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Firefighting - Chapter 4
Building Construction
88
Other
Undergraduate 1
08/27/2012

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Term
Assembly
Definition
Two or more interconnected structural components combined to meet a specific function or design requirement. Roof trusses, wall frames, and doors including their frames.
Term
Attic
Definition
Open space between roof and ceiling of a building; most commonly found in single and multi-family residences. Fire can burn undetected and throughout structure.
Term
Bar Joist
Definition
Joist of steel with bars in the vertical web space. Common in office buildings. Fails early in heat.
Term
Balloon Frame
Definition
Wood-frame construction in which the studs in exterior walls extend from the basement or the foundation to the roof. Fire can spread undetected from basement to attic.
Term
Beam
Definition
Horizontal structure with vertical loads; can be steel or wood.
Term
Bowstring Truss
Definition
Roof with a curved (arched) top chord. "Stadium" roof. Prone to catastrophic failure with direct flame contact.
Term
Butterfly Roof
Definition
V-shaped roof with two sides sloping to a valley in the middle. Rarely seen where snow load is a factor.
Term
Cantilever
Definition
Beam unsupported at one or both ends. Typically used to support balconies on apartments and office buildings.
Term
[image]
Definition

Cantilever (pic)

Term
Chord
Definition
Main structural members of a truss as distinguished from diagonals. Span the open space between the upper and lower diagonals.
Term
Cockloft
Definition
Open space between the roof and ceiling of a commercial or industrial building. Usually under flat roofs. In a fire, they act much like attics.
Term
Column
Definition
Vertical supporting member. Made of wood or steel. If unprotected by insulation, it may fail quickly in a fire.
Term
Compression
Definition
Force that tends to push a mass together.
Term
Course
Definition
Horizontal layer of masonry units. Ex: a row of bricks.
Term
Curtain Board
Definition
Nonload-bearing interior wall extending from the ceiling to limit horizontal spread of fire and heat.
Term
[image]
Definition

Curtain Board (pic)

Term
Curtain Wall
Definition
Nonload-bearing exterior wall used as a weather barrier, but not structural support. On high-rise buildings, the outside sheet glass in frames are these.
Term
[image]
Definition

Curtain Wall (pic)

Term
Decking
Definition
Planks of plywood or OSB that form the substrate of a roof assembly. In vertical ventilation, this must be removed.
Term
[image]
Definition
Decking (pic) 
Term
Drywall
Definition
Gypsum wall board. Fire-resistant.
Term
[image]
Definition

Drywall (pic)

Term
Eave
Definition
Edge of a pitched roof that overhangs an outside wall. Attic vents through these provide an avenue for an exterior fire to enter the attic.
Term
Engineered I-Beam
Definition
Continuous wooden upper and lower chords separated by a web of OSB or sheet stock.
Term
Fire Door
Definition
Rated assembly of a door, door frame and hardware. Contains a fire to one room or section when triggered. Must not be prevented from closing.
Term
Fire Load
Definition
Total potential heat release if a building and its contents burned. (Ex: lumber yard > empty building)
Term
Fire Wall
Definition
Rated assembly that extends from the foundation to and through the roof of a building to limit fire spread. If penetrated with openings not protected by fire doors (plumbling and electrical), the fire can spread unchecked.
Term
Flat Roof
Definition
Common on commercial buildings; covered in tar or gravel. Easy for vertical ventilation.
Term
Gable Roof
Definition
Pitched roof characterized by square-cut ends and sides that slope down from the ridge line to the eaves. Most common style on homes and small buildings.
Term
Gable Wall
Definition
Wall rising to meet a gable roof at it's end. Often include an attic vent near the top.
Term
Gambrel Roof
Definition
Roof characterized by a single ridge line which roof sections on both sides descend at different pitches. Common on barns and other farm structures. Roof ladders are difficult to use on them.
Term
Girder
Definition
Horizontal structure member used to support beams or joists. Almost always a larger dimension than the members they support.
Term
Glue-Lam Beam
Definition
Short pieces of timber glued and laminated together under pressure to form a long, extremely strong wooden beam. Resist fire extremely well.
Term
Gusset Plate
Definition
Wooden or metal plate used to connect structural members, most often in the construction of trusses. Fails early, dangerous to firefighters unless nailed or screwed in.
Term
Header Course
Definition
Bricks laid with ends facing outwards. Only used in unreinforced masonry.
Term
Hip Roof
Definition
Pitched roof in which the ends are all beveled so that there are no gable walls. Common on new residences. Attic vents are only under the eaves or on the roof.
Term
HVAC
Definition
Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning. Needs to be properly installed with automatic fire dampeners, or smoke and fire can spread throughout a building.
Term
Interstitial Space
Definition
Space between layers of building materials; much like attics and cocklofts. Sometimes used to house HVAC and other machinery. Unless properly protected, a fire can burn undetected and spread throughout a building.
Term
Joists
Definition
Horizontal structural members used to support a ceiling or floor. Drywall is nailed or screwed to these on the ceiling, and subfloor on the floor.
Term
Lamella Arch
Definition
Arch constructed of short wooden members in a specific geometric pattern. Rare in modern construction.
Term
Mansard Roof
Definition
Roof characterized by steeply sloped facets surrounding a flat section. Remodeled buildings can have false mansard roofs with a fascia over an existing flat roof. Fascia can form a concealed space in which a fire can burn undetected.
Term
Mortar
Definition
Mixture of sand, cement and water used to bond masonry units. Easy to penetrate if a wall must be breached.
Term
Open Web Joist
Definition
Constructed with a web composed of materials such as bars or tubes that do not fill the entire web space. Very common because of their strength compared to their cost. Lose strength quickly in a fire.
Term
Oriented Strand Board (OSB)
Definition
Wooden structural panel formed by gluing and compressing wood strands under pressure. Has replaced plywood and planking. Roof decks, walls and subfloors are commonly made of these.
Term
Parallel Chord Truss
Definition
Constructed with the top and bottom chords parallel. Used as floor joists in a multistory building and celing joists in buildings with flat roofs.
Term
Parapet
Definition
Decorative wall at the edge of a roof. Can be a significant trip hazard for firefighters on the roof.
Term
Party Wall
Definition
Wall shared by two adjoining buildings; usually a load-bearing wall that is also a fire wall. The failure of a roof assembly attached to this can affect the integrity of the adjoining building.
Term
Pitch
Definition
Ratio of rise-to-span on a roof assembly. When this is greater, the greater the slip hazard unless roof ladders are used.
Term
Pitched Roof
Definition
Roof that is sloped. Can be extremely steep, such as on churches.
Term
Plate
Definition
Top or bottom horizontal member of a frame wall. Nailed or screwed into the subfloor or roof assembly.
Term
Platform Construction
Definition
Each floor interrupts the exterior studs forming an effective fire-stop at every floor. Most common in modern residences and other small buildings.
Term
Plywood
Definition
Wooden structural panel formed by gluing and laminated very thin sheets of wood under pressure. Still used, but replaced by OSB.
Term
Rafters
Definition
Beams that span from the ridge board to an exterior wall plate to support the roof decking. Cutting these can seriously weaken a roof and should be avoided whenever possible.
Term
Rated Assembly
Definition
Has a specific fire-resistance rating. (Ex: Fire door, wood frame wall covered with gypsum drywall).
Term
Rebar
Definition
Reinforcing bar. Steel bars placed in concrete before the cement is poured; adds considerable strength.
Term
Sawtooth Roof
Definition
Roof with vertical and sloping surfaces resembling a saw blade. Common in older industrial buildings. Includes many windows in walls which can be opened or removed for natural ventilation.
Term
Sheathing
Definition
Plywood, OSB or planking applied to a wall or roof over which a weather-resistant covering is applied. Easy to penetrate.
Term
Shed Roof
Definition
Pitched roof that slopes only in one direction.
Term
Spalling
Definition
Degradation of concrete to prolonged exposure in high heat. Water trapped within the concrete is vaporized by the heat and expands, and the concrete breaks apart. Sounds like gunfire, but relatively harmless.
Term
Stud
Definition
Vertical structural member in a frame wall. Can be made of either wood or light-gauge steel.
Term
Tension
Definition
Force that tends to pull the mass of a material apart. What causes some roof assemblies to pull away from walls and fall inwards.
Term
Truss
Definition
Wooden or metal unit made up of one or more triangles on a flat plane. Much stronger with triangles together than separate.
Term
[image]
Definition
Bowstring Truss (pic)
Term
[image]
Definition
Butterfly Roof (pic)
Term
[image]
Definition
Course (pic)
Term
[image]
Definition
Eave (pic)
Term
[image]
Definition
Engineered I-Beam (pic)
Term
[image]
Definition
Fire Door (pic)
Term
[image]
Definition
Flat Roof (pic)
Term
[image]
Definition
Gable Roof (pic)
Term
[image]
Definition
Gable Wall (pic)
Term
[image]
Definition
Gambrel Roof (pic)
Term
[image]
Definition
Girder (pic)
Term
[image]
Definition
Glue-Lam Beam (pic)
Term
[image]
Definition
Gusset Plate (pic)
Term
[image]
Definition
Header Course (pic)
Term
[image]
Definition
Hip Roof (pic)
Term
[image]
Definition
HVAC (pic)
Term
[image]
Definition
Lamella Arch (pic)
Term
[image]
Definition
Mansard Roof (pic)
Term
[image]
Definition
Mortar (pic)
Term
[image]
Definition
Oriented Strand Board - OSB (pic)
Term
[image]
Definition
Party Wall (pic)
Term
[image]
Definition
Plywood (pic)
Term
[image]
Definition
Rebar (pic)
Term
[image]
Definition
Sawtooth Roof (pic)
Term
[image]
Definition
Spalling (pic)
Term
[image]
Definition
Stud (pic)
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