PREPLANNING BUILDING HAZARDS
BY FRANCIS L. BRANNIGAN, SFPE
Editor`s note: For further reference, consult Building Construction for the Fire Service, third edition. Page numbers are included after each caption for your convenience.
(Top) The individual dwellings in this row of houses typically are described as “exposures.” What does the fire know about deeds and mortgages? To the fire, it is all one building. We should think the same way. To beat fire, we must think like fire. (Ref. p. 126)
(Inset) This is brick nogging, mistakenly intended to stop the extension of fire between row buildings. Note the cockloft and floor voids. (Ref. p. 126)
(Middle) This high-ceiling old building was “rehabilitated” by the insertion of a new lightweight truss floor. The old floors are heavy sawn joists. Note the space de-signed by the engineer as a rectangle to accommodate a duct. Trusses must never be cut in the field. (Ref. p. 522)
(Inset) These trusses carry the manufacturer`s warning “Not to be cut.” (Ref. p. 523)
(Bottom) Note that the floor joists are just resting on the bottom flange of the steel girder. If heated, the girder may rotate (turn over) and drop the floor. At a higher temperature, the steel may fail and collapse the floor. Unprotected steel supporting a concrete floor failed and killed four Pennsylvania firefighters. (Ref. p. 639)
FRANCIS L. BRANNIGAN, SFPE, a 52-year veteran of the fire service, began his fire service career as a naval firefighting officer in World War II. He`s best known for his seminars and writing on firefighter safety and for his book Building Construction for the Fire Service, third edition, published by the National Fire Protection Association. Brannigan is on the editorial advisory board of Fire Engineering.
