Standard Guide for Assessment of Measurement Uncertainty in Fire Tests

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
Users of fire test data often need a quantitative indication of the quality of the data presented in a test report. This quantitative indication is referred to as the “measurement uncertainty”. There are two primary reasons for estimating the uncertainty of fire test results.
5.1.1 ISO/IEC 17025 requires that competent testing and calibration laboratories include uncertainty estimates for the results that are presented in a report.
5.1.2 Fire safety engineers need to know the quality of the input data used in an analysis to determine the uncertainty of the outcome of the analysis.
SCOPE
1.1 This guide covers the evaluation and expression of uncertainty of measurements of fire test methods developed and maintained by ASTM International, based on the approach presented in the GUM. The use in this process of precision data obtained from a round robin is also discussed.
1.2 Application of this guide is limited to tests that provide quantitative results in engineering units. This includes, for example, methods for measuring the heat release rate of burning specimens based on oxygen consumption calorimetry, such as Test Method E 1354.
1.3 This guide does not apply to tests that provide results in the form of indices or binary results (for example, pass/fail). For example, the uncertainty of the Flame Spread Index obtained according to Test Method E 84 cannot be determined.
1.4 In some cases additional guidance is required to supplement this standard. For example, the expression of uncertainty of heat release rate measurements at low levels requires additional guidance and uncertainties associated with sampling are not explicitly addressed.
1.5 This fire standard cannot be used to provide quantitative measures.

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NOTICE: This standard has either been superseded and replaced by a new version or withdrawn.
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Designation: E2536 – 06
Standard Guide for
1
Assessment of Measurement Uncertainty in Fire Tests
This standard is issued under the fixed designation E2536; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision.Anumber in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval.A
superscript epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
INTRODUCTION
The objective of a measurement is to determine the value of the measurand, that is, the physical
quantity that needs to be measured. Every measurement is subject to error, no matter how carefully
it is conducted. The (absolute) error of a measurement is defined in Eq 1.
All terms in Eq 1 have the units of the physical quantity that is measured. This equation cannot be
used to determine the error of a measurement because the true value is unknown, otherwise a
measurement would not be needed. In fact, the true value of a measurand is unknowable because it
cannot be measured without error. However, it is possible to estimate, with some confidence, the
expected limits of error. This estimate is referred to as the uncertainty of the measurement and
provides a quantitative indication of its quality.
Errors of measurement have two components, a random component and a systematic component.
The former is due to a number of sources that affect a measurement in a random and uncontrolled
manner. Random errors cannot be eliminated, but their effect on uncertainty is reduced by increasing
the number of repeat measurements and by applying a statistical analysis to the results. Systematic
errors remain unchanged when a measurement is repeated under the same conditions. Their effect on
uncertainty cannot be completely eliminated either, but is reduced by applying corrections to account
for the error contribution due to recognized systematic effects. The residual systematic error is
unknown and shall be treated as a random error for the purpose of this standard.
General principles for evaluating and reporting measurement uncertainties are described in the
Guide on Uncertainty of Measurements (GUM). Application of the GUM to fire test data presents
some unique challenges. This standard shows how these challenges can be overcome.
´[ y 2 Y (1)
1.2 Application of this guide is limited to tests that provide
quantitative results in engineering units. This includes, for
where:
example, methods for measuring the heat release rate of
´ = measurement error;
burning specimens based on oxygen consumption calorimetry,
y = measured value of the measurand; and
such as Test Method E1354.
Y = true value of the measurand.
1.3 This guide does not apply to tests that provide results in
the form of indices or binary results (for example, pass/fail).
1. Scope
For example, the uncertainty of the Flame Spread Index
1.1 This guide covers the evaluation and expression of
obtained according to Test Method E84 cannot be determined.
uncertainty of measurements of fire test methods developed
1.4 In some cases additional guidance is required to supple-
andmaintainedbyASTMInternational,basedontheapproach
ment this standard. For example, the expression of uncertainty
presentedintheGUM.Theuseinthisprocessofprecisiondata
of heat release rate measurements at low levels requires
obtained from a round robin is also discussed.
additionalguidanceanduncertaintiesassociatedwithsampling
are not explicitly addressed.
1
ThisguideisunderthejurisdictionofASTMCommitteeE05onFireStandards
1.5 Thisfirestandardcannotbeusedtoprovidequantitative
and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee E05.31 on Terminology and
measures.
Editorial.
Current edition approved Dec. 1, 2006. Published January 2007. DOI: 10.1520/
E2536-06.
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959, United States.
1

---------------------- Page: 1 ----------------------
E2536 – 06
2. Referenced Documents 3.2.9 repeatability (of results of measurements),
2
n—closeness of the agreement between the results of succes-
2.1 ASTM Standards:
siveindependentmeasurementsofthesamemeasurandcarried
E84 Test Method for Surface Burning Characteristics of
out under repeatability conditions.
Building Materials
3.2.10 repeatability conditions, n—onidenticaltestmaterial
E176 Terminology of Fire Standards
using the same measurement procedure, observer(s), and
E230 Specification and Temperature-Electromotive Force
measuring instrument(s) and performed in the same laboratory
(EMF) Tables for Standardized Thermocouples
during a short period of time.
E691 Practice for Conducting an Interlaboratory Study to
3.2.11 reproducibility (of results of measurements), n—
Determine the Precision of a Test Method
closeness of the agreement between the results of measure-
...

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