Construction/Building Features Flashcards
Most common taxpayer size?
100’x100’
-cheap flimsy construction with little or no fire retarding
Turn of century-1920’s
- usually 1 story in height
- may be considered wood frame (with masonry exteriors)
- original ceilings may be TIN
- lath, plaster, wood, covered with Tin
- decorative METAL CORNICE, CAN PROVIDE COCKLOFT ACCESS
Most prevalent- 1920’s-1960’s
- larger in area
- firewalls may have been installed
- many are 2 stories
- 2nd floor-dancehalls, restaurants, factories,etc.
- cornices are facade type-NO COCKLOFT ACCESS
Newer..1960’s-present
- use of COMBUSTIBLE CONSTRUCTION REDUCED
- steel bar joists (floor/roof) instead of wood beams-lighter weight
- concrete poured floor on metal decking-metal joists support
- poured pitch and grave covering
Mezzanie?
- most cases used for STORAGE OF GOOD, can contain offices and sales areas
- height of ceilings will be BELOW AVERAGE
- access/small wooden stairs
- majority UNENCLOSED
1938 Code?
Area exceeding 10,000 sq feet
1968 Code?
Area exceeding 7,500 sq feet
2008-Mercantile Code
Full Building-area exceeds 12,000 ft. OR combined area on all floors (including mezz) exceeds 24,000 sq ft.
-storage of merchandise high piled racks or rack storage arrays
OCCUPANY within buildings-area exceeding 7,500 sq ft. OR AREA of any size is located 3 stories above grade or area of any size contains an unenclosed stair or escalator connecting 2 or more floors
Cockloft ?
4 inches to 6 feet
Most common taxpayer roof?
wood joists covered with either tongue and groove boards or plywood-then covered with combustible waterproofing/tar paper
- roof joists supported at 20 ft intervals
- sometimes inverted roof is constructed over an existing roof and forms an ADDITIONAL COCKLOFT
Truss?
- greater spans while minimizing the increase in the size of the spanning members
- top chord/bottom chord-connected by WEBS
- either wood or steel
- open web joist or steel bar joist is a light weight parallel chord truss
Wooden Bow String Truss?
-HUMP LIKE ROOF PROFILE
-longer the span/HIGHER THE BOW
-easily recognized
bow string truss roof may only SUPPORT 40 % of the load they were originally designed to hold
-snow loads can affect Truss (eccentric load)-OF CENTER
-truss failure can occur WITHOUT FIRE IMPINGEMENT
-failure of one truss can lead to failure of entire truss
-older truss roof-may be spaced 10-20 ft apart
-fail WITHOUT WARNING
-steel stretches/wood snaps
Buildings with Bowstring Truss Roof ?
MUST be entered into CIDS
BWSTRG
Open Web Steel Joists?
- modern taxpayers
- NO fire resistance rating (DEPENDS ON CEILING FINISH)
- span distances up to 60 feet
- may be covered with gypsum concrete- 2” thick
- UNPROTECTED OPEN WEB STELL JOIST may collapse after 5 to 10 minutes
Signs?
smaller signs attached to the front wall over stores sometimes cover openings into the cockloft and can be removed for early stream operation into the cockloft
Stone or block?
may SPALL due to heat or subsequent stream application
Stability of Masonry Walls?
dependent on integrity of the ROOF-monolithic brace which ties walls together
- collapse of roof-LATERAL LOAD-may either push out or pull in on the walls
- Concrete blocks will HINGE AT GROUND LEVEL-and entire side or wall will fall intact
- Brick walls CRUMBLE/BREAK as they fall-large sections can project good distance
Parapet Wall Collapse?
FRONT WALL/ANY PARAPET WALL FACING THE STREET
- I Beams heated may expand and push out parapet walls
- often UNSUPPORTED LATERALLY FOR A LONG DISTANCE , receiving support only at ends where they are tie into crosswalls
-long section of parapet wall remains intact as it collapses
Canopy/Marquees?
- fire in cockloft can weaken these attachments/causing them to collapse
- MARQUEES are hollow boxes that can fill with water- 12’x24’ marquee, 4 ft deep- 35 tons of water/hanging swimming pool
“I” Beams?
- exposed steel is common in taxpayers
- absorb heat
- 50 ft. long steel beam, heat over 970 F, will extend- 4 inches
- temp. increases/so does expansion rate
- 1000 F/ 100 ft beam will extend 9.5 inches
- these extended beams will push out exterior walls
- steel beams cooled by hose will REGAIN its strength and load carrying ability (cast iron will not)
when these steel beams are heated from 1000 to 1500 F, they soften and fail, this temperature can be reached in 5 to 10 minutes at a fire….only matter of time at an UNCONTROLLED FIRE (30 MINUTES for small beam sections ) until these beams are heated beyond their strength limitations
Cast Iron Columns fail in..?
30 minutes
-column failure more serious than girder or beam
steel cooled regains strength
CAST IRON will NOT
Suspended ceilings?
2 or 3 drop ceilings found in store
Heavy Terrazzo?
placed over wood joist-exceptionally hazardous-sudden failure-may hide cellar fire
FIRE IN CELLAR MAY WEAKNE FLOOR SUPPORTS WITH LITTLE EVIDENCE OF HEAT CONDITIONS ON FIRST FLOOR
Paneling under display windows can sometimes ..?
be removed to offer VENTILATION AND STREAM APPLICATION FOR CELLAR FIRES
OLDER TAXPAYERS (ALSO REMOVING CORNICE PROVIDING ACCESS TO COCKLOFT)
Cellar?
ceilings are fire retarded but deficient
-partition walls between cellars are combustible and flimsy
extension cellar to cellar
EXITS
SMALLER STORE- 1
LARGER STORE - 2
Newer type taxpayers built on CONCRETE SLAB, NO BASEMENT OR CELLAR FIRES…HOWEVER, roof system may be LIGHTWEIGHT
Impact Load?
- gas heater falling from ceiling
- FF jumping onto roof
- much greater affect than same weight carried by STATIC LOAD
Warning signs of collapse?
20 minutes /20 minutes
-heavy body of fire, burning out of control for 20 minutes or more
-walls leaking smoke or water
-walls or columns out of plumb
-unsupported walls
-sagging /bulging
-cracks in exterior
-rumbling noises/puffs of smoke
-cracking or groaning noises
-inability to make successful headway against a heavy fire condition within 20 minutes
-spongy/soft feeling on roof
-
Smoke Shops?
- can be identified advertising signs
- RECOMMENDED stretch a 2 1/2” line and proceed with caution
- consider knocking down fire FROM SIDEWALK area before entry is made
***heavy or medium - 2 1/2” hose **
3 factors of backdraft?
oxygen
heat
combustibles
Warning signs?
- reversal of air, pulling smoke back
- glass windows stained
- pulsating windows
- color-desnse black, gray yellow, yellow brown, dirty brown
Factors influencing Backdraft:
PGOAT
- PROXIMITY of openings in relation to fire
- GASES (temp, pressure , makeup )
- OPENINGS made by FD (type and size)
- AREAS (size and location)
- TURBULENCE
A room requires ____ of its space to contain the explosive mixture for the entire area to possibly explode?
25%
- cellar and storage areas vulnerable to backdraft
- tighter the building or the area is to air seepage , greater danger
-OPEN ROOF directly over the fire, allows gases to move upward and away from fire
will divert explosion upward
alternative, NOT AS EFFECTIVE, use of hose stream …reach of stream or flanking position…take windows and open up hose line IMMEDIATELY
Standard/Inverted Roof?
Standard-roof boards are nailed to roof beams
Inverted-roof beams create original ceiling level..2x4 short studs are connected to the roof beams and extend upward, connect to roof grid to which roof boards are nailed..miniature lumber yard
inverted roof pitched front to rear/ front and rear to center, front rear and sides to center
MOST CASES, high portion of cockloft is at the FRONT of building
-if fire enters the cockloft at the HIGH POINT or front of building , our fire problem is LESS sever that if it has entered into the cockloft at the rear.
-most fires originate on REAR OF FIRST FLOOR (bluff: cellar )
Hole of roof cut, at TaxPayer?
8’x8’
-insufficient vent openings will cause the heat , smoke and fire to ‘back up’ making conditions worse
Immediate Ventilation and cutting of an effective size hole on the roof calls for…?
choice of locations must be made by ROOF SECTOR SUPERVISOR based on size up and orders from IC
2 saws and 4 members
2 saws operating on roof- ROOF SECTOR SUPErVISOR (could be a company officer)
roof cutting is critical-Chief Officer
Use of Fog Patter on the FT-2 for ventilation?
stand back 4-5 feet/adjust fog to width of opening
Cellar Fires..Cutting?
- cut on 1st floor to provide ventilation
- cut for water on fire with bent tips, distributors, cellar pipes
- cut NEAR to WINDOWS…AND AWAY from doors/aisles
- ALL cuts covered by hoseline
-roof may need to be opened over first floor ventilation holes
Determine if fire has entered the truss space?
triangular cut/sloping hip from TL
if possible exterior hose stream from a tL may be directed into these roof cuts to
Gypsum concrete decking..?
member cuts roof and notices WHITE POWDERY RESIDUE…notify IC/Roof sector Supervisor and evacuate roof
Trench cut?
- at least 3 feet wide/made in any direction
- does not take place of vent holes
- NOT PRACTICAL to trench a large roof area of a taxpayer where fire has involved a major portion of cockloft
- Roof Sector can begin trencH-IMMEDIATELY NOTIFY IC
- take ADVANTAGE OF CHIMNEYS, BULKHEADS, SCUTTLES, ETC. (NOT FIRE WALLS)
When 2 handlines are operating on an advanced fire in a store…special call?
engine/truck
2nd alarm?
- extension to cockloft
- extension to ADJOINING OCCUPANY
- advanced cellar fire
ACE
- advanced cellar fire
- cockloft extension
- extension to adjoining occupancy
Tower Ladder not on initial response and use is anticipated?
special call
-USE ANTICIPATED
Portable Ladder?
all sides covered
-minimum 2 in front
Demand for ______________services at Taxpayer fires are many, ____________can be pressed into service to perform ?
LADDER COMPANY SERVICES IN DEMAND
ENGINES CAN PERFORM TRUCK WORK- forcing door, feeling partitions , opening ceilings
Roof Vent?
removal of SKYLIGHTS AND SCUTTLE COVERS
-fascia or returns of these well holes opened for examination of the cockloft
When Ladders are used to FORCE SECURITY GATES and STREET DOORS…
may be preferable to have them continue down the row of stores, opening all that may be reasonably expected to be necessary ….
-may be necessary to SKIP DOORS, if forces on hand are limited
Suspect a CELLAR FIRE if ?
smoke shows in MANY SOTRES and HIGH HEAT ON FIRST FLOOR, with no visible flame in EITHER CASE
FIRST FLOOR fires may be extension of cellar fires or conversely first floor fires may DROP DOWN…thus?
CELLAR MUST ALWAYS BE CHECKED
When can a member operate on the ROOF with a wood, metal or combo Bowstring truss roof (involved in fire/content/structural fire)?
NEVER ….(ON THE ROOF, NOT INSIDE)
see next card
When should EXTERIOR OPS be PRIMARY CONSIDERATION? (REGARDING BOWSTRING TRUSS ROOF BUILDING)
- VACANT BUILDINGS
- lARGE/ADVANCED FIRES
- TImber truss or underside of roof IS involved
- Truss Space /ATtic are involved
*members MAY operate from a bowstring truss roof NOT involved in fire * - example–hoseline into roof of adjoining building
Open roof________over fire are?
DIRECTLY
-one of the most effective methods of protecting FF’s from back draft
If BACKDRAFT conditions exist …
- OPEN ROOF DIRECTLY OVER FIRE AREA FIRST!!!
- AFTER roof venting, entry may be forced AT THE LOWER LEVEL AND LINES ADVANCED TO EXTINGUISH FIRE …it may also be preferable to vent FRONT WINDOWS and allow gases to ignite prior to search or entry
*alternative to roof venting, is using a hose stream ….flanking and use REACH OF STREAM…IMMEDIATELY DISCHARGED INTO FIRE ARE, WHEN OPENED *
