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## Building Construction Safety The image shows a building under construction where the concrete ceiling is supported by 4x4 wooden posts every 4 ft spaced in each direction. **The ceiling is made of plywood or fiberglass, which is treated with a combustible coating to prevent it sticking to the...

## Building Construction Safety The image shows a building under construction where the concrete ceiling is supported by 4x4 wooden posts every 4 ft spaced in each direction. **The ceiling is made of plywood or fiberglass, which is treated with a combustible coating to prevent it sticking to the concrete.** The photo shows the upper floor is wood-framed and is holding up tons of concrete. **This set-up is a potential hazard and is considered a firefighters' deathtrap.** The photo shows steel reinforcing rod cages for the next set of columns and the elevator shaft. **The concrete takes approximately 28 days to reach its full load-carrying capacity, and the plywood formwork is stripped off after 48 hours and reused on a higher floor.** **For the next 16 to 20 days, the floors must still be braced with 4x4 posts spaced every 8 feet.** **This is very important for firefighters to be aware of as any fire on or above the braced floors could cause a collapse.** After the concrete has cured sufficiently, then the 4x4 posts are removed. **This significantly reduces the threat of collapse from a fire, but it doesn't eliminate it entirely.** **Newer construction methods use adjustable aluminum posts to replace the wooden posts and fiberglass forms replace the plywood, but the safety principles are still the same.** The floors still need to be supported as they cure. **Any disruption to the support during the curing process can be catastrophic.**