Building Construction Rapid Fire Flashcards
What is used for soil assessment when a test pit may not reach deep enough?
Test boring
After what amount of time did the roof sag unevenly in attics with fire-retardant treated wood in the 1980s?
Three to five years
Which would indicate the presence of a lateral beam in masonry construction?
Structural pilasters
What is the most significant advantage to membrane structures?
Large, unobstructed interior space
What provides the insulation in the horizontal sliding fire door?
Wood
What portion of the wood shingle is exposed when installed?
One-third
What is the height limitation on air-inflated or air-supported structures?
One story
What is maximum percentage of the wall and ceiling area that a material can cover for it to be classified as trim?
10 percent
Where is the command center in the high-rise building typically located?
First floor
Which material is used to compare the flame spread of other materials during the test?
Red oak flooring
What shape is often seen on the exterior of the building when the tie rod is intended to be decorative?
Star
What fire-resistive rating must exterior walls be to satisfy the requirements for ignition-resistant construction?
1-hour
What is usually used to attach a wood sill to the foundation in the construction of platform framing?
Bolts
How many sections are normally found on folding stairs?
Three
Which must be true about circular stairs?
The small radius of the full circle is greater than or equal to twice the widest part of the stair tread
Which is NOT a way that the fire resistance of concrete assemblies is sometimes compromised?
Use of structural lightweight concrete in nonload-bearing applications
Who is a building permit obtained from before construction can begin?
Building department
Where will the compartment to be used to shelter in place at the detention or correctional facility be located relative to the inmates?
On the same floor
Where will the grade stamp be located on wood panel products?
Back of the structural panel
Which is NOT a correct statement about Type IV construction?
The beams are constructed of steel
What fire-rated assembly is usually required for elevator hoistway enclosures?
1- or 2-hour
Which is seen as a trip hazard during remodeling and renovation work?
Trash
Fans exceeding what capacity are typically provided with duct detectors?
2,000 cubic feet per minute (60 cubic meters per minute)
In what position is a self-closing door normally?
Closed
What is normally the maximum height that nonreinforced masonry wall?
Six stories
What is the most common load imposed on a structure?
Gravity
What type of force are stirrups designed to resist in reinforced steel?
Diagonal torsion
How many people perished at the Lame Horse nightclub fire in Perm, Russia on December 5, 2009?
153
What is the most commonly used size of rebar?
5
Which of the following is NOT handled by the mechanical engineer?
Communications
What must be done when permanent roadways and water supply are not available during construction?
Temporary provisions need to be made available
Where do the stresses from the applied loads occur within a surface systems?
Bearing wall structures
What minimum dimensions are seen in the internal support columns of heavy timber construction?
8 X 8 inches (200 X 200 mm)
Buildings at and above what height may be required to have one stairway that extends to the roof for access to mechanical equipment?
Four
What are gypsum block and lightweight concrete block limited to the use in?
Nonload-bearing partition walls
What is created using spherical triangulation?
Geodesic dome
Which are frequently used in heavy timber construction and the adhesive is virtually unaffected by the heat of the fire?
Glulam beams
What is a fundamental fire concern with Type III construction?
Concealed spaces
What are the most common means for protecting openings through fire-rated walls?
Fire doors
What are freestanding walls self-supporting with respect to?
Vertical loads
Up to how many times its original volume will intumescent materials expand when exposed to the heat of a fire?
30
Which type of elevator is designed to carry people and freight?
Service
At what number of elevators in the building will separate hoistways be required?
Four
What is often the weakest part of the masonry wall?
Mortar joints
In which southeastern state do sinkholes occur more often?
Florida
How will most accumulated water drain from upper floors in a high-rise building?
Elevator shafts and stairwells
Which includes a building’s permanent structural elements?
Dead load
What rating range is available for swinging fire doors?
20 minutes to 3 hours
What is the primary cause of spalling of concrete?
Expansion of moisture within the concrete
Which phase of elevator operations automatically stops all the cars that serve the fire floor and returns them nonstop to the lobby?
Phase I
Which is used to determine the extent of work in relation to the building as a whole and will be used to determine how much of the existing structure can be considered existing/non-conforming when renovations and remodeling are being done?
(IEBC) International Existing Building code
Which may be placed as an insulation for below-grade walls?
(EPS) Expanded Polystyrene
Which NFPA code is often adopted by a governmental agency with a specific area of responsibility?
NFPA 101 - Life safety code
What is believed to have been the cause of the fire in a Houston apartment complex that was under construction on March 25, 2014?
Welder’s spark
Which type of wood products are made of flat strips of wood joined with glue?
Laminated
Which is the most common style of connector between heavy timber members?
Steel gusset plates with through-bolts
Which type of system is designed to remove stale air from an area?
Exhaust
When should water resources be coordinated in the process for large construction projects?
Early
What is used to determine the design method for the floors of multistory, reinforced concrete buildings?
Loads to be supported
What is the most common method used to determine fire resistance?
Laboratory testing
What is in place to allow the concrete to adhere to the reinforcing bars with ordinary reinforcing?
Texture on the bars
Historically, what fire-resistive rating have fire walls been required to have?
Four hours
Which is NOT a correct statement about tornadoes?
Tornado conditions are highly unpredictable
How are the grains of adjacent veneers aligned to each other in plywood panels?
90 degree angles
What must protected stairs resist the effects of?
Products of combustion
Traditionally what is the minimum number of smokeproof stair enclosures that building codes have required in buildings five stories or higher?
One
What is most common characteristic of unprotected, noncombustible construction?
Use of unprotected steel
Which is a support for masonry over an opening which is usually made of steel angles?
Lintel
Which is NOT a correct statement about traction elevators?
The hoist cables wind around the drive sheave
Which specialty will deal with the water supply and storm water drainage?
Civil
What fire-rated assembly is usually required for elevator hoistway enclosures?
1- or 2-hour
At what angles are grillage footing layers placed to each other?
90-degree
What is typically the maximum available fire-resistant protection for a subway station?
4 hours
Which is NOT a correct statement about tilt-up construction?
Reinforced wall panels are cast off-site
Under recent codes, how many accessible means of egress are required from a building (which are continuous routes to ground level)?
Two
What is the maximum slope of a low slope roof?
3/12
What led to the walkways collapsing at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in July of 1981?
Design change
Which is NOT correct about fire-retardant treatments?
Coatings protect the treated as well as the untreated backside of the material
What determines the structural integrity of noncombustible materials?
Physical dimensions
What building feature reduces the flow of combustion products in high-rise buildings?
Enclosed stairwells
During which phase of the work are building owners primarily tempted to continue work without the required permits?
Renovation
What can make the connection the last item to fail within the steel structural system?
Greater mass at the point of connection
What material is used to reinforce masonry walls?
Steel
What is the primary concern with layered roofs?
Extra thickness
What kind of force is impressed upon the supporting wall if a bowstring truss partially falls out of place?
Outward horizontal
What does the typical smoke barrier for an area of refuge in a vestibule consist of at a minimum?
1-hour fire-rated enclosure
Where will the grade stamp be located on wood panel products?
Back of the structural panel
Which class is used to designate a fire door that provides an opening in fire walls?
Class A
What does the slump test measure in concrete?
Moisture content
How many major occupancy classifications does the IBC identify?
10
What is the minimum number of sides that the exterior stairs are naturally ventilated?
One
What type of construction have major developers of malls began to prefer in recent years?
Type II-a
What are used to convert high-voltage electricity to an appropriate voltage for building use?
Transformers
What is the greatest benefit to the green design roof?
Increased energy efficiency
What is the maximum thickness of finished laminated beams?
2 inches (50 mm)
Which are most commonly used to construct foundation walls?
Concrete
Which is NOT a correct statement about energy conservation effects on the building and fire fighting operations?
When doors and windows are tightly fitted, the flow of air to the fire is increased
What is the smallest dimension of nominal lumber that is used in light wood framing?
2-inch (50 mm)
Where should fuel for the generator be located?
Separate from the generator
What allows for movement of asphalt shingles due to thermal expansion and shifting of the building structural system?
Small size
What is the primary fire hazard associated with Type IV construction?
Relatively large amount of fuel present in structural supports
Where does a shallow foundation transfer the weight of the building?
To the soil at the base of the building
How do building collapses as the result of snow or water loads often happen?
Without warning
Which fire has greatly influenced fire codes in the United States and proven that combustible interior finishes can contribute greatly to loss of life?
LaSalle Hotel fire in Chicago, Illinois
Where can fire retardant-treated woods be used within Type I buildings?
Roofs
Which fire-retardant coating will create a thick, puffy coating that insulates the wood surface from heat and excludes oxygen from the wood when exposure to heat?
Intumescent
What feature of the web design of truss joists allows the rapid spread of fire in directions perpendicular to the truss joist and along the members?
Open web design
To which floor should the elevator be called before using it for emergency response?
Lobby
What can the local building department provide to the fire department that will help assist them with the response after an earthquake?
List of buildings that may suffer extensive damage and possible collapse
What will the failure point temperature of steel depend upon?
Application of the component
Which activates more quickly and can be tested easily?
Electromagnetic door holder
What type of foundation involves removing the same amount of soil that equals the weight of the building?
Floating
Which is NOT correct about posttensioned reinforcement (concrete)?
Once the concrete has sufficiently hardened, the force is released from the steel bands
Which NFPA standard describes three levels of exposure based on the potential severity of the exposing fire?
NFPA 80A
Which is load applied to the center of the cross-section of a member and perpendicular to that cross-section?
Axial
What do passenger elevator car doors use as a power source?
Electric motor on top of the elevator car
Which is the most commonly used standard time-temperature test to satisfy building code requirements for structural fire resistance?
NFPA 251
What is a building that is built before securing a tenant or occupant called?
Spec building
What is commonly used in modern construction to add or increase fire resistance in the wood-frame building interior?
Gypsum board
What angle does a slope of 12/12 equal on the pitched roof?
45-degree
Which types of roofs have been largely eliminated due to modern ventilation and lighting systems?
Monitor and sawtooth
What shape will the cable used to support loads over a distance be?
Curved
What is the best course of action to take when presented with a fire in a demolition building?
Exterior fire fighting
Which is NOT correct about underground buildings?
Sprinklers are not required if a portion of the building is aboveground
Which is NOT a reason that underpinning will be needed?
Shifted load on the foundation
Which is the only laboratory-controlled testing being used that is accepted by building codes?
E-119
What failed in the 21-story building under construction in Los Angeles, California in December 1985 that resulted in its collapse?
Beams
What is used as a starting point when calculating the snow load on a roof?
Expected ground snow load
How is the flat roof designed for drainage?
Sloped rear to front
What is the distinctive characteristic of post and beam framing?
Spacing of the vertical posts
Which building classification is not divided into subclassifications?
Heavy timber
What is an exterior indication of an increased living space?
Dormer
After which event in 1992 did Southern Florida locally adopt more stringent construction requirements?
Hurricane Andrew
What resistance rating is usually seen in the floor construction of the fire resistive structure?
Two or three hours
How is the fire resistance rating stated if not on a standard interval?
Round down to the nearest interval
What is the most commonly used protection for the vertical opening when escalators serve more than two floors?
Closely spaced sprinklers and draft stops
What is placed into the shaft first when post-and-pier foundations are being constructed?
Concrete
What type of load against the foundation of a building does soil exert?
Lateral
Which is an essential consideration in the design of fire protection systems?
Water availability
Where should fire stopping be located within the electrical system?
Openings in floor slabs and firewalls
What is the typical number of levels seen in the shopping mall?
1-3
In which of the following is the concrete slab up to 12 inches (300 mm) thick?
Flat-slab concrete frames
What usually creates the cavity that the ground surface collapses into with a sinkhole?
Ground water dissolving rock
What is the sideways deformation of a building’s structural elements?
Lateral displacement
What is normally the maximum amount of time that assemblies are tested using the fire-resistance test?
4 hours
What is used when conducting the standard fire-resistance test?
Regulated fire
What determines the size and spacing of smoke and heat vents?
Floor-to-ceiling building height and contents
What does the overall effect of the seismic load against a structure depend upon more?
Acceleration of the ground beneath the building
How many layers of roofing felt is a common design for roofing membranes?
Four
What is the maximum amount of moisture that most structural lumber contain?
19 percent
What is the standardized speed for escalators?
100 feet per minute (30 meters per minute)
Which type of beams are supported beneath both ends and are free to rotate?
Simply supported
What is the cavity between the wythes filled in with in concrete block brick faced masonry construction?
Grout
What reason makes it acceptable to cut reinforced steel during operations?
Rescue operations
Where are sprinklers located in the refuse or laundry chutes when present?
Intermittent within the chute
What is the primary hazard unique to renovating andremodeling?
Disturbance of hazardous substances
Which type of membrane construction is used more frequently?
Frame-membrane structures
What is used for support in the flat-slab concrete frame?
Concrete columns
What can be used to prevent the arch from spreading if the end supports cannot maintain the arch?
Horizontal tie rods
Who should departments develop a close working relationship with to ensure notification when problems are noted in the field in relation to landslides, subsidence, and sinkholes?
Public works agencies
Which are not typically required to be installed in a rated chase?
Plumbing pipes
What is the single most important factor in determining the ultimate strength of concrete?
Water-to-cement ratio
Which connector is used in steel trusses?
Rivets
Which part in the heavy timber construction type has a minimum dimension requirement of 4 X 6 inches (102 X 152 mm)?
Roof framing
What must be done before the building’s engineering design can proceed?
Financing secured
At what voltage is electrical equipment classified as high-voltage?
600 volts
Which is the strongest of the structural composite lumbers?
Parallel strand lumber
What must be completed for the building to have its ultimate level of structural stability?
Frame is finished
Where do codes require most hoistways be vented to prevent mushrooming?
Top of the hoistway
Who will need to conduct the system tests during construction inspections?
Installing contractor’s representatives
In which phase of operations will the elevator become essentially manually operated?
Phase II
Which building element does NOT have a rating requirement under the IBC?
Nonbearing walls and partitions interior
Model building codes define a high-rise building as being more than what height?
75 feet (20 m)
Which has bricks placed end-to-end in the masonry wall?
Stretcher course
Which is a natural source of vibration?
Wind
Since what time have building codes routinely required that high-rise buildings be equipped with automatic sprinkler systems as well as standpipe systems?
Mid-1970s
Up until what time was asbestos commonly used in siding materials in the U.S.?
1970s
Which type of joint cannot be used when tensile stresses will be transmitted along the length of the beam?
Butt
Parapets in which location are especially significant during fire fighting operations?
Front of the building
What is the rating requirement for the primary structural frame of a Type IA building per the IBC?
3 hours
What is cold rolled steel used for?
Floor decking
What allows for a fundamentally greater structural rigidity on cast-in-place concrete?
Continuity in intersecting members
What is a factor of the fire load plus the rate at which the fuel burns?
Severity of the fire
What rating is required for the enclosures when transformers are inside the building without a sprinkler system in place?
3-hour
What type of exterior characterizes heavy timber construction?
Masonry
Which type of fire door is constructed with interlocking steel slats and installed along corridors to protect convenience openings?
Rolling overhead
Which class fire door creates an opening in exterior walls subject to moderate or light exposure from the outside?
Class E
Can most air flowing through an HVAC system be recirculated?
Yes
Does recirculation of air mean more or less air must be heated/cooled to the desired building temperature?
Less
On traction elevators with DC motors, are the brakes are used to stop the car?
No, they only hold it in place once stopped by the motor. AC motors use the brakes to stop though.
What thickness of nominal lumber is used for firestopping?
2-inch (50 mm)
What fire resistance rating is needed in the floor and roof construction of a wood-frame building to be able to classify it as Type V-A (wood frame, protected)?
1-hour
What is the movement of rock, earth, or debris down a slope?
Landslide
Where must the smoke control system in an atrium vent the products of combustion?
Outside
Which type of pressurization system supplies a uniform flow of air into the stairwell?
Multiple-injection system
What minimum lateral load must freestanding walls be designed to resist?
5 pounds per square foot (0.25 kPa)
Which applies the most complicated load that must be accommodated by structural design?
Seismic forces
Where should annunciator panels be easily viewed from to help company officers know the type and location of the alarm?
Entrances
Buildings constructed after what year have a lower risk of damage from earthquakes?
1930
What is used to measure force intensity?
Force divided by area
What is an inherent disadvantage of steel?
Tendency to rust
Where are the fire pumps located that supply the sprinkler and standpipe systems in the high-rise building?
Basement
