Chapter 4 Construction Types and occupancy classifications

What are factors in the selection of construction type?

Occupancy type, bldg size, & presence or lack of an automatic fire-suppression system. Also based on materials used in construction as well as fire resistance of structural components. Cost is also a factor from owner standpoint.

What type of structures have no more than two dwellings units?

One and Two family dwelling units, including detached units, semidetached units, and duplexes.(NFPA1 and 101) Depending on the kind of fire separation between units, wall constructed in a dwelling complex determine occupancy classifications. Dwelling units separated by a complete fire-rated wall allows dwellings to be classified as individual units.

How are residential occupancies divided?

One or two family dwelling unit, lodging or rooming house, hotel, dormitory, and apartment building.

What type of occupancy provides lodging, boarding, and personnel care to 4 or more residents who are unrelated to owner?

Residential Board and Care Occupancies. NFPA differentiates these occupancies through the delivery of personal care services to residents. No medical treatment administered. Occupancy as a whole must be classified

What type of occupancies provide sleeping accommodations under conditions other than those defined for healthcare or detention and correctional facillities?

Residential occupancies.

How are the evacuation capabilities of a residential board and care occupancy is classified?

Slow, prompt, or impractical. Occupancy as a whole must be classified based on the resident posing most significant risk. Requirements for determining which classification each occupancy falls under found in detail in NFPA 101 and 101A.

The small amount of combustible materials that are allowed in Type I construction deal with?

Some types of roof coverings, wood trim, finished floor and wall coverings.

What type of occupancy is used to store goods, merchandise, products, vehicles, or animals?

Storage occupancies. NFPA uses broad approach to classify structures. ICC codes describe storage within several occupancy classifications. Primary is Group S Storage another is Group H Hazardous for the storage of hazardous goods in excess of max. allowable qtys.

Common building elements used in structures in US construction?

Structural Frame, Load bearing walls: interior and exterior, Exterior and Interior nonbearing walls and partitions, Floor and Roof construction

Describe how a typical structure would be built in a Type II application.

Structure with metal framing members, metal cladding, or concrete-block construction of walls with metal deck roof supported by unprotected open-web steel joists.

What are the majority of the building codes based on?

The NFPA, International Code Council (ICC) or Canadian Commission on Building and Fire Codes (CCBFC).

What can compromise the fire resistance and life safety of a Type I structure?

The combustible materials that the owner/occupant place in structure such as furniture, wall and window coverings, stock, and merchandise.

How are the divided group areas and individual work spaces found in business occupancies beneficial?

The compartmentalization of a large office space separates it into fire and smoke zones.

What defines the level of care that applies to a mixed occupancy at a Day-Care Occupancies

The highest risk population

What are the outside and inside walls made of in Type III construction?

The outside walls are made of noncombustible materials and the inside walls are made of any material permitted by code. Brick, concrete,and reinforced concrete typically used in exterior walls and interior nonbearing walls. Floors, roofs, and interior nonbearing framing and partitions use wood or metal studs.

Occupancy classification

The use of all or a portion of a building or structure. Established because certain occupancies, by their own natures, will have higher fire loads and greater numbers of occupants than others.

NFPA 101 separates day care and residential board and care into their own categories while ICC and NBC group therm with similiar types of occupancies. T/F

True

Type IV structures are extremely stable and more resistant to collapse due to the effects of fire than other construction types not protected by a fire-suppression system. T/F

True. The insulating effect derived from the timbers' own char reduces heat penetration to the inside of the beam.

What type of construction is composed of only noncombustible or limited combustible materials that provides the highest level of safety?

Type 1. All structural members are composed of only noncombustible materials and possess a high fire-resistance rating. Reinforced concrete and precast concrete along with protected steel frame construction meet criteria. Provides structural stability should a fire occur and limits fire spread.

What type of construction is composed of material that will not contribute to fire development and spread but do not meet the stricter requirements of Type I Construction?

Type II construction. Used when fire risk is expected to be low or when fire-suppression and detection systems are designed to meet hazard load.

What type of construction is used to build churches, schools, apartment dwellings, and mercantile structures

Type III construction.

What type of construction is referred to heavy timber construction

Type IV. Exterior walls are constructed of noncombustible materials and interior building elements are solid or laminated wood with no concealed spaces. Fire-retardant-treated wood framing is permitted withing interior wall assemblies.

The construction type commonly known as wood frame or frame is?

Type V. Exterior bearing walls composed entirely of wood and other combustible materials. Ex: single-family dwelling

When inspecting Type III structues was should the inspector look for

Voids inside wood truss created by roof and truss systems, old Type III structures that have been renovated and have large voids above ceilings and below floors, load carry capacity changes if new materials have been substituted to replace original material. and original use of structure may have changed and requires greater load carrying capacity than the original design was spec'd for.

What are different types of facallities that are considered storage facallities

Warehouses, storage units, freight terminals, parking garages, aircraft hangers, grain elevators, barns, stables

When an inspector is reviewing plans for the construction of a new structure what two questions should be asked?

What is the building's purpose or intended use? How andfrom what materials will the building be constructed?

What is the limitation of glued laminated beams?

When used with other materials not classified as heavy timber. ie laminated beam supported by a steel or other noncompliant material column.

Can you find unprotected steel and aluminum framing in Type III construction?

Yes, may also find wood or steel trusses. New bldgs tend to have more wood trusses and floor joist systems.

What are the 12 occupancy classifications?

assembly, business, educational, day care, factory/industrial, institutional, mercantile, residential, residential board and care, storage, utility/misc., & multiple

What are the examples of utlity/miscellanous occupancies?

barns, livestock shelters, carports, towers, sheds, fences over 6', retaining walls

When a structure has two or more very different types of activities occuring within them it is called?

multiple use occupancies

What type of occupaccies is classified by the ICC alone and are giving to structures that don't fall under any other classification?

utliity/miscellanous occupancies

What happens in a healthcare facility when more than one life safety code applies?

when this situation occurs both code documents are used in conjuction to ensure all requirements have been met

What are the size and fire resistance requirements of Type IV construction materials?

All building materials made of wood must adhere to minimum dimension sizes. Anything used not composed of wood must have a fire resistance rating of at least 1 hour.

What occupancy classification do buildings or portions of buildings that provide medical services to 4 or more patients on an outpatient basis fall under?

Ambulatory health care occupancies. Urgent care also included in this category. ICC codes classify outpatient care facilities as Group B Business Occupancies.

What type of building may be a single or multistory structure containing 3 or more independent dwelling units with cooking and bathrooms in each?

Apartment buildings. Those with 7 stories may be considered high-rise structures and may require greater fire and life safety protection.

In the ICC building and fire codes religious educational rooms and auditoriums associated with a church that have less than 100 occupants are classified as:

Assembly occupancies.

What is the type of occupancy of any building, structure, or compartment that is used for gathering 50 or more people?

Assembly occupancy. Generally includes churches, synagogues, mosques, theaters, restaurants, and arenas. Classification is further subdivided based upon type of activities that take place and perceived associated hazard. ***Exception taken by NFPA that subdivides by occupant load.

How does the ICC describe factory/industrial occupancies?

Buildings used in manufacturing, packaging, finishing, assembling, or disassembling products not classified as hazardous.

What type of occupancy consists of buildings that provide a working place for a large number of occupants in a office enviorment?

Business occupancy.

What can alter the original automatic sprinkler discharge pattern in a mercantile occupancy?

Changes in displays.

What combustible materials may sometimes get incorporated in Type II construction?

Combustible roof systems, flooring, display areas. Also on the exterior: balconies or decorational wall coverings.

Occupancy classifications are general in nature and most closely follow:

Current edition of NFPA 1, Uniform Fire Code, and NFPA 101 Life Safety Code.

What type of occupancy provides care, matience, and supervision of persons any age for a period less than 24 hrs a day.

Day-Care occupancies

What occupancy classification do facilities that provide care, maintenance, and supervision of any age for periods <24 hrs. per day fall under?

Day-care occupancies. Someone other than relative or legal guardian provides client care. # of clients that establish this occupancy differ in each code. NFPA 101 separates day-care into separate classification while ICC includes provisions for day-care within Group E Educational and Group I Institutional Group I-4 classifications.

What does the occupancy classification accomplish for the inspector?

Defines the use of all or a portion of a building and helps to gain reasonable expectations of the level of hazards in a building

What type of stores are in a mecantile occupancies

Department stores, pharmacies, supermarkets, shopping centers, malls, other retail locations.

What is an occupancy that the occupants are under restraint and are prevented from taking anything but limited life-preservation actions without direct assistance from staff personnel?

Detention and Correctional occupancies. NFPA: 1 and 101 ICC: Group I Institutional Group I-3

What type of building provides sleeping accomodations to 16 or more people who are not related?

Dormitory. Fraternity and sorority houses.

How have the principal model code organizations categorized occupancy classifications?

Each occupancy category's risk based upon the use of structure or space.

ICC building and fire codes classify day care facilities providing supervision or personal care service for 6 or more children older than 21/2 yrs. as:

Educational occupancies.

What type of occupancy is used for the purpose of educating 6 or more persons from preschool to 12th grade?

Educational occupancies.

What is the incorrect reference to Type I construction?

Fireproof

What are examples of a Incidental Use Occupancy

Furnace rooms, parking garages, incinerator rooms, labs and vocational shops, waste and linen closets over 100 sq ft

Examples of a business occupancies.

General office, doctor & dentists offices, air traffic control towesr, city & town halls, courthouses, colleges & university bldgs, dry cleaners/laundries, barber/beauty shops ***ICC also includes bldgs that house outpatient clinics where patients are ambulatory and not under anesthesia. NFPA considers outpatient clinics as ambulatory health care facilities.

When the inspector is reviewing plans for a renovation, issuing new occupancy permit, or making a field inspection what 2 other questions need to be asked?

Have either the purpose or construction materials of building changed since last inspection? What affect will the changes have on the fire and life safety provisions for the structure?

What type of occupancy provides health or medical services to four or more individuals who cannot evacuate themselves without assistance?

Health care occupancies. Identified only in NFPA1 and 101. ICC has similiar rqmts included as part of Group I Institutional I-2.

What type of facallities are included in the NFPA Institutional occupancies?

Health care, ambulatory health care, detention & correctional, residential board and care, day care (portions of occupancy rqmts)

What is a building that provides sleeping rooms for transients?

Hotel

What are the model codes used that recognize the 5 different types of construction and how are they defined?

IBC and NFPA. Each construction type is defined by the materials and fire performance for each building element of the structure.Construction materials and their performance under fire conditions determine the construction type of the structure.

Buildings with occupancies in which people with physical limitations due to health or age are cared for or provided medical treatment are classified as:

Institutional occupancies. Also includes penal and correctional institutions. ICC: Group I NFPA: 1 and 101

What are some other uses of educational occupancies?

Large spectator events, food prep, lab experimentation areas, industrial machining areas.

What type of structure provides sleeping accommodations for rent?

Lodging (boarding) or rooming houses. Mgmt. may or may not provide meals, but cooking facilities are not provided for individual occupants. NFPA 1 and 101 uses this classification to describe guest houses, foster homes, B & B, and motels that provide 24 hr. accommodations for 16 or fewer people w/o cooking facilities.

Any building that is used to display or sell mechandise is what type of occupancy

Mercantile occupancies. Contain large quantities of combustible materials and potential for high life loss.

What is an occupancythat contains multiple occupancies?

Mixed use

What is the only way that a room or boarding house be located above a mercantile occupancy

Must be separated by a 1hr fire separation wall or the mercantile occupancy is equipped with approved automatic fire sprinkler system.

What NFPA codes govern institutional occupancies

NFPA 1 and 101

What NFPA standard separates day care and residential board and care into their own category while ICC and NBC group them similar?

NFPA 101

What are the NFPA codes that describe educational occupancies as structures that is used by 6 or more persons and meet for more than 4 hrs a day and 12 hrs a week

NFPA 101 and 5000.20 sq.ft per person for classroom; 50sq ft per person for labs & vocational shops. Gyms, lecture halls, and dining halls follow assembly occupancy rqmts.

What are the three classifications the NFPA have for Factory/Industrial Occupancies?

NFPA classifies mfg. and processing facilities as industrial occupancies with 3 subdivisions: General Purpose, Special Purpose, High Hazard

What are the different Assembly standards under the NFPA and ICC?

NFPA: Class A= >1000; Class B= 301-1000; Class C= 50-300 ICC: A1 - A5