Chapter 4 - Building Construction - Vocab

Question 1

wood with high moisture content

Answer 1

greenwood

Question 2

Oriented Strand Board

Answer 2

a wooden structural panel formed by gluing and compressing wood strands together under pressure. This material has replaced plywood and planking in the in the majority of construction applications. With decks, walls, and subfloors are all commonly made of 0SB.

Question 3

Masonry

Answer 3

bricks , blocks, stones, and unreinforced and reinforced concrete products.

Question 4

Veneer Walls

Answer 4

walls with the surface layer of attractive material laid over the base of common material

Question 5

Spalling

Answer 5

expansion of excess moisture within masonry materials due to exposure to the heat of the fire, resulting in tensile forces within the material, and causing it to break apart. The expansion causes sections of the material’s surface to violently disintegrate, resulting in explosive pitting or chipping of the materials surface

Question 6

Lightweight Steel Truss

Answer 6

structural support made from a long steel bar that is bent at a 90° angle with flat or angular pieces welded to the top and bottom

Question 7

Curtain Wall

Answer 7

a non load bearing wall, often of glass and steel, fixed to the outside of the building and serving especially as cladding

Question 8

Rebar

Answer 8

short for reinforcing bar. The steel bars are placed in concrete forms before the cement is poured. When the concrete sets or hardens the rebar within it adds considerable strength.

Question 9

Hybrid Construction

Answer 9

type of building construction that use renewable, environmentally friendly or recycled materials. Also known as natural or green construction

Question 10

Protected Steel

Answer 10

steel structural members that are covered with either spray on fireproofing (insulating barrier) or fully encased in underwriters laboratories Inc. tested and approved system

Question 11

Fire-Resistance Rating

Answer 11

rating assigned to a material or assembly after standardized testing by an independent testing organization; identifies the amount of time the material for assembly will resist a typical fire, as measured on a standard time-temperature curve

Question 12

Fire Stop

Answer 12

solid materials, such as woodblocks, used to prevent or limit the vertical and horizontal spread of fire and the products of combustion and hollow walls or floors, above false ceilings, in penetrations for plumbing or electrical installations, in penetrations of a fire-rated assembly, or in cocklofts and crawlspaces.

Question 13

Load-Bearing Wall

Answer 13

walls of the building that by design carry at least some part of the structural load of the building in the direction of the ground or base.

Question 14

Stud

Answer 14

upright post in the framework of the wall for supporting sheets of lath and plaster, wallboard, or similar material.

Question 15

Non-Load-Bearing Wall

Answer 15

wall, usually interior, that supports only its own weight

Question 16

Partition Wall

Answer 16

interior non-load-bearing wall that separates the space into rooms

Question 17

Firewall

Answer 17

fire-rated wall with a specified degree of fire resistance, built of fire-resistive materials and usually extending from the foundation up to and through the roof of the building, that is designed to limit the spread of a fire within the structure or between adjacent structures.

Question 18

Party Wall

Answer 18

a load-bearing wall shared by two adjacent structures

Question 19

Parapet

Answer 19

portion of the exterior walls of a building that extends above the roof. A low wall at the edge of a roof.

Question 20

Ridge

Answer 20

The horizontal line at the junction of the top edges of two sloping roof surfaces

Question 21

Eave

Answer 21

The edge of a pitched roof that overhangs an outside wall. Attic vents in typical eaves provide an avenue for an exterior fire to enter the attic

Question 22

Rafter

Answer 22

Inclined beam that supports a roof, runs parallel to the slope of the roof, and to which the roof decking is attached

Question 23

Gusset Plates

Answer 23

Metal or wooden plates used to connect and strengthen the joints of two or more separate components (such as metal or wooden truss components) into a load-bearing unit.

Question 24

Parallel Chord Truss

Answer 24

A truss constructed with the top and bottom chords parallel. These trusses are used as floor joists in multistory buildings and as ceiling joists in building with flat roofs.

Question 25

Joists

Answer 25

Horizontal structural members used to support a ceiling or floor. Drywall materials are nailed or screwed to the ceiling joists, and the subfloor is nailed or screwed to the floor joists

Question 26

Lightweight Wood Truss

Answer 26

Structural supports constructed of 2 x 3 inch or 2 x 4 inch by members that are connected by gusset plates.

Question 27

Purlin

Answer 27

Horizontal member between trusses that support the roof.

Question 28

Cockloft

Answer 28

Concealed space between the top floor and the roof of a structure

Question 29

Dead Load

Answer 29

Weight of the structure, structural members, building components, and any other features permanently attached to the building that are constant and immobile.

Question 30

Rain Roof

Answer 30

A second roof constructed over an existing roof

Question 31

Live Load

Answer 31

(1) Items within a building that are movable but are not included as permanent part of the structure; merchandise, stock, furnishings, occupants, firefighters, and the water used for fire suppression are examples of live loads. (2) Force placed upon a structure by the addition of people, objects, or weather.

Question 32

Means of Egress

Answer 32

Continuous and unobstructed way of exit travel from any point in a building or structure to a public way, consisting of three separate and distinct parts: exit access, exit, and exit discharge.

Question 33

Structural Collapse

Answer 33

Structural failure of a building or any portion of it resulting from a fire, snow, wind, water, or damage from other forces.

Question 34

Balloon Frame Construction

Answer 34

A construction method using long continuous studs that run from the sill plate (located on the foundation) to the roof eave line. All intermediate floor structures are attached to the studs. Requires the use of long lumber and generally lacks any type of fire stopping within the wall cavity.

Question 35

Platform Frame Construction

Answer 35

A construction method in which a floor assembly creates an individual platform that rests on the foundation. Wall assemblies the height of one story are placed on this platform and a second platform rests on top of the wall unit. Each platform creates fire stops at each floor level restricting the spread of fire within the wall cavity