Building Construction Flashcards
Building code definition
A body of law that determines the minimum standards that buildings must meet in the interest of community safety and health
International building code
The most widely used model building code in the United States
Type I construction
Fire resistive
Type II construction
Protected noncombustible or non-combustible
Type III construction
Exterior protected masonry or ordinary
Type IV construction
Heavy timber
No a and b division…designation is 2HH
Type V construction
Wood frame
Convection
Usually involves the transfer of heat energy through the movement of hot smoke and fire gases
Thermal radiation
The transfer of heat energy through space by electromagnetic waves
Offensive strategies address
Life hazards
structural stability
risk (benefit outweighs the risk)
Defensive strategies address
Volume of fire
structural deterioration
risk (risk outweighs the benefit)
structural conditions
Transitional strategies
Include all strategies that include a change in either direction between an offensive or defensive focus
Type II-A (protected)
Requires structural components to have a 1hr fire resistance
Type II B (unprotected)
Allows structural components to remain unprotected
Type III construction commonly uses ………. as floor construction
Nominal 2” x 10” joist
Type IV construction
Requires minimum nominal dimensions of 6” x 10” for floor construction
Fuel load
The total quantity of combustible material in a compartment is a critical factor when determining the fire safety requirements of a space
Fire load
The maximum amount of heat that can be released if all fuel is consumed
The fire load will vary depending on the ……………..of the fuel load
Heat of combustion
ASTME 136, standard test method for behavior of materials in a vertical tube furnace at 750°C
The most commonly used test for determining combustibility
E-119 Test
The only standardized test method currently universally excepted by building codes
This standard test evaluates the ability of structural assemblies to carry a structural load and to act as a fire barrier.
E-119 Test
UL standard 2079, Standard for fire test of joint systems
Joint systems for floor to wall in wall-to-wall connections are tested in accordance with….
The most prevalent steel used in compiling test data
A7 and A36
The direction of forces from loads acting on the interior of structural members is expressed as
Stress
The forces within a structural support system that resist applied loads
Reactions
What type of loads are steady or applied gradually
Static loads
What type of loads involve motion and are capable of delivering energy greatly in excess of the weight of the object involved
Dynamic loads
In designing buildings to withstand wind forces what type of pressure is used as the primary consideration
Direct pressure
When talking about seismic loads directional movements include
Lateral
torsional
resonant
Lateral loads that create ………….. are the most significant force generated by an earthquake
Horizontal motion
Two common methods of base isolation
Shear system and sliding systems
This system is a less common method of building isolation
Sliding systems
Soil exerts a …………..against a foundation
Lateral load (pressure)
The pressure exerted by the soil against the foundation is known as
Active soil pressure
The force of the foundation against the soil is known as
Passive soil pressure
The center horizontal line of the web is known as the _________________because the tension and compression stresses are zero.
Neutral axis
The neutral axis is the maximum point of what kind of stress?
Shear
Columns are structural members designed to support a___________
Axial load
Typical trust shapes span distances of ________to ________,but trust bands in modern construction may exceed __________.
22 to 70 feet
100 feet
Steel studs are placed ______to _______ inches apart
12 to 16”
Materials used in rigid frames include
Steel
laminated wood
reinforced concrete
Because of the high stress load at the connection, the intersection between the slab and column is usually reinforced by additional material in the form of a___________ or a ______________
Capital
Drop panel
_____________structures are rigid, Three-dimensional structure’s having been components, as compared to other structural material dimensions
Shell
What type of stairs have an intermediate landing between floors and reverse direction at that point
Return stairs
What type of stairs are two separate sets of stairs constructed in a common shaft
Scissor stairs
Buildings that often includes scissor stairs include
Airport terminals
convention centers
malls
cinema complexes
On circular stairs the minimum width of the run is usually
10 inches
Escalator speeds are standardized at _________ feet per minute
100
Older escalators usually operate at speeds of either _____ or ______feet per minute
90 to 120
What is the most common type of elevator in buildings over six stories
Traction elevators
Hatchway doors often open a minimum of _________ feet in either direction.
4ft
The depth of a curtain board will vary depending on the nature of the hazard, but should be no less than ____________of the ceiling height.
20%
Curtain board should be space so that they are not farther apart than ___________ times the ceiling height.
8 times
The method used to determine the required vent area requires an analysis of the…………
The rate of heat release of the fuel,
the ceiling height,
and the depth of the curtain boards.
In a _______________system, the airflow into the stairwell can be adjusted depending on the number of doors that may be open.
Compensated
High voltage equipment is defined as operating at _________volts or higher
600
Low-voltage equipment operates at less than _________ volts.
600
The standard test used for measuring the service burning characteristics of interior finish materials is referred to as…….
ASTM E-84
The ASTM E-84 test uses the……
Steiner Tunnel
Flame spread ratings over ___________ are not permitted in occupancies.
200
Codes do not allow a combination of materials that exceed a maximum smoke develop rating of__________.
450
Freestanding walls must be able to resist a lateral load of at least_________ pounds per square foot.
5
Freestanding firewalls are usually found in buildings of ____________________Construction, although they may also be used in other types of construction including ___________.
Type III or V.
Type II
Parapet Walls
Parapet height above a combustible roof is determined by the building code and varies from __________________inches.
18 to 36”
Four hour rated firewalls must be constructed of________________?
Masonry or concrete
The international code Council allows firewalls with fire resistive ratings of __________________hours, depending on the occupancy.
2, 3, or 4hours
Historically fire walls were required to have a fire resistance rating of_______________ hours.
4hrs
Types of facilities that may be constructed without firewalls include…..
Factories
warehouses
retail stores
The standard test used for measuring the service burning characteristics of interior finish materials is referred to as…….
ASTM E-84
The ASTM E-84 test uses the……
Steiner Tunnel
Flame spread ratings over ___________ are not permitted in occupancies.
200
Codes do not allow a combination of materials that exceed a maximum smoke develop rating of__________.
450
Freestanding walls must be able to resist a lateral load of at least_________ pounds per square foot.
5
Freestanding firewalls are usually found in buildings of ____________________Construction, although they may also be used in other types of construction including ___________.
Type III or V.
Type II
Parapet high above a combustible roof is determined by the building code and varies from __________________inches.
18 to 36”
Four hour rated firewalls must be constructed of________________?
Masonry or concrete
The international code Council allows firewalls with fire resistive ratings of __________________hours, depending on the occupancy.
2, 3, or 4hours
Historically fire walls were required to have a fire resistance rating of_______________ hours.
4hrs
Types of facilities that may be constructed without firewalls include…..
Factories
warehouses
retail stores
The purpose of a _______________ is to the block the vertical spread of fire to a buildings openings.
Enclosure wall
Curtain walls serve the following functions……..
Resist environmental loads
control heat loss
limit noise transmission
limit solar radiation
Fire doors are rated in increments of time from _________ minutes to _________ hours.
20 minutes to 4 hours
Fire door classifications
Opening in fire walls…..
Class A
Openings in vertical shaft and openings in two hour rated partitions.
Class B
Openings between rooms and corridors having a fire resistance of one hour or less
Class C
Openings in exterior walls subject to severe fire exposure from the outside of a building
Class D
Openings in exterior walls subject to moderate or light exposure from the outside
Class E
Most horizontal sliding doors are metal-clad or tin-clad doors with a wood core that provides insulation covered in sheet metal that protects the wood from the fire. Metals often include: ___________
Steel
galvanized sheet metal
terneplate
Test pits may reach a depth up to
______________?
8 feet
Piers are sometimes referred to as …….
Caissons
_____________is available in lengths from 8 to 24 feet and 2 foot increments?
Dimensional lumber
The standard tensile strength of wood is considered about ______________?
700 psi
Scarf and finger joints can be used to transmit…….
Tensile stresses
_________ is the strongest of the SCL products and can be used for heavily loaded columns and long spans
Parallel strand lumber (PSL)
____________is made with long strands of wood up to 12 inches in length.
Laminated strand lumber (LSL)
Thermoplastic composite lumber is a combustible product with a flame spread rating of__________?
80
Particleboard can be manufactured in sizes up to_____________?
8 x 40 ft
The initial products of pyrolysis are the release of ________ retained in the wood and __________.
Water and carbon dioxide
Pyrolysis is the thermal decomposition of wood and begins at a temperature somewhere below approximately
392 degrees
Heavy timber trusses use members up to…….
8 or 10 inches
Mortar is available in five basic types with compressive strength ranging from______________?
75 psi to 2,500 psi
Most mortar is produced from a mixture of…….
Portland cement, hydrated lime, sand, and water
Walls constructed with fire rated concrete masonry units or bricks can have fire resistance ratings of _______________?
2 to 4 hours or more
Parapets
A parapet is an extension of a masonry or steel wall that project above the roof __________ or more.
1 foot
Molybdenum
Strength
Vanadium
Strength and toughness
Manganese
Resistance of steel to abrasion
Gypsum can be used to protect both columns and beams, providing fire resistance ratings from _______ to ______ hours.
One to four hours
Gypsum includes approximately what percentage entrapped water?
20%
Open web joists are available with depths up to _______ft and spans up to _________ft.
6ft and 144ft
Open web joists are more frequently found with depths less than _________ft and spans of ________ft.
2 ft and 40 ft
Steel ridged frames usually are used for spans from ______ to _________feet.
40 to 200 feet
Steel arches can be constructed to span distances in excess of….
300ft
If the architect desires to leave the underside of the roof exposed without joists, a structural ___________must be used to support the rafters.
Ridge Beam
All model building codes require smoke proof exit enclosures in all stairs serving floors _________ or higher.
75ft
Smoke proof enclosures are now required for buildings with levels more than ___________ below the level of the exit discharge.
30ft
Building codes require that mall walkways be a minimum of _________ wide.
20ft
The maximum pressure reached during an explosion may exceed _________ the atmospheric pressure.
10 times
Ideally, explosive vent panels should not weigh more than ______ pounds per square foot
3
Traction elevators
AC motor stopping
DC motor stopping
AC- During normal operations the brakes on tracks and elevators with AC motors a directly and stop in the car at the correct floor
DC-On elevators with DC motors the brakes do not play any part and actually stopping the elevator car
Elevator hoistway enclosures usually are required to be a fire rated assembly with a……
A 1 or 2 hour rating depending on the height of the building
Wood is stronger parallel to the grain.
The allowable compressive strength parallel to the grain varies from….
325 to 1700psi
Ch 9 Steel Construction
Slenderness ratio
Compares the unbraced length of a column to the shape an area of its cross section. The higher the numerical value of the slenderness ratio, the more likely it is that buckling will occur.
In general columns use for structural support in building should not have a slender ratio greater than 120
Hurricanes
In regions that expect wind born debris, such as coastal area subject to hurricanes were the basic wind speed is 110 mph or greater…..
Window glazing must be impact resistant
Applied fireproofing can range from
7/8 to 1 7/8” to produce a fire resistive rating from one to four hours.
High density sfrm’s that use magnesium oxychloride have densities ranging from
40 to 80lbs/ft3
Cementitious materials have densities ranging from
15 to 50 lbs/ft3
Applied fireproofing can range from
7/8 to 1 7/8” to produce a fire resistive rating from one to four hours.
High density sfrm’s that use magnesium oxychloride have densities ranging from
40 to 80lbs/ft3
Cementitious materials have densities ranging from
15 to 50 lbs/ft3
