Good buildings make and are made by their settings, and they are appropriately different in different locations. Climate, culture, topography and materials have helped create regional architectural languages that seem curiously right for their locations and for all times.
2. Types of Building Construction
• Most building codes have 5 types of
building construction.
• Many buildings include several types of
construction.
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3. Type I: Fire Resistive
Construction
• Structural members made
of noncombustible /
limited combustible
materials.
• Construction intended to
confine fire and its
byproducts to a given
location.
• Primary fire hazard is
contents of structure.
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4. Type II: Noncombustible
Construction
• Lower degree of fire resistance
than type I.
• Fire resistance rating on all
exterior and interior load
bearing walls.
• May have combustible features,
as materials with no fire
resistance rating may be used.
• Generally have flat roofs with
combustible felt, insulation and
roofing tar.
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6. Type III: Ordinary Construction
• Exterior walls & structural
members of
noncombustible / limited
combustible materials.
• Interior members (walls,
beams, floors, roof) are
made of wood.
• Hazards: smoke and fire
spread through concealed
spaces.
• Fire stops to limit spread.
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7. Type IV: Heavy Timber
• Exterior / interior walls
noncombustible material.
• Interior structural members
(beams, columns, arches,
floors etc.) made of solid or
laminated wood with no
concealed spaces.
• Found in old factories,
warehouses, churches.
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9. Type V: Frame Construction
• Exterior and interior structural members
made of wood.
• Fire Hazards: unlimited potential for fire
extension, fire extension to nearby
structures.
• Typical residential home
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14. Fire Effects on Common
Construction Materials – Wood
• May be used in load bearing and non-load bearing
walls.
• Reaction of wood to fire conditions is based on the
size of the wood and its moisture content.
• Water does not have a negative effect on wood’s
structural strength.
• Plywood, particle board, paneling may be highly
combustible, produce toxic gases and rapidly
deteriorate under fire conditions.
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15. Fire Effects on Common
Construction Materials Masonry
Brick, concrete, and stonework.
•
• Commonly used for firewalls to separate connected
structures and prevent fire spread.
• May be used as load bearing or veneer.
• Minimally affected by fire & high temperatures.
• Mortar joints between bricks, blocks may
deteriorate. (mortar mix is weakest part of wall)
• Rapid cooling of masonry by water may cause
cracking or spalling.
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17. Fire Effects on Common
Construction Materials - Concrete
• Concrete is a mixture of portland cement, sand,
gravel and water.
• Often used as a fire resistive protection for
structural steel (reinforced concrete).
• May crack or spall if heated, indication of damage
& reduced strength.
• Heating may cause bond between steel and
concrete to fail.
• Concrete tends to absorb and retain heat.
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18. Fire Effects on Common
Construction Materials –
Reinforced Concrete
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19. Fire Effects on Common
Construction Materials - Steel
• Primary use of steel is for structural
members.
• Steel is an excellent conductor of heat.
• Steel loses strength as temperature increases
• Steel structural members will elongate
when heated.
• Water can cool steel structural members and
reduce risk of failure or collapse.
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21. Fire Effects on Common
Construction Materials - Plastic
• Becoming integrated to replace/improve common
building materials
• Plastics are oil-based (hydrocarbons)
• Two general types
– Thermoplastics (melt, deform, vapourize = burns!)
– Thermosets (decomposes, only burns with extreme
temps)
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22. Fire Effects on Common
Construction Materials - Plastic
• General Rule of Thumb when fighting fires
involving plastics…
–
–
–
–
Burn fast
Very intense heat
Dense black smoke
Extremely toxic
• Can resemble a Class B Fire (flammable liquids)
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26. Occupancy Versus Type of
Construction
• Occupancy creates the fire load.
• Building codes specify building type based
on occupancy classification.
• Fire code determines fire protection based
on building and occupancy use.
• Occupancies are residential, commercial,
business, industrial and educational.
• Each type has a number of hazards.
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28. Building Uses
• Ontario Fire Code and Ontario Building Code
separate buildings in groups A-F, as related to
their major use (or major occupancy)
• With each type of building comes various
requirements/restrictions on building construction
• Private dwelling residences are exempt (with some
exceptions)
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29. Building Uses
• A – Assembly
– Theatres, libraries, schools, large bars, pubs and restaurants
• B – Institutional (compelled to sleep over)
– Jails, hospitals, orphanages, nursing homes
• C – Residential
– Apartment buildings (common area) , group homes, houses, motels
• D – Business and Personal Services
– Banks, barber shops, offices (medico legal), laundromat
• E – Mercantile
– Markets, stores, shops, supermarkets, restaurants, bars and pubs
• F – Industrial
– Flammable liquid plant, television studio, freight depot
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30. Firefighter Hazards:
Structure Fires
• Change in occupancy creating an unusually heavy
fire load.
• Dangerous stockpiling and excessive stock
creating access problems.
• Unknown design errors, renovations, contractor
short cuts.
• Arsonists traps or tampering with fire protection
systems.
• Occupancy may not be what it appears.
(drug lab, boarding house, group home, etc.)
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