Building Construction

Department of Civil Engineering

Addis Ababa Science and Technology University
Nov 2021
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 Chapter One
Introduction
Building Types/Classifications
Building Loads (Loads exerted on the building)
Common Building Components
Design and Performance Requirements of a Building
Life-cycle of a Building Construction
Main Parties in Building Construction
Basic Resources for Building Construction
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 Introduction
 Building construction is an ancient human
activity. It began with the purely functional need
for a controlled environment to moderate the
effects of climate.
 Constructed shelters were one means by which
human beings were able to adapt themselves to a
wide variety of climates and become a global
species.

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 Introduction…..
 The history of civil construction was began from the period
of Primitive human.
 From the protection against cold, rain, heat, etc. they made
“cave” as their shelter.
 But that was not enough, cave didn’t remained safe for
long, so huts from the straws and leaves…..evolution goes
on…!
 But for better comfort, civil construction got evolved and
still evolving…
 Today, we have every comfort and facility, but we have to
face the future upcoming challenges as the shortage of
land, etc.
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 Introduction…..
 Building Materials:
• Originally – Stone, Sand, Earth, Grass, Logs,
Skins, etc.
• Advanced – Dressed Stones, Bricks, Cement,
Lime, Gypsum, Iron, Timber, Tiles, Sheet
Metals, Aluminums, Paints, etc.
• Modern Systems – Prefabrication, Pre-
stressed Concrete.

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 Building Types/Classifications

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 Building Types….
• A residential building: The building which
provides more than half of its floor area for
dwelling purposes.
– Provides sleeping accommodation with or
without cooking or dining or both facilities.
– It includes single or multi-family dwelling,
apartments, lodgings, restaurants, hostels,
dormitories and hotels.
• Educational building: Include any building used
for school, college, education purpose.
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 Building Types…..
• Institutional buildings: Any structure that fulfills
a role related to healthcare, education, recreation,
jails, asylums or public works.
• Assembly buildings: 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, etc.
• Business Buildings: Buildings used for
transactions of business, for keeping accounts and
similar other purposes.
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 Building Types…..
• Mercantile buildings: Used as shops, stores, market
for display and sale of merchandise either wholesale
and retail, office, shops, storage services.
• Industrial buildings: Buildings where materials or
products of all kinds and properties are fabricated,
assembled, manufactured or processed.
• Storage Buildings: Buildings used primarily for the
storage or sheltering of goods, wares or merchandise,
vehicles and animals grains.
• Hazardous buildings: Used for the storage, handling,
manufacturing or processing of highly combustible or
explosive materials or products.
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 Building Loads (Loads exerted on the building)

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 Building Loads…..
• Dead Load: A constant/permanent, immovable, &
nontransferable load in a structure such as walls, floors,
roofs, partitions, ceilings, water tanks, fixtures, etc.
• Live Load: The movable, temporary, and transferable
load on the floor and hence it is variable. For the
purpose of design an equipment dead load is taken into
account.
• Wind Load: In case of tall building, the effect due to
wind should be considered.
– For the purpose of design, it is assumed that the wind
load is acting horizontally at a uniform rate over the
entire exposed surface on the windward side.
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 Building Loads…..

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 Building Loads…..
• Snow load: the downward force on a building's roof by
the weight of accumulated snow and ice.
– Actual load due to snow will depend upon the shape
of the roof and its capacity to retain the snow.
– Loads of snow maybe taken as 2.5kg/m2 per
centimeter depth of snow.
– Incase of roofs with slopes greater than 500 snow
load may be disregarded.
• Earthquake Load: The earthquake load is a 'dynamic load',
which means it brings about the vibration of structures.
– Other loads such as dead, live, and snow loads generally act
on structures very slowly and do not cause any rapid
movement or vibration. These are called 'static loads'.
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 Building Loads…..

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 Common Building Components
• Substructure: The substructure is
the lower portion of the building
which is located below the ground
level which transmits the load of the
superstructure.
• It includes:
– Foundations (Shallow or deep)

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 Common Building Components….
• Superstructure: The superstructure is that part
of the building which is above the ground and
which serves the purposes of buildings
intended use.
• It includes:
– Plinth
– Wall and Columns
– Beams
– Arches and Lintels
– Roofs and Slabs
– Parapet
– Steps and Stairs
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 Common Building Components….
• Plinth: The plinth is constructed above the ground level. It is
a cement-mortar layer lying between the substructure and the
superstructure.
• Walls: Walls provide an enclosure and protect against wind,
sunshine, rain etc. Openings are provided in the walls for
ventilation and access to the building.
– It can be made from stones, bricks, concrete blocks, etc.
• Columns: Columns are vertical members constructed above
the ground level.
– Columns can be of two types: Architectural columns and
structural columns. Architectural columns are constructed
to improve the building’s aesthetics while a structural
column takes the load coming from the slab above and
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 Common Building Components….
• Beams and slabs: Are horizontal members in a building
constructed by reinforced cement concrete (R.C.C).
– For a single storey building, the top slab forms the roof.
– In case of a multi-storey building, the beam transfers the
load coming from the floor above the slab which is in turn
transferred to the columns.
• Lintels: Lintels are constructed above the wall openings
like doors, windows, etc. These structures support the
weight of the wall coming over the opening.
• Arches: A typically curved structural member spanning an
opening and serving as a support (as for the wall or other
weight above the opening).
• Chajjas/Watershed: Provided on external wall opening to
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 Common Building Components….
• Roofs: The roof forms the topmost component of a building
structure. It covers the top face of the building. Roofs can be
either flat or sloped based on the location and weather
conditions of the area.
• Floors: The surface laid on the plinth level. Flooring can be
done by a variety of materials like tiles, granites, marbles,
concrete, etc. Before flooring, the ground has to be properly
compacted and leveled.
• Parapet: Parapets are short walls extended above the roof
slab. Parapets are installed for flat roofs. It acts as a safety
wall for people using the roof.
• Stairs/Steps: A sequence of steps that connects different
floors in a building structure. The space occupied by a stair is
called as the stairway.
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 Common Building Components….
• Roofs: The roof forms the topmost component of a building
structure. It covers the top face of the building. Roofs can be
either flat or sloped based on the location and weather
conditions of the area.
• Floors: The surface laid on the plinth level. Flooring can be
done by a variety of materials like tiles, granites, marbles,
concrete, etc. Before flooring, the ground has to be properly
compacted and leveled.
• Parapet: Parapets are short walls extended above the roof
slab. Parapets are installed for flat roofs. It acts as a safety
wall for people using the roof.
• Stairs/Steps: A sequence of steps that connects different
floors in a building structure. The space occupied by a stair is
called as the stairway.
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 Common Building Components….

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 Building Components and their Functions

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 Building Components and their Functions….

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 Building Components and their Functions….

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 Building Components and their Nominal Dimensions

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 Building Components and their Nominal Dimensions......

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 Building Components and their Nominal Dimensions......

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 Design and Performance Requirements of a Building
• Performance requirements typically comprise a set of
criteria which stipulate how things should perform or
the standards that they must achieve in a specific set of
circumstances.
• This is as opposed to prescriptive specifications which
set out in precise detail how something should be done.
• The design of a building can be divided into precise
performance requirements which might include:
– Cost, Capacity, Appearance, Durability, Strength,
Stability, Thermal performance, Comfort, Weather
tightness, Fire protection, Lighting, Ventilation,
Security, Safety, Privacy, Energy efficiency,
Economics, Access, Green and smartness.
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 Design and Performance Requirements of a Building
 Basic functional requirements:
• Sound Insulation – Through Cavity walls, airtight
windows, raised floors, suspended ceilings
• Max. Acceptable Noise – Schools 45 – 50 dB,
Hospitals 40– 50 dB and Public Offices 50 – 60 dB
• Durability - From 25 – 50 years
• Security – Against Burglary or thefts, Window
Openings, Alarm Fittings
• Protection against vermin and termites – Shall be
avoided during pre – construction
• Building Economics – However all the above are
necessary, the limiting factor will be the money.
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 Life-cycle of a Building Construction

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 Life-cycle of a Building Construction…..
• Inception and feasibility
• Planning and Design
• Tendering Stages
• Bid Evaluation Consultant – Architect
• Award of Contract
• Construction Stage
• Commissioning and Acceptance
• Provisional Acceptance
• Final Acceptance
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 Main Parties in Building Construction
• The key parties are the owner/client, the
Architect/Engineer/Professional Consultants and
the general contractor, Insurance companies,
Banks, Suppliers, Permitting agencies, public.
• Also project manager, facility managers,
estimating engineers, planners, contract
administrators… are needed.
• Between these parties there are business
agreements in the form of contracts to complete
the work in the project, such as: design,
engineering, construction, management and
maintenance.
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 Basic Resources for Building Construction
• Construction materials
• Manpower
• Equipment/ Equipment cost
• Management and supervision during
construction
• Land acquisition including assembly
holding & improvement.

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