Building Codes and Ordinances ARC 227 - Architectural Design ...

Types of Construction
The principle of fire-resistance is base on the desire to limit the spread of fire from:
One building to another
One area to another
One floor to another.
The idea is to divide a building into distinct zones with barriers to retard the propagation and spread
of fire – Compartmentalization.
The five types of construction determine the “Passive” fire-resistance that is inherent in the
buildings structure and envelope. Passive fire-resistance refers to the ability of a material or a
group of materials to resist the spread of fire.
Combustible materials can be layered or wrapped in fire retardant coverings to help resist the
spread of fire. The application of passive fire resistive materials may also increase the
performance of non-combustible materials, even steel loses strength when heated
“Active” systems refer to those consisting of fire sprinklers and alarms.