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RMIT University School of Property, Construction & Project Management

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Lecture 12:
Introduction to Buildings
Course summary

Dr Mary Myla Andamon

BUIL 1226: Introduction to Buildings

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 Understanding building[s]
• Systems view of buildings
• Representing buildings
• Integrated building systems – site systems,
structural systems, envelope systems, building services

* Lecture content partly adapted from materials developed by Prof Nick Blismas
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What you learned in ‘Introduction to Buildings’
▪ Introduction to buildings and structures
▪ Explore the features and functions of buildings and structures
▪ Terminology used in buildings and built environment industry/construction
sector.
▪ Learning outcomes:
▪ Demonstrate knowledge of the different and significant assets within
the construction industry
▪ Identify and describe the diverse features and functions of buildings
and structures
▪ Analyse the features of buildings and structures in relation to purpose,
function and context
▪ Evaluate the design of buildings and structures

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Programme of study
Week Lecture and Workshops Topic

1 16, 19, 20 July Understanding buildings

2 23, 26, 27 July Building systems
3 30 July, 2, 3 August Representing buildings and systems
4 6, 9, 10 August Buildings in context
5 13, 16, 17 August Supporting buildings
6 20, 23, 24 August Creating spaces 1: Concepts of structures
26-27 August MID-SEMESTER BREAK
7 3, 6, 7 September Creating spaces 2: Structural systems – frames and floors

8 10, 13, 14 September Protecting the spaces

9 17, 20, 21 September Functional spaces

10 24, 27, 28* September Comfortable spaces
11 1, 4, 5 October Servicing spaces
12 8, 11, 12 October Course revision
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 The function[s] of buildings
▪ A facility is built for a very specific purpose:
• Every building has a client (private or government)
who specifies the purpose, based on the users
• Every building has users
▪ Generally we construct buildings to:
• To enclose or define space within a structure
(Firmness)
• Make useful space for a particular function or
performance level (Commodity)
• Contribute aesthetically to the built environment
(Delight)
▪ Design of buildings to fulfil these purposes
are however constrained by:
• Physical constraints
• Technological constraints
• Regulatory constraints
• Political constraints
• Financial and economic constraints
• Aesthetic constraints
• Social and cultural constraints

Source: Greeno and Osbourne (2013) 6

Classification of Buildings – general building use
(after Schueller, 1996)
Residential Institutional
• Low-rise buildings • Schools, hospitals, prisons,
• Mid-rise buildings churches, museums, government
• High-rise buildings buildings
Commercial Special
• Offices, retail, shopping centres, • Towers, sports complexes,
hotels, restaurants etc. convention centres, exhibition
halls, bridges, airports, offshore
Industrial structures, parking facilities
• Light and heavy manufacturing, Mixed occupancy
warehouses
• Urban high-rise with parking,
retail, offices, hotels, apartments
in one building

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 National Construction
Code (NCC)

▪ Building Code of
Australia
• Volume One –
Class 2 to 9
• Volume Two –
Class 1 and 10

▪ Plumbing Code
• Volume 3

Source: NCC-BCA, Vols 1 and 2 (2016) 8

Building drawings – representations of building systems
▪ Scaled working drawings
▪ They comprise of:
▪ Site Plan/Roof Plan
▪ Floor Plans
▪ Elevations
▪ Sections
▪ Plan and Section details
▪ Sometimes Isometrics
▪ Internal Elevations
▪ PLUS all of the drawings from the consultants (SE, ME, EE, H, FP, etc)

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Case study buildings

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Working drawings

11 Source: Osbourne and Greeno (2007)

 Drawing scale (review)
▪ Common metric scales used in
construction

▪ Metric scales
Metric scales consist of one or more sets of
graduated and numbered spaces, each set
establishing a proportion of one millimeter to a
specified number of millimeters.
▪ Common metric scales
1:5, 1:50, 1:500, 1:10, 1:100, 1:1000, 1:20 and
1:200

Sources: Ching (2009) and Jefferis and Smith (2008) 12

SchoolUniversity©2016
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13 of Property, Construction & Project Management

A02

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 Fundamental building systems
1. Site systems
2. Structural systems
▪ Foundations
▪ Frames and floors
3. Envelope systems
4. Services/mechanical systems
▪ Climate services or HVAC
▪ Utility services
5. Interior systems

Source: Greeno and Osbourne (2013), Ching, F.D.K. (2014) 21

 1 Site systems
▪ Elements
• Topography
• Orientation
• Surrounding structures
• Footprint
• Perimeter
• Landscape
• Paving
• Storm water
• Utilities
• Site lighting
• Security
• Vandalism protection

Source: Marina Bay Sands, Singapore – Site Development Design, Google Images, accessed
22 27 February 2015
 PLAN

Topography
▪ Topographic plan – Contour
depicts a landscape lines
through a series of
contour lines.

▪ Each line indicates a

constant elevation –
a measured height
above sea level or other Contours closely spaced =
reference point steeper terrain Contours spaced far apart =
relatively flat, gently sloping
▪ The ground slope
between 2 contour lines SECTION
is the change in
elevation and horizontal
distance between the
two contours (contour
interval) Contours equally spaced =
constant slope
Sources: Ching (2014); Kuprenas and Frederick (2013) 23
 Planning and zoning ordinances
▪ Plot ratio – maximum amount of floor
space a particular site may accommodate.

▪ Terminologies:
▪ Floor area ratio (FAR)
▪ Floor space ratio (FSR)
▪ Floor space index (FSI)

▪ Ratio of building total floor area (gross

floor area, GFA) to the size of piece of
land.
▪ Plot ratio of 9.0 indicates that the total
floor area of a building is 9x the gross
area of the plot

Source: Ching (2014) 24

 Planning and zoning ordinances

Source: Ching (2014) 25

 2 Structural Systems
▪ Functional elements
▪ Substructures
• Foundations and footings
• Basements
▪ Superstructure
• Columns
• Beams
• Plate structures (Slabs)
• Bracing
▪ Mandates
• Bearing
• Lifting
• Spanning
• Bracing
Image: Ching, F.D.K. (2014) 26
 Structural Systems - Foundations
▪ Shallow foundations
▪ Spread load in stable soils
▪ Adequate bearing capacity
▪ Near ground surface
▪ Below lowest part of building transferring loads directly to
supporting soil
▪ Deep foundations
▪ Unstable or inadequate bearing capacity
▪ Transfer loads to appropriate bearing strata or dense sand or
gravel by friction
▪ Selection criteria
• Pattern and magnitude of loads • Adjacent properties
• Subsurface and groundwater • Building codes
conditions • Construction methods
• Topography

Image: Ching, F.D.K. (2014) 27

 Shallow foundations - types
Types of spread footings
a. Isolated footings/foundations
(column footings or pad footings)
- individual spread footings supporting columns
- distributes a column load
to the soil below
b. Strip footings or Wall footings
- continuous strip of concrete
distribute load of loadbearing
walls to the soil

Image: Ching, F.D.K. (2014); Allen and Iano (2014) 28

 Shallow foundations - loads
Loads acting on
loadbearing
wall with strip
footing
Loads of a
column with
pad or column
footing

Image: Ching, F.D.K. (2014), Allen and Iano (2014) 29

Pad and strip footings

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Concrete properties
Composition of Concrete
▪ Concrete is composed of cement, water, fine aggregate (sand), and coarse aggregate (rock).

▪ Admixtures can also be supplemented to the mix in order to reduce curing time, increase
workability, increase strength, or to change the material properties.

Water-Cement Ratio
▪ Ratio of the weight of water to the weight of cement used in a concrete mixture.

▪ Critical to the overall quality of the concrete. A lower water cement ratio allows for increased
compressive and flexural strength, reduced shrinkage cracking, lower permeability, and a better
resistance to wear and bad weather.
However, this often decreases the workability of the concrete making it more difficult to place.

▪ Typically range between 0.4 and 0.6.

▪ Lower water-cement ratios are used for higher strength concrete.

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Concrete properties
Air Entrainment
▪ Air improves the durability of concrete in environments that are subject to freezing, thawing, salts,
ground water, and alkali reactivity.

▪ Helps improve the workability of concrete. These tiny air pockets relieve internal pressure on the
concrete by creating chambers for water to expand into when it freezes.

▪ Percentage of air is typically between 4-8% of the concrete’s total volume.

Slump
▪ Slump is the measure of concrete consistency and fluidity. It shows the flow and overall workability
of freshly mixed concrete.
▪ The higher the slump, the wetter the mix.
▪ 100mm slump is very common with normal weight concrete and is good for pumping.

▪ Slumps that are above average will cause reduced strength, durability, and permeability of the
concrete.
▪ Admixtures should be used instead of water to achieve higher slumps so that you can
maintain the quality of concrete.
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 Deformed reinforcing bars
Reinforcement
▪ While concrete is an excellent material for building and has outstanding compressive strength, it
ranks weak in its tension.
▪ When concrete is combined with materials that have strong tension, such as steel reinforcing bar
(rebar) or wire mesh, it can resist tension and increase flexural strength.

Deformed bar is a Class N (normal ductility) or Class R (250 MPa) reinforcing bar used in a range of
applications from reinforced concrete slabs to prefabricated beams, columns, cages and precast
products.

AS/NZS 4671 : 2001 Steel reinforcing materials

Class N bars available in

• 500 MPa (yield stress) from 10 mm - 40 mm bar diameters.
• 250 MPa from 6mm to 28mm bar diameters (R designation)

• 250 MPa plain round bars from 10mm to 36mm bar diameters (R_S designation)

Sources: Ching (2014), pp12.04-12.05 and One Steel 33

Columns and pad footings – general notes

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 Columns and pad footings

Source: Google Images, accessed March 2017 38

 Columns and pad footings

Source: Google Images, accessed March 2017 39

 Walls and
strip footings

Source: Google Images, accessed March 2017 40

 Walls and strip footings

Source: Google Images, accessed March 2017 41

Foundation walls – retaining wall: Cave House
Provide support for
superstructure above

To provide stability against the

pressure on the wall from soil
and water

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 Loads on buildings: Static and Dynamic
Static loads – applied slowly until it
reaches peak value Snow loads
▪ Live loads – moving or movable
loads (occupancy loads;
snow loads; rain loads)
Occupancy loads
▪ Dead loads – acts vertically downward;
self-weight of structures; weight of Dead loads
permanent building elements
Rain loads
Dynamic loads – applied suddenly to a
structure with rapid changes to magnitude
and point of application
▪ Wind loads Ground
▪ Earthquake loads pressure
Water pressure
Image: Ching, F.D.K. (2014) 43
 Structural forces
▪ There are generally five types of forces that act on a structural elements to due
building loads
Compression (shortening) Tension (elongation) Shear (sliding)

Bending (flexing) Torsion (twisting)

Source: Sandaker et al (2011) 44

 Structural units

Source: Ching, F.D.K. (2014) 45

 Structural units
Vertical supports
▪ Columns – rigid, relatively
slender structural members
designed to primarily support
axial compressive loads
applied to the ends of the
members
▪ Bearing walls – any wall
construction capable of
supporting an
imposed load
from a floor
or roof

Sources: Ching, F.D.K. (2014); Google Images, accessed April 2018 46

 Structural units
Horizontal spans
▪ Beams – horizontal structure member used to carry
vertical load, shear load and sometimes
horizontal loads
▪ Beams which support beams
are referred to as girders
▪ Joists – horizontal members
supported by beams or girder
▪ Slabs (concrete) – plate structures
that are reinforced to span either
one or both directions of a
structural bay

Sources: Ching, Onouye and Zuberbuhler (2014); Google Images, accessed March 201547
 Walls and Frames – (2) Framed structures
Framed structures
▪ framework of timber, steel or RC
▪ regular system of horizontal beams
and vertical columns
▪ beams resist compressive and
tensile forces and transfers loads
from roof, floors and walls to
columns
▪ columns mainly resist compressive
forces and transfer
beam loads to the
foundation and
finally the supporting
soil (earth).

Source: Greeno and Osbourn (2013) 48

 Lateral stability
Rigid frame
Rigid floor structure

Shear wall

Braced frame

Source: Ching, F.D.K. (2014) 49

 Lateral stability – framed structures

Source: Greeno and Osbourn (2013) 50

 Joints and Connections

Pinned joints

Rigid or fixed joints

Roller joints

Source: Ching, F.D.K. (2014) 51

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Pad footing supporting column

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Reinforced concrete (RC) columns

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 Reinforced concrete (RC) columns

Lateral reinforcement
or lateral ties

N – Hot-rolled Deformed bar

500MPa (normal ductility)

R – Hot-rolled Round bar

250MPa (low ductility)
Image: Ching, F.D.K. (2014); Orbit Structures - Structural Drawing Sheet S063 55
 Column bar offset / column-beam cages

1:6 transition

Image: Ching, F.D.K. (2014); Orbit Structures - Structural Drawing Sheet S063 56
 Reinforced (RC) concrete beams
Stirrups or bent bars –
web reinforcement Top bars / longitudinal bars– tension reinforcement

Bottom bars / longitudinal bars –

tension reinforcement

Source: Ching, F.D.K. (2014) 57

 Plate structures - slabs
▪ Rigid, planar and monolithic structures
▪ Disperse applied loads in multidirectional pattern –
shortest and stiffest routes to the columns
▪ Common example: reinforced concrete slab

▪ A plate should be square or nearly square =

two-way structure
▪ If more rectangular, the two-way decreases and
becomes a one-way slab spanning the shorter
direction (the shorter plate strips are stiffer and
carry a greater portion of the load)

Source: Ching, F.D.K. (2014) 58

 Suspended slabs and columns

Source: Ching (2014), pp. 4.05-4.07 59

 Suspended slab - reinforcements

Image: Orbit Structures - Structural Drawing Sheet S032 First Floor reinforcement plan 60
 Suspended
Suspendedslab
slab- -reinforcements
reinforcements

Image: Ching, F.D.K. (2014); Orbit Structures - Structural Drawing Sheet S063 61
 Structural Masonry Walls

Image: McBride Charles Ryan – Architectural Drawing Sheet A501 62

 Reinforced masonry

•Image: Orbit Structures - Structural Drawing Sheet S064 63

 Reinforced masonry – cavity wall

Sources: Orbit Structures - Structural Drawing Sheet S064, Ching, 2014, p5.17 64
 3 Envelope systems
▪ Elements
• Walls
• Fenestration
• Roofs
▪ Mandates
• Separation/connection
• Weathering
• Structural form
• Thermal form
• Solar form
• Luminous form
• Aerodynamic form
• Acoustical form
• Hydrological form

Images: Google Images, accessed 28 July 2013 65

 Rainscreen walls

Cavity wall Weatherboard

Source: Ching, F.D.K. (2014) 66

 Glazed curtain wall Unit and mullion system
Stick system

Column cover and spandrel system

Unit system

Source: Ching, F.D.K. (2014) 67

 Roofing terminology

Source: Ching, F.D.K. (2014) 68

 Waterproofing - flashing

Source: Ching, F.D.K. (2014) 69

 4 Interior systems
▪ Elements
• Lighting
• Acoustics
• Circulation
• Furniture
• Finishes
• Specialities
▪ Mandates
• Zoning for function
• Thermal zoning
• Luminous zoning
• Acoustical zoning for noise control
and privacy
• Circulation, egress and life safety

Image: Google Images, accessed 28 July 2013 70

 Design factors - anthropometrics

Source: Greeno and Osbourne (2013) 71

SchoolUniversity©2015
RMIT
72 of Property, Construction & Project Management

Staircases

Source: Ching, F.D.K. (2014)

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 Staircases

Tread (NCC-BCA):
Minimum - 240mm
Maximum - 355mm
Riser (NCC-BCA):
Minimum - 115mm
Maximum - 190mm

Source: Ching, F.D.K. (2014) 73

 S2 S3
A505
Stair details

Source: McBride Charles Ryan Architecture + Interior Design 74

 A505
Stair details

Source: McBride Charles Ryan Architecture + Interior Design 75

 A505
Stair details

Source: McBride Charles Ryan Architecture + Interior Design 76

 Gypsum board application

Source: Ching, F.D.K. (2014) 77

 A100
Internal wall types

FFL - Finish floor level

AFFL – Above fixed floor level

SFL – Structural floor level

SSL – Structural slab level

Source: McBride Charles Ryan Architecture + Interior Design 78

 A503
Internal Wall – sections and specifications

Source: McBride Charles Ryan Architecture + Interior Design 79

 Suspended ceilings

Source: Ching, F.D.K. (2014) 80

 What are the Building Services
▪ heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) Mechanical services
▪ lighting Electrical services
▪ electrical power supply
▪ gas supply Energy services

▪ fire safety
▪ vertical transportation
▪ hot and cold water supply
▪ sewage and waste water disposal Plumbing or hydraulic services

▪ solid waste disposal

▪ security
▪ information and communications
MEP - mechanical, electrical and plumbing services
Adapted from: BUIL 1128 Building Services Lecture (2013), Assoc Prof Larry Bellamy 81
 5a Services – Mechanical systems (Climate or HVAC)
▪ Elements
• Thermal plant for heating
and cooling
• Distribution of thermal energy
to individual zones of the
building
• Delivery of comfort to
occupants
▪ Mandates
• Temperature control
• Humidity control
• Ventilation
• Air filtration
• Smoke control

Image: Google Images, accessed 26 July 2013 82

 Mandates of HVAC Service Systems
▪ Temperature control by heating or cooling
▪ Humidity control by cooling air below its dew point for dehumidification, or by
evaporatively adding moisture when humidification is required
▪ Air motion to occupants by forced air circulation
▪ Air filtration to remove some level of particulates
▪ Exhaust of polluted air from indoor sources of heat, odour, moisture, or
chemical concentration, such as found in toilet rooms, laboratory vent hoods, and
kitchens
▪ Air change for ventilation, economiser cooling, and night time flush cooling
▪ Air balance for positive indoor pressure to avoid infiltration of untreated outdoor
air, dust, and moisture
▪ Smoke exhaust and fire safety control of indoor air pressure by
compartmentalisation

Sources: Bachman (2003 83

 Hot water (hydronic) heating – one-pipe system

Radiator

Boiler

Radiator

Boiler - heats water

Source: Ching, F.D.K. (2014) 84
 Hot water (hydronic) heating – two-pipe system
Water circulated via forward (B) Water that has ‘lost’ heat is returned via second
(supply) pipe system to radiators (reverse return) pipework (direct return or shortest
route back to the boiler)

Radiator

(A) Water that has ‘lost’

heat is returned via
second (direct return)
pipework or (shortest
route back to the boiler) Radiator

Boiler - heats water Return water reheated by boiler and fed

into forward (supply) pipework system
Source: Ching, F.D.K. (2014) 85
 M02
Hot water heating – two-pipe system

Source: McBride Charles Ryan Architecture + Interior Design 86

 M05
Hot water heating –
two-pipe system

Source: McBride Charles Ryan Architecture + Interior Design 87

 Heating system

Source: McBride Charles Ryan Architecture + Interior Design 88

 Cooling

Source: McBride Charles Ryan Architecture + Interior Design 89

 Cooling system

Source: McBride Charles Ryan Architecture + Interior Design 90

 Refrigeration and heat pumps

Source: Ching, F.D.K. (2014) 91

 Refrigeration and heat pumps
Heat pump cycle

Sources: Lechner (2009) and McMullan (2012) 92

 HVAC System

Source: Ching, F.D.K. (2014) 93

 HVAC – fan coil system
Air-water system

Sources: Lechner (2009) and Federation of Environmental Trade Associations, UK – Fan94Coil Unit Group, accessed 30 June 2014
HVAC system – Fan coil unit (FCU)

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 HVAC system

Square – 4-way supply air diffuser

Swirl supply air diffuser

Source: McBride Charles Ryan Architecture + Interior Design 96
 A100
HVAC system – air side

Source: Google Images, accessed May 2015 97

 A7-2410
HVAC system – water side

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HVAC system – water side (FCU)

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 5b Service systems: Hydraulic, electrical and mechanical
▪ Elements ▪ Mandates
▪ Water supply system (hot and cold) ▪ Supply hot and cold water to wet areas such
▪ Sewage system as bathrooms, toilets, kitchens, workshops,
▪ Storm-water drainage system restaurants etc.
▪ Refuse handling system ▪ Safe and clean disposal of sewage into public
sewer system
▪ Electrical supply system
▪ Storm-water drainage from the building and
▪ Telephone and data systems into the city storm-water drainage system
▪ Gas system ▪ Refuse handling within a building
▪ Lifts, Escalators ▪ Electrical supply to all parts of the building
and all mechanical systems
▪ Telecommunications, both telephonic and
data, whether wired or wireless
▪ Gas supply to required areas
▪ Mechanical transportation of people and
goods both vertically and horizontally
Sources: Bachman (2003), Ching, F.D.K (2014), Lechner (2009), Prof Nick Blsmas 100
 Sanitary Plumbing (Hydraulic) Systems
Water and drainage systems exterior to and within buildings:

▪ Domestic water supply – domestic cold water (DCW) and domestic hot water (DHW)
▪ Plumbing fixtures and drainage devices
▪ Drainage – treatment and disposal
▪ Sewage - waste and soil collection
▪ Storm water – collection, retention and disposal
▪ Building equipment provisions – HVAC, food service, pools, fountains, processing

Source: Ching, F.D.K. (2014) 101

 Water supply from water (city) mains
Property service or meter assembly

Source: AS/NZ 3500.1 (2003) 102

 Plumbing Systems
Water Supply
(1) Water supply from
water mains
(2) Water meter and
valves (3)
(4) Water heater
(5) Supply pipes* – cold water and hot
water
- trunk lines: multiple fixtures
- branch lines: 1or 2 fixtures (6)
(9) Fixtures

*vertical supply pipe: riser

Source: Wing, C (2007) 103

Cave House – Materials

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 M02
Hot water heating – two-pipe system

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Heating

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 M02
Hot water heating – two-pipe system

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 Plumbing Systems
Sanitary Drainage System
(1) Drain
(2) Trap
(4) Horizontal drain pipe
- trap arm:
- branches:
- Main sanitary drain (5)(7)
(6) Vertical drain pipe
- stack:
(8) Cleanouts
(9) Sewer

Source: Wing, C (2007) 108

 Plumbing Systems
Drainage-waste venting system
(1) Traps
(2) Vent stack: primary vertical vent
pipe
(4) Re-vents (breaks long horizontal
drain)
- stack:
(5) Vertical vent pipe
(6) Stack vent

Source: Wing, C (2007) 109

 M02
Hot water heating – two-pipe system

Source: McBride Charles Ryan Architecture + Interior Design 110

Heating

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 High-rise water supply

Source: Ching, F.D.K. (2014) 112

 Sanitary drainage
system
Drainage-Waste Venting
▪ Waste stack: vertical portion
of waste-piping system (from wash
basins, bathtubs, shower, does not
carry soil)
▪ Soil stack: vertical portion of
a soil-piping system (from sanitary
units – WC, urinals)
▪ Vent: pipe open to the atmosphere
▪ Vent stack: stack that does
not carry waste of any kind; primarily
for providing circulation of air
▪ Stack vent: open-ended extension
of a waste or soil stack
Source: Ching, F.D.K (2014) 113
Fitzroy High School - Hydraulics

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Fitzroy High School - Water

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Fitzroy High School - Water

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 Fitzroy High School – Sanitary drainage

Source: Ching, F.D.K. (2014) 117

Fitzroy High School –
Sanitary drainage

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 Efficient building services
▪ heating, cooling and ventilating
▪ air conditioning and refrigeration
▪ ventilation and refrigeration
▪ facade engineering

▪ water, drainage and plumbing

▪ power supply and distribution
▪ daylighting and artificial lighting
▪ fire detection and protection

▪ escalators and lifts

▪ communications, telephones and IT networks
▪ security and alarm systems
▪ energy supply - gas, electricity and
renewable sources
▪ harnessing solar, wind and biomass energy
Image: Google Images, accessed 28 July 2013 119
Reminders
▪ Major assignment (Task 1B):
• Due on Monday, 8 October 2018, 11.59pm
• Online submission
(link will be available until Wednesday, 10 October 2018, 11:59pm – not marked late)
• Include signed assignment coversheet and Group progress
• Format: PDF (combined single document)

▪ Online Exercise #5 (covers content in Week 11)

closes on Wednesday, 10 October 2018, 11.59pm

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Summary
▪ Understanding of buildings and building via working drawings and documentation
▪ Terminology used in building design and construction
▪ Appreciation of building features and their functions
▪ Integrated building systems
▪ Identification of these features
▪ Evaluation of building design

BUILDINGS ARE FUN AND INTERESTING!

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Thank you.

All the best for the final exams.

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