"As members of the wall system industry, we often consider ourselves to be the experts.
However, every now and then it can be helpful to take a look at our industry from a different vantage point; Specifically, from the point of view of those individuals whose safety is directly effected by building construction technique. It's easy to lose perspective why different building categories are so important - and more importantly, how important it is to know the distinctions between those categories.
"Recently, we came across an article from Fire Rescue Magazine that offers a real-life perspective on how the various types of construction (Type 1 - Type IV) can have life or death consequences. We hope you find the article as enlightening as we did."
- Mike Griffin, Division Manager of Building Envelope
Understanding Building Construction Types
by Randy Frassetto
"Sometime early in a firefighter’s career—usually as part of fire school—building construction is touted to be one of the most important things firefighters should be aware of in their new trade. They learn how to date a building, predict collapse tendencies and patterns, determine fire severity from smoke factors and, as this article addresses, how to best ventilate the structure.
Buildings are broken down into five categories (Types 1–5), ranging from the stoutest of construction to that which will most likely fail rapidly when under fire conditions. Each building type has specific characteristics that ladder companies must be familiar with so that they are able to ventilate the building in the safest and most efficient way possible.
Building Construction Types:
A building is best identified during preplanning, but there are distinct features that will help firefighters identify the building type as they pull up on scene. There are also several diagnostic techniques that ladder companies can use when they’re up close and personal with a building..."
*To read the full article from Fire Rescue Magazine, which goes into further detail on each of the construction types, please click here.