterboards and gypsum fibreboards. The foundation for the current analysis, based on the ignition temperature of the load-bearing timber element under the fire cover, includes the results of experimental fire tests carried out on test specimens in a fire furnace with a standard time-temperature curve set to simulate a fire. In addition, a numerical analysis of the temperature behaviour in the structure was carried out in order to compare the experimental results with the values obtained by mathematical analysis. Finally, the influence of the cover layers on the resulting fire resistance of the analysed structures is evaluated.

Перспективы рециклинга в строительстве с целью создания инновационных композиционных материалов

The article classifies construction wastes and assesses the possibility of using them to produce new construction materials. The authors present examples of obtaining composites on the basis of glass and brick waste, reinforced concrete debris, gypsum plasterboard, drywall, wood, asbestos cement, polyvinyl chloride, and cross-linked polyethylene. The analysis of literature sources reveals the manufacturing of building materials and products on the basis of construction waste. Their using is a promising direction of production development, allowing us to reduce costs, conserve natural resources, and minimize the negative impact on the environment. The wastes of cross-linked polyethylene (insulation of cables and pipelines) belong to the wastes, recycling of which is poorly studied or complicated. The article also provides the results of research aimed at the synthesis of oil-resistant concrete on the basis of cross-linked polyethylene waste and crushed bricks, indicating the prospects of using cross-linked polyethylene as an aggregate for the production of concrete.

Modular sandwich panel system for non-loadbearing walls – Experimental mechanical, fire and acoustic testing

Investment in the construction industry has increased over the last years and conventional construction materials, techniques, solutions and practices cannot meet the current needs. Resources are not being used to their full potential and there is a lack of manpower. It is vital to evolve encouraging sustainable and quality cost-effective materials, techniques, solutions and practices, therefore also enhancing the construction workers’ quality of life. This work proposes a new modular sandwich panel system for interior walls partition applications. The modular sandwich panel is made of an extruded polystyrene boards (XPS) core and has three options as facesheets: gypsum plasterboard (PGC), fire resistant gypsum plasterboard (PGF) and magnesium oxide board (MGO). This is an alternative solution for partition walls based on five main factors: it has the potential to be reused; its modules are self-supported (they do not need vertical metal studs from floor to ceiling); it is easy to install (on-site) by only two people; it is quick to install; and it provides easy local access to the interior of sanitary facilities. This work also includes experimental research for evaluation of proposed the wall solution in terms of mechanical resistance and stability, fire safety and airborne sound insulation between adjacent rooms. Mechanical resistance testing includes impact resistance tests, simple compression load tests, sanitary appliance load tests and endurance cycle load tests. Fire resistance testing allows to assess the integrity and maintenance of the panel wall under fire conditions. Acoustic experiments aim to determine the weighted standardised sound level difference (DnT,w) between adjacent compartments separated by the proposed panel wall system. Mechanical resistance tests indicate that the panel wall system has acceptable mechanical performance, including the connections between the panel wall modules. Results indicate that fire resistance and sound insulation characteristics of the panel wall can be enhanced.

Optimising the material emissions of single-dwelling residential buildings using the dynamic life cycle iteration protocols

While developed countries progress in environmental impact mitigation, developing economies struggle to lessen the severity of environmental impact and improve performance strategies. As of 2021, only 199 research publications were linked to African Life Cycle Assessment investigations highlighting the environmental consequences and lack of research in developing countries. In 2022 Ghana's global environmental performance was ranked 170th out of 180 countries, with a score of 27.70 out of 100, showing a ten-year trend of -6.1. This study aimed to optimise single-dwelling residential buildings' material emissions from cradle to gate using first principles through the dynamic life cycle iteration protocols. The following objectives were set: 1) to identify the primary materials in a typical Ghanaian single-family dwelling and apply first principles to model the environmental impact, and 2) to replace the materials with an environmentally friendly type through iteration optimisation. The Building Information Modelling in Revit 2021 was used to design and take off quantities of the materials. The optimisation was conducted through iterations using MS Excel. The baseline model showed that steel and aluminium products generated frontal results of 28.64 ton CO2eq/m2 and 1.96 ton CO2eq/m2, representing 92% and 6% of the total GWP100, respectively. A decrease of 39% in GWP100 emissions was made possible by employing concrete blocks instead of expandable lightweight concrete clay blocks. It is noteworthy that gypsum plasterboard had the lowest material impact across the GWP100, emitting 1895.40 kgCO2eq/m2, or 0.81 percent carbon, during the production phase. The results of this study can aid the many real estate developers and construction firms in developing nations who want to build residential homes using sustainable materials to lessen the effects of climate change caused by using building materials.

Effect of fibre loading on mechanical properties of jute fibre bundle reinforced gypsum composites

Gypsum plasterboards are widely used in interior decoration like false ceilings, wall partitioning etc. The main component of this plasterboard is gypsum, which is a mineral material. These boards contain poor mechanical strength with lower durability. The addition of natural fibres in these plasterboards can be useful to achieve better mechanical properties. Since Jute fibre is abundant in Bangladesh and its usability in reinforced composites is well established, for this reason, jute fibre was selected to do the research. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of jute fibre on the mechanical properties of the gypsum plasterboard. To make this board, Plaster of Paris and water were thoroughly mixed to make a suspension first. Different fibre loadings of 2, 4, 6, and 8% were incorporated into gypsum composites. Reinforcement of 6% fibre provided the highest tensile properties, but 8% fibre loading showed inferior tensile and flexural properties. Impact test results showed a gradually improving nature with fibre loading, and hardness values showed a decreasing trend in hardness with higher fibre loading. FTIR results and SEM images confirmed that no significant chemical bonding took place in the composites, instead, the composite depended mainly on the mechanical bonding among the reins crystals and between the fibre and gypsum matrix.

Fire performance of gypsum-sheathed cold-formed steel walls with rectangular section studs

This study conducted axial compression experiment of one full-scale CFS wall at ambient temperature and four full-scale fire experiments of CFS walls with two initial load ratios of 0.27 and 0.85. Specimens were sheathed with double layers of gypsum plasterboard, rock wool was the cavity insulation and the wall studs had rectangular cross sections. A finite element model was used to optimize the arrangement of rock wool cavity insulation for the CFS walls. The results showed that the failure mode changed from local buckling of the hot flange under a load ratio of 0.27 to local buckling of the whole stud section under a load ratio of 0.85. The fire resistance time of the specimen without rock wool insulation in the stud cavity was 7 min longer than that of the specimen with rock wool insulation. This was attributed to the thermal radiation effect of the stud cavities, which delayed the increase in hot flange temperature and improved the fire resistance time of the CFS walls. Thus, for CFS walls with rock wool-insulated cavities, the stud cavity configuration was more reasonable without than with rock wool insulation. When the axial thermal expansion load was considered, the load on the wall studs increased by a maximum of 43.3 kN per stud. In addition, for CFS walls with low load ratios of 0.27, the wall studs near the face-layer board joints tended to buckle first.

Effective thermal conductivity of a gypsum mortar using harbor sediments

For sustainable use of natural resources, marine sediments areregularly dredged. One of the valorization ways of thesesediments is to reuse them as raw materials for the formulation of civil engineering products.This paper presents a thermal homogenization methodology for the optimization of heat transfer in Gypsum Plaster Boards formulation using dredged marine sediments. An up-scaling or homogenization technique that links macro- to micro thermal conductivity is given. Effective homogenized thermal conductivity formulation could be presented for a composite material on which a periodic micro-scale heat flux was subjected. For that purpose, steady state balance equations and Fourier heat law were used. Then, a thorough characterization of grain size distributions of dredged sediments were carried out. This showed that the dredged sediments are mainly sandy. Finally, ANSYS Finite Element Code is used to numerically compute the effective homogenized thermal conductivity of Gypsum-sediment composite incorporating different volume fractions of sediments. These simulations, performed on the Representative Volume Element, allowed studying the influence of the sediment grain size. The numerical simulations results, compared to classical theoretical models, have demonstrated the reuse feasibility of investigated sediment in Gypsum Plaster applications.

Full-scale tests of load-bearing LSF walls made of built-up CFS channel sections under fire conditions

Built-up cold-formed steel (CFS) studs, such as back-to-back channels (BC) and nested channels (NC) are used in light gauge steel framed (LSF) wall systems instead of the conventional channel studs for improving their load-bearing capacity. However, the knowledge and understanding of their behaviour under fire conditions is limited. In this study, the behaviour of load-bearing LSF walls made of BC and NC studs under fire conditions was investigated using four full-scale standard fire tests. The obtained fire test results were evaluated in terms of both thermal and structural behavioural characteristics and fire resistance level (FRL), and were used in the comparison with those for conventional LSF walls made of single channel studs. The test results showed that (1) without cavity insulation, the thermal and structural behavioural characteristics of the LSF walls made of BC and NC studs are very similar to those of LSF walls made of channel studs, and their FRLs can be taken as the same for the same load ratio (2) LSF walls made of BC and NC studs with two layers of 16 mm thick gypsum plasterboards on each side and without cavity insulation have an FRL of 120 min for a load ratio of 0.4, and (3) the use of cavity insulation reduces the FRL of LSF walls made of NC studs. This paper presents the details of this research study and its outcomes.

Effect of protective cladding on the fire performance of vertically loaded cross-laminated timber (CLT) wall panels

ABSTRACT Cross-laminated timber (CLT) is a sustainable engineered wood product which is utilised in modern multi-storey timber buildings. The fire behaviour of timber structures is often a concern due to their combustible nature. In this paper, experimental fire testing of CLT panels made of Irish spruce was performed. This series of tests consisted of four vertically loaded CLT wall panels which were tested under Standard fire curves in the Structural Laboratory of Munster Technological University, Cork (MTU). To improve the fire performance of CLT panels, different types of protective claddings were used. The effectiveness of each system of protection has been stated particularly in terms of the delay in the start of charring of the CLT panels. The location of joints in the protective cladding was also analysed and was found to be a key factor in the fall-off time of the protective claddings. The results show that protective claddings made with Fireline gypsum plasterboard and a combination of plywood and Fireline gypsum plasterboard delayed the charring of CLT panels by as much as 30 and 44 min respectively. This paper analyses the detailed results of experimental fire testing and measures the charring rate and temperature distribution across the panels.

Antibiotic-Resistant Desulfovibrio Produces H2S from Supplements for Animal Farming.

Sulphate-reducing bacteria, primarily Desulfovibrio, are responsible for the active generation of H2S in swine production waste. The model species for sulphate reduction studies, Desulfovibrio vulgaris strain L2, was previously isolated from swine manure characterized by high rates of dissimilatory sulphate reduction. The source of electron acceptors in low-sulphate swine waste for the high rate of H2S formation remains uncertain. Here, we demonstrate the ability of the L2 strain to use common animal farming supplements including L-lysine-sulphate, gypsum and gypsum plasterboards as electron acceptors for H2S production. Genome sequencing of strain L2 revealed the presence of two megaplasmids and predicted resistance to various antimicrobials and mercury, which was confirmed in physiological experiments. Most of antibiotic resistance genes (ARG) are carried by two class 1 integrons located on the chromosome and on the plasmid pDsulf-L2-2. These ARGs, predicted to confer resistance to beta-lactams, aminoglycosides, lincosamides, sulphonamides, chloramphenicol and tetracycline, were probably laterally acquired from various Gammaproteobacteria and Firmicutes. Resistance to mercury is likely enabled by two mer operons also located on the chromosome and on pDsulf-L2-2 and acquired via horizontal gene transfer. The second megaplasmid, pDsulf-L2-1, encoded nitrogenase, catalase and type III secretion system suggesting close contact of the strain with intestinal cells in the swine gut. The location of ARGs on mobile elements allows us to consider D. vulgaris strain L2 as a possible vector transferring antimicrobials resistance determinants between the gut microbiote and microbial communities in environmental biotopes.

Determination of elevated temperature material properties by ANN-based FE model

PurposeElevated temperature material properties are essential in predicting structural member's behavior in high-temperature exposures such as fire. Even though experimental methodologies are available to determine these properties, advanced equipment with high costs is required to perform those tests. Therefore, performing those experiments frequently is not feasible, and the development of numerical techniques is beneficial. A numerical technique is proposed in this study to determine the temperature-dependent thermal properties of the material using the fire test results based on the Artificial Neural Network (ANN)-based Finite Element (FE) model.Design/methodology/approachAn ANN-based FE model was developed in the Matlab program to determine the elevated temperature thermal diffusivity, thermal conductivity and the product of specific heat and density of a material. The temperature distribution obtained from fire tests is fed to the ANN-based FE model and material properties are predicted to match the temperature distribution.FindingsElevated temperature thermal properties of normal-weight concrete (NWC), gypsum plasterboard and lightweight concrete were predicted using the developed model, and good agreement was observed with the actual material properties measured experimentally. The developed method could be utilized to determine any materials' elevated temperature material properties numerically with the adequate temperature distribution data obtained during a fire or heat transfer test.Originality/valueTemperature-dependent material properties are important in predicting the behavior of structural elements exposed to fire. This research study developed a numerical technique utilizing ANN theories to determine elevated temperature thermal diffusivity, thermal conductivity and product of specific heat and density. Experimental methods are available to evaluate the material properties at high temperatures. However, these testing equipment are expensive and sophisticated; therefore, these equipment are not popular in laboratories causing a lack of high-temperature material properties for novel materials. However conducting a fire test to evaluate fire performance of any novel material is the common practice in the industry. ANN-based FE model developed in this study could utilize those fire testing results of the structural member (temperature distribution of the member throughout the fire tests) to predict the material's thermal properties.

Geometrical and environmental effect on fire behaviour of polyurethane foam slabs

AbstractThis study presents the results of a set of large‐scale fire tests performed on horizontal polyurethane foam slabs. Slab thickness, ignition location, and environment (free burn or corner wall) were varied over 23 individual tests. In a continuation of a previous study by the authors, four different slab thicknesses, five different ignition locations, and three environmental modification combinations were tested to examine the potential effects these parameters may have on the test outcomes. Wall configurations were composed of either gypsum plaster board or particle board wall linings and enclosed two sides of the foam slabs. The results obtained were heat release rate, peak HRR, total heat release, and effective heat of combustion, smoke production rate, total smoke production, specific extinction area and soot yield along with flame spread rate calculations obtained using a specifically designed sample tray. These were then analysed to quantify the effects of the test input parameter changes. Results highlight the influence of test input parameter changes on almost all the chosen fire metrics analysed. Slab thickness showed relatively straight forward linear changes to global metrics such as total heat release and total smoke production, while effective heat of combustion showed no change. The smoke production parameters of specific extinction area and soot yield showed minor trends towards higher values with increased slab thickness. Flame spread rates also showed an increased velocity with thicker slabs. Changes to the environment surrounding the foam slabs, from a free‐burning scenario to a corner wall configuration that obstructed two sides of the foam slab generally resulted in faster growth of HRR and higher peak values when compared to the free‐burn tests. This outcome was most obvious for the wall tests using combustible materials, where growth rates were comparative to an ultra‐fast t^2 fire, and peak HRR value rose to over triple that of the free‐burn test results. Flame spread rates were highly impacted by the addition of a corner wall, spread rates increased, and the overall pattern of spread rates across the face of the slabs changed entirely. The influence on smoke production values was minor, and for other smoke metrics, the scenario changes showed little influence. However, the values obtained for soot yields were approximately an order of magnitude lower than those given in standard reference books, such as the SFPE handbook for flexible polyurethane foam. This was an interesting additional finding as soot yield values are often directly used in CFD models to simulate smoke spread and determine life safety criteria in fire safety engineering (FSE).