Designing for Safety - Section 4.3 Quiz

Structural engineers who designed the World Trade Center in New York were shocked when the buildings completely collapsed after being hit by terrorist jets. Some reports suggest that super-heated jet fuel melted the enormous metal girders that supported the structure. Which idea below is the most sensible one to adopt regarding future skyscraper construction?
1. This is a highly unusual event and the risk of jet fuel melting support girders should be ignored
2. All future skyscrapers should be constructed with heatproof steel alloy girders, which are one hundred times more expensive and twice as heavy
3. No more skyscrapers should ever be built
4. Large cities should shut down their airports to avoid further catastrophes
You have been asked to design bridge structures for different areas of Canada. You have designed these four types of bridge:
- Bridge A: allows water traffic below but cannot handle a large dynamic load
- Bridge B: has a very strong steel roof but is very expensive to construct
- Bridge C: has built-in flexibility that is designed to withstand high winds
- Bridge D: is the most inexpensive bridge to build but has no special design features
Which bridge type would you choose to build over a small river in Northern Ontario where snow pack can reach over 2 meters thick in the winter?
1. Bridge B
2. Bridge A
3. Bridge C
4. Bridge D
You have been asked to design bridge structures for different areas of Canada. You have designed these four types of bridge:
- Bridge A: allows water traffic below but cannot handle a large dynamic load
- Bridge B: has a very strong steel roof but is very expensive to construct
- Bridge C: has built-in flexibility that is designed to withstand high winds
- Bridge D: is the most inexpensive bridge to build but has no special design features
Which bridge would you choose to build as an overpass in Toronto where there is low to average snowfall, and average winds?
1. Bridge D
2. Bridge A
3. Bridge B
4. Bridge C
You have been asked to design bridge structures for different areas of Canada. You have designed these four types of bridge:
- Bridge A: allows water traffic below but cannot handle a large dynamic load
- Bridge B: has a very strong steel roof but is very expensive to construct
- Bridge C: has built-in flexibility that is designed to withstand high winds
- Bridge D: is the most inexpensive bridge to build but has no special design features
Which bridge would you choose to build across the Oldman River in southern Alberta as part of a freeway, where there are extreme Chinook winds, low snowfall, and there is small boat traffic.
1. Bridge C
2. Bridge B
3. Bridge A
4. Bridge D
In some new suburbs in Ontario, there is controversy over new home construction, where new houses are built very close together to save on construction and home costs. This presents a potential fire hazard as one home on fire can quickly set alight nearby homes.

Of the potential solutions listed below, which one would be least useful in addressing this problem?
1. Build houses with larger windows so that potential fires can be seen by the home's occupants
2. Construct homes with fire-retardant exteriors
3. Space homes further apart from each other
4. Enforce mandatory water sprinkler systems in all new home construction
In which of the following cases of home renovation is a safety inspection by a qualified building engineer least likely to be required?
1. Old kitchen cabinets are swapped out for new ones
2. A support post is moved to accommodate a large basement recreation room
3. A new outdoor deck is built off of an upstairs family room
4. A large whirlpool tub is installed off the master bedroom upstairs
Which type of home listed below is least likely to need a carbon monoxide detector?
1. An apartment, in which the boiler heater is located in the basement of the large building
2. A house with a very old furnace
3. A new home with an attached garage below the master bedroom
4. A senior citizen complex in which the suites are located over top of the visitor's parkade
Decorative ponds can be a drowning hazard for young children. Which idea below would be least effective in avoiding this disaster?
1. A warning sign placed above the pond
2. A pond built very shallow, no more than 10 cm deep
3. A wire mesh grate installed over all exposed water
4. A fence installed all around the pond
Which choice below best completes the following statement? In apartments with elevators, a staircase must be provided adjacent to the elevator. This is an example of a
1. safety back-up system.
2. structural enhancement of the building.
3. an aesthetic (pleasing in appearance) design feature.
4. wasteful construction.
You have been asked to design a beautiful living room for a non-smoking couple which will get very light use over the years. Which one of the factors listed below will be most important in choosing a fabric replace the covering on their armchair?
1. Attractiveness
2. Durability
3. Fire resistance
4. Stain resistance