Building Construction for the Fire Service Term Paper by scribbler

Building Construction for the Fire Service
A review of the five types of building construction and their relevance for firefighters who suffer from the collapse of burning buildings.
# 153438 | 1,560 words | 6 sources | APA | 2013 | US
Published on Jun 03, 2013 in Engineering (Construction)


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Description:

The paper discusses how firefighters must know how buildings are built, and, more significantly, how they can collapse. The paper describes the five types of building construction and some of the inherent problems that each present to the rescuer; these include fire resistive, non/limited combustible, ordinary, heavy timber and wood frame construction. The paper argues that it is important that firefighters who are exposed to these dangers on a daily basis not only are educated as to what could happen because of the possibility of collapses, but are involved in fire code amendments so that up-to-date information is taken into consideration when codes are put into place.

From the Paper:

"Throughout the years, construction techniques and practices have changed, but what has not changed is how the law of physics works. It is very important that firefighters have a meticulous appreciation of how buildings are built, and, more significantly, how they can collapse. A lot of officers have come up with they way they make decisions by way of familiarities on the job; nonetheless, the signs that were present in the past, such as sagging floors, racking windows and doors, and smoke coming from separations in walls, may no longer be enough. Nowadays, buildings are constructed with just about half of the materials utilized before, but are creating almost five times the possible rate of heat discharge, ensuing in faster devastation of structural workings, and faster collapse. It is best to have a clutch on the physical characteristics of construction; primarily, gravity, loads, and forces (Daley, 2010).
"This inherent danger found in burning buildings leads to a need for those affected to have knowledge about the five types of building constructions, and some of the inherent problems that each present to the rescuer. The first building type is that of Type I Construction: Fire Resistive. These buildings are made from materials that are non-combustible and that do not add to the fire load of the building."

Sample of Sources Used:

  • Beitel, J. and Iwankiw, N. (n.d.). Historical Survey of Multi-Story Building Collapses Due to Fire. Retrieved from http://www.haifire.com/presentations/Historical_Collapse_Survey.pdf
  • Daley, Michael P. (2010). Building Collapse Operations - Part 2. Retrieved from http://www.firehouse.com/topic/rescue-and-special-ops/building-collapse-operations- part-2
  • Dunn, Vincent. (1988). Collapse of burning buildings: a guide to fireground safety. Saddle Brook: PennWell Publishing Company.
  • International Association of Fire Chiefs, National Fire Protection Association. (2010). Fire Officer: Principles and Practice. Sudbury: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.
  • Licht, Richard. (n.d.). The Impact of Building Code Changes on Fire Service Safety. Retrieved from http://afscc.org/Papers/0501ChangesonFireServiceSafety.htm

Cite this Term Paper:

APA Format

Building Construction for the Fire Service (2013, June 03) Retrieved December 07, 2023, from https://www.academon.com/term-paper/building-construction-for-the-fire-service-153438/

MLA Format

"Building Construction for the Fire Service" 03 June 2013. Web. 07 December. 2023. <https://www.academon.com/term-paper/building-construction-for-the-fire-service-153438/>

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