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Career Development 5 Building Construction Types Defined (With Career Options)

5 Building Construction Types Defined (With

Career Options)
Indeed Editorial Team
Updated December 27, 2023

It's important for professionals working in the construction industry, such as architects,
engineers, and building contractors, to understand building types. You can classify the
categories in a variety of ways, including by sector, owner, occupancy, and fire resistance.
These types provide information about the building construction classification and the laws
that regulate the construction process. In this article, we discuss what building construction
types are, why it's important to understand the five different categories, and which careers
benefit from this knowledge.

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Building construction types determine how fire-resistant it is. This includes all the building's
structural elements and other non-load-bearing components. The materials you use and
the structure's designed resistance to earthquakes, fire, and other natural disasters also
influence the construction variety.

Related: How to Become a Construction Manager in 7 Steps

Why is it important to determine construction types?

It's important for firefighters and occupants to understand a building's construction
category. When firefighters determine the structure variety, they can prepare their strategy
quickly, reduce a fire's spread, and possibly save property and lives. Knowing how a fire
spreads might help them make important decisions about ventilation and water. The
construction category also affects a structure's strength in natural disasters, such as
hurricanes and earthquakes. Many factors influence the building construction type, such
as:

Structure function

Structure size

Load-bearing capacity

Project cost

Environmental elements

Understanding construction types is important for building safety and helps individuals
know what to expect in potentially hazardous scenarios.

Related: 13 Jobs Within Construction to Consider

5 types of building construction

Here are the five different building construction types:

1. Fire-resistive (Type I)

High-rise residential and industrial structures are some of the buildings that compose the
Type I construction variety. These structures are mostly concrete and steel and are highly
fire-resistant. They can resist extreme temperatures for a longer time than Types II, III, IV,
and V. This
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support walls. When firefighters arrive at a Type I structure, their priority is to protect

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stairwells to promote a safe evacuation. These structures can withstand fire for up to four
hours and rarely collapse.

Related: Construction Skills and How to Improve Them

2. Non-combustible (Type II)

Non-combustible buildings include most modern big-box retail shops, commercial malls,
and modern schools. These structures are inflammable lightweight concrete and metal.
Flammable elements like foam and rubber may also be present. Their internal partitions are
fireproof materials plus a few permitted flammable components. These structures have
ample fire suppression systems yet are prone to near-total collapse in a fire because of
their roof designs and steel element expansion, relaxation, and deformation.

During a fire, firefighters attempt to ventilate buildings to prevent flashovers, which are
temperature spikes that occur suddenly. Depending on the construction materials, these
structures burn for about one to two hours. The materials burn slowly, adding fuel to the
fire. Firefighters use roll-up doors on the building exterior to increase ventilation during a
blaze. The distinctions between Types I and II structures are noteworthy.

3. Ordinary (Type III)

Ordinary, or brick and joist, buildings are structures that have brick or masonry walls,
wooden roofs, and flammable floors. Most interior elements, such as frames, flooring, and
ceilings, are flammable materials. Although all Type III structures have timber roofs, the
older buildings typically have framed varieties while newer structures have lightweight
roofing materials.

In most cases, the walls include reinforced masonry or concrete. For firefighters, it's
important to approach a Type III structure by first evaluating whether the building is old or
new. This helps them make key ventilation decisions. Ordinary construction includes both
new and existing structures, such as schools, residential, and small commercial structures.
The combination of materials in these structures allows them to remain standing even if
floors fall.

Related: 15 Careers in Construction (With Salaries and Duties)

4. Heavy timber (Type IV)

Thick timber is the major Type IV material. Because of their wooden walls and roofing
spans, firefighters can immediately identify them. Solid or laminated timber elements
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some of such buildings. Structural supports like beams, columns, and arches are usually at

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least eight inches for durable construction. Inflammable load-bearing walls may be present
in these structures.

They also efficiently drain water, allowing firefighters' water to flow out without adding to
the overall structure's weight. Most connections are metal joints, which may sometimes fail
during fires. Factory fires can be worse if the facility contains oil, commodities, and other
supplies. Large dimensional timber constructions withstand fires well, but deterioration
from the elements and termites increases the likelihood of collapse.

5. Wood-framed (Type V)

Wood-framed construction is popular in many modern homes because combustible

materials form walls and roofs. Lightweight or combustible manufactured wood is the
primary material in these structures instead of the huge dimensional wood found in
massive timber buildings. This structure is simple to erect, low-cost, and structurally sound.
It's not fire resistant, and it collapses within minutes when burned.

Firefighters can help with these structures because of their well-ventilated wood frames.
This is also a drawback because the ventilation makes the fire spread faster across the
structure. Using large timber components for the primary structural elements is one
technique to prevent interior platforms from collapsing, as it reinforces them.

Related: How to Become a Construction Estimator (With FAQ)

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Careers that benefit from construction types knowledge

Here are some professions that can benefit from knowing the varieties of building
construction:

1. Firefighter

National average salary: $83,741 per year

Primary duties: Firefighters respond to emergencies, such as structure and forest fires, car
accidents, and natural disasters. They rush to the scene with firetrucks and other
emergency vehicles, where they employ the equipment aboard the trucks to deal with the
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They put out blazes and save individuals trapped in burning structures.
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Firefighters also conduct fire inspections on a variety of structures to enforce safety rules.
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