CLASSIFICATIONS OF BUILDINGS

Few Ways of Classifying Building includes:

Construction Type
Use Class
Size
Style
Period
Design (For example, form, structure, etc.)
Performance (For example, energy consumption, accessibility, etc.)
Legal Definition
Nature of Occupancy/Ownership

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Classification of Buildings as per Their Height

Buildings may be classified as per their height or number of floors:

Low-Rise Building is:

Less than seven (7) stories or 75 ft. from street level. Most model codes adopt this
classification which was originally based on the capacity of the firefighting truck ladders
to reach the building heights effectively.
Reached by conventional fire-truck ladders
High-Rise Building: Buildings from 7 to 29 stories
Super High-Rise Building: 30 to 50 stories
Skyscraper: 51 stories upward

Classifications on the Basis of Building Efficiency Factors

Factors used to evaluate the effectiveness of the building design:

Net-to-Gross Ratio (NGR)

Floor-Efficiency Ratio (FER)

Net-to-Gross Ratio (NGR)

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NGR = 100 x NFA/GFA

Where,

NFA= net floor area, (ft2)

GFA=gross floor area (ft2)

NFA is the usable floor area that can be used by the occupants, excluding the area taken by stairs,
circulation space, elevators, lobbies, structural columns, MEP equipment, and shafts. GFA includes the
entire constructed floor area.

Floor- Efficiency Ratio (FER)

FER is used for office buildings to calculate the rentable space on typical rental floors.

FER = 100 x (NRA/GFA)

Where,

NRA = net rentable area (ft2)

GFA = Gross floor area (ft2)

Normally, a FER of 85% is considered an excellent design.

Classifications on the Basis of Geometric Factors

Factors used to evaluate economics and energy-effectiveness relative to building geometry and form:

VSR = Volume-To-Surface Ratio

APR = Area-To-Perimeter Ratio

Volume-to-Surface Ratio

VSR = V / S

Where,

V = Volume of building (ft3)

S = Total exterior surface of building (ft2)

The volume-to-surface area ratio of a building is an important factor in determining heat loss and
gain. The greater the VSR ratio, the lower will be the heat gain/loss through it. A cost-effective energy
efficient building will therefore MINIMIZE Exterior surfaces (walls and roof) and MAXIMIZE interior
volume (floor area x height).

Area - to - Perimeter Ratio (APR)

APR is the typical floor area divided by the perimeter length of the floor (most upper floors are
substantially the same).

APR = A/P

Where,
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 A = typical or representative floor area of the building (ft2)
P = linear dimension of the perimeter of a typical or representative floor (ft.)

The surface area of the building is a function of the perimeter (aspect ratio) and the building height.
The geometric shapes with an aspect ratio of 1:1 will have the minimum perimeter and will have the
lowest surface area for a given height.

Classification of Buildings Based on Occupancy

Buildings based on Occupancy are classified as Follows:

Residential Building: The buildings in which an individual or a family or a group of families

reside temporarily or permanently are referred to as residential buildings such as flats,
cottages, houses, bungalows, etc.
Educational Building: The buildings in which education is imparted to children are referred to
as Educational Buildings such as schools, colleges, libraries, centers, libraries, coaching centers,
etc.
Office Building: The buildings which are used for official purposes by any department such as
Income Tax, Telegraph, Telephone, Public health, etc. are referred to as Office Buildings.
Historical Building: The buildings which indicate historic importance are referred to as
Historical Buildings
Industrial Building: The buildings used for producing industrial goods or products are referred
to as Industrial Buildings such as factories, workshops, etc.
Recreational Building: The buildings used for recreation purposes are referred to as
Recreational Buildings such as cinemas, clubs, swimming, pools, etc.
Institutional Building: The buildings constructed for the care of persons suffering from
various diseases mental as well as physical are referred to as Institutional Buildings such as
hospitals, sanitaria, etc.
Commercial Building: The buildings used for business purposes referred to as Commercial
Buildings such as shops, stores, banks, etc.
Hazardous Building: The buildings used for the purposes of storage and handling of highly
combustible materials are referred to as Hazardous Buildings such as buildings used for the
storage of sulfur dioxide ammonia carbon dioxide etc.
Storage Building: The buildings used for the storage of various products are referred to as
storage buildings such as cold storage, go-downs, etc.
Assembly Building: The buildings used for get-together purposes are referred to as Assembly
Buildings such as Temples, town halls, mosques, etc.
Public Building: The buildings constructed in the interest of the public are referred to as Public
Buildings such as railway stations, bus stands, airports, etc.

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Classification of Buildings Based on the Type of Construction

Fire-Resistive Type I

With this type of construction, walls, partitions, columns, floors, and roofs are the most non-
combustible when it comes to fire-resistant ratings. These structures are usually easy to spot based
on their height. Fire-resistive buildings are more than 75 feet tall and made of poured concrete and
protective steel. They are designed to withstand the effects of fire for a long period of time to prevent
a fire from spreading. Ventilation in these types of buildings is not an option because the roof must
also be composed of noncombustible materials.

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 Non-Combustible Type II

Non-combustible buildings are similar to the fire-resistive type where walls, partitions, columns,
floors, and roofs are noncombustible. However, they provide less fire resistance and do not withstand
the effects or spreading of fire as well as Type I. This type gets its name “Non-Combustible” not
because of its resistance to fire, but because of the fuel, the building contributes. Newer school
buildings are common examples of this type of construction. These buildings typically have a metal
floor and metal roof with masonry or tilt-slab walls. They are the least stable in terms of collapse
when exposed to fire.

Ordinary Type III

These buildings are also called brick-and-joist structures. This type of construction has brick or block
walls with a wooden roof or floor assembly which is not protected against fire. All or part of the
interior structural elements (frame, floors, ceilings, etc.) is combustible/wood. Vertical ventilation in
these types of buildings is possible. You will see ordinary construction in both old and new buildings.

Heavy Timber Type IV

Type IV buildings have noncombustible exterior walls and interior elements. These buildings are made
out of solid or laminated wood. All wooden members must meet dimensional requirements. Wood
columns, beams, and girders must be at least 8 inches thick. Heavy planks for floors and roofs must
be at least 6 inches thick. If these types of buildings catch fire, they require large volumes of water to
extinguish, but they hold up well against fire and don’t collapse easily due to their structural mass.

Wood-Framed Type V

Wood-framed buildings are the most combustible out of all the types. They are the only construction
type that allows combustible exterior walls. Type V also allows a combustible interior (structural
frames, walls, floors, and roofs) made entirely or partly out of wood. This type is commonly found in
modern homes. They often have exposed wood so there is no fire resistance. It ignites significantly
but is reasonably resistant to collapse unless it is a lightweight construction, in which case it will fail
within minutes.

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