Basics of Building Construction

Wall systems
 Wall typologies

Load Non Load Partition

Cavity walls Shear walls Panel walls
bearing bearing walls

Precast Concrete Hollow concrete

Wall Blocks

Retaining Wall Façade Bricks

Veneered
Faced walls
Masonry Wall Hollow Bricks walls

Pre Panelized Load Brick Wall

Bearing Metal Stud (115mm, 225mm)
Walls

Engineering brick
walls
(115mm, 225mm)

Stone wall
Difference between load bearing and non
load bearing walls
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxQLYt86X5Y
Load bearing Walls
• Primary purpose of these walls are to bear
the imposed + Dead load to the foundation
in a safe and even manner.
• Beams and roof is supported by these walls
• Compressive and Lateral loads are borne
• Compressive strength of the material
should be high in order to maintain good
load bearing skills
• Unlike columns, walls help to create a
bracing from roof to floor. This helps to
transfer the lateral loads and reduce or
mitigate cumulative drift
Load bearing walls
• To understand the load bearing walls,
load bearing structure needs to be
taken in to account
• Roof load/ upper floor load distribution
through beams, indicate where the
loads will enter to be transferred
vertically.
• They could be external or internal walls
Load bearing wall types

Load
bearing

Precast Concrete
Wall Retaining Wall Masonry Wall Pre Panelized Load Engineering brick Stone wall
Bearing Metal Stud walls
Walls (115mm, 225mm)
Pre cast concrete wall
• Done away from the site at casting yards using
reusable precast molds
• These are then transported to the relevant site
and assembled
• Very useful in reducing construction time
• There are many types
• Cladding/ curtain walls
• Load bearing walls
• Shear walls

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtIMyD68LlE
Pre cast concrete wall
• Wall connections
• Bolted connections
• Welded connection
• Dowel/Anchor bolt connections
• Characteristics of precast concrete walls
• Thermal resistance
• Moisture protection
• Fire Safety
• Acoustics
• durability]
• Maintainability
Retaining wall types
• Gravity Retaining Wall
• Crib Retaining Wall
• Gabion Retaining Walls
• Cantilever Retaining Wall
• Counter-fort / Buttressed Retaining Wall
• Anchored Retaining Wall
• Piled Retaining Wall
• Mechanically Stabilized Earth (MSE) Retaining wall
• Hybrid Systems
Pre paneled load bearing metal stud walls
• The wall panels are pre-fabricated off-site
• ordered prior construction and delivered
when assembly is required
• approximately 50% of the walls in a building will
be load-bearing metal stud panels,
• other 50% being non-bearing “stick-built” metal
stud partitions.
• Welding is used as the connecting method
Pre paneled load bearing metal stud walls
• panel jigs are constructed with
compressive mechanisms to fully seat the
studs in the track prior to welding the
connections.
• it is critical to get the load-bearing stud
fully seated and squarely in the track so
that the axial design loads will be
transmitted directly from the stud to the
floor slab.
• When on site stud walls are built, we the
track and stud joints need to be perfect.
Lateral bridging should be done without any
voids
• The load-bearing metal studs are 3 5/8” or
6” galvanized studs
• spaced at 12’ or 16” on center.
• The gage of the studs ranges from 18, 16, 14
or 12-gage depending upon the loads. The
load-bearing studs come in flange widths of
1 5/8”, 2” and 2.5“, 3”, and 3.5”.
• The load-bearing metal studs may be
custom ordered in any length to achieve the
desired floor-to-floor and ceiling heights.
• studs have pre-punched holes for electrical
as well as for lateral bridging.
• The load-bearing metal stud walls achieve 1-
hour or 2-hour
Non Load bearing walls
• Non-load bearing walls only carry
their own weight and does not
support any structural members
such as beams and slabs.
• These walls are just used as
partition walls or to separate rooms
from outside.
• Ex; Curtain walls .
 Non Load bearing

Hollow concrete Façade Bricks Hollow Bricks

Blocks Brick Wall
(115mm, 225mm)
Cavity walls ( Hollow Walls )
• Cavity wall is constructed with two separate walls
for single wall purpose with some space or cavity
between them.
• These two separate walls are called as leaves of
cavity wall. (internal leaf ,external leaf)
• For non-load bearing cavity wall, two leaves are of
equal thickness or sometimes internal leaf with
more thickness
• The cavity size - 4 to 10cm.
• The internal and external leaves should have at
least 10 cm thickness.
• The two leaves are interconnected by metal ties
Cavity wall construction
• The cavity should extend to 15 cm below the damp-proof course
level.
• Below the ground level, the walls are built solid, or preferably the
cavity should be filled up to 15 cm below the damp-proof course
with fine concrete.
• DPC should cover both leaves of the wall.
• The upper part of the wall where it ends should also be built solid for
two or three courses.
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISn-4btqKyA
Cavity wall construction
• In exposed positions, it is desirable to
leave a few vertical joints in the outer leaf
open, at the bottom of the cavity to
permit water to drain away.
• ventilation to the cavity is desired.
• Door , window openings should come
with A gutter installed over the cavity at
openings because water can seep in.
• Walls Below sills are not solid. DPC is
used.
Cavity wall

Advantages Disadvantages

best for damp prevention skilled labor and masons skilled labor and masons are
required

best as heat insulators Require standard supervision during its construction.

best for sound insulation A vertical damp proof course is necessary for it.

construction cost of the cavity wall is about 20% less

than the construction of solid walls
Shear walls
• Shear wall is what keeps structures from blowing
over, resisting the lateral forces of wind and seismic
activity.
• Fenestration should be limited on shear walls
• High-rises often use shear walls to repel the lateral
wind load
• Shear walls are placed in the center of the building,
symmetrically to the central axis
• they are specifically indicated on blueprints with
details for builders
Types of shear walls
1. Wooden framing with vertical
studs and sheathing
2. Steel
3. Diagonal braces
4. Moment frames
Difference between shear walls and columns
Concrete Column
Ratio of breadth/ width < 0.4
Min width should be 200mm per Indian standard
Less resistant to earthquakes compared to shear walls
Provided at the ends of rooms
Lateral load is resisted through flexural deformation
Column offsets can be seen
Consumption of concrete is less
More consumption of bricks/blocks
Finished corners are not possible
Provisions of openings for door/window is easy
Skills needed to do the placement of concrete columns
Shear Wall
Ratio of breadth/ width > 0.4
Min width should be 150mm
Hugely resistant to earthquakes
Cross section is like a vertically oriented wide beam
Lateral load resisted by shear deformation
Clear surface without any offset is possible
Concrete consumption is more
Less consumption of Bricks/ Blocks
Finished corners are possible
Need special design skills to create openings
Advanced skills needed for it’s placement
Partition walls
• The wall should be strong enough to carry its
own load.
• should be strong enough to resist the impact in
which the occupation of the building is likely to
subject them.
• The partition wall should have the capacity to
support a suitable decorative surface.
• A partition wall should be stable and strong
enough to support some wall fixtures, wash-
basins, etc.
• this wall should be as light as possible.
• l should be as thin as possible.
• should act as a sound barrier, especially when it
divides two rooms.
Partition walls types – Material based
• Brick block Partition walls
• Glass Partition walls
• Clay block partition walls
• Concrete partition walls
• Strawboard partition walls
• Plaster slab partition walls
• Metal lath partition walls
• Wooden partition walls
• Double glazed window partition walls
• Moveable, portable partition walls
Panel Walls
Wall panels are sections of wood framed exterior and interior
walls manufactured in a factory based on the design information
provided in the construction documents for the building.

Have to consider the following in selecting materials

Thermal performance
Durability
Maintenance needs and etc.

Three categories available

High mass
Low mass
Mixed mass

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMQjKAjJdbI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eszyqa4tDrI
Panel Walls - Elements
• Bottom Plate:
Bottom horizontal framing member of a stud wall.
• Header:
Structural member located between stud, joist, rafter, or truss
openings.
• Jack Stud:
A vertical structural element that does not span the full height of the
wall and supports vertical load. Commonly referred to as "shoulder
studs" as they are the shorter studs on either side of an opening that
support each end of the header.
• King Stud:
Full-height studs on each side of an opening that are installed directly
next to the jack studs for the purpose of resisting the lateral loads.
• Top Plate:
Framing consisting of two members on the flat that form the top of
exterior stud bearing walls of platform frame construction. A single
member on the flat in non-bearing wall construction.
Panel Walls- SIP panels
Structural Insulated panels are made with a
cover with a homogenous, air impermeable,
solid material.
Convection and air leakage is not possible
Panel Walls- AAC Block
Autoclaved aerated block is 600mm x
100mm/200mm x 200mm in size
It is light weight, with high compressive
strength.
Green material
Panel Walls- Concrete block panels
Pre cast concrete panels need an anchorage
system
Wide variety o f colors , shapes and finishes
are available
Suitable for short construction periods,
areas where site casting is not allowed.
Panel Walls- Timber panels
Most common form of low mass wall
construction material as it is light weighed,
reduce heat loss and can have minimal
embodied energy.
Veneered walls
• Veneers are thin and made out many different
materials
• They perform a visual /aesthetic cause and
minimum load bearing role. Certain veneers are
also used to protect the structure against
weathering , as a secondary envelop etc.
• An anchoring structure can be used to implement
the veneer over the structural wall
• Insulation layers are included in the many layers of
a veneered surface.
• Brick , stone, tile, metal sheets , timber slats
are few of the popular veneer types
• This is used to take a given finish without the
weight / expense it can impose if the same
was used structurally
• Infrastructure can be hidden using an
elaborate veneer wall plan.
• It allows interior decorations/ renovations to
be done without interfering with the
structural elements
Faced walls ( Fair Faced wall)
• This is a decision to be taken early on in the
design and construction stage as the construction
process and the amount of skill required can be
exceptionally different when it comes to a fair
faced wall compared to a plastered/ veneered
wall.
• Most construction material scan be kept as fair
faced elements
• Weathering and maintenance are two main
concerns
• This is often used to reduce maintenance costs
References
• https://bibloteka.com/types-of
• https://civilread.com/wall-types/ -walls-in-construction/
• https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Types_of_flooring
• https://theconstructor.org/building/types-of-walls/819/
• https://theconstructor.org/structural-engg/cavity-walls-construction-
advantages/14000/
• https://bestwaytoframe.com/wall-panels
• https://www.cadavies.com/forces-acting-on-structures.html
• https://www.explainthatstuff.com/howbuildingswork.html