RE: [AV Media Matters] metal vrs wooden shelving for VHS tape sto

[rohre@ARLUT.UTEXAS.EDU]

Richard Warren makes a very good point about wood and its non conduction of
heat, up to the point that its surface finishes outgas and ingnite, and then
the wood will ignite.  Fire research has shown that laminated true wood
beams
will collapse in a major fire later than steel beams will soften and sag.

My concern is that shelving of "Wood" is rapidly disappearing from the
library
marketplace and is replaced by "wood" that is actually a synthetic mixture
of
wood by-products and glues.  Some of these have a plastic covering such as
vinyl, and thus are not typically heat resistant.  The main risk is that
heat
will soften the binders and glue, and the whole will collapse from its
normal
load weight.  Such shelves have been noted to sag from what would be normal
loading for real "Wood".

At one time I was with a research organization that did fire research, and
building construction is such a science from the standpoint of fire
protection, that archive planners might skim a text on this:  "Building
Construction for the Fire Service" by Francis Brannigan.  Sadly, many
architects are not as current on such hazards, (that Brannigan has studied),
as they should be.

While we are on fire resistant materials, new archive areas in older
structures should check the ceiling tile material as well as wall material.
Drop ceilings come in various grades and fire resistive ratings.  To afford
maximum protection, non compliant ceilings may need to be replaced with a
better product.

Other concerns of archive suited areas include flooring materials, and the
products used to clean an archive area.  Overuse of floor polishing
equipment
and rewaxing, can generate dust and debris that spreads to shelves low to
the
floor.