LINCOLNSHIRE FIRE & RESCUE

BUILDINGS AND
STRUCTURES 1
Building Types
and Components

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 AIM

To provide students with a

basic understanding of
building design and the
principal components.

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 LEARNING OUTCOMES
At the end of the session students will be
able to:
• State the commonly used construction
materials and types.
• Identify types of doors and windows
commonly used.
• List the principal components of a
staircase.
• List the types of roof commonly found.

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COMMON BUILDING
MATERIALS
• Brick
• Block
• Stone
• Concrete
• Timber
• Metal

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BUILDING BOARDS

• Fibre
• Plaster
• Asbestos
• Plywood
• Block
• Plastic

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 TYPES OF BUILDINGS
• Solid or ‘traditional’ construction
• Structural steel frame construction
• Reinforced concrete construction
• Modular system construction
• Portal frame construction
• Composite construction.

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 SOLID CONSTRUCTION
• Solid load bearing walls
• Set back at upper floors
• Commonly made of brick, concrete
blocks or stone
• Cast iron columns
• Cast iron or timber beams
• Warehouses, mills, factories and
offices.

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BUILDINGS AND
STRUCTURES

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 STRUCTURAL STEEL
• High number of design options
• Skeletal framework often complex
• Loads carried by beams
• Structure is covered by cladding
• Large use of glass, polycarbonate and
plastic
• Large shopping centres, sports centres
and multi-storey offices.

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STRUCTURAL STEEL
Roof spans between main beams
Main beams Tie Beam

Secondary beam

Floor spans between main

Stanchions
beams

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 REINFORCED CONCRETE
• Alternative to steel frame

• Columns support beams on which are laid

slab flooring sections

• Columns, beams and slabs integrally cast

to form a monolithic structure

• Two common methods of construction.

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REINFORCED CONCRETE(1)

Pre cast reinforced concrete frame

• Factory produced frame components

• Transported for assembly on site

• Similar techniques to steel frame.

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 REINFORCED CONCRETE(2)

Composite construction

• Utilises the advantages of modern

lightweight structural steelwork

• ‘Marriage’ between steelwork & pre cast

concrete columns.

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COMPOSITE CONSTRUCTION
Concrete
Spine beam

Steel
Spine
Gable beam.
columns
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 MODULAR STRUCTURES
• Pre fabricated components

• High design flexibility

• Specially designed connectors

• Encased in concrete to provide a degree

of fire and corrosion protection.

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MODULAR BUILDING

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TYPICAL MODULAR CONNECTOR

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HOLLOW BLOCK AND PLANK
FLOORING
R.C. edge beam

Concrete ribs
Hollow clay
floor blocks Concrete topping

Ceiling Voids
finish
Reinforcement Filler tiles
Rib reinforcement

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HOLLOW BLOCK AND PLANK
Floor finish
Cement/sand screed

Void

Internal support
Typical hollow floor unit details
Cement/sand Floor finish
screed Grouted joints

Typical channel section floor unit details

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PRE CAST CONCRETE SLAB

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 DOORS, WINDOWS AND
ROOFLIGHTS
TYPES OF DOOR
• Hinged
• Swing
• Revolving
• Sliding
• Folding
• Cantilever
• Roller shutter
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 HINGED DOORS
• Most commonly found type

• All close against a rebate on the door

jamb

• Four commonly found types

Flush
Panelled
Ledged
Metal

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 SWING DOORS
• Pin hinges allow door to swing in any
direction

• Door jamb not fitted with a rebate

• Often partially glazed using wired glass or

copper glazing bars

• Found in restaurants, department stores and

hotels.

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 REVOLVING DOORS
• Present an obstruction to firefighting
operations unless dealt with

• Usually 4 or 2 ‘wings’

• Designed to be collapsed down

• Essential they are used in conjunction with

a hinged door.

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 SLIDING DOORS
• Solid or lattice construction

• Widely used in commercial buildings

• Can slide on one or both sides of an

opening or into a central recess

• Lattice type usually for security or to

protect an area such as a lift or lift shaft.

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 FOLDING DOORS
• Usually lightweight construction

• Similar in design to hinged doors

• Two or more leaves hinged together

• Whole door opens to one side only

• Often used to separate two rooms.

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 CANTILEVER DOORS
• Door is counter balanced and pivoted so it
rises upwards

• Lies horizontal when open

• Generally fits flush to the opening when

closed

• Usually found on garages.

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 ROLLER SHUTTERS
• Nearly always made of steel

• Small examples can be raised by hand

• Large examples usually operated by

means of gearing and handle or chain and
block

• Usually found on commercial premises.

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 FIRE DOORS
A standard fire door will:

• Serve to contain the outbreak of fire

• Restrict the spread of fire gases into
otherwise unaffected parts of the building
• A closed door restricts oxygen movement,
thus helping to starve the fire

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 WINDOWS
• Allow natural light into a building

• Serve to provide ventilation to rooms

• Generally two types, referred to according

to the method of opening
Casement
Sash

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 CASEMENT WINDOWS

• The simplest form consists of a

rectangular frame with the casement
hung on it

• When more than one casement can be

opened it is referred to as a 2,3 or 4 light
casement.

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 VENTLIGHT
TRANSOM.

CASEMENT FRAME

DEADLIGHT
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 SASH WINDOWS
• Pivoted sash - opening part supported by
pivots at each side of opening part of
window or top and bottom

• The term ‘SASH’ refers to the opening

portion and includes the glass and the
surround

• Partially inside and outside of opening

when open.

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 SASH WINDOWS
Sliding sash windows

• Slide vertically

• Double hung is the common form of this

type of sash, both sashes slide vertically in
the frame

• Another type consists of two sashes, one

or both of which can be opened horizontally

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Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue’s Training Centre 35
STAIRS AND
ROOFS

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 STAIRS

Common materials
• Wood
• Stone
• Pre cast concrete
• Steel
• Composite

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 STAIRS
RISER

NOSING TREAD

CAPPING

STRING

BEARER

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 STAIRS

HEADROOM

BANNISTER
RISE

NEWEL
POST

GOING

RUN SPANDREL

PITCH LINE

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 ROOF DESIGN

• Flat roofs

• Pitched roofs
– Mansard
– Trussed
– Portal or ridge-framed

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PITCHED ROOFS

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PITCHED ROOFS

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 CONFIRMATION
Assessments will be based on this lesson and
the corresponding study note

Learning Outcomes
• State the most commonly used construction
materials and types
• Identify types of doors and windows
commonly used
• List the principal components of a staircase
• List the types of roof commonly found.
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THE END

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