BC Numbers Flashcards
The Building Officials and Code Administrators international published the BOCA building code in____ and ushered in an era of building safety conformity.
1950
Page 25
Type l Construction features-fire resistive demographics:
Walls ___-___hrs
Floors ___-___hrs
Roof ___-___hrs
Partitions ___-___hrs
Walls 2-4 hrs
Floors 2-3 hrs
Roof 1-2 hrs
Partitions 1-2 hrs
Page 46
Some building codes contain a provision to omit the fire resistive rating for roof construction for some occupancy types when the roof is located more than ___ foot above the floor.
20 foot
Page 47
Type ll A (protected) requires that structural components have a __ hour fire resistance.
1 hour
Page 47
Type lll construction commonly uses nominal __x__inch joists for floor construction.
2x10 inch
Page 48
Type lV (heavy timber) construction requires minimum nominal dimensions of __x___ inch for floor construction.
6x10 inch
Page 50
Many Type V structures are required to have ___hr fire resistance for structural components.
1 hour
Page 50
Light frame construction was introduced in the United States in what year?
yr 1930
Page 51
The specific requirements for occupancy fire separation will depend on the local building codes. Required separation can range from __-__ hrs and not all occupancy’s will require a separation.
1-4 hrs
Page 53
The earliest known fire tests on building materials were conducted in Germany in___-___. In the United States, the first known fire tests were conducted in Denver, Colorado in ___, the subsequent test in York city in ___.
Germany 1884-86
US 1890
NYC 1896
Page 55
Laboratory testing data failure criteria. Temperature increase on the unexposed side of the wall, floor, and flroof assemblies of ___° above ambient temperatures, would constitute a failure.
250°
Page 57
American Society of Civil Engineers created ASCE/SFPE 29 in what year?
1997
Page 60
In some cases, dewatering operations will be necessary because water at depth of __inches adds a static load of __pounds per square foot.
3 inch of water adds…
21 lbs per sqft
Page 73
The typical expected “life span” of a building.
50 yrs
Page 74
Typical truss shapes span distances of ___-___feet, but trust spans in modern construction may exceed ___feet.
22- 70 feet
May exceed 100 feet
Page 83
Steel studs are placed ___-___ inches apart.
12-16 inches
Page 85
Building codes typically address membrane structures with the lifespan of ___ days or more, while firecode address as those used for less than ___ days.
More than 180
Less than 180
Page 87
Membrane structure fabrics weigh less than other roof systems: about ___lbs per sqft.
2 lbs per sqft
Page 87
The minimum width of the run in circular stairs is usually___inches.
10 inches
Page 96
Building codes have a traditionally required a minimum of one smoke proof stair enclosure for stairs buildings ___ stories or higher. More recently, codes also require protection for stair serving floor levels more than ___ feet below the level of exit discharge.
5 stories
30 feet
Page 99
Escalator speeds are standardized at ___ft./min. Older escalators usually operate at speeds of either ___or ___ ft./min.
New escalators 100 ft./min.
Older escalators 90-120 ft./min.
Page 101
Vertical penetrations for escalator serving more than ___ floors must be protected. The most common protection for the vertical openings is to use closely spaced sprinklers and draft stops around the opening. Combined, these two features may be arranged as an ___ inch deep draft stops with a row of automatic sprinklers on all sides of the draft stop.
2 floors
18 inch deep draft stops with sprinklers
Page 102
Historically, the practical upper limits of hydraulic elevators was about__ stories
6 stories
Page 104
Traction Elevators are the most common type of elevator in buildings over___ stories.
6 stories
Page 106
Even though counterweights reduce the amount of energy needed to raise the elevators, the operating heights may require them to have as much as ___volt power supply.
500 volts
Page 106
Elevator hoistway enclosures usually are required to be a fire rated assembly with a ___ -___ hrs rating.
1-2 hours
Page 109
A building with___ or fewer elevators may contain all three in a single hoistway. ___ or more elevators must have a minimum of two separate hoistways. Were more than one hoistway is provided, up to ____ elevators may be located in one hoistway.
3 or fewer
4 or more
Up to 4
Page 110
If a single car hoistway is used, access doors will be provided for rescue purposes. Generally, these are placed every ___u floors.
Every 3 floors
Page 111
Duct Detectors are typically provided for fans with capacities exceeding___ ft.³ per minute, to stop these systems under fire conditions and minimize unwanted smoke movement.
2000 ft.³
Page 118
HVAC ducts must be enclosed in a fire rated shaft enclosure. One hour rated for buildings less than ___ stories in height and two hour rated for buildings ___ stories or greater.
1 hr for buildings less than 4 stories
2 hr for buildings 4 stories or greater
Page 120
Typical heat and smoke vents hatchways often open a minimum of ___feet in either direction.
4 feet
Page 124
The depth of a curtain board will vary depending on the nature of the hazard within an occupancy, but should not be less than___% of the ceiling height. Curtain board should be spaced so that they are not further apart than ___ times the ceiling height.
No less than 20% building height
No further apart than 8x building height
Page 124
High voltage equipment is defined as operating at ___ volts or higher
600 volts or higher
Page 128
When transformers are inside, codes require that the transformer room or vaults be enclosed in ___ hour fire rated construction if not protected by automatic sprinklers, or ___ hour fire rated construction with sprinklers.
3 hr
1hr
Page 130
Fire codes typically limit fuel storage in dry tanks located in the same room or mounted directly on the generator to ___ gallons for diesel fuel.
60 gallons
Page 130
Building codes usually exclude references to surface treatments such as paint and wallpaper that are no thicker than ___ inches.
1/28 inch
Page 140
Red oak flooring has a Flame Spread Rating of ___. According to the test protocol the flame will travel along the oak flooring ___feet in ___minutes.
Flame spread rating of 100
24 feet
In 5 1/2 minutes
Page 142
Flame spread ratings over ___ are not permitted in occupancies, per code.
Flame spread rating over 200
Page 142
Red Oak is used as a standard testing material and is assigned a smoke development rating of___.
Smoke development rating of 100
Page 143
Codes do not allow a combination of materials that exceed a maximum smoke developed rating of___.
450
Page 143
Freestanding walls must be designed to resist a lateral load of at least __pounds per square foot.
5 lbs per sqft
Page 147
The parapet height above a combustible roof is determined by the building code and varies from ___-___inches.
18-36 inches above a parapet
Page 147
For our rated walls must be constructed of____ or ____.
Masonry or concrete
Page 147
Building codes also permit combustible structural members to be framed into masonry or concrete firewalls from opposite sides provided there is a ___ inch separation between the ends of the structural members.
4 inch separation
Page 148
Enclosure walls are required to have a fire resistance rating of ___-___ hours depending on the height of the building. Stairwells in a building ___ stories or lower are required to have ___ hour rating enclosures. And buildings taller than ___ stories, stairwells are required to have ___ hour rated enclosures.
Enclosures have 1-2 hr ratings
Lower than 4 stories- 1 hr
Greater than 4 stories- 2 hrs
Page 150
Fire Doors are rated in increments of time from ___minutes to ___hours. The ___hour and ___hour doors are primarily used in smoke barriers and openings to corridors.
20 minutes to 4 hours
1/2 and 3/4 hour doors
Page 152
Fire door ratings in firewalls:
2hr rated wall gets a __-__hr rated door
2hr rated vertical enclosure gets a __hr rated door
1 hr rated vertical enclosure gets a __hr rated door
2hr rated wall gets a 3-4 hr rated door
2hr rated vertical enclosure gets a 1.5 hr rated door
1 hr rated vertical enclosure gets a 1 hr rated door
Page 153
Swinging Fire Doors commonly protect stairwell enclosures and corridors. They are available with ratings from ___minutes to ___hours.
20 minutes to 3 hours
Page 156
Fire doors with ratings of 1 to 3 hours can have glass panels up to ___ in.² per door.
100 in.²
Page 161
Swinging fire doors with ratings up to___ hours can be equipped with louvers.
1.5 hrs
Page 162
Fire Doors with a ___ hour rating may not be subjected to host test depending on their intended application.
1/3 hr rating
Page 164
Test pits may reach depths of up to___ft.
8ft
Page 170
The weight of one story of soil can equal ___-___ stories of a building.
5-8 stories
Page 172
Dimensional lumber is available in lengths from ___-___feet in ___ foot increments
8-24 feet in 2 foot increments
Page 182
The standard tensile strength of wood is considered about ____psi.
700 psi
Page 183
The moisture content of lumber can be controlled to any level: most structural lumber has ____% or less.
19% or less
Page 183
The allowable compression strength of wood parallel to the grain varies from ___-___psi for commercially available grades and species of framing lumber.
325- 1700 psi
Page 183
Laminated wood beam dimensions:
Thickness- from___-___ inches
Depths- from ___-___ inches
Lengths- up to ___feet
Thickness- from 3/4- 2 inches
Depths- from 3-75 inches
Lengths- up to 100 feet
Page 184
Parallel Strands Lumber (PSL) can be produced in standard sizes ranging from ___-___feet in length.
2-8 feet
(PSL is the strongest Structural Composite Lumber)
Page 186
Laminated Strain Lumber (LSL) is made with long strands of wood up to ___inches in length.
12 inches in length
Page 186
Plywood is produced in standard sheets measuring ___x___feet.
4x8 feet sheets
Page 186
Particleboard individual wood particles can range in size from ___inch to very fine. Particleboard panels may be single layer or multiple and can be manufactured in sizes up to ___x ___feet.
Particles 1in to very fine
Sheets up to 8 x 40 feet
Page 188
The inner core of a Composite Panels can be up to __foot thick for large R Values.
1 foot thick
Page 189
Building codes require draft stopping in attic spaces with combustible construction. The usual requirement is for the attic space to be subdivided into areas of____ft.².
3000 ft.²
Page 190
Asbestos was commonly used in the US from the ____s until the ____s.
1930s- 1970s
Page 192
Veneers must be tied to the wood frame walls at intervals of ___ inches.
16 inches
Page 193
When the structural framing of a wood frame building, including the floor and roof construction, is provided with protection to achieve a 1 hour fire resistance rating, the building can be classified as;
Type V-A
Page 194
A typical means of adding or increasing fire resistance is through the use of ___ inch gypsum board attached to the studs or ceiling joists.
5/8 inch
Page 194
20% of fire fire fatalities between ___ and___ can be attributed to structural collapse.
1997 and 2006
Page 196
Pyrolysis is the thermal decomposition of wood and begins at temperatures somewhere below approximately ____°.
392°
Page 197
Because of the labor cost and limitations in the basic strength of wood, most wood frame buildings do not exceed___stories.
3 stories
Page 202
Lightweight wood framing uses nominal lumber that is ___ inch at its smallest dimension.
2 inch
Page 203
Heavy timber framing uses columns that are no less than___x___ inches thick.
Internal support columns- ___x___inches
Beams and are not less than ___x___inches
8 x 8 inches
8 x 8 inches
6 x 10 inches
Page 205/206
For most brick sizes, three courses of brick plus the intervening mortar joints equal a height of___inches.
8 inches
Page 219
Bricks are fire in a kiln at temperatures as high as ____°. This intense heat converts them to a ceramic material. The firing process takes ___ to ___ hours.
2400°
40-150 hrs
Page 219
Hollow Concrete Blocks most common dimensions:
8 x 8 x 16
Page 220
The Monadnock building in Chicago has masonry bearing walls ___ foot thick at the base of the building
Stories- ___
Year built- ___
6 foot
16 stories heigh
built in 1893
Page 224
Non-reinforced masonry walls are usually limited to a maximum height of___ stories.
6 stories
(Buildings greater than 3-4 stories Shiloh of use steel)
Page 224
Load-bearing masonry walls may be constructed to heights of ___ stories or more with a wall thickness of only ___inches when using reinforcements.
10 stories
12 inches thick
Page 226
A parapet is an extension of a masonry or steel wall that projects above the roof ___ foot or more.
1 ft
Page 229
Common structural steel has less than __ of__% carbon. In contrast, cast iron has a carbon content of __-__%.
Less than 3/10 or 1%
3-4% carbon in cast iron
Page 240
The steel rolling process consist of repeatedly passing ingots of steel heated to___° between large rollers until the intended shape is achieved.
2200°
Page 241
When the YIELD POINT STRESS is reached (approximately____ psi), the steel undergoes a pronounced deformation.
36,000 psi
Page 241
Steels used for special applications including bridge strands have tensile strength as high as ______ psi I have very little ductility.
300,000 psi
Page 241
And unrestrained steel beam 20 foot long and expand ____ inches significantly pushing at lateral constraints.
1.4 inches
Page 242
A steel column encased in ___ inches of concrete with a siliceous aggregate would have a fire resistance of 4 hours.
3 inches of concrete
Page 243
Steel is a good conductor of heat because it is a very heavy material, having a density of around ___pounds per cubic foot.
490 lbs per cubic ft
Page 242
Spray Applied Fire-Resistant Materials:
The applied fireproofing can vary from ___-___inches to produce a fire-resistance rating of___-___hours.
Low density- soft
Medium density- ___ lbs/sqft
High density-___ lbs/sqft
Cementitious density-___ lbs/sqft
Thickness of - 7/8-1 7/8
1-4 hr rating
Low density- soft
Medium density- 20 lbs/sqft
High density- 40-80 lbs/sqft
Cementitious density- 15-50 lbs/sqft
Page 244
Gypsum includes approximately ___% entrapped water.
20%
Page 244
Gypsum can be used to protect both columns and beams, providing a fire resistance rating from ___-___hours.
1-4 hrs
Page 245
Intumescent materials undergo a chemical reaction when exposed to heat of a fire. And intumescent coating will charge,foam, and expand when heated. The coating material will expand to ___-___ times its original volume.
15-30x it’s original volume
Page 245
Intumescent coatings are applied as paint. They have an applied thickness of ___-___inches
.03-.04 inches
Page 245
The use of the membrane ceiling can you provide a floor and ceiling assembly or a ceiling and roof assembly with a fire rating of ___-___hours depending on the specific details of installation.
1-3 hrs
Page 246
Open Web Joists dimensions:
Depths up to ___ft /most frequent less than ___ft
Spans up to ___ft /most frequent ___ft
Depths up to 6 ft /most frequent less than 2 ft
Spans up to 144 ft /most frequent 40 ft
Page 249
Steel Rigid Frames usually are used for spans from ___-___ feet and are fabricated by welding or bolting together steel shapes and plates.
40-200 feet
Page 249
Steel Arches can be constructed to span distances in excess of ___ feet.
300 feet
Page 249
Wire for use in bridge cables can have strengths as high as____ psi.
300,000 psi
Page 250
Columns used for structural support in building should have a slenderness ratio greater than___.
Greater than 120
Page 250
A common floor design in steel frame buildings uses a lightweight concrete with a minimum thickness of ___ inches supported by corrugated steel decking. The corrugated steel is, in turn, supported by open web steel joist.
Steel joist dimensions-
Depth- ___-___inches
Spaced- ___-___inches apart
2 inches
Depth- 6-12 inches
Spaced- 16-48 inches apart
Page 251
In steel buildings construction, the fire resistance rating may be eliminated for roof construction located more than ___feet above the floor below for some occupancy’s.
20 feet
Page 252
Concrete is strong in compression but weaker intention. The ultimate compressive strength can range from ___-___psi.
2500-6000 psi
Page 259
3 diameter-___ inches
Rebar reference:
Largest listed- #___ measures ___inches
Most common- #___ measures ___ inches
3 diameter- .375 inches
Largest listed- #18 measures 2.257inches
Most common- #6 measures .625 inches
Page 260
Prestressed concrete systems may be more vulnerable to failure than ordinary reinforced concrete. The systems use reinforce cables and rods made of high strength steel that can yield at temperatures as low as___°.
752°
Page 263
Theoretically, properly cured concrete continues to harden indefinitely at a gradual rate; normal design strength is reached after ___ days.
28 days
Page 264
In addition to maintaining proper moisture, concrete in the process of curing must be maintained at the correct temperature, ideally between ___° and ___°.
Concrete cured at or above ___° will not reach its proper strength. Concrete cure near freezing temperatures will harden more slowly.
Correct temp between 50° - 70°
100°
Page 264
Concrete Structural Systems can have fire resistance ratings from ___-___ hours.
1-4 hrs
Page 266
The Flat Slab Concrete Frame is a simple system that consists of a concrete slab with concrete columns for support. The slabs of concrete range in thickness from___-___inches.
6-12 inches
Page 267
A concrete Slab and Beam Frame consist of a concrete slab supported by concrete beams. This framing system is extremely light weight and is best suited for buildings with light floor loads. Slabs in this type of construction can be as thin as ___ inches.
2 inches
Page 268
Precast Concrete Slab dimensions-
Solid slab spans- up to ___ feet
Tee slab spans- up to ___feet
Solid slab spans- up to 30 feet
Tee slab spans- up to 100 feet
Page 270
Low sloped pitched roof- up to ___
Medium sloped- ___-___
Largest slopes- up to ___
Low sloped pitched roof- up to 3/12 pitch
Medium sloped- 4/12 - 12/12
Largest slopes- up to 18/12
Pages 279/280
Lamella Arch dimensions-
Thickness- ___x___ inches - ___-___ inches
Lengths - from ___ - ___ feet
Thickness- 2x8 - 3x16 inches
Lengths- from 8-14 feet
Page 282
Wood Rafter dimensions-
Sizes- ___ x ___ to ___ x ___ inches
Spaced- ___ -___ inches apart
Sizes- 2x4- 2x14 inches
Spaced- 12-24 inches apart
Page 286
Roof Deck Materials dimensions-
Wood panel decking thickness- ___in on supports ___in on center
Wood plank minimum spacing-___inch nominal thickness.
Corrugated steel decking gauge- thinnest -___ gauge to the thickest ____gauge.
Depth ranges from ___-___inches
Wood nailing strips embedded in concrete at intervals of ___ feet.
Wood panel decking thickness- 1/2 inch on supports 24 inches on center.
Wood plank minimum spacing-1 inch nominal thickness.
Corrugated steel decking gauge- thinnest -29 gauge to the thickest 12 gauge.
Depth ranges from 3/4 - 2 inches
Wood nailing strips embedded in concrete at intervals of 3 feet.
Page 290
Built-Up Membrane Roof dimensions-
Rolls of felt width- ___feet wide
Built up roofs last for ___ yrs
Rolls of felt width- 3 feet wide
Built up roofs last for 20 yrs
Page 292
Single-Ply Membrane Roof dimensions-
Material sheet width- ___-___ feet wide
Length- up to ___feet long
Thickness- ___-___ inches thick
Material sheet width- 10-20 feet wide
Length- up to 200 feet long
Thickness- .03- .10 inches thick
Page 292
Asphalt shingles are available in several sizes but the most common size is ___x___inches.
12x36 inches
Page 294
Wood shingles are installed with an overlap so only ___ of the surface of the shingle is actually exposed to the weather.
1/3 exposed
Page 296
Slate is produced from hard rock that has a tendency to split a long one plane. This characteristic permits roofing slate to be produced in smooth sheets as thin as___inches although it may be as thick as___ inches.
1/16 inch - 1.5 inches
Page 297
Slate is a durable material that can have a life expectancy of ___ years. It is also a heavy material, weighing ___-___pounds per square foot.
150 years
8-36 lbs/sq/ft
Page 297
With a Green Roof, the depth of soil required for a garden can range from a few inches to a few feet. Depending on the depth of the soil, the dead load can vary from ___ pounds per square foot to ___ pounds per square foot.
20-150 lbs/sqft
Page 302
Modern building codes to find a high-rise building as being more than ___ feet in height.
75 ft
Page 310
Typical modern building codes fire resistance:
Frame-___-___hr
Floor construction- ___hr
Frame- 2-3 hr
Floor- 2 hr
Page 313
In buildings up to ___-___stories it might be possible to advance hose lines manually up the stairs.
9-10 stories
Page 314
All model building codes require smokeproof exit enclosures in all stairs serving floors ___ feet or higher.
75 feet
Page 317
Fire command center control stations have minimum requirements, often including separation from the rest of the building with a ___ hour fire rating.
1 hr
Page 317
Only consider using elevators if the fire is above the___ floor.
I
5th floor
Page 320
Building codes contain mandatory provisions for the Phase l Operation of all passenger elevators with a vertical travel greater than ___ feet in the event of a fire.
25 feet
Page 320
Underground Buildings may have occupancy areas ___ feet or more lower than their primary exit.
30 feet
Page 322
Smokeproof Enclosures are now required for buildings with levels more than ___ feet below the level of exit discharge.
30 feet
Page 324
Where buildings have floor levels more than ___ feet below the level of exit discharge, separation of each level into two approximately equal size compartments may be required. Each compartment will be provided with at least one stair and access into the other compartment.
60 feet
Page 324
Building codes require that mall walkways be a minimum of ___ feet wide.
20 feet wide
Page 329
Codes require individual stores within a shopping mall to have a ___ hour resistive separation from each other.
1 hr
Page 330
Some building codes waive the requirements for sprinklers where the ceiling of the atrium is more than ___feet above the floor.
55 feet
Page 333
The maximum pressure reach during an explosion makes it ___x atmospheric pressure
10x
Page 334
Ideally, explosion vent panel should not weigh more than ___pounds per square foot.
3 lbs sq/ft
Page 336
The typical Smoke Barrier consist of a minimum of ___ hour fire rated enclosure.
1 hr
Page 337
Warehouse Rack dimensions-
Rack width- wider than ___feet
Aisle width- narrower than ___feet
Height- ___-___feet
Rack width- wider than 12 feet
Aisle width- narrower than 3.5 feet
Height- 12-100 feet
Newer building codes require that a minimum of one lit stairway be provided when building construction reaches a height above ___ stories or ___ feet
4 stories or 50 feet
Page 348
In newer buildings with sprinkler systems, building and fire codes require valves controlling the water supply for sprinkler systems with more than ___ sprinklers to be monitored at a constantly attended location.
20 sprinklers
Page 353
