Evaluation of the Structural Integrity of an Aircraft Loading Walkway Under Severe Fuel-Spill Fire Conditions

A full-scale fire test was conducted to determine the capability of an aircraft loading walkway to provide a safe emergency egress route for passengers from an aircraft when it is exposed to severe fuel-spill fire conditions in terms of structural integrity and of maintaining survivable environmental conditions within the structure. Fire exposure of the walkway indicated that the structural integrity of the walkway maintained throughout the 10 minute fire exposure period and that the most serious problem confronting passengers passing through the tunnel would be caused by smoke and the pyrolysis of the underside of the plywood flooring adjacent to the corrugated steel shell. Small-scale laboratory tests of modified floor panels indicated that by employing thermally stable load-bearing materials the quantity of pyrolysis products and smoke can be controlled within the walkway.