Ch. 4 Building Systems Flashcards
Stairs provide a fuel role in building systems, what are they?
- Enable access to multiple levels
- Egress during emergency
What are convenience stairs
Stairs not part of the means of egress
Convenience Stairs per code are limited too?
Stairs are open and connect only Two levels per code limitations
Horizontal face of a step
Tread
Verticals part of a step
Riser
Distance of a stair
Run
Stairs that extend in one direction
Straight run
Stairs that have intermediate landings between floors then reverse direction
Return stairs
Stairs with two separate sets of stairs constructed in common shaft
Scissor stairs
Older design scissor stairs have exits on which floors
Every other floor or every second floor
Scissor stairs also use what type of stair construction
Return style
What’s the minimum width of the run on circular stairs?
10 inches
What’s a special consideration of circular stairs?
The small radius of the full circle or greater or equal to twice the widest part of the stair tread
What kind of stairs gives access to confined spaces, dry wells, and in industrial applications?
Steel spiral stairs
Gas springs are also known as what?
Struts
Fully enclosed exterior stairways are subject to same requirements as ?
Fully enclosed exterior stairways are subject to same requirements as enclosed interior stairways
Fire escapes fail due to
Damage of freeze and thaw
Corrosion due to weather
Inadequate mortar
Building code requires a minimum of One smokeproof enclosure for stairs serving building how tall?
5 stories or higher
Building code also requires protection for stairs serving floor levels more than how many feet below the level of exit discharge
Levels more than 30 ft below level of exit discharge
Active fire protection
Uses moving or mechanic parts that Require power source
Passive fire protection
Walls and stair enclosures
In a High Rise, code requires what for stairs?
Dedicated, pressurized stairway designed solely for fire fighters
Open stairs ways can be used when
Only when they connect no more than 2 adjacent floors above the basement level
Escalators are set at a standard speed of ?
100 ft per minute
How are escalator stairs linked?
By a step chain
Verticals penetrations for escalators serving more than how many floors must be protected ?
Verticals penetrations for escalators serving more than 2 floors must be protected
What is the most common protection to use in vertical openings in escalators
Closely spaced sprinklers and drafts stops
In Escalator vertical openings, have what size draft stops and sprinkler arrangement
18 inch draft stop
Row or auto sprinklers on all sides outside the draft stop
Moving walkways move in which direction?
Horizontal
Elevators are uniquely dangerous when.
System malfunctions or electrical disruptions
Elevator regulations are based on
ASME / ANSI A17.1 elevator safety code
The ADA requires what in multi story buildings.
Ramp or elevator access
Before use in an elevator, FF’s should
Recall to lobby, open the door from a floor ABOVE the recalled elevator to check for smoke in shaft
Two types of elevators
Hydraulic and Electric
Hydraulic elevators have breaks T or F?
False, they do not have breaks, they are controlled through hydraulic fluids
Historically, hydraulic elevators upper limit was how many stories
6, requiring a deep well to reach lower floors
Electric Drun Elevators use a hoist cable on a drum located where?
Directly over the hoist way
What’s the most common type of elevator in buildings over 6 stories
Traction Elevators
Drive equipment for electric traction elevators is located
Directly over hoist way
Traction elevators use what to raise elevators
Counterweights to reduce the energy, may have a 500 V back up supply.
Hoistways are required to ?
Be constructed of fire resistive materials and fire doors
In low rise buildings, what can hoistways be made of for fire resistance?
Gypsum, cement block.
In larger buildings or reinforced concrete, what are hoist-ways made of?
Enclose in three sides with poured concrete.
Also protects building from a wind load
Elevator hoist way enclosures are required to be a fire rated assembly with what timed rating
1-2 hour rating, depending on height
To prevent Mushrooming, building code require what at the top of most hoistways
Venting at the top of hoistway
A building with 3 or Fewer elevators can hold how many elevators in a single hoistway?
3
A building with four or more elevators must have a minimum of how many shafts
2 separate hoistways
If a building has more than one hoistway, how many elevators can be in one hoistway
Up to four elevators
An elevator zone includes how many consecutive floors
15-20
Blind Hoistways typically service?
Express elevators on upper floors
Rescue access doors are in blind Hoistways are placed where
Every three floors
What type of elevators have top exit in all cars?
Electrical
I’m multi hoist elevators, most cars are equipped with what for rescue
Side exits for passengers to be transferred laterally
Vertical openings in shafts and utility chases do not have what?
Horizontal fire barriers along the length of the shaft
Laundry / Refuse Chutes are required to be constructed of?
Noncombustible materials with fire doors fire rated shaft enclosure.
Sprinklers at top and termination point
Primary purpose of HVAC
Comfort
Duct detectors are provided for fans that exceed
Capacities exceeding 2,000 cubic feet per minute
What’s the space between suspended ceilings and roof decks, or under floor spaces that may be used to supply air
(interstitial space) or return air Plenum
Hydronic system in HVAC
Use water at heat transfer medium
HVAC building code require
HVAC ducts to be enclosed with fire rated shaft enclosure.
In buildings less than 4 stories HVAC ducts enclosures be rated at
1 hr for less than 4 stories
In buildings more than 4 stories HVAC ducts enclosures be rated at
2hrs for buildings 4 stories or greater
When operating in smoke control mode, HVAC systems work how?
Discharge smoke through exhaust fans from the fire floor to the outside with out returning air to the supply
What does a pressure sandwich mean?
Constant supply of air on non-fire floors, creates a higher pressure above and below the fire reducing smoke movement in those areas
Heat and Smoke vent hatchways have a minimum opening of ?
4 ft in either direction
Curtain boards are also known as what
Draft curtains
Curtain Boards / Draft curtains not further apart than?
Curtain Boards / Draft curtains not further apart than eight times the ceiling height
Curtain Boards / Draft curtains depth should be not less than what percent of ceiling height?
Curtain Boards / Draft curtains depth should be not less than 20% of ceiling height
The size and spacing of smoke and heat vents depend on what?
Floor to ceiling height and contents
What’s the method to determine the vent area?
Analysis of the heat release rate,
ceiling height
Depth of curtain boards
Smoke and heat vents are less effective when used with?
In conjunction with sprinklers
What is a smoke tower
Vestibule open to the atmosphere, that is separated from the building corridor.
High voltage
600 volts or higher
Low voltage
Under 600 volts
Transformers do what
Convert high voltage to appropriate utility voltage
What’s a gas that’s a concern in electric vaults
Carbon Monoxide
How are transformers cooled
Using air and oil
What are dry transformers
Air cooled
What voltage is for light ballasts
277 volts
What voltage for HVAC systems
480 volts
Dry transformers step down the voltage to what?
120 volts
Transformers with PCBs are required to be what?
Labeled
Oil in oil cooled transformers must have what properties
Dielectric (non-conduction) properties
When transformers are located inside a building, code requires resistance rating of ? When not protected by sprinklers
Transformers room or vault to have 3 hr rating if not protected by sprinklers
When transformer rooms or vaults are sprinklers, code requires what rating?
1 hr
What’s the exception to fuel storage regarding a a generator
If a day tank exists in the same room, the tank is limited to 60 gallons
Minimum required fuel storage for generators is between
2- 8 hours
fuel storage for generators for hospitals and other critical facilities
Up to 48 hours or longer
Hospitals require what at all times for life support and monitoring systems
Hospitals require power at all times for life support and monitoring systems
