Chapter 9- Ordinary Construction

Question 1

The chief common characteristic of __ construction is that the exterior walls are made of masonry.

Answer 1

Ordinary

Question 2

In the typical downtown business or commercial building, the side walls are the __ walls, whereas the front and back walls are __.

Answer 2

Bearing

Nonbearing

Question 3

The simple wood beam floor is satisfactory for buildings up to a practical limit of about __ feet in width.

Answer 3

25

Question 4

In recent years, high rise brick or concrete block buildings with no wall thicker than __ inches, and medium rise brick buildings with no wall thicker than __ inches, have been developed, supplanting the traditional practice of ever increasing wall thickness.

Answer 4

12

8

Question 5

The problems presented to the fire department by ordinary construction can be divided into the following areas:

Answer 5

• The structural stability of the masonry wall.
• The stability of the interior column, girder, and beam system.
• Void spaces.
• The masonry wall as a barrier to fire extension.

Question 6

__ and __ are the two ways to carry the wall above an opening. Such a beam is called a lintel. The lintel commonly used today is a steel __ or channel section.

Answer 6

Arches
Beams
L

Question 7

There, are, however, certain general indicators of probable collapse, some of which can be observed beforehand and noted in a prefire plan. Other indicators may be observed during a fire. Collapse may be due to a variety of causes:

Answer 7

• Inherent structural instability, aggravated by fire.
• Failure of a non masonry supporting element upon which some portion of the masonry depends.
• Increase in the live load due to firefighting operations, specifically retained water.
• Collapse of a floor or roof with consequent impact load to the masonry wall.
• Impact load of an explosion.
• Collapse of a masonry unit due to overheating.
• Collapse of another building onto the building in question.

Question 8

__ walls are not designed to resist lateral impact loads.

Answer 8

Masonry

Question 9

A __ is a passageway, usually vertical, cut into a masonry wall for a pipe or conduit.

Answer 9

Chase

Question 10

Important void spaces in any multistory, wood joisted building are the __ spaces. Containing many square feet of exposed fuel, these spaces are protected from hose streams by their __ and the __ below.

Answer 10

Joist
Construction
Ceiling

Question 11

Masonry buildings with spans greater than __ feet must have interior bearing walls.

Answer 11

25

Question 12

New decorative __ are made of coated plastic polystyrene and are backed with plywood.

Answer 12

Cornices

Question 13

More fire fighters have been killed in fires in __ construction than in any other type of construction.

Answer 13

Ordinary

Question 14

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

Answer 14

Adobe

Question 15

Stone cut in rectangular units.

Answer 15

Ashlar masonry

Question 16

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

Answer 16

Cavity wall

Question 17

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

Answer 17

Concrete topping

Question 18

The masonry cap on top of a wall.

Answer 18

Coping

Question 19

A projecting decorative (ledge) at the top of a masonry wall.

Answer 19

Cornice

Question 20

A horizontal line of masonry.

Answer 20

Course

Question 21

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

Answer 21

Fire limit

Question 22

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

Answer 22

Dog iron

Question 23

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

Answer 23

Fireproof

Question 24

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

Answer 24

Flying buttress

Question 25

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

Answer 25

Hollow masonry wall

Question 26

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

Answer 26

Light well

Question 27

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

Answer 27

Mezzanine

Question 28

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

Answer 28

Ordinary construction

Question 29

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

Answer 29

Parging

Question 30

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.

Answer 30

Pintle

Question 31

Bricks laid so that the long side is visible.

Answer 31

Stretcher course

Question 32

Modern one story retail occupancy building that typically has a lightweight wood truss roof and concrete block walls (Type 3 construction) or steel bar joists and a metal deck roof with a masonry wall (Type 2 construction).

Answer 32

Stip mall

Question 33

Multistory working class apartment buildings constructed in the 1800s and early 1900s, often substandard in terms of fire safety and health.

Answer 33

Tenement

Question 34

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

Answer 34

Terra cotta tile