Chapter 7: Building Construction - Chief Concepts

Front 1

Based on a structure’s ___________ classification, a fire fighter can predict who is likely to be inside the building. For example, a bank is unlikely to have occupants at 3 am.

Back 1

occupancy

Front 2

___________ ___________ are usually related to the occupancy of the structure. For example, a warehouse is likely to store goods or chemicals, whereas an apartment building is likely to be filled with human occupants and furniture.

Back 2

Building contents

Front 3

The most commonly used building materials are:

Back 3

wood, engineered wood products, masonry, concrete, steel, aluminum, glass, gypsum board, and plastics

Front 4

The key factors that affect the behavior of each of these materials under fire conditions are:

Back 4

combustibility, thermal conductivity, decrease in strength at elevated temperatures, and thermal expansion when heated

Front 5

___________ includes stone, concrete blocks, and brick. These types of components are usually bonded together with mortar.

Back 5

Masonry

Front 6

Masonry is ________ ___________ and a poor _________ of heat. Even so, a masonry structure can collapse under fire conditions if the roof or floor assembly collapses.

Back 6

fire resistive / conductor

Front 7

___________ is a fire-resistive material that does not conduct heat well. It is often used to insulate other building materials from fire. _________ does not lose strength when exposed to high temperatures. Steel reinforcing rods are often embedded within this material to strengthen it.

Back 7

Concrete / Concrete

Front 8

Under high heat from fire, a fire may convert trapped moisture in the concrete to steam and create __________; severe ___________ can, in turn, expose steel reinforcing rods to heat.

Back 8

spalling/spalling

Front 9

________ is often used in the structural framework of buildings. It is strong and resistant to aging, but can rust. ________ is not fire resistive and conducts heat. Steel both expands and loses strength when heated.

Back 9

Steel / Steel

Front 10

The risk of failure of a _______ structure depends on the mass of the steel components, the loads placed on them, and the methods used to connect the components.

Back 10

steel

Front 11

Any sign of bending, sagging, or stretching of steel structural members should be viewed as a warning of _______________ ____________.

Back 11

imminent collapse

Front 12

Glass is noncombustible but not ____________. Ordinary glass will usually break when exposed to fire. Tempered glass is stronger and more difficult to break. Laminated glass is likely to crack and remain in place when exposed to fire. Glass blocks have limited strength and are not intended to be used as part of a load-bearing wall. Wired glass incorporates wires that hold the glass together and prevent it from breaking when exposed to heat.

Back 12

fire resistive

Front 13

_____________ is commonly used to cover the interior walls and ceilings of residences. It is manufactured in large sheets consisting of a layer of compacted gypsum sandwiched between two layers of specially produced paper. ___________________ has limited combustibility and does not conduct or release heat to contribute to fire spread. It may fail if exposed to fire for extended periods.

Back 13

Gypsum board

Front 14

_______________ ___________ products are also called manufactured board, manmade wood, or composite wood. These products are manufactured from small pieces of wood that are held together with glue or adhesives (e.g., urea-formaldehyde resins, phenol-formaldehyde resins, melamine-formaldehyde resins, and polyurethane resins). ______________ __________ products may warp under high humidity and release toxic fumes during a fire.

Back 14

Engineered wood / Engineered wood

Front 15

The most important characteristic of wood and engineered wood products is their high _____________.

Back 15

combustibility

Front 16

The rate at which ignites, burns, and decomposes depends on several factors:

Back 16

ignition, moisture, density, preheating, and the size and form

Front 17

Wood cannot be treated to make it completely __________, but it can be made to be more difficult to ignite and burn through application of a _______-______ ________________.

Back 17

noncombustible / fire-retardant treatment

Front 18

___________ are rarely used for structural support but may be found throughout a building. The combustibility of ___________ varies greatly. Many ___________ produce quantities of heavy, dense, dark smoke and release high concentrations of toxic gases.

Back 18

Plastics

Front 19

The Five Type of Building Construction

Back 19

Type I, II, III, IV, V

Front 20

Type ___ construction: _______ _______ —Can withstand and contain a fire for a specified period of time. All of the structural members and components used in this construction must be made of noncombustible materials and constructed so that it provides at least 2 hours of fire resistance. Under extreme fire conditions, a Type ___ building can collapse.

Back 20

I / fire resistive

Front 21

Type ____ construction: _______________ —Includes structural components made of noncombustible materials. The fire severity is determined by the contents in the building.

Back 21

II / noncombustible

Front 22

Type ____ construction: __________ —Used in a wide variety of buildings, ranging from strip malls to small apartment buildings. These buildings have masonry exterior walls and interior structural members constructed of wood. The resulting structure may have void spaces that can allow fire spread.

Back 22

III / ordinary

Front 23

Type ____ construction: _____ _________—Structure with masonry construction and interior walls, columns, beams, floor assemblies, and a roof structure made of heavy wood. It has no concealed spaces or voids. The columns, support beams, floor assemblies, and roof assemblies will withstand a fire much longer than the smaller wood members used in ordinary construction.

Back 23

IV / Heavy Timber

Front 24

Type __ construction: ______ _______—All of the major components are constructed of wood or other combustible materials. Type __ is the most common type of construction used today. Many of these structures do not have any fire-resistive components. Fire detection devices and automatic sprinklers are the most effective way of protecting lives in these buildings.

Back 24

V / wood frame

Front 25

In a _________-__________ building, an open channel extends from the foundation to the attic that can enable hidden fire to spread throughout the structure.

Back 25

balloon-frame

Front 26

__________-_________ construction is used in most modern construction. In this building technique, each level is constructed as a separate platform. At each level, the floor platform blocks the path of any fire rising within the void spaces.

Back 26

Platform-frame

Front 27

Every building contains the following 8 major components:

Back 27

• Foundation
• Floors and ceilings
• Roof
• Trusses
• Walls
• Doors
• Windows
• Interior finished and floor coverings

Front 28

____________: Usually constructed of concrete or masonry and designed to transfer the weight of the building and its contents to the ground.

Back 28

Foundation

Front 29

____________ : Might be designed to resist fires and might have no fire-resistant capabilities. In a fire-resistive building, the floor is designed to prevent a fire from spreading vertically and to prevent a collapse when a fire occurs in the space below the floor–ceiling assembly. Wood floor structures are common in non-fire-resistive construction. The _______ is considered to be part of the floor assembly.

Back 29

Floors and ceilings

Front 30

____________: Designed to protect the inside of the building from the weather. _______ are constructed in three primary designs: pitched, curved, and flat. The major components of a _______ assembly are the supporting structure, the roof deck, and the roof covering.

Back 30

Roof

Front 31

___________: A structural component composed of smaller pieces joined to form a triangular configuration or a system of triangles. _________ are used as support systems for both floors and roofs. The strength of a truss depends on its members as well as the connections between them. The types of trusses include parallel chord _______ , pitched chord truss, and bowstring _______ . Depending on their construction, ________ may fail when exposed to heat and fire.

Back 31

Trusses

Front 32

__________: Either load bearing or nonbearing. Load-bearing ______ provide structural support. Nonbearing walls support only their own weight.

Back 32

Walls

Front 33

___________: Typically constructed of either wood or metal. Hollow-core wooden _______ are often used inside buildings and can be easily opened. Metal doors are more durable and fire resistant.

Back 33

Doors

Front 34

___________: Used frequently by fire fighters as entry points to attack a fire and as emergency exits.

Back 34

Windows

Front 35

__________________: The exposed interior surfaces of a building. Different interior finish materials contribute in various ways to a structure fire. For example, plastics emit toxic gases when they burn.

Back 35

Interior finished and floor coverings

Front 36

Buildings _________ ____________ or ____________ often lack fire protection features and present additional hazards to fire fighters.

Back 36

under construction / demolition

Front 37

The __________ plan should contain information on the structure’s type of building construction.

Back 37

preincident