Frances Brannigan---Building Construction Test Brannigan's Building Construction For The Fire Service 4Th Ed. Glossary

Front 1

Admixture:

Back 1

A material other than water, aggregate, and cement used as an ingredient in concrete or mortar.

Front 2

Adobe:

Back 2

Large, roughly molded, sun-dried clay units of varying sizes.

Front 3

Aggregate:

Back 3

Any of a variety of materials, such as sand and gravel, added to a cement mixture to make concrete.

Front 4

Air flow

Back 4

The use of high air velocity to stop smoke movement.

Front 5

Aluminum

Back 5

A lightweight metal that is both malleable and nonmagnetic. This material has very good conductivity. This noncombustible material that has a low melting point and little mass per unit of area, so it disintegrates rapidly in fire

Front 6

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

Back 6

A set of regulations passed in 1990 that includes, among other things, regulations requiring areas of refuge for disabled people in multistory buildings.

Front 7

Anchor stores

Back 7

Large stores (often department stores) attached to the mall that have all of their required exits independent of the mall.

Front 8

Angles

Back 8

Steel members that have two legs at right angles to one another.

Front 9

Arch

Back 9

Combines the function of a beam and a column.

Front 10

Arched truss

Back 10

A truss with an arched upper chord and a straight bottom chord, with vertical hangers between the two chords.

Front 11

Architect

Back 11

An individual who is engaged in the design of buildings and who often supervises construction.

Front 12

Area of refuge

Back 12

An area of a building separated from other spaces by fire-rated smoke barriers in which a tenable environment is maintained for the period of time that such areas may need to be occupied at the time of a fire.

Front 13

Asbestos cement shingle

Back 13

A “fireproof” roofing shingle that is composed of cement reinforced with asbestos fibers.

Front 14

Ashlar masonry

Back 14

Stone cut in rectangular units.

Front 15

Asphalt asbestos protected metal (AAPM)

Back 15

Asphalt coating that is combustible and used as a weather-protective coating on galvanized steel walls.

Front 16

Asphalt felt siding (gasoline siding)

Back 16

Manufactured by saturating a dry felt with asphalt, then coating it with a fine glass fiber.

Front 17

Atria

Back 17

A large open space within a structure connecting two or more floors.

Front 18

Automatic-wet standpipe system

Back 18

Standpipe system attached to a water supply capable of supplying the system demand at all times, requires no action other than opening a hose valve to provide water at hose connections.

Front 19

Axial load

Back 19

A load that passes through the centroid of a section under construction and is perpendicular to the plane of the section.

Front 20

Backdraft

Back 20

Burning of heated gaseous products of combustion when oxygen is introduced into an environment whose oxygen supply has been depleted due to fire, often occurs with explosive force.

Front 21

Bagasse

Back 21

Low-density fiberboard made of wood fibers or sugar cane residue.

Front 22

Balloon frame

Back 22

A wooden structure in which all vertical studs in the exterior bearing walls extend the full height of the frame from sill to roof. No firestops are within the walls.

Front 23

Bar joist

Back 23

Lightweight steel truss joist.

Front 24

Bars

Back 24

Plates less than six inches in width, may be square or round.

Front 25

Batt insulation

Back 25

Fiberglass or rock-wool insulation with various thicknesses. May or may not have a paper covering.

Front 26

Batten

Back 26

A type of siding that uses vertical strips of wood to cover joints.

Front 27

Beam

Back 27

A structural member which transmits forces perpendicular to such forces to the reaction points.

Front 28

Bottom plate

Back 28

Laid on the subfloor where the vertical studs are installed.

Front 29

Box column

Back 29

A large hollow column built from steel plates.

Front 30

Box girder

Back 30

A large girder, hollow like box columns, and often used for highway bridges.

Front 31

Bracket

Back 31

Diagonal member that supports what would otherwise be a cantilever.

Front 32

Brick

Back 32

A solid or hollow masonry unit of clay mixed with sand, which is molded into a small rectangular shape while in a plastic state.

Front 33

Brick and block-composite wall

Back 33

Consists of an exterior wythe of brick directly mortared or parged to an inner wythe of concrete masonry unit (CMU).

Front 34

Brick or stone noggin

Back 34

Brick and mortar filling between studs utilized as a makeshift fire barrier.

Front 35

Bridging

Back 35

Braces placed between parallel frame members to prevent movement from their vertical axes. Also known as cross-bracing.

Front 36

Btu

Back 36

British thermal unit.The quantity of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 pound of water 1°F at the pressure of 1 atmosphere and temperature of 60°F.

Front 37

Building code

Back 37

Regulates the actual design and construction of new buildings, providing for minimum levels of health and safety. Regulates the level and amount of fire protection in a new structure.

Front 38

Built-up girder

Back 38

Made of steel plates and angles riveted together, as distinguished from one rolled from one piece of steel.

Front 39

Bulb tee

Back 39

A tee where the end of the cutoff is thickened.

Front 40

Bulkhead

Back 40

An upright partition that divides a ship into compartments and is meant to prevent the spread of leakage or fire.

Front 41

Buttress

Back 41

Mass of masonry built against a wall to strengthen it. Necessary when a vault or an arch places a heavy load or thrust on one part of a wall.

Front 42

Cables

Back 42

Special high-strength, cold-drawn steel cables. Also referred to as strands or tendons.

Front 43

Caisson

Back 43

A shaft of concrete placed under a building column or wall extending down to bedrock.

Front 44

Calcination

Back 44

The deterioration of a product by heating to high temperatures.

Front 45

Caloric value

Back 45

Measured in British thermal units (Btus); the amount of heat required to raise 1 pound of water 1 degree Fahrenheit.

Front 46

Cantilever beam

Back 46

A beam supported at one end only, rigidly held in position at that end.

Front 47

Cantilever floor collapse

Back 47

A collapse in which one end of the floor is still supported while the other end is unsupported. Voids can be created in such situations.

Front 48

Cantilever wall

Back 48

A free-standing wall unsecured at the top, which acts like a cantilever beam with respect to lateral loads, such as wind or a hose stream.

Front 49

Cantilevered

Back 49

An overhang supported from only one end where one floor extends beyond and over a foundation wall.

Front 50

Carbon dioxide system

Back 50

Used to protect materials that can be damaged by water. Uses carbon dioxide to suppress the fire.

Front 51

Cast iron box

Back 51

An iron box built into a wall to receive the end of a girder.

Front 52

Cast-in-place concrete

Back 52

Includes plain concrete, reinforced concrete, and post-tensioned concrete. This concrete is molded in the location in which it is expected to remain.

Front 53

Casting

Back 53

A process of placing fluid concrete into molds, generally called forms, in which the concrete is permitted to harden to a certain shape.

Front 54

Cavity or hollow wall

Back 54

Built of two wythes (a single vertical thickness of masonry) separated by a space for rain drainage or insulation.

Front 55

Cavity wall

Back 55

Hollow wall in which wythes are tied together with steel ties or masonry trusses.

Front 56

Cement-asbestos board

Back 56

Cement-asbestos board Noncombustible material often used for friable construction.

Front 57

Centroid

Back 57

The center point at which a body would be stable, or balance, under the influence of gravity.

Front 58

Chairs

Back 58

Small devices designed to keep the rods up off the surface of the form, so concrete will flow underneath.

Front 59

Chamfer

Back 59

To cut off the corners of a timber to retard ignition.

Front 60

Channel

Back 60

Steel structural component that has a square U-shaped cross-section

Front 61

Chipboard

Back 61

Wood chips that are glued together to make flat sheets. Often used in the floor construction of mobile homes.

Front 62

Chord

Back 62

An outside member of a truss, as opposed to the inner “webbed members.”

Front 63

Civil engineer

Back 63

An engineer who specializes in the design of parking lots, drainage areas, and roadways.

Front 64

Clean agent system

Back 64

Gaseous fire extinguishing agent that does not leave a residue when it dissipates.

Front 65

Cockloft

Back 65

Void space between the top floor ceiling and the roof.
Very common in Type 3 ordinary construction buildings

Front 66

Cold smoke

Back 66

Smoke that falls downward.

Front 67

Cold-drawn steel

Back 67

Used in the construction of cables that are sometimes used to brace failing buildings or as tendons in tensioned concrete. It fails at 800° Fahrenheit.

Front 68

Column

Back 68

A vertical structural compression member with support loads.

Front 69

Combustible acoustical tile

Back 69

Fiberboard in which holes have been punched.

Front 70

Compartmentation

Back 70

Subdivision of a building into small areas so that fire or smoke is confined to the room or section in which it originates.

Front 71

Composite

Back 71

Built up of different parts, pieces or materials.

Front 72

Composite and combination columns

Back 72

Columns that use steel and concrete combined into one unit.

Front 73

Composite construction

Back 73

Buildings in which different load-bearing materials are used in different areas of the building.

Front 74

Composite material

Back 74

Built up of different parts, pieces and materials, intended to act as one unit.

Front 75

Composite wall

Back 75

Two different masonry materials, such as brick and concrete block, used in a wall and designed to react as one unit under load.

Front 76

Compression

Back 76

Direct pushing force, in line with the axis member; the opposite of tension.

Front 77

Concentrated load

Back 77

A load acting on a very small area of the structure’s surface; the exact opposite of a distributed load.

Front 78

Concrete masonry unit

Back 78

Precast hollow or solid structural block. Sometimes referred to as cinder block.

Front 79

Concrete topping

Back 79

Concrete placed over the first floor wood floors for fire resistance or to provide sanitary floors.

Front 80

Conflagration

Back 80

Rapid involvement of a fire situation that goes beyond the normal attack situations that fire departments encounter.

Front 81

Conflagration breeder

Back 81

A building which provides such exposure problems that it is capable of creating fire which is capable of being contained.

Front 82

Connector

Back 82

The means by which truss systems are connected together.

Front 83

Construction safety regulations

Back 83

Occupational health and safety regulations (enforced by state and/or federal authorities such as OSHA, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration) that apply to construction sites. These include provisions to prevent falls (through the use of safety barriers) and protection from being hit or crushed.

Front 84

Continuous beam

Back 84

A beam supported at three or more points. Structurally advantageous because if the span between two supports is overloaded, the rest of the beam assists in carrying the load.

Front 85

Continuous casting

Back 85

Process for casting or pouring concrete without interruption from start to finish.

Front 86

Continuous slipforming

Back 86

Pouring concrete continuously as forms move upward so that continuous casting may be accomplished.

Front 87

Control area

Back 87

A building or portion of a building within which hazardous materials are allowed to be stored, dispensed, used, or handled in quanti­ties not exceeding the maximum allowable quan­tities.

Front 88

Corbelled

Back 88

A series of projections, each one stepped progressively outward from the vertical face of the wall as it rises up to support a cornice or overhanging member above.

Front 89

Core construction

Back 89

No external braces involved; bracing is done within the core of the structure.

Front 90

Corrugated metal siding

Back 90

Grooved panels utilized on industrial buildings of wood or steel framing. Poses an electrical hazard from stray electrical wires or lightning.

Front 91

Corrugation

Back 91

Grooved ridged material, often metal.

Front 92

Course

Back 92

A horizontal line of masonry.

Front 93

Covered mall

Back 93

A single building enclosing a number of tenants, including retail stores, drinking and dining establishments, entertainment facilities, offices, and other similar uses where the tenants have an opening onto one or more malls.

Front 94

Cross wall

Back 94

Any wall set at a right angle to any other wall; the walls should brace one another.

Front 95

Crosslot bracing

Back 95

Internal bracing that transfers the lateral earth pressures between opposing walls through compressive struts.

Front 96

Cured

Back 96

Concrete that is hardened to full strength.

Front 97

Curtain fall wall collapse

Back 97

Often associated with brick veneer non-load-bearing walls, but also including other masonry walls. The wall falls like a curtain—straight down.

Front 98

Curtain wall

Back 98

A non-load-bearing wall that carries no weight other than its own. It is installed only to keep out the weather.

Front 99

Damper

Back 99

Valve or plate for controlling draft or the flow of gases, including air.

Front 100

Dead load

Back 100

The weight of a building; the dead load consists of the weight of all materials of construction incorporated into a building, including but not limited to walls, floor, roofs, ceilings, stairways, built-in partitions, finishes, cladding, and other similarly incorporated architectural and structural items, as well as fixed service equipment, including the weight of cranes.

Front 101

Deflects

Back 101

The deformation or displacement of a structural member as a result of loads acting on it.

Front 102

Demand area

Back 102

Gallons per minute per square foot required within a sprinkler system.

Front 103

Demising wall

Back 103

Wall bounding a tenant space.

Front 104

Density

Back 104

The unit rate of water application to an area or surface; expressed in gpm/ft2 [(L/min)/m2].

Front 105

Dewatering pump

Back 105

A pump that removes water from the ground or excavations that hinders construction from an area of the site.

Front 106

Diagonal brace

Back 106

Braces set at an angle which connect columns and are often concealed within walls.

Front 107

Diaphragm floor

Back 107

Designed to stiffen a building against wind and other lateral loads such as earthquakes.

Front 108

Dog iron

Back 108

Connects the girders and imparts some lateral stability under normal conditions; resembles a big staple.

Front 109

Drop panel

Back 109

Thicker section of floor on top of columns to assist in resisting the natural tendency of the floor to shear off at the column.

Front 110

Dry chemical system

Back 110

An automatic fire extinguishing system that discharges a dry chemical agent.

Front 111

Early suppression fast response (ESFR)

Back 111

A type of fast-response sprinkler capable of providing fire suppression of specific high-challenge fire ­hazards.

Front 112

Eccentric load

Back 112

A force which is perpendicular to the plane of the section but does not pass through the center of the section.

Front 113

Egress

Back 113

Adequate exits within a building.

Front 114

Electrical contractor

Back 114

Subcontractor hired by the contractor to oversee all electrical installation.

Front 115

Electrical engineer

Back 115

Specializes in the design of lighting, power telecommunications, and emergency power of a structure.

Front 116

End matched

Back 116

Lumber with tongues and grooves at the ends.

Front 117

Engineered wood

Back 117

In the construction trade, this typically refers to laminated timbers. In this text, it refers to wood modified from its natural state.

Front 118

English Tudor

Back 118

Balloon-frame structure finished to resemble post and frame construction.

Front 119

Excess flow valve

Back 119

Valve that senses a sudden increased flow, as from a broken line, and shuts off flammable gas.

Front 120

Exit

Back 120

That portion of a means of egress that is separated from all other spaces of a building or structure by construction or equipment as required to provide a protected way of travel to the exit discharge.

Front 121

Exit acces

Back 121

That portion of a means of egress that leads to an exit.

Front 122

Exit discharge

Back 122

That portion of a means of egress between the termination of an exit and a public way.

Front 123

Exit passageway

Back 123

Hallways, corridors, passages, or tunnels used as exit components and separated from other parts of the building in accordance with NFPA 101: Life Safety Code.

Front 124

Falsework (Formwork)

Back 124

Temporary shoring, formwork, beams, or lateral bracing to support the concrete work in the process of construction.

Front 125

Finger joints

Back 125

Interlocking wood pieces that are glued together to create a longer piece of dimensional lumber.

Front 126

Fire alarm/security contractor

Back 126

Subcontractor hired by the contractor to oversee all fire and security alarm installation.

Front 127

Fire code

Back 127

Regulates the activities that take place in existing buildings including the maintenance of existing fire protection features such as automatic sprinklers and fire doors, hazardous processes such as spray finishing, the storage of hazardous materials, and general fire safety precautions.

Front 128

Fire cut

Back 128

The end of a joist cut at an angle to permit the joist to fall out of a wall without acting like a lever and cushing the wall above it out of place.

Front 129

Fire limit

Back 129

Older code provision that would not allow a structure to be built without the use of exterior masonry walls that would limit fire extension.

Front 130

Fire load

Back 130

The potential fuel available for a fire in a building.

Front 131

Fire partition

Back 131

A fire-rated assembly that subdivides a building to prevent the spread of fire such as between dwelling units in a multiple dwelling.

Front 132

Fire protection engineer

Back 132

Specializes in the design of fire protection systems including sprinkler and standpipe systems, and fire alarm systems of a structure.

Front 133

Fire resistance

Back 133

The ability of a material to avoid ignition, combustion, and the thermal effects of fire.

Front 134

Fire resistant

Back 134

Construction designed to provide reasonable protection against fire.

Front 135

Fire retardant

Back 135

Substance that helps delay or prevent combustion.

Front 136

Fire wall

Back 136

Wall with a fire-resistive rating and structural stability that separates buildings or subdivides a building to prevent the spread of fire.

Front 137

Fire-rated

Back 137

The classification indicating in time (hours) the ability of a structure or component to withstand a standardized fire test. Does not necessarily reflect performance in an actual fire.

Front 138

Fireproof

Back 138

Material applied to structural elements or systems, which provides increased fire resistance; usually serves no structural function.

Front 139

Fireproofing contractor

Back 139

Subcontractor hired by the contractor to spray a layer of cementitious material onto steel for fire-resistance purposes.

Front 140

Fixed beam

Back 140

Beam supported at two points and rigidly held in position at both points. This rigidity may cause collapse of a wall if the beam collapses and the rigid connection does not yield properly.

Front 141

Flame retardant

Back 141

Constructed or treated so that it will not support flame.

Front 142

Flameover

Back 142

Rapid spread of flame over one or more surfaces.

Front 143

Flameproof

Back 143

Resistant to fire.

Front 144

Flammable

Back 144

Combustible that is capable of easily being ignited and rapidly consumed by fire. Flammables may be solid, liquid, or gas.

Front 145

Flashover

Back 145

Stage of a fire at which all surfaces and objects in a room or area are heated to their ignition temperature and flames develop on all contents and combustible surfaces at once.

Front 146

Flat Plate Structural System

Back 146

Cast-in-place floor in which there are no beams supported by columns; the floor plate itself rests directly on the columns.

Front 147

Flitch plate girder

Back 147

Composite of a steel plate or plywood sandwiched between two beams.

Front 148

Flying buttress

Back 148

Masonry pier at a distance from the wall and connected to it that resists the outward thrust of the roof.

Front 149

Foam system

Back 149

Provides for the delivery of a proportioned foam and water mixture for use in fire extinguishment.

Front 150

Folded plate

Back 150

Used to strengthen the roof of a structure over large areas.

Front 151

Footing

Back 151

Thick concrete pads, usually heavily rein­forced, that transfer the loads of piers or columns to the ground.

Front 152

Formwork

Back 152

Mold that shapes the concrete.

Front 153

Foundation

Back 153

The lower division of a building that serves to transmit and anchor the loads from the superstructure directly to its earth or rock, usually below ground level.

Front 154

Frame floor collapse

Back 154

A collapse in which one end of the collapsed floor is supported by an interior wall, creating two void spaces.

Front 155

Framing

Back 155

A system of rough timber structural woodwork that is joined together in order to support or enclose, such as partitions, flooring, and roofing.

Front 156

Friable

Back 156

Easily disintegrated.

Front 157

Galvanized steel walls

Back 157

Galvanized steel walls Walls made of weatherized steel. Can conduct heat easily.

Front 158

Gang nail

Back 158

Connecting plate made of lightweight metal used in trusses.

Front 159

General contractor

Back 159

The prime contractor who oversees and is responsible for the overall work on the site.

Front 160

Girder

Back 160

A beam that supports other beams.

Front 161

Glass-fiber reinforced plastic

Back 161

A composite material made of plastic reinforced with glass fibers.

Front 162

Glitch plate girder

Back 162

Made by sandwiching a piece of steel between two wooden beams.

Front 163

Global (total) collapse

Back 163

Results in the complete failure of the building.

Front 164

Glued laminated timber

Back 164

Planks glued together to form a solid timber.

Front 165

Gravity connection

Back 165

Depends on the weight of the building to hold it in place.

Front 166

Gravity resistance system

Back 166

Consists of all the structural elements and the connections that support and transfer the loads.

Front 167

Gravity vents

Back 167

Vents that are located in buildings where dangerous gases are handled.

Front 168

Grillage

Back 168

A series of closely spaced beams designed to carry a particularly heavy load.

Front 169

Gusset plate

Back 169

Connecting plate made of lightweight metal used in trusses.

Front 170

Gypsum

Back 170

A natural mineral used in the manufacture of drywall and plaster.

Front 171

Halon system

Back 171

Provides for the transfer of halogenated agents between fire extinguishers, supply containers, and recharge and recovery containers so that none of the halogenated agents escape into the atmosphere.

Front 172

Hazardous materials inventory statement (HMIS)

Back 172

Required in most codes; this statement lists the materials, hazards, and quantities of hazardous material products within a building.

Front 173

Hazardous materials management plan (HMMP)

Back 173

Required in most codes; this plan explains how hazardous materials are to be stored and safely used within a building.

Front 174

Header

Back 174

A joist which parallels floor/roof beams and is used to create an opening.

Front 175

Header or bond course

Back 175

Bricks laid so that the end is visible.

Front 176

Heat release rate (HRR)

Back 176

Indicates how fast the potential heat in a fuel is released.

Front 177

Heavy timber

Back 177

Buildings constructed with noncombustible or limited combustible exterior walls and floors made of large dimension combustible materials. Also known as Type IV construction.

Front 178

Hip

Back 178

The rafter at the angle where two sloping roofs or sides of a roof meet.

Front 179

Hollow masonry wall

Back 179

Two connected wythes of masonry with an air space in between.

Front 180

Hollow tile

Back 180

Tile unit composed of vertical hollow cells, utilized in early efforts to lighten concrete floors.

Front 181

Homogeneous

Back 181

When describing wall construction, a wall which acts as one unit (good bonding exists between bricks blocks, and mortar).

Front 182

Houseline

Back 182

Class II standpipe system that supplies 100 gpm at 65 psi. Intended for use by building occupants.

Front 183

I-beam Beam

Back 183

shaped like the letter I.

Front 184

Idle pallet storage

Back 184

Pallets without product.

Front 185

Impact load

Back 185

The effect of a moving load upon a stationary structure.

Front 186

In-rack sprinklers

Back 186

Sprinklers that are placed within racks to control fires where overhead sprinklers are not adequate.

Front 187

Inherent fire resistance

Back 187

Flame resistance that is derived from an essential characteristic of the structural member.

Front 188

Initiating device

Back 188

A system component that originates transmission of a change-of-state condition, such as in a smoke detector, manual fire alarm box, or supervisory switch.

Front 189

Insurance regulations

Back 189

The rules of the insurance company in regard to coverage. These regulations may require more fire protection for structures than local building and fire codes require.

Front 190

Interior finish

Back 190

The exposed material on a wall, ceiling, or floor.

Front 191

Interstitial space

Back 191

Interstitial space Void space made by utilizing deep parallel-chord trusses.

Front 192

Inversion layer

Back 192

A layer of air that is warmer than the air below.

Front 193

Inverted king post truss

Back 193

An inverted single compression member where the compression member extends downward.

Front 194

Inward outward collapse

Back 194

A collapse in which the exterior wall fails horizontally, with the interior wall “folding” horizontally. The top portion of the building fails inward while the bottom half fails outward.

Front 195

Joist

Back 195

Wooden 2 3 8’s, 10’s, or 12’s that run parallel to one another and support a floor or ceiling, and are supported in turn by larger beams, girders, or bearing walls.

Front 196

Joist hanger

Back 196

Metal angle or strap used to support an individual joist against a beam or a girder.

Front 197

K-bracing

Back 197

An arrangement of braces between columns that resembles the letter “K.”

Front 198

Kilojoule

Back 198

Metric equation approximately equivalent to one British thermal unit (Btu).

Front 199

Kilowatts (KW)

Back 199

A measurement energy release rate of a fire.

Front 200

KIP

Back 200

1,000 pounds force.

Front 201

Lally columns

Back 201

Steel pipes filled with concrete to increase their load-carrying capacity.

Front 202

Landing zone

Back 202

In reference to an elevator, this zone is 18 inches above or below the landing floor.

Front 203

Lateral impact load

Back 203

A force that acts on a structure from a horizontal direction, such as wind or seismic forces.

Front 204

Lattice column

Back 204

Lattice column Column made of vertical units connected with diagonal pieces.

Front 205

Lean over collapse

Back 205

Limited to wood frame structures, this type of collapse is characterized by a wooden building that shifts at the upper levels, leaning into adjacent buildings or totally collapsing sideways in the absence of adjacent buildings.

Front 206

Lean-to-floor collapse

Back 206

A collapse of a building’s floor(s) in which one end of the floor is still supported, sometimes at or near the original point of connection to the wall. A triangular void space is created.

Front 207

Ledger board

Back 207

A wood board typically attached to a walls studs which are used to wood joists.

Front 208

Left-in-place form

Back 208

Concrete floors that are cast onto corrugated steel.

Front 209

Legacy code

Back 209

A source code that is no longer supported or printed.

Front 210

Lift slab

Back 210

Type of building construction where concrete slabs are cast on the ground and lifted into place.

Front 211

Light well

Back 211

Small court commonly placed in large buildings to admit daylight into interior areas not exposed to an open view.

Front 212

Lightweight truss

Back 212

A collection of lightweight structural components joined in a triangular unit that can be used to support either floors or roofs.

Front 213

Lightweight wood truss

Back 213

A collection of lightweight wood structural components joined in a triangular configuration that can be used to support either floors or roofs.

Front 214

Lintel

Back 214

The horizontal beam that forms the upper structural member of an opening for a window or door and supports part of the structure above it.

Front 215

Live load

Back 215

The weight of the building contents

Front 216

Load

Back 216

Force or other action that result from the weight of all building materials, occupants and their possessions, environmental effects, differential movement, and restrained dimensional changes.

Front 217

Load-bearing wall

Back 217

Any wall which carries a load in addition to its own weight.

Front 218

Local

Back 218

An extinguishing system that will operate on an individual piece of equipment or hazard.

Front 219

Log cabin

Back 219

Structure constructed of entire tree trunks, as opposed to boards sawn from trees.

Front 220

Low-density fiberboard

Back 220

Sometimes used as an interior finish, made up of wood particles such as wood shavings and bound together with a suitable binder.

Front 221

Lumber

Back 221

Wood that has been sawn and planed.

Front 222

Malleable

Back 222

The property of a metal that allows it to be shaped by bending, hammering, or extruding without cracking or rupturing.

Front 223

Manual-dry standpipe system

Back 223

Dry standpipe system that does not have a permanent water supply attached to the system.

Front 224

Manual-wet standpipe system

Back 224

Wet standpipe system connected to a small water supply for the purpose of maintaining water within the system, or sharing a water supply with an automatic sprinkler system but not having a water supply capable of delivering the system demand attached to the system.

Front 225

Masonry column

Back 225

Masonry bracing incorporated into unstable masonry walls; also called piers, buttresses, pilasters, or columns.

Front 226

Masonry unit

Back 226

Describes the type of masonry used on a given structure. Examples include bricks or concrete block.

Front 227

Masonry walls

Back 227

Masonry walls The most common walls for un­­protected steel-framed buildings; made of con­crete block or a composite of concrete block and brick.

Front 228

Matchboarding

Back 228

Ceilings made of embossed steel and wooden boards.

Front 229

Matched lumber

Back 229

Tongue and grooved lumber (usually lengthwise).

Front 230

Mechanical engineer

Back 230

A person trained in a branch of engineering related to mechanical equipment. Usually designs the HVAC systems and plumbing of the building.

Front 231

Mechanical vent

Back 231

Process of removing heat, smoke, and gases from a fire area by using exhaust fans, blowers, air conditioning systems, or smoke ejectors.

Front 232

Megastructure

Back 232

A very large structure.

Front 233

Megawatts (MW)

Back 233

Measurement energy release rate of a fire.

Front 234

Metal siding

Back 234

Made to look like another type of siding. Can be made to look like stone and/or ­clapboards.

Front 235

Mezzanine

Back 235

A low-ceilinged story located between two main stories; usually constructed directly above the ground floor, often projecting over it as a balcony.

Front 236

Mill

Back 236

The earliest form of heavy timber construction.

Front 237

Model code

Back 237

Complete regulatory documents that can be adopted by cities and states as they are written.

Front 238

Modulus of elasticity

Back 238

Modulus of elasticity Measures the ability of steel to distort and restore.

Front 239

Monolithic concrete

Back 239

All successive poured concrete castings are joined together so that a structure seems to be like one piece of stone.

Front 240

Monolithic construction

Back 240

Method in which all the concrete in a building is properly bonded together and acts as one.

Front 241

Mortise and tenon

Back 241

Joints that are fitted together to transfer loads properly.

Front 242

Mudsills

Back 242

Planks on which formwork shores rest.

Front 243

Mushroom cap

Back 243

Tapered extension at the tops of columns that assists in transfer of loads from floor to column.

Front 244

Needle beam

Back 244

When any change is to be made in the foundation of an existing wall, the wall must be supported. Often holes are cut through the wall, and so-called needle beams are inserted and supported on both sides. They pick up the load of the walls.

Front 245

Neutral axis

Back 245

The line along which the length of the beam does not change.

Front 246

Non-load-bearing wall

Back 246

A wall supporting no load other than its own weight.

Front 247

Nonambulatory people

Back 247

Individuals who are not capable of self-preservation.

Front 248

Noncombustible

Back 248

A material that, in the form in which it is used and under the conditions anticipated, will not aid combustion or add appreciable heat to an ambient fire.

Front 249

Novelty siding

Back 249

Combustible siding laid over the sheathing of a building. This type of siding comes in many different shapes and is laid horizontally.

Front 250

Occupancy

Back 250

Used in building codes to refer to the intended use of a building.

Front 251

One-way structural system

Back 251

System that incorporates floors that have beams running in one direction only.

Front 252

Open office plan

Back 252

A plan in which low-height partitions create cubicles for personal space; essentially one large, open room.

Front 253

Ordinary construction

Back 253

Buildings in which the exterior walls are noncombustible or limited combustible, but the interior floors and walls are made of combustible materials.

Front 254

Oriented flakeboard

Back 254

Another name for oriented strand board (OSB)

Front 255

Oriented strand board (OSB)

Back 255

Made of layers of strands of wood cut from logs, with a fairly constant width to length ratio.

Front 256

Overhanging beam

Back 256

Projects beyond its support, but not far enough to be a cantilever.

Front 257

Pancake collapse

Back 257

A collapse of a building’s floors (and possibly roof) in a pancake stack fashion with each floor (roof) laying flat on top of the one below.

Front 258

Panel points

Back 258

Connection points of a truss system.

Front 259

Panel wall (curtain wall)

Back 259

Non-load-bearing enclosing wall on framed buildings.

Front 260

Parallel-chord truss

Back 260

A truss system in which the top and bottom chords are parallel.

Front 261

Parging (or pargetting)

Back 261

Application of mortar to the back of the facing material, or the face of the backing material.

Front 262

Partial collapse

Back 262

Results from a failure of a portion of a building. A situation in which a section of floor gives way without bringing down the rest of the building would be a partial collapse. A partial collapse can be just as deadly as a global collapse.

Front 263

Partition wall

Back 263

A non-load-bearing wall that subdivides spaces within any story of a building or room.

Front 264

Party wall

Back 264

A load-bearing wall that is common to two structures.

Front 265

Passive fire protection

Back 265

A material that is applied to a substrate and is designed to protect it from thermal effects.

Front 266

Pause

Back 266

In reference to atmospheric conditions, the layer of air warmer than the air below it.

Front 267

Peened or peening

Back 267

Peened or peening Imbedded into the surface.

Front 268

Phase I operation

Back 268

Elevators are recalled to the first floor lobby of the building by the activation of a smoke detector located in an elevator lobby or on one of the upper floors. Upon arrival at the first floor, the doors open and allow the occupants to leave. The doors remain open for fire fighters to begin their use of the elevators.

Front 269

Phase II operation

Back 269

A fire fighter selects one of the elevators in a bank to access the upper floors. Fire fighters can then control the elevators using a special key and set of procedures.

Front 270

Pier

Back 270

A short column of masonry, usually rectangular in horizontal cross-section, used to support other structural members.

Front 271

Pilaster

Back 271

A masonry column built on the inside surface of the wall.

Front 272

Pile

Back 272

One of a series of large timbers or steel sections driven into soft ground down to bedrock to provide a solid foundation for the superstructure of a ­building.

Front 273

Pinned

Back 273

Structural elements are connected by simple connectors such as bolts, rivets, or welded joints.

Front 274

Pintle

Back 274

Square metal device used to transfer loads of columns on upper floors by passing the loads through intervening beams and girders to metal column caps on the column below.

Front 275

Plain concrete

Back 275

Concrete that has no reinforcement, except possibly light reinforcement to resist temperature changes.

Front 276

Plank and beam

Back 276

Used in modern construction, these buildings are built with heavier beams that are spaced much farther apart than the traditional 16 inches.

Front 277

Plastic

Back 277

A synthetic material that can be heated and shaped.

Front 278

Plastic design

Back 278

Connections that redirect overloads to other sections of the building.

Front 279

Plates Flat

Back 279

Plates Flat pieces of steel.

Front 280

Platform

Back 280

A raised area in a building for presentations, wrestling matches, and the like where there are no hanging curtains, drops, or scenery other than lighting and sound effects.

Front 281

Platform frame

Back 281

Subflooring is laid on the joists, and the frame for the first floor walls is erected on the first floor.

Front 282

Plumbing contractors

Back 282

Subcontractors hired by the contractor to oversee the installation of plumbing within a building.

Front 283

Plumbing, mechanical, and electrical codes

Back 283

Plumbing codes apply to the installation of domestic water systems, sanitary systems, and the like. Mechanical codes apply to systems likes air-­handling systems and smoke control systems. ­Electrical codes apply to the installation of electrical systems.

Front 284

Plywood

Back 284

Wood panels manufactured with the grain of alternatate plies laid at right angles to develop the approximate equal strength in either direction.

Front 285

Plywood siding

Back 285

Four-foot-wide sheets that give the appearance of four-inch-wide strips about a half inch apart.

Front 286

Polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB)

Back 286

Commercially produced organic compound used in capacitors and transformers due to its electrical insulator properties and low flammability rating.

Front 287

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC)

Back 287

Widely used plastic as an excellent electrical insulator.

Front 288

Portal bracing

Back 288

Heavy riveting of girders to columns from the top to the bottom of the frame.

Front 289

Portland cement mortar

Back 289

Most common type of cement in use today. The powder, when mixed with water, will become a hydrated solid over time.

Front 290

Post and frame

Back 290

Identifiable frame or skeleton of timber fitted together. Joints are constructed by mortise and tenon, fitted together to transfer loads properly.

Front 291

Precast

Back 291

A concrete member that is cast and cured in a place other than its final position in the structure.

Front 292

Precast concrete tilt slab wall

Back 292

This is a vertical cantilever when being erected and is braced by tormentors or temporary bracing poles.

Front 293

Prefire planning

Back 293

A document developed by gathering general and detailed data used by responding personnel to determine the resources and actions necessary to mitigate anticipated emergencies at a specific facility.

Front 294

Pretensioning and post-tensioning

Back 294

Processes by which steel tendons or rods are placed under tension, drawing the anchors together. Tensioned steel places the concrete in compression.

Front 295

Progressive collapse

Back 295

Extensive structural failure initiated by local structural damage, or a chain reaction of failures following damage to a small portion of a structure.

Front 296

Projected beam detectors

Back 296

Used in smoke control systems. These detectors can cover large areas with a single beam of light.

Front 297

Proscenium arch and wall

Back 297

Found on a stage, it is the large ornamental opening and wall that separates the audience from the stage.

Front 298

Purge

Back 298

Flow of air or an inert medium at a rate that will effectively remove any gaseous or suspended combustibles and replace them with air.

Front 299

Purlins

Back 299

Beams set at right angles to trusses or roof rafters to provide support for lightweight ­roofing.

Front 300

Pyrolytically

Back 300

The chemical decomposition of a compound into one or more other substances by heat alone; pyrolysis often proceeds combustion.

Front 301

Pyrophoric gas

Back 301

Gas that ignites in air without the introduction of an ignition source.

Front 302

Q·

Back 302

A designation of the heat release rate (HRR); refers to the rate at which a fuel will burn.

Front 303

Quarried stone

Back 303

Natural stones such as granite, marble, limestone, and sandstone. Can be used in the construction of walls and foundations.

Front 304

Queen post truss

Back 304

A truss system that has two compression members.

Front 305

RACE

Back 305

An acronym: R—remove all people in immediate danger to safety; A—activate manual pull station and have someone call 911; C—close doors to confine the spread of smoke and fire; and E—extinguish the fire, if possible.

Front 306

Racks

Back 306

Any combination of vertical, horizontal, and diagonal members that supports stored materials.

Front 307

Rafters

Back 307

Wood members used to support the roof sheeting and loads

Front 308

Raker

Back 308

Braced sheeting used in soil walls to protect against collapse.

Front 309

Rakers

Back 309

Diagonal columns that brace an entire structure.

Front 310

Rated fire resistance

Back 310

Quality ascribed to a wall, floor, or column assembly that has been tested in a standard manner to determine the length of time it remains structurally stable (or resists the passage of fire) when attacked by a test fire.

Front 311

Reaction

Back 311

The response in structures to the imposed loads, which are generally developed at the supports.

Front 312

Reinforced concrete

Back 312

In concrete masonry structure, steel reinforcement that is embedded in such a manner that the two materials act together in resisting forces.

Front 313

Reinforcement bar

Back 313

Steel bar placed in concrete to increase its overall tensile strength.

Front 314

Remote annunciator

Back 314

Device indicating an off-standard or abnormal condition by both visual and audible signals.

Front 315

Repeated load

Back 315

A load that is applied intermittently.

Front 316

Reshoring

Back 316

Shores that are put back into concrete to help carry the load of the still-curing concrete.

Front 317

Ridge board

Back 317

Placed on the ridge of the roof onto which the upper ends of rafters are fastened.

Front 318

Rigid-foamed polyurethane

Back 318

Foam that is used as an interior finish. Organic units joined by urethane.

Front 319

Rigid-framed

Back 319

Structural frame in which all columns and beams are rigidly connected. There are no hinged joints, and the angular relationship between beam and column members is maintained under load.

Front 320

Rising roof

Back 320

A metal-plate truss roof system that can bow upward, causing separation of ceilings from walls.

Front 321

Robertson protected metal

Back 321

Asphalt-coated steel.

Front 322

Rolled or built-up members

Back 322

Rolled or built-up members Steel structural members; rolled members are one solid piece of metal; built-up members are made up of different sections riveted, bolted, or welded together.

Front 323

Rough carpentry

Back 323

Also known as framing, this includes all of the wood framing members and sheathing of a building.

Front 324

Rough lumber

Back 324

Lumber that is left as sawn on all four sides.

Front 325

Rubble masonry

Back 325

Rough stones of irregular shapes and sizes, used in rough, uncoursed work in the construction of walls and foundations.

Front 326

Rubble masonry wall

Back 326

A wall composed of an inner and outer wythe of coursed masonry. The space between is filled with random masonry sometimes mixed with mortar. Such walls are unstable to a lateral thrust.

Front 327

Safety factor

Back 327

Represents the ratio of the strength of the material just before failure to the safe working stress.

Front 328

Sand-lime mortar

Back 328

Water-soluble mixture; when water is applied the mortar can be washed away from the wall.

Front 329

Sawn beam

Back 329

Wooden beam sawn out of a tree trunk. To some extent, they have been replaced by the wooden I-beam due to the weight and cost of the true wooden beam.

Front 330

Secondary collapse

Back 330

An additional collapse that occurs after the initial collapse. Often occurs when loads shift after a primary collapse, causing additional portions of the structure to fail.

Front 331

Seismic protection

Back 331

Stabilization of outer walls, overhangs, floors, and walls to resist destruction by an earthquake.

Front 332

Self-extinguishing

Back 332

Characteristic of a material such that, once the source of ignition is removed, the flame is quickly extinguished.

Front 333

Self-weight

Back 333

Another term for dead load.

Front 334

Semiautomatic-dry standpipe system

Back 334

Standpipe system that is attached to a water supply capable of supplying the system demand at all times and that requires activation of a control device to provide water at hose connections.

Front 335

Serpentine wall

Back 335

A curving wall.

Front 336

Shear wall

Back 336

Walls that counteract the effects of lateral loads such as wind and earthquakes.

Front 337

Shelves

Back 337

Storage on structures that are less than 0.75 m (21?2 ft) deep, with shelves usually 0.6 m (2 ft) to 0.9 m (3 ft) apart vertically and seldom exceeding 4.5 m (15 ft) in total height.

Front 338

Shingle and shake

Back 338

A type of siding; these thick wooden shingles are formed by splitting a short log into tapered sections.

Front 339

Ship’s ladder

Back 339

A completely vertical stair with a width that is not more than 24 inches wide.

Front 340

Silence switch

Back 340

When flipped, the fire alarm is silenced but still active.

Front 341

Sill

Back 341

Found on the bottom of the frame of a wood structure. It rests on and is bolted to the foundation.

Front 342

Simple beam

Back 342

Supported at two points near its ends. In simple beam construction, the load is delivered to the two reaction points and the rest of the structure renders no assistance in an overload.

Front 343

Skewbacks

Back 343

Tiles shaped to fit around steel.

Front 344

Slipforming

Back 344

Technique by which forms are moved upward as the concrete is poured.

Front 345

Slow burning

Back 345

A characteristic of a building that should allow a fire in that building to be brought under control before the building itself becomes involved.

Front 346

Slurry wall

Back 346

A foundation wall in an excavation that is heavily reinforced with steel and temporarily filled with a liquid slurry mixture that is subsequently displaced by concrete.

Front 347

Smoke barrier

Back 347

A continuous membrane, either vertical or horizontal, such as a wall, floor, or ceiling assembly, that is designed and constructed to restrict the movement of smoke. A smoke barrier might or might not have a fire resistance rating. Such barriers might have protected openings.

Front 348

Smoke control

Back 348

System that utilizes fans to produce pressure differences so as to manage smoke movement.

Front 349

Soffit

Back 349

False space above built-in cabinets, usually in a kitchen, or in the undersides of stairways and projecting eaves.

Front 350

Solid masonry walls

Back 350

Masonry units (either solid or hollow) laid contiguously with the joints filled with mortar.

Front 351

Solid pile

Back 351

Storage that is either box on box or pallet load on pallet load.

Front 352

Spall

Back 352

A small fragment or chip dislodged from the face of a stone or masonry unit.

Front 353

Spalling

Back 353

Loss of surface material when concrete is subjected to heat.

Front 354

Spandrel girder

Back 354

Girders that tie wall columns together in a framed building.

Front 355

Spandrel space

Back 355

Spandrel space Distance between the top of one window and the bottom of the one above.

Front 356

Spliced timber

Back 356

Due to the shortage of solid timbers, these members are joined together by various metal connectors to transfer loads so that the spliced timber acts as a single member.

Front 357

Spline

Back 357

Wooden strips that fit into grooves in two adjacent planks to make a tight floor.

Front 358

Sprinkler contractor

Back 358

A subcontractor hired by a contractor to oversee the installation and design of sprinkler systems within a building.

Front 359

Stack effect

Back 359

The vertical airflow within buildings caused by the temperature-created density differences between the building interior and exterior or between two interior spaces.

Front 360

Stage

Back 360

Performance area in a theater that has a proscenium arch and wall; hanging curtains, drops, and scenery; lighting; and support rooms (dressing room, etc.).

Front 361

Stairwell pressurization system

Back 361

System that introduces positive pressure into a stairwell to provide a tenable environment within the stair tower in the event of a building fire.

Front 362

Standpipe system -

Back 362

An arrangement of piping, valves, hose connections, and allied equipment installed in a building or structure, with the hose connections located in such a manner that water can be discharged in streams or spray patterns through attached hose and nozzles, for the purpose of extinguishing a fire, thereby protecting a building or structure and its contents in addition to protecting the occupants.

Front 363

Steel expansion joints

Back 363

A metal connection which allows for movement of floors.

Front 364

Steel joist

Back 364

An open web design used for the support of floors and roofs.

Front 365

Steiner tunnel test

Back 365

A common term that refers to NFPA 255: Standard Method of Test of Surface Burning Characteristics of Building Materials.

Front 366

Stiffness

Back 366

The capacity of a member or framework to resist imposed loads without excessive deflection.

Front 367

Strain

Back 367

The actual percent of elongation (deformation) when a material is stressed.

Front 368

Strands

Back 368

Special high-strength, cold-drawn steel cables. Also referred to as cables or tendons.

Front 369

Stress

Back 369

Force per unit area which produces a deformation.

Front 370

Stressing the tendons

Back 370

After concrete is poured and reaches its specified strength, steel tendons are stretched and anchored at the ends of the unit. Also referred to as “jacking the cables.”

Front 371

Stretcher course

Back 371

Bricks laid so that the long side is visible.

Front 372

Stretchers

Back 372

A masonry unit laid horizontally with its length in the direction of the face of the wall.

Front 373

Strip mall

Back 373

Ordinary construction building of one-story occupancies that have a lightweight wood truss roof and concrete block walls.

Front 374

Strut

Back 374

A bracing column.

Front 375

Structural engineer

Back 375

Used in large buildings to design the structural frame.

Front 376

Stucco

Back 376

Made of Portland cement, it is an exterior plaster finish.

Front 377

Stud

Back 377

Columns in frame buildings, usually nominal two inches by four inches (2 3 4) or two inches by six inches (2 3 6).

Front 378

Subcontractor

Back 378

A specialist who undertakes part of a main building contract from a contractor.

Front 379

Subflooring

Back 379

Laid on top of the joists, it serves as the base for the finished floor.

Front 380

Substructure

Back 380

The foundation and footings.

Front 381

Superstructure

Back 381

Any structure above the substructure.

Front 382

Suspended beam

Back 382

A simple beam, with one or both ends suspended on a tension member such as a chain, cable, or rod.

Front 383

Suspended load

Back 383

A hanging load supported from above.

Front 384

Tee

Back 384

A standard I-beam cut lengthwise through the web forms two such beams with T-shaped cross-sections.

Front 385

Temperature rods

Back 385

Thin rods installed near the surface of concrete, usually at right angles to the main reinforcing rods, to help the concrete resist cracking due to temperature changes.

Front 386

Tendons

Back 386

Special high-strength, cold-drawn steel cables. Also referred to as strands or cables.

Front 387

Tension

Back 387

A pulling or stretching force in line with the axis of the body; the opposite of compression, which is pushing, crushing stress.

Front 388

Terra cotta tile

Back 388

Made of clay and fine sand and fired in a kiln.

Front 389

Thermal pane windows

Back 389

Units composed of two or more glass panes in a hermetically sealed frame.

Front 390

Thermoplastic

Back 390

Construction material that softens when heated and rehardens when cooled.

Front 391

Thermoset

Back 391

Plastic that chars and burns, but does not flow.

Front 392

Tie

Back 392

Used in truss systems and subjected to tensile and/or pulling forces. Also known as a tension member.

Front 393

Tie rod

Back 393

A rod in tension; used to hold parts of a structure together.

Front 394

Tieback

Back 394

Braced sheeting used in soil walls to protect against collapse.

Front 395

Tied arch

Back 395

Arch in which a steel tension rod ties the ends of the arch together to eliminate the need for the masonry.

Front 396

Tin ceiling

Back 396

Tin ceiling Embossed steel; will transfer heat in either direction.

Front 397

Top plate

Back 397

Top horizontal member of a wood frame wall that supports the ceiling joists.

Front 398

Torsion

Back 398

A force tending to twist a structural member.

Front 399

Total flooding

Back 399

Act and manner of discharging an agent for the purpose of achieving a specified minimum agent concentration throughout a compartment.

Front 400

Transfer beam

Back 400

Used to laterally relocate the vertical load of columns to clear an opening area.

Front 401

Transmitted

Back 401

Shows how a load is spread from the point of application to the ground.

Front 402

Triage

Back 402

To evaluate and categorize.

Front 403

Triangular truss

Back 403

Used in the majority of modern roof systems, this truss gives a triangular shape and provides a peaked roof.

Front 404

Trimmer -

Back 404

A piece of lumber that supports a header and can be found in floor openings such as stairwells (runs perpendicular to floor joists).

Front 405

Trunnel

Back 405

Wooden peg used to pin together mortise and tenon joints.

Front 406

Truss frame

Back 406

Developed by the U.S. Forest Products Laboratory, it substitutes sawn beams for truss members used in roofs and floors. It is held together with nails.

Front 407

Truss void

Back 407

Found within a truss roof system, this void space is between the top floor ceiling and the roof. Also known as a cockloft.

Front 408

Tube

Back 408

A steel structural member that is rolled in cylindrical, square, or rectangular shapes.

Front 409

Tube construction

Back 409

Externally braced structure.

Front 410

Turned-mass dampers

Back 410

Heavy weights installed high up in a building that are adjusted by computers to counter wind-induced oscillations.

Front 411

Two-way structural system

Back 411

System that incorporates floors that have beams running in two directions.

Front 412

Type III construction

Back 412

Also called Ordinary construction.

Front 413

Type IV construction

Back 413

Heavy timber construction.

Front 414

Ultimate strength

Back 414

The highest load that a member or structure can sustain before failure occurs.

Front 415

Underwriters blocks

Back 415

Concrete blocks poured per Underwriters Laboratories’ classifications.

Front 416

Uniformly distributed load

Back 416

A load which is applied evenly over an area.

Front 417

Unreinforced masonry

Back 417

Ordinary masonry walls are not reinforced, so they have no resistance to lateral movement.

Front 418

V-shaped floor collapse

Back 418

A collapse in which the floor fails near its center, with the perimeter of the floor still partially supported by the walls. Two voids are created in this type of collapse.

Front 419

Valley

Back 419

The lower slope formed by the connection of two inclined planes of a roof.

Front 420

Veneer wall

Back 420

A wall with a masonry facing that is not bonded but is attached to a wall so as to form an integral part of the wall.

Front 421

Vermiculite

Back 421

Mineral used as bulk insulation and as an aggregate in insulating.

Front 422

Vierendeel truss

Back 422

A rectangular truss with very rigid corner bracing.

Front 423

Vinyl siding

Back 423

A thermoplastic that will deform and drip when introduced to a fire situation. Often made to look like wood siding.

Front 424

Voussoir

Back 424

A wedge-shaped block whose converging sides radiate from a center forming an element of an arch or vaulted ceiling.

Front 425

Waffle concrete

Back 425

Two-way structural system with closely spaced beams set at tight angles to one another in which unnecessary concrete is formed out; lower side resembles a waffle.

Front 426

Waler

Back 426

A horizontal beam that ties rows of soldier beams together.

Front 427

Wall

Back 427

Transmits to the ground the compressive forces applied along the top or received at any point on the wall.

Front 428

Wall column

Back 428

A column of steel, reinforced concrete, or solid masonry (such as brick or solid block) in a block wall. Concentrated loads such as main girders are applied to the wall directly above the wall column.

Front 429

Wall-bearing

Back 429

Indicates a structure where the entire structural load is carried on the walls. As opposed to a curtain wall.

Front 430

Wallboard

Back 430

A large, rigid gypsum sheet that is fastened to the frame of a building and provides the surface finish.

Front 431

Wallboard contractor

Back 431

A subcontractor hired by a contractor to oversee the surface finishes of walls that are fastened to the frame of the building.

Front 432

Water flow switch

Back 432

Detects the movement of water in a sprinkler system and transmits a signal to the alarm system.

Front 433

Water mist system

Back 433

Distribution system connected to a water supply or water and atomizing media supplies that is equipped with one or more nozzles capable of delivering water mist intended to control, suppress, or extinguish fires and that has been demonstrated to meet the performance requirements of its listing.

Front 434

Water spray system

Back 434

Special fixed pipe system connected to a reliable fire protection water supply and equipped with water spray nozzles for specific water discharge and distribution over the surface or area to be protected.

Front 435

Watt

Back 435

Measurement energy release rate of a fire.

Front 436

Web

Back 436

In the case of a truss, the sloping and vertical components (in a triangular arrangement) that connect the upper and lower chords.

Front 437

Wet joint

Back 437

Cast-in-place concrete unites rods that pro­ject from precast sections.

Front 438

Wide-flange shapes

Back 438

I-beams that have flanges wider than standard I-beams.

Front 439

Wind load

Back 439

The positive or negative force of the wind acting on a structure.

Front 440

Wood

Back 440

A hard fibrous material forming the major part of trees. It is usually milled or otherwise processed for use in construction.

Front 441

Wood framed

Back 441

Building with exterior walls, interior walls, floors, and roofs made of combustible wood material.

Front 442

Wood lath

Back 442

Narrow, rough strips of wood nailed to studs. Plaster is spread on wood laths. Generally no longer used, wood lath is present in many existing buildings.

Front 443

Wooden I-joist

Back 443

Composite lightweight wood material used in an “I” cross-section.

Front 444

Wooden-walled building

Back 444

A wall-bearing building that carries the load of the structure and the contents.

Front 445

Wrought iron

Back 445

A commercially pure iron of fibrous nature; used for water pipes, rivets, and other ornamental forged work.

Front 446

Wythe

Back 446

A single continuous vertical wall of bricks, one masonry unit in thickness.

Front 447

Zees

Back 447

Members with a Z-shaped cross-section.

Front 448

Zone

Back 448

Defined area within the protected premises.

Front 449

Zoned smoke control

Back 449

Smoke-control system that includes smoke exhaust for the smoke zone and pressurization for all contiguous smoke-control zones.

Front 450

Zoning regulations

Back 450

Dictate land usage in specific cities (and are written by the cities themselves). Spell out what types of buildings can be built in specific locations and their permitted uses.