What is a design concept?
ANSWER
This is an idea or statement concerning an overall physical response to ideas developed dur-
ing programming.
What does the Certificate of Occupancy (or Use and Occupancy) letter provide?
ANSWER
This letter is issued by the authority having jurisdiction and allows the client to occupy a
building or portion of a building after the final inspection.
What is the primary model building code used in the United States?
ANSWER
The International Building Code (IBC)
In the United States, what document gives jurisdictions the basic authority to adopt and en-
force building codes?
ANSWER
The basic authority for this comes from the Tenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. It
gives police powers to the states, which in turn either use that authority to adopt codes or
pass that authority on to local jurisdictions.
What two types of product labels does Underwriters Laboratories (UL) provide?
ANSWER
The two types of labels provided by this organization are:
1. Listed labels
2. Classified labels
1
,What is the Steiner Tunnel test, ASTM E84?
ANSWER
This is a standard test for determining the surface burning characteristics of finish materials
and the smoke developed index of the same materials.
What materials does NFPA 701 test, and what conditions does it test for?
ANSWER
This tests the flammability of draperies, curtains, and other window treatments.
According to the International Building Code (IBC), what is a fire partition, and where is it
used?
ANSWER
The IBC defines this as a wall assembly having a fire resistance rating of one hour, used in:
1. Walls separating dwelling units
2. Walls separating guest rooms in Group R-1, R-2, and I-I occupancies
3. Walls separating tenant spaces in covered malls
4. Corridor walls
What two situations require the construction of a fire barrier?
ANSWER
This type of fire-resistance-rated wall is required as:
1. A separation where there are different occupancies
2. An enclosure where there are vertical exits
What is the maximum percentage of wall or ceiling area that combustible trim (such as trim
made of wood) can occupy in a room?
ANSWER
2
,In a room, this material type can occupy no more than 10% of a wall or ceiling area.
What is an occupancy class, and what is it used for?
ANSWER
This is a usage classification assigned to a building or interior space. It differentiates various
types of fire hazards and the life-safety characteristics of various uses.
What is mixed occupancy?
ANSWER
This is a situation where a single building or interior space houses two or more different
types of occupancies.
What is an accessory occupancy?
ANSWER
This is a space or a room that is used in conjunction with the main occupancy, but contains
no more than 10% of the floor area of the main occupancy.
What is an incidental use area?
ANSWER
This is an area that is ancillary to the main occupancy; but has the same classification. It
must be separated from the main occupancy by a fire barrier, be equipped with an auto-
matic sprinkler system, or both.
How many construction types are there, and which has the highest fire resistance?
ANSWER
There are five of these, and Type I has the highest fire resistance.
What is fire-resistance-rated glazing?
ANSWER
3
, This is glass or some other glazing material that has been tested according to ASTM E119 as
part of a fire-resistance-rated wall assembly.
In regard to interior design, what is a guard, and what dimension must it have in commercial
construction?
ANSWER
This is a building component installed to prevent falls from an elevated area. It's required
minimum height is 42 inches above the floor.
What are the three parts of a means of egress?
ANSWER
The three parts are:
1. Exit access
2. Exit
3. Exit discharge
What is an exit passageway?
ANSWER
This is a horizontal, fully enclosed, fire-resistance-rated portion of an exit that is used only as
a means of egress to an exit discharge or a public way.
What is an occupant load factor?
ANSWER
This is the amount of floor space that a building code presumes is occupied by one person in
a particular occupancy.
How is the occupant load of a space calculated?
ANSWER
4
ANSWER
This is an idea or statement concerning an overall physical response to ideas developed dur-
ing programming.
What does the Certificate of Occupancy (or Use and Occupancy) letter provide?
ANSWER
This letter is issued by the authority having jurisdiction and allows the client to occupy a
building or portion of a building after the final inspection.
What is the primary model building code used in the United States?
ANSWER
The International Building Code (IBC)
In the United States, what document gives jurisdictions the basic authority to adopt and en-
force building codes?
ANSWER
The basic authority for this comes from the Tenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. It
gives police powers to the states, which in turn either use that authority to adopt codes or
pass that authority on to local jurisdictions.
What two types of product labels does Underwriters Laboratories (UL) provide?
ANSWER
The two types of labels provided by this organization are:
1. Listed labels
2. Classified labels
1
,What is the Steiner Tunnel test, ASTM E84?
ANSWER
This is a standard test for determining the surface burning characteristics of finish materials
and the smoke developed index of the same materials.
What materials does NFPA 701 test, and what conditions does it test for?
ANSWER
This tests the flammability of draperies, curtains, and other window treatments.
According to the International Building Code (IBC), what is a fire partition, and where is it
used?
ANSWER
The IBC defines this as a wall assembly having a fire resistance rating of one hour, used in:
1. Walls separating dwelling units
2. Walls separating guest rooms in Group R-1, R-2, and I-I occupancies
3. Walls separating tenant spaces in covered malls
4. Corridor walls
What two situations require the construction of a fire barrier?
ANSWER
This type of fire-resistance-rated wall is required as:
1. A separation where there are different occupancies
2. An enclosure where there are vertical exits
What is the maximum percentage of wall or ceiling area that combustible trim (such as trim
made of wood) can occupy in a room?
ANSWER
2
,In a room, this material type can occupy no more than 10% of a wall or ceiling area.
What is an occupancy class, and what is it used for?
ANSWER
This is a usage classification assigned to a building or interior space. It differentiates various
types of fire hazards and the life-safety characteristics of various uses.
What is mixed occupancy?
ANSWER
This is a situation where a single building or interior space houses two or more different
types of occupancies.
What is an accessory occupancy?
ANSWER
This is a space or a room that is used in conjunction with the main occupancy, but contains
no more than 10% of the floor area of the main occupancy.
What is an incidental use area?
ANSWER
This is an area that is ancillary to the main occupancy; but has the same classification. It
must be separated from the main occupancy by a fire barrier, be equipped with an auto-
matic sprinkler system, or both.
How many construction types are there, and which has the highest fire resistance?
ANSWER
There are five of these, and Type I has the highest fire resistance.
What is fire-resistance-rated glazing?
ANSWER
3
, This is glass or some other glazing material that has been tested according to ASTM E119 as
part of a fire-resistance-rated wall assembly.
In regard to interior design, what is a guard, and what dimension must it have in commercial
construction?
ANSWER
This is a building component installed to prevent falls from an elevated area. It's required
minimum height is 42 inches above the floor.
What are the three parts of a means of egress?
ANSWER
The three parts are:
1. Exit access
2. Exit
3. Exit discharge
What is an exit passageway?
ANSWER
This is a horizontal, fully enclosed, fire-resistance-rated portion of an exit that is used only as
a means of egress to an exit discharge or a public way.
What is an occupant load factor?
ANSWER
This is the amount of floor space that a building code presumes is occupied by one person in
a particular occupancy.
How is the occupant load of a space calculated?
ANSWER
4
