The purpose of a building is to provide security as well as shelter. Other objectives such as buildings mainly serve the weather, security, living space, privacy, supply of goods, power supply and many needs of society for comfortable living and working.

Building or housing is the most basic need for mankind. It gives us shelter. When we see or hear the word "building", we only imagine that a building is tall and has roofs, walls, rooms, etc. However, in the broader sense and prespective, the definition of a building is structurally constructive based on bricks, sand, cement, water, concrete, metal etc.

What is a building?

A building is a type of structure that is constructed with materials and includes foundations, plinths, walls, floors, ceilings, chimneys, plumbing and building services, fixed platforms, verandas, balconies, cornices or projection, part of a building or something is also included or with the intention of encircling any land or place and markings and external display structures, or by a wall. For example- home, factory, shopping mall, hospital, etc.



Types of buildings:

Buildings can be load bearing masonry buildings, buildings with RCC or steel framed structures. There are many different types of buildings. Such as-

  • Residential buildings,
  • Schools, colleges and universities,
  • Mosques, churches, temples,
  • Hospital,
  • Factories, workshops,
  • Mall etc.

Basic Components and Building Parts

Building components or parts are essential materials for building construction works. All buildings are built with similar components such as foundations, walls, floors, rooms and roofs. Buildings require paint, plasters, supplied electricity, and decorating or renovation to properly complete doors and windows fittings, fencing and other exterior tasks. All these works are called building services.

A building has three basic requirements and components.They are :-

  1. Foundation
  2. Plinth
  3. Superstructure

A brief explanation of these basic parts of a building is given below:

Foundation

Foundation is the most important building construction work. The load of buildings depends on the foundation which is the strength of the buildings. It is a type of sub-structure. The foundation can be divided into two categories such as Shallow and Deep Foundation. The terms shallow and deep indicate the depth of the foundation in the soil. For example shallow foundations used for small and light buildings such as a small or medium-sized house, small shopping centers, etc. and deep foundations used for heavy and large buildings such as high buildings, huge shopping malls, large hospitals and universities, etc. Generally shallow foundations can be built at depths of 3ft (1m) and deep foundations at 60–200ft (20–65m).

There are different types of foundations in building construction:

  • Strip Foundation (shallow foundation)
  • Footing Foundation (shallow foundation)
  • Pad Foundation (shallow foundation)
  • Grillage Foundation (shallow foundation)
  • Raft Foundation (shallow foundation)
  • Pile Foundation (deep foundation)
  • Pier Foundation (deep foundation)
  • Cassian Foundation (deep foundation)

Depending on the different types of foundations, workers use different types of building materials, for example, in beam work - pile foundation is used.

Read : What is Foundation - Its types and criteria where to be applied?

Functions of Foundation:

  1. Load distribution
  2. Provide firm and level surface
  3. Protection against soil movement
  4. Reduction in load intensity
  5. Reducing differential settlement
  6. Protection against sliding and turning
  7. Safety in case of undermining

Plinth

The plinth is the portion between the ground surface and floor space above the ground of a building. The plinth opposes the entry of rain water and insects inside the building. The height of the common plinth is 45, 60, 75, 90, 120 cm.

Superstructure

Superstructure is built above the underground level. The space between the underground level and the ground level is known as the plinth. In this structure, walls and rooms are constructed and loads are transferred from the upper part to the subtype. In this section, a building has the following components:

Floor structures

It is an important part of building construction. It is located on the lower level surface of a room. Floors can be decorated in various ways. For example, there are floors to move around. Walking from room to room.

Roof structures

It is located on the upper-level surface of all rooms. Depending on the weather, roofs can be of different categories, such as - blue roof, cold roof, collar roof, fabric roof, domestic roof, fiber cement, flat roof, green  roof, pitched roof , Mono-pitched roof, warm roof, shell roof, metal roof, roof tiles, skillion roof, etc. Most of the time, flat roof, domestic ceilings roof and fiber cement roofs are used in building construction purposes.

Lintel, Sunshade and Parapet

The lintel beam is provided near the opening to bare the load coming from the superstructure above the doors or windows. Lintels can be steel lintels, reinforced brick lintels, stone lintels, wood lintels, etc.

Sunshade is a kind of slab, made on top of windows and doors. It protects doors and windows from the scorching heat of rain and sunlight. Depending on their condition, sunshades can be internal, external, and inter-pane. Internal sun-shading protects against solar radiation and balances the availability of useful daylight; For example- curtain and Venetian blind, roller blind, pleated blind, blackout binds, etc. External shading may be horizontal, vertical or egg-crate device. External sunshades are considered better for protecting the building from weather or climate change. Sunshades maintain a comfortable indoor temperature and reduce solar radiation and weather coolness, which dramatically affect energy performance.

The parapet is a low wall built above the roof that usually extends around the perimeter of a building. A parapet wall can be constructed around balconies or on the sides of roofs and stairs.

Door and windows

Doors between rooms provide a connecting link, allowing free movement from room to room. Windows provide in the walls act as openings. Doors and windows provide lighting, smooth sound of outdoor spaces and ventilation. Undoubtedly, provide both security and privacy. Different buildings have doors of different sizes; For example — the doors of the residential buildings are completely different from the doors of industrial buildings. There are different types of doors that engineers and architecture use in building construction.

Keeping in mind the material used:

1. wooden door

2. Metal Door

3. UPVC Door

Keeping in mind the mechanism and usage:

1. Sliding Door

2. Composite Door

3. Swing door

4. Revolving door

5. Folding Door

There are also different types of windows such as:

1. Fixed

2. Pivoted

3. Double Hung

4. Sliding

5. Casement

6. Sash

7. Louvered

8. Metal

9. Bay

10. Corner window

11. Dormer window

12. Enable window

13. Lantern

14. Skylight

Walls and columns

The walls are building blocks of bricks or stones of any form. They divide the construction or building space into various beams and slabs of different support space in the rooms. They safely transmit the load on them from beams and slabs to the foundation. They provide privacy and protection shield against heat, cold, rain, noise, dust winds. Walls can be brick masonry walls and stone masonry walls.

The columns are vertical members with beams and slabs / roof supports. The columns may be square, rectangular and circular in shape.

Building work –Finishing work

The closing appearance of a building depends on such functions. Such as:

• Plastering and pointing.

• Kitchen Setup.

• Painting walls.

• Furnished wooden doors and woodwork.

• Oiling and painting grillwork and metal-work.

• Performs the position and maintenance of lifts and stairs.

Construction building services

There are other building services after construction, which are also counted as building components. Such as services of water supply, power supply, drainage, and sanitation supplies, internal closets and cupboards.

 








For Testing:

Slump cone test, Silt content, Water absorption, Bulking of sand
Compaction factor test of concrete
Los Angeles Abrasion test on Aggregate

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