Chapter 6

1.
What happens when moisture trapped in concrete is heated and expands, causing parts of the concrete to break away?
A)
Cavitation
B)
Scaling
C)
Spalling
D)
Granulation

C)
Spalling

2.
The rate of combustion of wood is most directly related to which factor?
A)
Age
B)
Use of adhesives
C)
Volatility
D)
Surface area

D)
Surface area

3.
Which type of glass is most typically used in fire doors and windows?
A)
Pyrex
B)
Laminated
C)
Wired
D)
Safety

C)
Wired

4.
Which factor describes how readily heat will flow through a material?
A)
Thermal conductivity
B)
Combustibility
C)
Volatility
D)
Reactivity

A)
Thermal conductivity

5.
Which material is prone to spalling under fire conditions?
A)
Steel
B)
Wood
C)
Concrete
D)
Fiberglass

C)
Concrete

6.
Which construction feature presents the greatest collapse hazard?
A)
Steel structural elements
B)
Modern lightweight construction
C)
Balloon construction
D)
Masonry bearing walls

B)
Modern lightweight construction

7.
Which is the most common application for an engineered wood product?
A)
Short load-bearing members
B)
Applications where high fire-resistance is required
C)
Applications where extra-long beams are required
D)
Stair treads and risers

C)
Applications where extra-long beams are required

8.
Which type of construction is heavy timber?
A)
II
B)
III
C)
IV
D)
V

C)
IV

9.
The primary purpose of the __________ is to transfer the weight of the building and its contents to the ground.
A)
foundation
B)
floor joists
C)
piers
D)
purlin

A)
foundation

10.
Which term refers to how a building is used?
A)
Classification
B)
Occupancy
C)
Group
D)
Type

B)
Occupancy

11.
Which metal is used in building construction primarily as a coating to protect metal parts from rust and corrosion?
A)
Zinc
B)
Copper
C)
Manganese
D)
Gypsum

A)
Zinc

12.
Which type of truss has a curved upper member and a straight lower member?
A)
Lightweight
B)
Engineered
C)
Open web
D)
Bowstring

D)
Bowstring

13.
Which is the most likely location of a curtain wall?
A)
Exterior of a high-rise
B)
Open stairwell
C)
Ceiling area of a large, open interior space
D)
High fire hazard industrial facility

A)
Exterior of a high-rise

14.
Fire-retardant wood is treated with:
A)
aluminum oxide.
B)
mineral salts.
C)
calcium sulfate.
D)
urea.

B)
mineral salts.

15.
Which term means the weight of a building without contents?
A)
Net weight
B)
Dead load
C)
Live load
D)
Curb weight

B)
Dead load

16.
Which is an indication of a solid (not veneer) brick wall?
A)
Every seventh course of bricks is turned sideways
B)
Bricks are flat-laid
C)
Mortar joints are tuck-pointed
D)
Brick are laid in a running bond pattern

A)
Every seventh course of bricks is turned sideways

17.
Which is the term for building components consisting of individual pieces of wood glued together?
A)
Engineered
B)
Lightweight
C)
Modular
D)
Manufactured

A)
Engineered

18.
Which is the term for the chemical change that occurs to wood when it is heated?
A)
Catagenesis
B)
Pyrolysis
C)
Reduction
D)
Oxidization

B)
Pyrolysis

19.
The structural components of a Type _____ building must be made of noncombustible materials.
A)
II
B)
III
C)
IV
D)
V

A)
II

20.
Which term is a measure of whether a material will burn?
A)
Conductivity
B)
Combustibility
C)
Pyrolytic index
D)
Specific heat

B)
Combustibility

21.
Which fire hazard is of particular concern with ordinary construction?
A)
Fire extension through void spaces
B)
High fire loading
C)
Difficulty in ventilating the structure
D)
Heat-related failure of steel trusses

A)
Fire extension through void spaces

22.
What is another term for gypsum board?
A)
Chalkboard
B)
Paneling
C)
Cement board
D)
Sheetrock

D)
Sheetrock

23.
Which construction component is composed of smaller pieces joined to form a triangular configuration?
A)
Chord
B)
Precast panel
C)
Glue-lam beam
D)
Truss

D)
Truss

24.
What are laminated glass windows likely to do when exposed to a fire?
A)
Crack but remain in place
B)
Shatter into small nuggets with dull edges
C)
Break irregularly into long, sharp-edged shards
D)
Melt

A)
Crack but remain in place

25.
Which type of wall is used to prevent the spread of fire from one side of the wall to the other?
A)
Curtain
B)
Bearing
C)
Fire
D)
Partition

C)
Fire

26.
Type III construction is usually limited to a maximum height of _____ stories.
A)
2
B)
3
C)
4
D)
5

C)
4

27.
Which statement about structural steel is correct?
A)
Structural steel is very strong under both tension and compression.
B)
Temperatures commonly produced in fires exceed structural steel's melting point.
C)
Structural steel maintains its shape when exposed to high temperatures.
D)
Structural steel is susceptible to fatigue.

A)
Structural steel is very strong under both tension and compression.

28.
Which material is commonly used to protect steel and wood structural members from fire?
A)
Gypsum
B)
Fiberglass
C)
Lightweight concrete slurry
D)
Expanded urethane

A)
Gypsum

29.
A NIOSH study found that unprotected lightweight engineered I-joist floor assemblies fail after _____ minutes of fire exposure.
A)
6
B)
9
C)
12
D)
15

A)
6

30.
In a building fire, you observe warped steel structural members. What is the first and safest action to take?
A)
No specific action is required
B)
Direct a hose stream on the members
C)
Inform the incident commander of your observations
D)
Immediately clear the area

D)
Immediately clear the area

31.
Which type of truss is becoming less common in modern construction?
A)
Parallel chord
B)
Steel bar
C)
Pitched cord
D)
Bowstring

D)
Bowstring

32.
Which is one of the three primary roof designs?
A)
Mansard
B)
Gable
C)
Curved
D)
Hip

C)
Curved

33.
Gypsum board that is exposed to fire for a prolonged time will:
A)
spall.
B)
fail.
C)
delaminate.
D)
warp.

B)
fail.

34.
What is plasterboard commonly used for?
A)
Shear wall
B)
Roof fascia and soffits
C)
Roof sheathing
D)
Interior walls and ceilings

D)
Interior walls and ceilings

35.
Which construction feature is most commonly found in Type V buildings?
A)
Pre-stressed concrete
B)
Treated lumber
C)
Bar joists
D)
Platform-frame construction

D)
Platform-frame construction

36.
Which statement is correct about glass blocks in a wall?
A)
Glass blocks are extremely difficult to breach.
B)
Glass blocks quickly fail under fire conditions.
C)
The wall will contain structural steel.
D)
They are not used in load-bearing walls.

D)
They are not used in load-bearing walls

37.
Which is a standard component of a CMU?
A)
Gypsum overlay
B)
Steel reinforcing rods
C)
Thermal expansion joints
D)
I-bars

B)
Steel reinforcing rods

38.
Which is one of the four key characteristics affecting the behavior of building materials under fire conditions?
A)
Composition
B)
Combustibility
C)
Load
D)
Stability

B)
Combustibility

39.
Which type of construction is called ordinary construction?
A)
I
B)
II
C)
III
D)
IV

C)
III

40.
Which term means the weight of a building's contents?
A)
Dead load
B)
Gross building weight
C)
Live load
D)
Tare weight

C)
Live load

41.
What is a bar joist?
A)
Any engineered component with steel load-bearing members
B)
A truss with steel parallel members and wood diagonals
C)
An open-web steel truss
D)
A steel I-beam used to support a floor or roof

C)
An open-web steel truss

42.
Type II construction is referred to as:
A)
ordinary.
B)
fire resistive.
C)
fire retardant.
D)
noncombustible.

D)
noncombustible.

43.
What is Type V construction?
A)
Fire resistive
B)
Wood frame
C)
Ordinary
D)
Lightweight

B)
Wood frame

44.
Which material is a component of mortar?
A)
Pea gravel
B)
Diatomaceous earth
C)
Lime
D)
Calcium sulfate

C)
Lime

45.
Which statement about masonry materials is correct?
A)
Masonry materials are susceptible to pyrolysis.
B)
Masonry materials have high thermal conductivity.
C)
Masonry materials expand significantly when heated.
D)
Masonry materials are fire resistive.

D)
Masonry materials are fire resistive.

46.
Which construction assembly is the most susceptible to total failure resulting from the failure of a small section?
A)
Cantilever
B)
Truss
C)
Bearing wall
D)
Roof panel

B)
Truss

47.
Which is a disadvantage of fire-resistive construction?
A)
The lack of built-in fire protection systems
B)
Non-fire-resistive structural members
C)
Difficulty in extinguishing the fire
D)
Susceptibility to water damage

C)
Difficulty in extinguishing the fire

48.
Which is the term for plastics that will melt under fire conditions?
A)
Thermoset
B)
Amorphous
C)
Thermoplastic
D)
Pyrolytic

C)
Thermoplastic

49.
Which wood-frame construction system uses studs that run continuously from the basement to the roof?
A)
Western
B)
Balloon frame
C)
Conventional
D)
Platform

B)
Balloon frame

50.
If heated to a temperature of 1000ºF (540ºC), how far can a 100-foot (30-meter) steel beam elongate?
A)
6 inches (15 mm)
B)
9 inches (23 mm)
C)
12 inches (30 mm)
D)
15 inches (38 mm)

B)
9 inches (23 mm)

51.
Which construction method is particularly susceptible to extension of fire upward through walls?
A)
Balloon frame
B)
Ordinary
C)
Heavy timber
D)
Platform

A)
Balloon frame

52.
What is the lower structural member of a truss called?
A)
Chord
B)
Beam
C)
Girder
D)
Cantilever

A)
Chord

53.
Which is one of the four key characteristics affecting the behavior of building materials under fire conditions?
A)
Thermal conductivity
B)
Surface area/mass ratio
C)
Porosity
D)
Density

A)
Thermal conductivity

54.
Which is another term for gypsum board?
A)
Lath
B)
OSB
C)
Drywall
D)
Stucco

C)
Drywall

55.
Which tool is commonly used to provide a secure work platform for fire fighters working on a pitched roof?
A)
Roof ladder
B)
Halligan
C)
Pike pole
D)
Safety rope

A)
Roof ladder

56.
What does steel do when heat?
A)
Contract
B)
Harden
C)
Elongate
D)
Spall

C)
Elongate

57.
Which is a commonly used structural material in a Type I building?
A)
Treated wood
B)
Engineered wood
C)
Protected steel
D)
Oriented-strand board

C)
Protected steel