Building construction classification relies primarily on:

• A. Occupancy and height
• B. Materials used in construction and hourly fire resistive ratings
• C. Age of the building
• D. Local zoning requirements

Answer: (B)

The main idea here is that building construction classification is defined by the materials used in the structural system and the fire-resistance ratings of those components. These materials and ratings determine how long the structure can resist fire without collapse and how the building behaves in a fire, which is why the classification is tied to what the structure is built from and how it’s rated, not to how the building is used, its height, age, or local zoning. Occupancy and height shape design and safety requirements, but they don’t set the construction type. Age doesn’t decide the construction class, and zoning governs land use rather than structural fire resistance.