Forcible Entry (7th Edition)
Chapter 9-Through-the-Wall Entry
Test Review

  • Buildings are structurally supported by walls or a structural frame.
  • Partition walls are interior non-load bearing walls.
  • Curtain/Panel walls are exterior non-load bearing walls.
  • Fire resistance ratings for exterior masonry walls range from 2 to 4.
  • When a building is subdivided with numerous fire-resistive walls it is said to be compartmentalized.
  • Walls with voids provide a path for fire spread.
  • Interior combustible walls add fuel to fire.
  • Curtain walls provide little resistance to fire spread.
  • Platform-frame construction is more fire resistive than balloon-frame construction because their wall plates act as fire stops.
  • Well-insulated buildings will trap heat inside a structure, therefore increasing rate of fire acceleration.
  • The primary safety concern with through-the-wall entry is whether structural integrity will be compromised.
  • Load bearing walls may be either interior or exterior.
  • Precast concrete walls are fire resistive, may be load- or non-load bearing, and have single panels that can weigh 20 tons or more.
  • Brick walls should be considered load bearing until proven otherwise.
  • Brick veneer walls are difficult to distinguish from load bearing brick walls.
  • Many kinds of insulation is flammable and will not stop fire spread.
  • Gypsum board provides good fire resistance and is easily penetrable by forcible entry tools.
  • Fire walls have a rated fire resistance of 4 hours.
  • Fire walls must extend above roof level.
  • Fire walls are designed to be self-supporting.
  • Fire walls should have all openings protected by automatic-closing fire doors.
  • Always assume that electrical and/or plumbing lines may lie behind brick veneer exteriors.
  • When opening partition walls, always check for heat around the point chosen for opening.
  • The height of a building determines whether a it is supported by walls or by the structural frame.
  • When interior walls are non-load bearing, the structure is supported by columns throughout the interior.
  • Building codes may require that fire-resistive partitions be located in corridor walls, stairway enclosures, and occupancy separations.
  • The type of wall construction determines the method of through-the-wall entry.
  • A masonry wall is best opened by a battering ram.
  • Only 1 stud must be cut on a load-bearing wall before shoring is necessary.