Building Construction-Short Notes
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Jeedaran ArshaadBuilding Construction-Short Notes
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Jeedaran ArshaadCommon questions
Powered by AIGround beams are preferred in areas where traditional foundation walls are not feasible, such as swampy areas, loose soils, or places with low soil bearing capacity. They are erected over columns or piers, bypassing the weak soil. This method is cost-effective as it avoids deep excavations and can support greater loads by transferring weight from column to column. Ground beams also improve construction timelines by eliminating the need for wet concrete and managing poor ground conditions effectively .
Building byelaws provide minimum safeguards for construction workers and ensure the health and comfort of building users. They protect public safety by establishing basic design and construction requirements. Byelaws guide the local development in alignment with master plans to ensure the city’s architectural character is maintained. They apply to new buildings and alterations, thereby standardizing construction practices and ensuring safe, sustainable urban development .
Timber trusses enhance construction efficiency by being lightweight and prefabricated, reducing construction time and facilitating earlier weather protection for walls and flooring. They are cheaper and require fewer materials compared to conventional roofs, thus minimizing overall costs. Additionally, timber trusses span from outside wall to outside wall, often eliminating the need for internal supports, which allows for more open spaces and reduces construction costs for load-bearing walls and footings .
Differential settlement occurs when the building's foundation settles unequally due to variations in soil conditions, such as improperly compacted fill, organic material decomposition, or natural weak soil zones like clay lenses. This uneven settling can cause structural damage, including cracks in walls and floors, misalignment of doors and windows, and, in severe cases, structural failure. Soil moisture changes, poor drainage, and water table fluctuations exacerbate these effects, compelling a need for comprehensive soil analysis before construction .
Manholes are designed for human access, with a larger diameter and greater depth than inspection chambers. Typically made of brickwork or sectional concrete rings, they allow entry for maintenance and repair personnel. Inspection chambers, conversely, are shallower, have a smaller diameter (usually less than 600mm), and are made of plastic. They are not intended for human entry but provide access for equipment, serving junctions where sewer streams converge or flow direction changes .
Raft foundations address differential settlement by distributing the structural load over a large area, typically the entire footprint of the structure. This distribution minimizes differential movements across loading positions. In soft or loose soils with low bearing capacity, raft foundations resist these movements by using a concrete slab that spans widely, which can be further stiffened with ribs or beams, enhancing stability and reducing the risk of differential settlement damages .
In load-bearing structures, loads are transmitted to the foundation through the internal and external walls. Such structures often have a higher wall-to-window ratio, which limits the height due to the stress concentration in the walls. Conversely, framed structures transfer loads via a skeleton of beams and columns. The load is carried from the floor to the beams and then down to the foundations through the columns, allowing for more open spaces and flexibility in structural design, such as curtain walls or large windows .
Timber roof trusses are ecologically sound because they use smaller timber lengths and cross-sections, reducing the total volume of timber required compared to conventionally pitched roofs. This efficiency in material use not only lowers costs but also decreases the environmental impact associated with timber harvesting and processing. Moreover, using timber, a renewable resource, enhances the sustainability of the construction process .
Dead loads are permanent forces acting on a structure and generally do not change over time. They consist of the self weight of components put on the structure, such as the weight of plasterboard or carpet. They may also include forces set up by irreversible changes, like settlement or shrinkage in concrete. Live loads, on the other hand, are variable forces that act on a structure within its normal operation cycle, like the weight of people walking on a staircase or vehicles traveling over a bridge. They are transient and change over time .
Prefabricated timber trusses offer significant advantages in design versatility and adaptability compared to conventional roof systems. They are customizable to match almost any roof profile and can be engineered to withstand various loadings, like snow and wind. Their span ability, from wall to wall, allows for creative architectural designs without internal supports, providing larger open spaces within buildings. Additionally, the prefabrication process ensures high precision and quality control, resulting in faster on-site assembly and reduced construction timelines .
