Common Construction Terminology

Question 1

Assembly

Answer 1

Two or more interconnected structural components combined to meet a specific function or design requirement. Typical assemblies are roof trusses, wall frames, and doors including their frames

Question 2

Attic

Answer 2

An open space between the roof and ceiling of a building; most commonly found in single- and multifamily residential occupancies. They provide open spaces in which fires can burn undected or spread throughout a structure.

Question 3

Balloon Frame

Answer 3

A type of wood-frame construction in which the studs in exterior walls extend from the basement or foundation to the roof. This type of construction allows fires to spread - often undetected- from the basement to the attic through the hollow walls

Question 4

Bar Joist

Answer 4

A joist constructed of steel with bars in the vertical web space. A common structural component in office buildings and other commercial structures. Very high strength-to-weight ratio except when exposed to the heat of a fire - then early failure is likely

Question 5

Beam

Answer 5

A horizontal structural component subjected to vertical loads. Typical beams are steel or wooden I-beams or large-dimension wooden members

Question 6

Bowstring Truss

Answer 6

A roof assembly with a curved (arched) top chord and a horizontal bottom chord. These assemblies are very strong except when exposed to direct flame contact when catastrophic failure without warning may occur

Question 7

Butterfly Roof

Answer 7

A V-shaped roof in which the two sides slope toward a valley in the middle. An unusual type of roof that is rarely seen in cold climates where snow load is a factor.

Question 8

Cantilever

Answer 8

A beam that is unsupported at one or both ends. Typically used to support balconies on apartments and some office buildings.

Question 9

Chipboard

Answer 9

Also known as Oriented Strand Board (OSB)

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

Question 10

Chord

Answer 10

The main structural members of a truss as distinguished from diagonals. Chords span the open space between the upper and lower diagonal members in a truss assembly.

Question 11

Cockloft

Answer 11

An open space between the roof and ceiling of a commercial or industrial building. Usually found under flat or nearly flat roofs. In a fire, these spaces act in much the same way as attics

Question 12

Column

Answer 12

A vertical supporting member. Columns may be wooden or steel posts. Steel posts often support lightweight roof assemblies and if unprotected by surface insulation, steel posts may fail quickly in a fire

Question 13

Compression

Answer 13

Force that tends to push the mass of a material together. Bearing walls in a building are under compression from the weight of the roof and other materials above.

Question 14

Course

Answer 14

Horizontal layer of masonry units A row of bricks is an example of a course.

Question 15

Curtain Board

Answer 15

Nonload-bearing interior wall extending down from a roof or ceiling to limit the horizontal spread of fire and heat. If curtain walls are penetrated by unprotected openings, fire can spread unchecked.

Question 16

Curtain Wall

Answer 16

Nonload-bearing exterior wall used as a weather barrier but not for structural support. On many high-rise buildings, the outside walls (often sheet glass in frames) are curtain walls.

Question 17

Decking

Answer 17

Planks or panels of plywood or oriented strand board (OSB) that form the substrate of a roof assembly. In vertical ventilation through a roof, the decking must be removed from the ventilation opening to realize the full effect of the opening.

Question 18

Drywall

Answer 18

Gypsum wall board. A fire-resistive wall covering also called sheetrock

Question 19

Eave

Answer 19

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 attack

Question 20

Engineered I-Beam

Answer 20

A wooden I-beam consisting of continuous wooden upper and lower chords separated by a web of OSB or similar sheet stock

Question 21

Fire Door

Answer 21

A rated assembly consisting of a solid-core door, door frame, and hardware. Fire doors are used to confine a fire to one room or section of a building by closing a communicating opening when triggered by a fire. If fire doors are to function as designed, they must not be prevented from closing by being intentionally or inadvertently blocked open.

Question 22

Fire Load

Answer 22

Total potential heat release if a building and its contents burned. The fire load of a fully stocked lumber yard is considerably higher than that of an empty building of the same dimensions.

Question 23

Fire Wall

Answer 23

A rated assembly that extends from the foundation to and through the roof of a building to limit fire spread. Fire walls are intended to confine a fire to one room or section of a building. If they are penetrated by openings not protected with fire doors, fire can spread unchecked.

Question 24

Flat Roof

Answer 24

A roof that is flat or nearly flat relative to the horizon. Many commerical buildings have flat roofs covered with tar and gravel or other weatherproof material. Flat roofs lend themselves to being opened for vertical ventilation

Question 25

Gable Roof

Answer 25

A pitched roof characterizd by square-cut ends and sides that slope down from the ridge line to the eaves. These are the most common roof style on homes and other small buildings.

Question 26

Gambrel Roof

Answer 26

A roof characterized by a single ridge line from which roof sections on both sides of the ridge descent at two different pitches. These roofs are common on barns and other farm structures. Because of the differing angles of the slopes, gambrel roofs can make roof ladders difficult to use on them.

Question 27

Girder

Answer 27

A horizontal structural member used to support beams or joists. Girders are almost always of larger dimension than the members they support.

Question 28

Gable Wall

Answer 28

A wall rising to meet a gable roof at the end of a building. These walls are found only at the ends of gable roofs and they often include an attic vent near the top of the wall

Question 29

Glue-Lam Beam

Answer 29

A wooden structural member composed of relatively short peices of lumber glued and laminated together under pressure to form a long, extremely strong beam. Because of the mass of most glue-lam beams, they resist fire extremely well compared to other materials

Question 30

Gusset Plate

Answer 30

Wooden or metal plate used to connect structural members that are butted together; most often used in the construction of trusses. Many metal gusset plates are simply pressed into the wood and are subject to early failure if the plates warp from the heat of the fire. Gusset plates that are nailed or screwed to the members are much more reliable during a fire.

Question 31

Gypsum Board

Answer 31

Interior finish material consisting of calcinated gypsum, starch, water, ad other additives sandwiched between two sheets of specially treated paper; see drywall

Question 32

Header Course

Answer 32

Course of bricks laid with the ends facing outward. Because the ends of the bricks are smaller than the sides, a header course is easy to identify. Header courses are only used in unreinforced masonry, and this makes that type of construction easy to identify.

Question 33

Hip Roof

Answer 33

A pitched roof in which the ends are all beveled so that there are no gable walls. A common roof style on many newer residences. Unlike gable roofs, in hip roofs the attic vents are only under the eaves or on the roof.

Question 34

HVAC

Answer 34

Abbreviation for heating, ventilating, and air conditioning. Unless properly protected with automatic fire dampers, the ductwork associated with these systems can allow smoke and fire to spread throughout a building

Question 35

Interstital Space