Hope University College Faculty of Science and Technology

Department of Architecture

Building Materials &

Construction - II

By . Mesay B (arch)
Part-1 : Elements of Building Construction
Common Building Components
 Super Structure
• The superstructure is that part of the building which is above the
ground and which serves the purpose of building’s intended use. • It
includes
• Plinth
• Wall and columns
• Beams
• Arches
• Roofs and slabs
• Lintel and arches
• Parapet
• Steps , Ramps and stairs
 Substructure

• The substructure is the lower portion of the

building, which is located below ground level
which transmits the load of the superstructure to
the sub soil.
• it includes
•Foundations
Nominal Dimensions of building components
Nominal Dimensions of building components
Foundation
The basic function of foundation
• To Transmit the load from building to the subsoil, in such a
way that
• settlement are within permissible limit
• the soil does not fail in shear
• Reduce the load intensity
• Even distribution of load
• Provide level surface
 Types of foundation
Foundations may be broadly classified as

(a) shallow Foundation : Shallow foundations, also known as footings,

are typically used for smaller buildings and are placed near the surface of the soil.

(b) Deep foundation :Deep foundations, on the other hand, are used for
larger and heavier structures or when the soil near the surface is not strong
enough to support the weight of the building.
Activity one (5 %)
• Discuss briefly with classification of with supportive sketch?
(a) shallow Foundation
(b) Deep foundation

Due date: 10/20/23

 Super structure

• Plinth: Plinth is that part of the

building between surrounding ground
surface and floor space immediately
above the ground.
• Plinth resists the entry of rain water
entry inside the building, entry of
animals , insects & Rodents.
• • General plinth height is 45, 60, 75,
90, 120 cm
Wall:
• The walls are building blocks of
bricks or stones. They divide the
building space into various space
into various rooms. They support
slabs and beams.
• They safely transmits the loads
coming on them from beams and
slabs to the foundation.
• They provide privacy and
protection against heat, cold, rain ,
noise, dust winds. They offer
resistant to firewalls may be of
• • Brick masonry • Stone masonry
• Columns: are vertical members along which beams and slab /roof is supported
They are square, rectangular and circular in shape in C/S
• Floor: A floor is a plane area to support occupants, furniture's, and
equipment's.
• Roof: The upper most part of the building constitutes the roof. The Slab and
roof encloses the space and offers protection from rain, heat, snow, wind, sound,
fire. Slabs are 10,12,15 cm the.
Doors and windows
• A door provides a connecting link between rooms, allowing
easy free movement in the building.
• Window are opening provided in walls.
• Doors and windows provide lighting and ventilation. The
provide resistance to weather, sound and heat.
• They provide security and privacy
• Sizes of Doors
For Residential Area
• Internal doors 0.9 x 2.0 m
• External doors 1.2 x 2 m
• Door for bath and w.c. 0.75 x 2.0 m
Industrial Buildings
• Width 1.5, 2.0, 2.5 m
• Depth or height 2.0 m, 2.5 m
Types of Doors
• Battened and ledge door
• • Battened and braced door
• • Battened and framed door
• • Battened, ledge, and framed door
• • Framed and paneled door
• • Glazed door • Flush door
• • Louvered door
• • Wire gauged door
• • Revolving door
• • Sliding door
• • Swing door
• • Collapsible steel door
• • Rolling shutter door
• • Mild steel sheet door
• • Hollow metal door
• • PVC door
Types of Windows
• Fixed
• Pivoted
• Double hung
• Sliding
• Casement
• Sash
• Louvered
• Metal
• Bay
• Corner window
• Dormer window
• Gable window
• Lantern
• Skylight
 Steps and Stairs
• •Steps and stairs are meant to provide
access between different levels.
• Stairs should be properly located to
provide easy access and fast services
to the building.
• • In one flight maximum 8 steps
should be provided for more than 8
steps it is recommended to provide
them with lending.
• • Generally for residential building
width of stair is 1.0 m and 1.2 m
• • No of risers= Total height of floor/
Height of riser
• • No of tread= Number of riser-1
Beams
• • Beams are horizontal
members above which the
slabs are provided. The beams
are instead supported on walls
and columns
• • They are generally 20, 39,
45, 60 cm thick and deep
members as per structural
design
Lintels and arch:
• • Lintel is a horizontal
member which is placed
across the opening.
• • An arch is normally a
curved member
comprising of wedge
shaped building blocks
holding each other with
mutual pressure.
Parapet
• Parapet: Parapet is
generally 10 cm
thick partition wall
constructed above
slab to enclose the
terrace open to sky.
Thickness is 10 to
15 cm height is 1.0
m to 1.2 m
Different types of buildings
• Buildings are classified based upon its occupancy and structure.
Building are classified based upon occupancy as
• Residential Building • Educational Building
• Institutional Building
• Assembly building
• Business buildings
• Mercantile buildings
• Industrial Buildings
• Storage buildings
• Hazardous building
Residential Building:
• Buildings in which sleeping arrangements are
provided with or without cooking arrangement. It
includes single or multi family dwelling, apartments,
lodgings, restaurants, hostels, dormitories and hotels
 Cont’d
• Educational building: These Include any building used for school, college,
education purposes.
• Institutional Building: these buildings used fordifferent purposes, such as
medical or other treatment. They include hospitals, sanatorium, jails.
• Assembly Buildings: These are the buildings where group of peoples meet or
gather for amusement, social, religious, political, civil, travel and similar purposes.
E.g. theatres, motion pictures, houses, assembly halls, restaurants assembly halls.
Classification based on structure
• Load bearing Structure &
• Framed structure
Load Bearing Structures: In this type of structures loads
from roof slab or trusses and floors are transmitted through
walls to the firm soil below the ground .This type of
structures are adopted where hard strata are available at
shallow depth. The structural elements like beams, slabs
rests directly on the walls
Fig. Load bearing Structure
Framed Structures:
• Reinforced cement concrete structures are the most
common type of construction today. They consist of a
skeleton of beams & columns.
• The load is transferred from beams to the columns and
column intern transfer the load directly to the sub soil
through footing.
• Framed structures are suitable for multi-storey building
subjected to variety of extreme loads like compressive,
tensile torsion, shear along with moment.
Fig. Framed Structures
Types of Loads
• Various loads are taken into account while designing the
foundation of a structure.
• Dead loads;
• Live load;
• Wind loads;
• Earthquake loads;
• Erection loads;
Cont’d
• Dead Load: Dead load comprises of the weight of all walls, partitions, floors and
roofs including all other permanent construction in the building
• Wind load: It is considered as basic wind pressure which is equivalent static pressure
in the direction of the wind
• Wind pressure= k v 2
• Where k= co-efficient, 0.006
• V= wind velocity
• Wind pressure always acts in the vertically exposed surface of the walls and columns.
• Snow load: Actual load due to snow depends upon the shape of the roof and
its capacity to retain the snow. The load due to snow may be assumed to be
2.5 kg/m3 per cm depth of snow
• Earthquake load: an earthquake load produced waves in every possible
direction below ground. As per intensity or scale of earthquake, jerks and
shocks are acting on the earth. As per the location of the building in the
prescribed zone of earthquake coefficients of earthquake loads are decided.
Cont’d
• Live Load: Live Loads consist of moving or variable loads due to
people or occupants, their furniture, temporary stores, machineries.
• Erection Load: All loads required to be carried by the structure or
any part of it due to storage or positioning of construction material
and erection equipment including all loads due to operation of such
equipment, shall be considered as ‘ erection loads
Any questions?

Thank You!