Q&A for How to Determine a Building's Construction Type

Most residential homes are wood framed which would designate them as IBC class V or ISO class 1, however a home constructed with 4" + thick solid masonry exterior walls such as filled block or solid brick could be classified as IBC type II or ISO class 4 dependent on if the home has a concrete floor and the ceiling is 5/8" drywall or plaster.

It means it is an unprotected construction. Members rely on their natural fire resistance, rather than a cladding or other protection added to them to provide fire resistance.

Mobile homes are not regulated by IBC codes, but they do have their own construction codes through the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Some newer mobile homes can be classified as similar to type-V construction.

There is no additional fire rating in type A, and some non-combustibles are used in the construction of type B.

Based on the information you provided, this building would be classified as Class 4 Masonry Non-Combustible. To move up to a class 5 or 6, it would have to have a minimum amount of Fire Protection for the steel elements or be reinforced concrete with a fire rating.

No, speaking from an insurance perspective, the commodities stored inside a building do not affect what construction classification the building itself is.

It's not the occupancy, it is the building construction that drives the rating. So, a post office could go into a masonry building or a wood frame building.

Yes, the construction type depends on the object's function. For a thermal power plant, a high-risk industrial construction class with strong concrete and steel structures is the usual choice.