BOF FF1 Chapter 4*23 Building Construction

What determines the type of building construction?

the construction materials and and their resistance to fire exposure

Which construction type provides the highest level of protection from fire spread as well as structural collapse?

Type I construction (fire-resistive construction)

What type of materials are found in Type V construction?

wood or other combustible framing materials (veneer of stucco, brick or stone) in structural elements, walls, and roofs; modern/vinyl siding; adhesives/industrial glues

What is the most common type of factory-built home?

Manufactured/mobile homes

What materials can floor and ceiling assemblies be constructed of?

(floor) poured/reinforced concrete, cellular concrete over metal decking, wood/tile/carpet over wood subfloor attached to metal or wood joists (ceiling) gypsum board, tin tiles, lath and plaster attached to joists/ roof trusses/ beams

What are fire walls?

walls providing seperation to meet the requirement of a specified fire-resistance rating; seperate 2 adjourning structures or 2 occupancy classifications within the same structure to slow the spread of fire from one to another

What are some challenges that basements and stairs present to fire fighting operations?

fire can damage floor joists and load bearing walls that support the upper floor and structure, stairs can provide a flow path for the movement of air/fire gases/smoke throughout structure, stairs presents fall danger in low visibility; no exterior access for openings to vent/flow water/gain entry

What are the key construction features that affect fire growth and fire fighting in basements?

No exterior access; Limited exterior access; Exterior access

What should a firefighter do to maintain the integrity of the stairwell on protected stairs?

control the doors to maintain integrity of the stairwell; only secure the doors open when no endagerment occurs

What can influence the type and construction of a roof?

geographic location

What are the three common roof shapes?

flat, pitched, and arched

How can unprotected lightweight open web joists be protected from fire?

by covering them with fire resistant material; to enclose each truss assembly within a gypsum wall board; coat each truss assembly with spray on fire resistant material

What challenge do lightweight concrete roofs pose during fire fighting operations?

time, corrosion, moisture, or exposure to heat may cause concrete to seperate from metal reinforcement and degrade its structural integrity

What are some examples of roof penetrations and openings?

scuttle hatches, monitors, ventilation shaft, penthouse or bulkhead doors, HVAC exhausts, attic vents, skylights, automatic smoke vents, ventilation fans, chimneys, bathroom vents, and dormers

When should roof modifications be identified?

during pre-incident surveys

How can a door be used as a fire fighting tool?

slow path control; to control fire spread by confining smoke and heat or as an entry/exit point during rescue and ventilation

What are some challenges revolving doors can present during fire fighting operations?

can prevent the movement of hose or equipment into a building; people fleeing poses a problem

Which type of panel or flush door can work as a fire barrier during a fire?

Solid-core doors

What is the purpose of a fire door?

these protect openings in fire rated walls and block the spread of fire within a structure

What are some of the components of a window?

Window frame, sash, and sill

Where might you find a fixed window?

over and around doors, in skylights, in residential applications

What are some types of movable windows?

Double hung, single hung, casement, horizontal sliding, awning and hopper, jalousie, projecting, and pivoting

How can security windows affect fire fighting operations?

prevent the escape of trapped occupants or firefighters and slow access time for firefighters as they must be removed or disabled

Bowstring Truss

Lightweight truss design noted by the bow shape, or curve, of the top chord.

Cast-in-Place Concrete

Common type of concrete construction. Refers to concrete that is poured into forms as a liquid and assumes the shape of the form in the position and location it will be used.

Cockloft

Concealed space between the top floor and the roof of a structure.

Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT)

Construction method employing the use of large-scale, prefabricated solid engineered panels consisting of several layers of kiln-dried boards stacked in alternating directions. These boards are bonded together using structural adhesives and pressed into solid, straight, rectangular panels.

Dead Load

Weight of the structure, structural members, building components, and any other features permanently attached to the building that are constant and immobile.

Eave

The edge of a pitched roof that overhangs an outside wall. Attic vents in typical eaves provide an avenue for an exterior fire to enter the attic.

Factory-Built Home

Structure that is partially or completely built in a factory and shipped to the location on which it is to be installed.

Fiberglass

Composite material consisting of glass fibers embedded in resin.

Fire Door

Specially constructed, tested, and approved fire-rated door assembly designed and installed to prevent fire spread by automatically closing and covering a doorway in a fire wall to block the spread of fire through the door opening.

Fire-Resistance Rating

Rating assigned to a material or assembly after standardized testing by an independent testing organization; identifies the amount of time a material or assembly will resist a typical fire, as measured on a standard time-temperature curve.

Fire Stop

Solid materials, such as wood blocks, used to prevent or limit the vertical and horizontal spread of fire and the products of combustion in hollow walls or floors, above false ceilings, in penetrations for plumbing or electrical installations, in penetrations of a fire-rated assembly, or in cocklofts and crawl spaces.

Fire Wall

Fire-rated wall with a specified degree of fire resistance, built of fire-resistive materials and usually extending from the foundation up to and through the roof of a building; designed to limit the spread of a fire within a structure or between adjacent structures.

Glue-Laminated Beam

Wooden structural member composed of many relatively short pieces of lumber glued and laminated together under pressure to form a long, extremely strong beam.

Gusset Plates

Metal or wooden plates used to connect and strengthen the joints of two or more separate components (such as metal or wooden truss components or roof or floor components) into a load-bearing unit.

Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) System

Mechanical system used to provide environmental control within a structure, and the equipment necessary to make it function; usually a single, integrated unit with a complex system of ducts throughout the building.

Hollow-Core Door

Lightweight door with wood, plastic, or fiberboard interior spacers separating the face panels rather than solid material.

Hybrid Modular Structure

Structure consisting of the elements of both modular design and panelized construction. Core modular units are assembled first, and panels are added to complete the structure.

Joists

Horizontal structural members used to support a ceiling or floor. Drywall materials are nailed or screwed to the ceiling joists, and the subfloor is nailed or screwed to the floor joists.

Lightweight Steel Truss

Structural support made from a long steel bar that is bent at a 90-degree angle with flat or angular pieces welded to the top and bottom.

Load-Bearing Wall

Wall of a building that by design carries at least some part of the structural load of the building in the direction of the ground or base.

Manufactured Home

Dwelling that is the assembly of four major components

Masonry

Bricks, blocks, stones, and unreinforced and reinforced concrete products.

Means of Egress

Pathway to an exit or public way that includes the exit access, exit, and exit discharge.

Modular Home

Structure assembled at the factory in two or more all-inclusive sections. All utilities and millwork are also installed at the factory and connected when the structure is delivered to a site.

Nonload-Bearing Wall

Wall, usually interior, that supports only its own weight. These walls can be breached or removed without compromising the structural integrity of the building. Also known as Nonbearing Wall.

Open Web Joist

Joist with a web composed of materials that do not fill the entire web space. Examples include steel bars or tubes.

Oriented Strand Board (OSB)

A wooden structural panel formed by gluing and compressing wood strands together under pressure. This material has replaced plywood and planking in the majority of construction applications. Roof decks, walls, and subfloors are all commonly made of OSB.

Panelized Home

Home assembled on-site consisting of constructed panels made of foam insulation sandwiched between sheets of plywood. The panels are assembled on-site and require no framing members.

Parallel Chord Truss

A truss constructed with the top and bottom chords parallel. These trusses are used as floor joists in multistory buildings and as ceiling joists in buildings with flat roofs.

Parapet

Portion of the exterior walls of a building that extends above the roof. A low wall at the edge of a roof.

Party Wall

Dividing wall that stands between two adjoining buildings or units, often on the property line, and is common to both buildings; almost always a load-bearing wall and usually serves as a fire wall.

Photovoltaic Roof

Roof that features a solar panel array that is designed to provide electricity to the structure. Existing roofs may have the panels retrofitted. Some roofs are built with the solar panels integrated into the roof surface itself.

Photovoltaic (PV) System

An arrangement of components that conveys electrical power to an energy system by converting solar energy into direct current (DC) electricity.

Precast Concrete

Method of building construction where the concrete building member is poured and set according to specification in a controlled environment and is then shipped to the construction site for use.

Protected Stair

Stair with code-required, fire-rated enclosure construction; intended to protect occupants as they make their way through the stair enclosure.

Protected Steel

Steel structural members that are covered with either spray-on fire proofing (an insulating barrier) or fully encased in a UL Solutions-tested and approved system.

Purlin

Horizontal member between trusses that support the roof.

Rafter

Inclined beam that supports a roof, runs parallel to the slope of the roof, and to which the roof decking is attached.

Rain or Snow Roof

A second roof constructed over an existing roof

Reinforced Concrete

Concrete that is internally fortified with steel reinforcement bars or mesh placed within the concrete before it hardens. Reinforcement allows the concrete to resist tensile forces.

Ridge

The horizontal line at the junction of the top edges of two sloping roof surfaces.

Solid-Core Door

Door whose entire core is filled with solid material.

Stud

An upright post in the framework of a wall for supporting sheets of lath and plaster, wallboard, or similar material.

Tilt-Up Construction

Type of construction in which concrete wall sections (slabs) are cast on the concrete floor of the building, then tilted up into the vertical position. Also known as Tilt-Slab Construction.

Truss

Structural member used to form a roof or floor framework; form triangles or combinations of triangles to provide maximum load-bearing capacity with a minimum amount of material.

Type I Construction

Construction type in which structural members, including walls, columns, beams, floors, and roofs, are made of noncombustible or limited-combustible materials and have a specified degree of fire resistance.

Type II Construction

Construction type that is similar to Type I except that the degree of fire resistance is lower.

Type III Construction

Construction type in which exterior walls and structural members are made of noncombustible or limited-combustible materials, but interior structural members, including walls, columns, beams, floors, and roofs, are completely or partially constructed of wood.

Type IV Construction

Heavy timber construction in which interior or exterior walls and their associated structural members are made of noncombustible or limited combustible materials, but interior structural members, including walls, columns, beams, floors, and roofs, are completely or partially constructed of wood

Type V Construction

Construction type in which exterior walls, bearing walls, floors, roofs, and supports are made completely or partially of wood or other approved materials of smaller dimensions than those used in Type IV construction