Construction Supervisor License Practice Exam

How long must fire-rated compartment walls resist flames?

1. 15 minutes

2. 30 minutes

3. 1 hour

4. 2 hours

The correct answer is: 1 hour

Fire-rated compartment walls are designed to limit the spread of fire within a building, providing occupants with additional time to escape and allowing for safer evacuation procedures. The duration of fire resistance for these walls is determined by building codes and standards, which are based on several factors, including the type of occupancy, the size of the building, and the fire load. The correct answer of 1 hour is grounded in common building code requirements. Fire walls typically need to provide at least an hour of fire resistance to effectively compartmentalize spaces within a structure. This requirement is based on the need to contain a fire long enough to protect lives and allow for firefighting efforts to begin. In many jurisdictions, this one-hour fire barrier is a standard expectation for various types of commercial and residential buildings. To better understand the context for the other durations: 15 minutes or 30 minutes might apply to certain non-load-bearing interior partitions, but they are generally insufficient for the critical structural elements needed to compartmentalize larger, more hazardous buildings. Similarly, while 2 hours could be necessary for specific high-risk circumstances or larger structures, it typically exceeds the requirements for many standard applications. Therefore, when considering the balance between safety and practical building code applications, 1 hour is widely