Codes
 In New York State, building construction, heating
plants, HVAC, etc., are regulated by the following;
 The Building Code
 The Existing Building Code
 The Fire Code
 The Fuel and Gas Code
 The Mechanical Code
 The Plumbing Code
 The Residential Code
 The Energy Conservation Code
 also Reference Standards (NFPA, ANSI, ASME, etc..)
 Additionally, we also have to comply with;
 NYS approved “more restrictive” local codes (i.e.,
county, town, city, village)
 These codes provide minimum requirements.
 As with all codes, there are exceptions, such as, the
NYS Building Code does not apply to detached one-and
two-family dwellings and multiple single-family dwelling
(townhouses) not more than three stories in height with
separate means of egress. These buildings fall under the
Residential Code of New York State.
 To alert you to potential construction hazards,
 To enable a safe and effective fire attack,
 By knowing basic building construction types, we
can approximate how fire will spread and allow us
to extinguish it quickly,
 “The building is your enemy… know your enemy”
Francis L. Brannigan.
 There are TWO basic types of construction: “It either
burns (combustible) or it does not burn
(noncombustible)”
 All buildings in the US are constructed by one of the
five construction categories;
 Type “1” - Fire Resistive – Least Combustible
 Type “2” - Non-Combustible
 Type “3” - Ordinary
 Type “4” - Heavy Timber
 Type “5” - Wood Frame – Most Combustible
 Four of the five types have subgroups “A” & “B”.
 Means Protected;
 all structural members have an additional fire
rated coating or cover by means of sheetrock,
spray on, or other approved method,
 the additional fire rated coating or cover
extends the fire resistance of the structural
members by at least 1 hour.
 Means Unprotected;
 all structural members have no additional fire
rated coating or cover,
 exposed members are only fire resistant
according to their natural ability, characteristics,
and fire rating.
STRUCTURAL CHARACTERISTICS AND
HAZARDS
Type “5”- (A) (protected) - Wood Frame
(ISO Class 1)
(#111, NFPA 5000 “Building & Safety Code”)




structural frame, columns, etc. - 1 hour rating
bearing walls (Exterior & Interior ) – 1 hour rated
floor construction, beams and joists – 1 hour rated
roof construction, beams and joists – 1 hour rated
2010 New York State Building Code
Type “5”- (B) (unprotected) - Wood Frame
(ISO Class 1)
(#000, NFPA 5000 “Building & Safety Code”)




structural frame, columns, etc. - 0 hour rating
bearing walls (Exterior & Interior ) – 0 hour rated
floor construction, beams and joists – 0 hour rated
roof construction, beams and joists – 0 hour rated
2010 New York State Building Code
TYPE “5” - Wood Frame
 Characteristics;
 all walls and structural members are wood,
 wood frame construction is used in residential
and commercial buildings,
 presents unlimited fire hazard, spread, and
collapse,
 may present serious exposure problems,
 easy to erect and alter, economical & versatile,
 performs well in earthquake areas, can move,
 the MOST combustible of five construction types.
 There are several types of wood frame construction;
 Log,
 Post and Beam,
 Plank and Beam,
 Balloon,
 Platform and
 a new type frame called “Truss”.
 Note: Because of the nominal wood size, Heavy
Timber construction has it’s own classification, “Type
4.”
Log Construction
 Log cabins were built from logs laid horizontally
and interlocked on the ends with notches (British
English cog joints),
 Some log cabins were built without notches and
simply nailed together, but this was not as
structurally sound,
 The length of one log was generally the length of
one wall, although this was not a limitation for most
good cabin builders,
 Few log cabins dating from the 18th century still
stand, but they were not intended as permanent
dwellings.
Corner joint with squared off logs
The Patsy Cline House in
Winchester, Virginia is an
example of a log cabin with the
logs covered by siding
Post and Beam
Post and Beam
construction is a
centuries old method of
framing buildings
 using a series of large
vertical timbers (posts)
and horizontal timbers
(beams) that are carefully
joined together using
mortise and tenon joints,
pinned with wooden pegs.
 Post and Beam construction was the most
popular method used in the United States when the
first settlers came to America,
 Most buildings in the United States were built
with Post and Beam frames until the time of the
Industrial Revolution,
 After the start of the Industrial revolution, barns
were the primary structure to be built using this
method,
 Post and Beam buildings are framed, not wall-
bearing buildings,
 The walls are not structural or load-bearing,
 Frame strength reduces at the tenon,
 Used to build new homes in colder climates more
than warmer, because you can insulate under the
floor.
Inside a barn
Post and Beam constructed
home
 Plank and Beam method of framing floors and roofs
has been used for many years,
 Conventional framing utilizes joists, rafters and
studs spaced 12” to 24” on center, plank and beam
method requires fewer and larger sized wood spaced
further apart,
 Plank sub-floors or roofs usually 2” nominal
thickness, supported up to 8’ apart,
 The ends of beams are supported on posts or piers,
 Wall spaces between posts have supplemental
framing for attachment of exterior/interior finishes.
 Also known as “Chicago” construction in the
19th century,
 Very popular when long structural materials
were readily available from nearby mills, until
about the mid-1900’s,
 Lumber was plentiful in the 19th century but
skilled labor was not,
 The advent of cheap machine-made nails, made
balloon framing highly attractive because it did not
require skilled carpenters for mortise and tenon
joints,
 For the first time, any farmer could build his
own building.
 No longer built of wood due to the cost of 20’- 30’
lumber being prohibitive,
 Balloon framing is making a comeback with the use
of light gauge steel stud construction.
Vertical and horizontal
avenues of fire travel in
a balloon frame
Vertical
travel
Ribbon
board
Wall stud
Floor
joist
Ribbon
Board
Looking up stud channel
Horizontal
travel via the
floor joist
Balloon Framing
Notice the
open
vertical
channel
from the
attic to the
basement
Fire starts
in the
basement
Notice NO
fire-stopping
Fire can also
travel
horizontally,
up the
channel,
across the
joist and go
up or down
the other
side channel.
Note the floor
joists sitting on
the ribbon board
and the lack for
fire-stopping
Balloon Frame Homes
 The age of the structure can be an indicator.
 Windows vertically in line may also be an
indicator, although sometimes alterations could hide
this feature,
 Until recently, it was assumed any wood building
built before 1940 was probably a balloon frame,
 Lately, new buildings are built to look like old
farmhouses and Queen Anne’s.
 When a fire has entered the inner structure of a
balloon frame, it can spread to every part of the
building in all directions,
 Check all parts of the building immediately,
 There is a potential for intense fire buildup in void
spaces,
 Don’t wait before you examine the attic,
 Lack of fire-stopping between floors on exterior
walls allow for rapid fire extension,
 A quick determination if it’s a balloon frame is to
remove a baseboard on an exterior wall and check for
the presence of a sole plate, if none is found, treat the
building as a balloon frame.
 Also known as “Western” frame construction,
 Popular construction style since the late 1940’s,
 Most two or three story homes are built using this
construction,
 Stacking of floors and single story walls makes a
structurally strong building,
 Because walls are shorter and lighter, less expensive,
easier and safer to construct and erect.
Platform Frame
Note: the
wall
studs go
from top
plate to
sill plate
Construction Method
Second floor walls are
built, nailed to floor
Second floor is built
Walls are built, nailed to
the floor
A floor is constructed
 The truss framing system was conceived at the U.S.
Forest Products Laboratory (FPL),
 The patented system was designed to find efficient
ways to utilize our timber source,
 Normally fabricated in a plant under controlled
conditions,
 FPL feels this system offers economical quality
construction, design flexibility and fast erection,
 The system establishes consistent 24” spacing
between frames, with the elimination of floor beams,
interior columns and headers to further lumber savings,
 Different from conventional construction with truss
roofs and truss floors,
 Roof and floor trusses and studs tied into a unitized
frame,
 The studs are an integral part of both the roof and
floor trusses,
 Smaller dimension 2x4 or 2x3 lumber will burn faster
than larger lumber,
Studs are integral part of
the roof and floor trusses
Truss frame unit
being raised into
place
Truss frame
unit in place
Truss roof framing
Variable Building Usages
TYPE “5” – Wood Frame construction is used for
One and Two Family Residences, Multiple
Family Residences and Commercial buildings.
Two story- four
bedroom single family
balloon frame
Two family
balloon frame
Row Frame Houses
Older
“Triple
Decker”
multi-family
Wood Frame Multiple Dwelling
Type “5” – wood
frame with brick
veneer
Business Occupancy Wood Frame
Wood Framed Commercial Restaurant
 Wood frame building is the only one of the five
types of construction that has combustible exterior
walls,
 The outside walls must be considered for fire
spread,
 Fire travel is significantly different in platform
construction than balloon frame construction,
 Buildings with lightweight wood truss floor and/or
roof assemblies collapse in 5-10 minutes,
 Expect any house and most multi-family
residential structures built after 1970 to have some
form of lightweight frame construction,
 Wood frame structural hazard is combustible bearing
walls constructed of 2x4 inch wood studs,
 Masonry veneer and metal clad exterior do not
change the construction class,
 With lightweight frame, we are essentially seeing a
version of the balloon frame because of all the open
spaces and void cavities,
 Plank and Beam construction, like a truss roof
support system, is a structural composition, the
stability of the roof depends on the weakest member –
the Plank.
 There is a section of the IBC stating that not only
“wood frame construction” is classified as Type 5,
 Section 602.5 of the code is as follows;
“Type V construction is that type of construction in
which the structural elements, exterior walls and
interior walls are of any materials permitted by this
code.”
 For example, a building built as a Type 1A, (FireResistive Protected) adds an addition with wood
structural members, it is now classified as a Type 5
building.
 Building classification is based upon the least FireResistance Rating of construction elements.
Summary
 Type 5 “Wood Frame”- Most combustible of all
construction types,
 Read a building to identify important concerns about
structural stability, and the ability of fire, heat and
smoke to travel,
 In balloon frame, anticipate quick fire spread up the
exterior walls,
 Common cocklofts, cornices and some basements in
Row Frames.
Prepared by Thomas Bartsch
Chief Fire Inspector (ret)
4/23/2012