1 Flashcards
A building with either six or more stories or a building where the highest occupied story/floor is greater than 75 feet from the lowest level of fire dept vehicle access
High rise
When was the Virginia state code modified to require a fire control room in buildings having occupied floors located more than 75 feet above the lowest level of fire department vehicle access
February 1976
High rise buildings vary greatly in height ranging from six to seven stories, to structures that exceed………..stories
30
Modern high rise buildings are of two basic designs
Residential and commercial
These occupancies are characterized be center hallways, numerous interior compartment, and 24 hour occupancy
Residential high rise
Are characterized by center core construction with circuit corridors around the core of the building and may have relatively large, open expanses on each floor
Commercial
A common feature in newly constructed hotel and office high rise buildings that make it difficult to control smoke conditions
Atriums
Requirements for buildings with atriums include
Full sprinkler protection
Smoke exhaust systems
Smoke curtains
Buildings that were constructed prior to the 1976 code requirements are typically……………and may have a wide variety of design features and systems
Steel and concrete
Buildings constructed after the 1976 code change will be of………,which provides resistance to collapse of structural members
fire resistive construction
Required fire protection features
Class III standpipe system- outlets are 2 1/2” in diameter and have 11/2 “ reducers
Compartmentation option existed for buildings prior to April 1991
Buildings built after 1976 are either partially or fully sprinklered
Firefighters service to the elevators
Two approved means of egress from each floor
Local fire warning system
Building communications system
Fire control room
Standby and emergency power systems
With a few rare exceptions , all high rise buildings in Northern Virginia have
At least two approved exits
Enclosed stairwells
Some type of smoke control system or compartments, includes windows that can be opened, hvac systems that can exhaust smoke
Firewalls are typically multiple layers or thick……and …….., typically are two hour rating at minimum
gypsum and masonry walls
Common type of flat roof construction uses……….. with a rubberized or tar and gravel top layer(also known as built up) supported by steel bar joist
Composite Q decking
access to the roof area is normally through a ……. or …………. at the top of the stairwell or through penthouse machine room areas
hatch or bulkhead
……….. assemblies provides an inherent and useful void space for piping , wiring for communications, and other building systems
Steel truss
Suspended and drop ceilings are often used to create void spaces, this area is known as
The plenum area
interior walls of a residential high-rise and when present in office use, will typically be made of
Gypsum board mounted to metal studs
Due to security concerns, some occupancies have begun to use reinforced drywall which consists of …….
wire mesh or lexan inside of the drywall
……..are mounted to the floor sections or frame of a building, gaps of 6 to 12 inches are common between floor and exterior
Curtain walls
Floors may be made of …………concrete
Reinforced post-tension, cast in place, or reinforced pre-tensioned , precast concrete
Low mass concrete can consist of up to……….air to reduce the density of the concrete
20%
Low mass concrete is……………..than traditional concrete
10-88% lighter
Traditional concrete has a density range of……… pounds per cubic foot
150
Lower mass concrete can be broken down into……….. categories, they are light weight concrete and super lightweight concrete
2
Lightweight concrete ranges in density from…………., while super lightweight concrete carries a………..
60 to 100pcf, a density less than 60pcf
Low mass concrete provide a higher compression strength at………. compared to traditional concrete which only offers………..
60,000psi ,20,000psi strength
Research shows that under fire conditions failure occurred at……… of the designed load after…… of fire exposure
80%, 45 minutes
Thermal cracks appear within ……… to………minutes of fire exposure
14 to 16 minutes
Many high rise buildings have fixed window panes that can’t be opened, windows that can be opened are marked with
Maltese cross or a fire helmet etched in the lower corner of the pane
Doors that separate the various occupancies within a high rise are either………… or………. and are inward opening
Fire-rated metal or wood in metal frames
The presence of outward opening doors indicates
An electric or telephone room, or other type of closet
Doors from the stairwell to the hallways swing
Into the stairwell
In occupancies such as hospitals,hotels, or assisted living facilities, sections of hallways are usually divided into………..by self releasing, fire rated doors
Compartments
Usually have individual entrances and access only one section of the building
Isolated stairs
These stairs are simply independent stairwells on either side of the core, in some cases, each stairwell will only serve every other floor
Scissor stairs
Also known as access or convenience stairs, they are open unprotected stairways leading from floor to floor within a single occupants space
Accommodation stairs
……….. are installed at the lowest floor level that terminates at an exterior entrance
Security gate
Majority of standpipes found in interior applications at a high rise are
Wet systems
