"This Standard covers fire endurance tests applicable to walls, partitions, floors, roofs, ceilings, columns, beams, and girders, as well as to some components of these building sub-assemblies.

It is the intent that the fire endurance period established by this test method indicates performance only during the fire exposure period and shall not be construed as having determined suitability for use after fire exposure.

The fire exposure and hose stream tests are not intended to be representative of all fire conditions. It is likely that conditions will vary with changes in the amount, nature and distribution of fire, loading, ventilation, size and configuration of assembly installed. This fire endurance test Standard provides a relative measure of fire performance of comparable assemblies under specified fire exposure conditions.

This new edition includes test requirements to address loaded unrestrained beams using the deflection criteria as an alternative to the beam temperature criteria."