Ch. 4 Building Systems Flashcards by charles Donnelly

Stairs provide a fuel role in building systems, what are they?

Enable access to multiple levels
Egress during emergency

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What are convenience stairs

Stairs not part of the means of egress

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Convenience Stairs per code are limited too?

Stairs are open and connect only Two levels per code limitations

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Horizontal face of a step

Tread

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Verticals part of a step

Riser

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Distance of a stair

Run

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Stairs that extend in one direction

Straight run

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Stairs that have intermediate landings between floors then reverse direction

Return stairs

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Stairs with two separate sets of stairs constructed in common shaft

Scissor stairs

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Older design scissor stairs have exits on which floors

Every other floor or every second floor

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Scissor stairs also use what type of stair construction

Return style

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What’s the minimum width of the run on circular stairs?

10 inches

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What’s a special consideration of circular stairs?

The small radius of the full circle or greater or equal to twice the widest part of the stair tread

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What kind of stairs gives access to confined spaces, dry wells, and in industrial applications?

Steel spiral stairs

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Gas springs are also known as what?

Struts

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Fully enclosed exterior stairways are subject to same requirements as ?

Fully enclosed exterior stairways are subject to same requirements as enclosed interior stairways

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Fire escapes fail due to

Damage of freeze and thaw
Corrosion due to weather
Inadequate mortar

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Building code requires a minimum of One smokeproof enclosure for stairs serving building how tall?

5 stories or higher

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Building code also requires protection for stairs serving floor levels more than how many feet below the level of exit discharge

Levels more than 30 ft below level of exit discharge

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Active fire protection

Uses moving or mechanic parts that Require power source

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Passive fire protection

Walls and stair enclosures

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In a High Rise, code requires what for stairs?

Dedicated, pressurized stairway designed solely for fire fighters

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Open stairs ways can be used when

Only when they connect no more than 2 adjacent floors above the basement level

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Escalators are set at a standard speed of ?

100 ft per minute

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How are escalator stairs linked?

By a step chain

Verticals penetrations for escalators serving more than how many floors must be protected ?

Verticals penetrations for escalators serving more than 2 floors must be protected

What is the most common protection to use in vertical openings in escalators

Closely spaced sprinklers and drafts stops

In Escalator vertical openings, have what size draft stops and sprinkler arrangement

18 inch draft stop Row or auto sprinklers on all sides outside the draft stop

Moving walkways move in which direction?

Horizontal

Elevators are uniquely dangerous when.

System malfunctions or electrical disruptions

Elevator regulations are based on

ASME / ANSI A17.1 elevator safety code

The ADA requires what in multi story buildings.

Ramp or elevator access

Before use in an elevator, FF’s should

Recall to lobby, open the door from a floor ABOVE the recalled elevator to check for smoke in shaft

Two types of elevators

Hydraulic and Electric

Hydraulic elevators have breaks T or F?

False, they do not have breaks, they are controlled through hydraulic fluids

Historically, hydraulic elevators upper limit was how many stories

6, requiring a deep well to reach lower floors

Electric Drun Elevators use a hoist cable on a drum located where?

Directly over the hoist way

What’s the most common type of elevator in buildings over 6 stories

Traction Elevators

Drive equipment for electric traction elevators is located

Directly over hoist way

Traction elevators use what to raise elevators

Counterweights to reduce the energy, may have a 500 V back up supply.

Hoistways are required to ?

Be constructed of fire resistive materials and fire doors

In low rise buildings, what can hoistways be made of for fire resistance?

Gypsum, cement block.

In larger buildings or reinforced concrete, what are hoist-ways made of?

Enclose in three sides with poured concrete. Also protects building from a wind load

Elevator hoist way enclosures are required to be a fire rated assembly with what timed rating

1-2 hour rating, depending on height

To prevent Mushrooming, building code require what at the top of most hoistways

Venting at the top of hoistway

A building with 3 or Fewer elevators can hold how many elevators in a single hoistway?

A building with four or more elevators must have a minimum of how many shafts

2 separate hoistways

If a building has more than one hoistway, how many elevators can be in one hoistway

Up to four elevators

An elevator zone includes how many consecutive floors

15-20

Blind Hoistways typically service?

Express elevators on upper floors

Rescue access doors are in blind Hoistways are placed where

Every three floors

What type of elevators have top exit in all cars?

Electrical

I’m multi hoist elevators, most cars are equipped with what for rescue

Side exits for passengers to be transferred laterally

Vertical openings in shafts and utility chases do not have what?

Horizontal fire barriers along the length of the shaft

Laundry / Refuse Chutes are required to be constructed of?

Noncombustible materials with fire doors fire rated shaft enclosure. Sprinklers at top and termination point

Primary purpose of HVAC

Comfort

Duct detectors are provided for fans that exceed

Capacities exceeding 2,000 cubic feet per minute

What’s the space between suspended ceilings and roof decks, or under floor spaces that may be used to supply air

(interstitial space) or return air Plenum

Hydronic system in HVAC

Use water at heat transfer medium

HVAC building code require

HVAC ducts to be enclosed with fire rated shaft enclosure.

In buildings less than 4 stories HVAC ducts enclosures be rated at

1 hr for less than 4 stories

In buildings more than 4 stories HVAC ducts enclosures be rated at

2hrs for buildings 4 stories or greater

When operating in smoke control mode, HVAC systems work how?

Discharge smoke through exhaust fans from the fire floor to the outside with out returning air to the supply

What does a pressure sandwich mean?

Constant supply of air on non-fire floors, creates a higher pressure above and below the fire reducing smoke movement in those areas

Heat and Smoke vent hatchways have a minimum opening of ?

4 ft in either direction

Curtain boards are also known as what

Draft curtains

Curtain Boards / Draft curtains not further apart than?

Curtain Boards / Draft curtains not further apart than eight times the ceiling height

Curtain Boards / Draft curtains depth should be not less than what percent of ceiling height?

Curtain Boards / Draft curtains depth should be not less than 20% of ceiling height

The size and spacing of smoke and heat vents depend on what?

Floor to ceiling height and contents

What’s the method to determine the vent area?

Analysis of the heat release rate, ceiling height Depth of curtain boards

Smoke and heat vents are less effective when used with?

In conjunction with sprinklers

What is a smoke tower

Vestibule open to the atmosphere, that is separated from the building corridor.

High voltage

600 volts or higher

Low voltage

Under 600 volts

Transformers do what

Convert high voltage to appropriate utility voltage

What’s a gas that’s a concern in electric vaults

Carbon Monoxide

How are transformers cooled

Using air and oil

What are dry transformers

Air cooled

What voltage is for light ballasts

277 volts

What voltage for HVAC systems

480 volts

Dry transformers step down the voltage to what?

120 volts

Transformers with PCBs are required to be what?

Labeled

Oil in oil cooled transformers must have what properties

Dielectric (non-conduction) properties

When transformers are located inside a building, code requires resistance rating of ? When not protected by sprinklers

Transformers room or vault to have 3 hr rating if not protected by sprinklers

When transformer rooms or vaults are sprinklers, code requires what rating?

1 hr

What’s the exception to fuel storage regarding a a generator

If a day tank exists in the same room, the tank is limited to 60 gallons

Minimum required fuel storage for generators is between

2- 8 hours

fuel storage for generators for hospitals and other critical facilities

Up to 48 hours or longer

Hospitals require what at all times for life support and monitoring systems

Hospitals require power at all times for life support and monitoring systems