Module 2: Building Components

Question 1

What are the 3 types of basements?

Answer 1

Full basement: below grade with a small amount of wall between the finished grade and the top of the wall.
Raised basement: half above and half below grade.
Daylight of walkout basement: one side of house is below grade and the opposite side is above grade.

Question 2

What type of basement is seen in a split entry house?

Answer 2

Raised basement

Question 3

What is a crawl space?

Answer 3

A half-height or less basement.

Question 4

What are types of crawlspaces?

Answer 4

Open: have a vent to allow moist air to move in and out.
Closed: not vented.

Question 5

What is the best practice on crawlspace?

Answer 5

To build a closed crawlspace for energy efficient and eliminates moisture problems and keeps heat in.

Question 6

What are types of slab-on-grade?

Answer 6

A frost wall on a footing that sits below frost line with a slab built at grade level.
Raft foundation: edge of slab are thickened with steel (commercial construction)

Question 7

What can be the result of lateral pressure^

Answer 7

Can result in shearing (where a wall goes out of square but stays in on itself) or racking (where the wall twists out of square and out of the same plane)

Question 8

what can stop shearing and racking?

Answer 8

sheathing and bracing

Question 9

what are examples of outside faces of a building walls that protect the wall from the weather?

Answer 9

a cladding of some sort -brick, stone, wood, vinyl or aluminum siding

Question 10

what makes up the structural portion of a framed wall?

Answer 10

the bottom plate, the top plate, the studd spacing and the framing around window and door openings.

Question 11

what is platform framing?

Answer 11

each level has the load bearing walls and posts built on the floor that they rest on. this is how most low-rise wood structures are constructed

Question 12

what is balloon framing?

Answer 12

a tall wall would be constructed on the ground, raised and tied into the other walls and the foundations. floors were attached to ledger strips built into the tall wall.

Question 13

what was timber frame most used for?

Answer 13

bans and other buildings requiring large open space

Question 14

what is Optimal Value Engineering (OVE)

Answer 14

it can improve the overall performance of the wall by reducing the framing component up to 20%.

Question 15

what are steel studs^

Answer 15

used like wood studs in platform framing. lighter and less bulky than wood which is good for transportation and storage. steel studs can be installed on wider spacings than wood

Question 16

what are tall walls?

Answer 16

code allows for wood framed buildings to be built up to 6 storeys high.

Question 17

what makes up the structural portion of a masonry wall?

Answer 17

masonry itself is the structural element.

Question 18

when is concrete masonry units most often used?

Answer 18

in below-grade applications

Question 19

what is the most common sort of foundation walls?

Answer 19

poured in place concrete walls

Question 20

what is an insulating concrete forms(ICFs)

Answer 20

are a variation on cast in place walls, using an insulating form that becomes part of the thermal envelope

Question 21

what are the 3 basic types of ICF?

Answer 21

1. hollow foam blocks
2. foam planks held together with plastic ties
3. larger panels held together with plastic ties.

Question 22

what makes up the structural portion of a floor system?

Answer 22

joist, rim joist (header), bridging, bracing, strapping, subfloor, ceiling, finish.

Question 23

what are glulam beams?

Answer 23

made up a 2x dimensional lumber that has been stacked, glued and trimmed to form beams up to 72 inches deep and 60 feet long

Question 24

what makes up the structural portion of a roof system

Answer 24

ceiling joist and rafter or truss system, strapping, sheathing and roofing.

Question 25

what is a gable roof?

Answer 25

means that the roof load is only carried on the eave sides of the house

Question 26

what is a hip roof?

Answer 26

it spread the roof load more evenly around the perimeter of the whole house

Question 27

when are parallel chord trusses used?

Answer 27

used for both flat roofs and sloped ceilings

Question 28

how does truss uplift happen?

Answer 28

the bottom chord of a truss is buried below a deep blanket of insulation and so, its not exposed to extreme temperature differences. Top chords are above insulation and get really cold. when the cold parts of the truss absorbs heat from the attic it expands and pulls the bottom chord up.

Question 29

how to prevent truss uplift in new construction?

Answer 29

• eliminate air leakage through the ceiling
• ensure attic ventilation (roof vents)
• use metal L-shaped truss clips