The American University FIR 3302 Building Construction for Fire Protection

Provides an overview of building construction, building types, designs of structures, and building construction in relation to firefighting.

Learning outcomes

• Describe building construction as it relates to firefighter safety, building codes, fire prevention, code inspection, firefighting strategy, and tactics.
• Classify major types of building construction in accordance with a local/model building code.
• Analyze the hazards and tactical considerations associated with the various types of building construction.
• Explain the different loads and stresses that are placed on a building and their interrelationships.
• Identify the function of each principle structural component in typical building design.
• Differentiate between fire resistance, flame spread, to include the testing procedures used to establish ratings for each.
• Classify occupancy designations of the building code.
• Identify the indicators of potential structural failure as they relate to firefighter safety.
• Identify the role of the Geographic Information System (GIS) as it relates to building construction.

Prerequisites

None