Home Blog What are the different types of construction? This category applies to any building that measures more than 75 feet in height. This applies to all high-rise housing and commercial spaces. That includes apartment buildings, offices and hotels. These buildings are designed to withstand high temperatures for a long time without collapsing.
Beyond that, all structural materials are non-combustible. Walls, floors and roofs are constructed of reinforced concrete and protected steel. While these features make these buildings extremely durable, they also increase construction costs. Like Type 1 buildings, Type 2 buildings contain non-combustible walls, partitions, columns, floors, and roofs.
Although these structures often contain fire-extinguishing systems, they are usually not protected with fire-resistant coatings and are prone to collapse. They usually contain metal floors and metal roofs with masonry walls or sloping slab. Also known as brick and joist structures, Type III buildings consist of reinforced or sloped masonry walls. That is, some of the interior structural elements (frames, floors, ceilings, etc.).
This type of construction can be applied to both old and new buildings. Older buildings generally contain conventional framed roofs, while newer units are usually built with lightweight roof systems. Each type of building construction is associated with different construction elements, each of which varies in terms of fire resistance. Structural elements associated with Type I construction generally receive three to four hour fire protection.
The fire rating assigned to wood and other materials associated with Type IV and Type V construction often varies based on thickness. The American Wood Council's National Design Specification for Timber Construction offers a nominal carbonization rate of 1.5 inches of wood thickness per hour of fire resistance. Stair teams have different procedures implemented for different types of buildings. When it comes to Type I construction, firefighters must be aggressive in securing stairwells and evacuating victims from the structure.
With the Type II construction, firefighters may consider opening skylights or resorting to natural ventilation. Depending on the roof system, they can also rely on similar ventilation operations for Type III and Type IV constructions. Type V construction requires other alternatives, including, but not limited to, positive pressure attacks. There is a list of 26 items found in Section 6.03, which refers you to other sections of the code that allow you to use the materials listed in this section.
Some Type 1 buildings have HVAC systems and self-pressurized staircases to prevent fires from spreading. Newer construction uses truss systems in parallel panel and cable truss roof types, which are known to fail quickly and unexpectedly with direct fire impact. Type A refers to “protected buildings”, while type B exists in reference to “unprotected buildings”. Stair crews should frequent Type 1 buildings in their area and be familiar with the systems they may encounter (elevators, HVAC, fire pumps, etc.).
Type IV buildings are largely constructed of large pieces of wood, connected by metal plates and bolts. As for the typical ventilation operation of climbing to the roof and making a hole, that's not really an option when it comes to a Type 1 construction. This list is called the 5 types of building construction, with the first following the most stringent fire resistance requirements and the fifth following the least. To protect yourself and your fellow firefighters, you need to know what types of structures are being built in your area of responsibility.
Understanding the differences between the five types of building construction is a necessary step towards a successful career in the field. This may be solid sawn timber, glue-laminated timber, structural composite timber or cross-laminated timber with the minimum dimensions according to Chapter 6, as required for structures constructed with a Type IV construction. If approaching a building with no signs of unreinforced masonry, firefighters should ring the walls to determine the type of wall before going to the roof. If the roof is determined to be sustainable, a ladder company should be able to effectively use chainsaws to ventilate the building and make appropriate cuts based on the type of roof system.
Also known as fire resistant construction, Type I construction maintains its structural integrity during a fire. . .
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