Building Construction (2nd Edition)
Chapter 1-Building Construction & the Fire Service
Test Review

• Construction methods and materials are driven by economics, changing technology, and needs of society.
• During the design process, full consideration is given to heights, area, exits, interior finish materials, structural assemblies, occupancy factors, sprinklers, access, exposures, building codes, alarms, and smoke management systems.
• The laws of physics and chemistry that govern fire behavior never change.
• Building variables firefighters must consider include: building age, fire protection systems, occupancy, fire loads, construction type, configuration, access, and exposures.
• The age of the building in itself is NOT a hazard, but rather an indication of potential hazards.
• Older buildings may offer advantages over newer computer-generated designs because many were built with greater structural mass than was necessary.
• An automatic fire protection system is the first line of defense in a building.
• Highly flammable materials found in body shops include: gas/diesel, plastic, tires, flammable liquids, paint, and torches.
• When the amount of fuel in a building is limited, fire duration and temperatures are less.
• Fire load is the weight of the combustible material per square foot (lbs./ft²).
• Fire load can be used as an estimate of the total potential heat release to which a building may be subjected if full involvement occurred.
• Fire load does NOT necessarily result in an equivalent structural load (ie-cast iron radiator=light fire load, very high structural load)
• Combinations of construction types are likely when an older structure has been enlarged or renovated.
• The configuration of a building refers to its general shape or layout.
• Building designers rarely consider fire fighting a principle design criterion.
• Churches, auto dealerships, and bowling alleys require large floor areas with clear spans.
• Vertical openings create the appearance of openness and create a means for fire communication.
• Access can be affected by steep slopes and narrow roads.
• Exposure is the heat effect from an external fire that may cause ignition of or damage to an exposed building.
• Exposure also means a structure or separate part of the fireground to which fire could spread.
• The earliest provisions of building codes were directed at the danger of conflagrations (large disastrous fire).
• Communication of fire from building to building occurs by means of convection or radiation.
• Convection is the transfer of heat by the movement of fluids or gases, usually in an upward direction.
• Horizontal communication of fire from building to building is mainly due to radiation.
• Radiation is the transfer of heat energy through light by electromagnetic waves.
• All bodies emit radiation at a rate dependent on their absolute temperature.
• An atrium is a vertical opening favored by designers for the openness it creates.
• Factors that affect the communication of fire include: temperature, area of exposing flame, and distance between buildings.
• Methods to reduce communication of fire between buildings include: building spacing, sprinkler protection, non-combustible exterior walls, parapets, free-standing barrier walls, outside water curtains, elimination of openings, glass block in wall openings, and approved roofing materials.
• Communicating fires can grow, resulting in a conflagration.
• In engineering, failure occurs when a part is "no longer capable of performing its required function satisfactorily".
• Building failure can mean excessive vibration, deflection, noise, or wear.
• To firefighters, building failure usually means structural collapse.
• Sources of building failure include: structural integrity, building systems, and design deficiencies.
• Structural integrity is related to the fire resistance and combustibility of construction materials.
• Building systems include: HVAC, electrical, communications, plumbing, and transportation (elevators).
• A very basic aspect of building safety is an adequate number of exits.
• An example of a design deficiency in a sprinkler system would be failure to provide an adequate water supply.
• Building codes only provide a "reasonable" level of protection for "common" situations, NOT special designs.