Chapter 1-Introduction to

Building Construion
1
Course: Building Construction
Course Code: CEng-3207
Program: Civil Engineering (Regular)
Credit Hours: 3
Lecture: 2hrs/wk
Lab: 3hr/wk
Course Instructor: Zerihun M.
2 Contents
 Introdction
v General
 Definition of terms
 Building Classifications
v Classification based on Occupancies
v Classification based on types of Construction
 Components of a Building
 Design and performance requirements
 Project life cycle of a Building
 Main Parties in Building Construction
3 Introduction

 Engineering:- is the creative application of science, mathematical methods, and

empirical evidence to the innovation, design, construction, and maintenance of
structures, machines, materials, devices, systems, processes, and organizations.

 The four major disciplines of engineering are:-

Ø Civil,
Ø Mechanical,
Ø Electrical and
Ø Chemical.
4 Introduction (CoNT...)

 Civil Engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the

design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built
environment, including public works such as roads, bridges, canals, dams,
airports, sewage systems, pipelines, structural components of buildings, and
railways.
5 Introduction (CoNT...)

 The earliest practice of civil engineering may have commenced between 4000
and 2000 BC in ancient Egypt, the Indus Valley civilization, and Mesopotamia
(ancient Iraq) when humans started to abandon a nomadic existence, creating a
need for the construction of shelter.

 John Smeaton is considered to be the first civil engineer and is often referred to as
the “Father of Civil Engineering.”
6 Introduction (CoNT...)
7 Introduction (CoNT...)
 Civil Engineers create, improve and protect the environment in which we live.
v They plan, design and oversee construction and maintenance of building
structures, such as:-
ü Roads ü Dams
ü Railways ü Harbours

ü Airports ü Irrigation projects

ü Bridges ü Power plants

ü Water and sewerage works
8 Introduction (CoNT...)

Construction is the techniques and industry involved in the assembly and

erection of structures, primarily those used to provide shelter.
 It involves constructing bridge, roads, dams, airport, commercial building, etc.

Building is considered as a structure consisting of floors, walls and roofs

erected to provide covered space for different uses, such as:-

§ Residence
§ Entertainment

§ Commercial /business
§ Workshops etc.
9 Introduction (CoNT...)

 Building come in a wide amount of shapes and functions, and have been
adapted a wide number of factors throughout history. Those factors are:-

ü Availability of buiding materials

ü Ground conditions
ü Land price
ü Weather conditions
ü Building purpose
ü Aesthetic reasons
10 Introduction (CoNT...)
 Building serve several needs of society - primarly as shelter from weather and as
general living space, to provide privacy, to store belongings and to
comfortably live and work.
 The first shelter on Earth constructed by a relatively close ancestor of humans is
believed to be built 500,000 years ago by close ancestor of human.
 The inital cause which forced man to look for shelter were:-
Ø Fear of wild animals
Ø Seeking protection against the cold and the heat
Ø Seeking shelter against the rain and wind
Ø The desier for a place where everything belonging to the family could be
gathered
11 Defination of terms

 Building is an assemblage that is firmly attached to the ground and that provides
total or nearly total shelter for machines, processing equipments, storage of human

possessions, performance of human activities, or any combination of these.

 Building Design: is the process of providing all information necessary for

construction of a building that will meet its owner’s requirements and also satisfy

public healty, walfare, and safety requirements.

 Building Construction : is the process of assembling materials to form a building

based of the building design
12 Building Classification
 Building can be classified in different groups depending upon
their occupancy of use or types of construction.
13 Classification based on Occupancy
14 Classification based on Occupancy (CoNT...)
15 Classification based on Occpancy (CoNT...)
16 Classification based on type of Construction
 Building can be classified on the basis of resistance to fire of the element of
the building.

Type-1: Fire Resisting Construction

 Is a type of construction in which the elements of a building such as floors,
walls, column, roof... are non-combustible.
 The building is sufficiently fire resistance that it withstand the effect of fire
and prevents its spread to other rooms.
 17 Classification based on type of construction (CoNT...)

 Type-2 Non- Combustible Construction

Ø is construction in which the walls, partitions,
structural elements, etc are non-combustable
with less fire resistance than type 1.

 Type-3 Heavy Timber Construction

Ø Exterior walls are constructed out of masonery or other non-combustable material.

Ø Interior structural members, floors,

and roofs are constructed out of timber
either in timber or laminated forms.
18 Classification based on type of construction (CoNT...)

 Type- 4 Ordinary Construction

Ø Exterior walls are constructed out of masonery
or other non-combustable material.
Ø Interior structural members could be partially
or wholley out of wood.

 Type-5 Wood Frame Construction

Ø Is the type of construction in which the whole of the building is constructed out of
wood or other combustible materials.
19 Components of a Building
 A building have two basic parts:
Ø Sub-structure and
Ø Super-structure
 Sub-Structure: is the component built below the ground level and transfer the load
of the building to the supporting soil. eg foundation
 Super-Structure: is the part of the structure built above the ground level, which
serve the purpose of its intended use.
 The basic components of a building are:
Ø Foundations Ø Floor
Ø Building finish
Ø Walls Ø Vertical transportation
Ø Roofs Ø Doors and windows
20 Components of a Building (CoNT...)

Sub-structure
Super-structure
21 Design and Performance Requirements

 A building structure should satisfy the following basic design and

performance requirements

A. The structure should have adequate margin of safety (factor of safety) in

addition to that necessary to support its normal loading.

B. It must have sufficient stiffness so that its distortion does not offend the
eye or reduce the efficiency of the structure for its normal purpose.

C. The building should be planned to provide sufficient comfort and

convenience to the occupants of the building.
22 Design and Performance Requirements (CoNT...)

 To accommodate the basic functional requirements, a building should

satisfy the following requirements in its design and construction works:

1. Strength and stability

 Any structural component of a building should be strong enough to carry

or support all possible types of loads to which it is likely to be subjected.

 The Loads in a building are commonly classified as: dead loads, super
imposed or live loads and wind loads.
23 Design and Performance Requirements (CoNT...)

 Dead loads: are static loads due to the weight of the respective structural
members, i.e. The wall partitions, roofs, slabs and all other permanent
fixtures in the building

 Live loads: or super-imposed loads, consist of moving or variable loads, due

to people or occupants, their furniture, temporary stores, machinery, etc.

 Wind loads: are loads, which can cause uplift on a building and reduce the
pressure on the foundation on the windward side and increase pressure on
the leeward side. The effect of wind pressure increases with the height of the
building.
24 Design and Performance Requirements (CoNT...)
2. Dimensional stability

 Refers to the resistance to dimensional changes in building materials and

structures caused due to:
Ø elastic and plastic deformations as a result of applied loads
Ø expansion and contraction due to changes in temperature and moisture.
3. Sound insulation

The insulation of noise is a very important requirement for buildings such

as hospitals, educational institutions, offices and residential building located
in noisy areas.
25 Design and Performance Requirements (CoNT...)
4. Comfort and convenience

 Should be satisfied by proper planning of the buildings and its units.

Ø Optimum utilization of space
Ø Lighting considerations
Ø Orientation
5. Resistance to moisture penetration

 The presence of moisture in any building structure deteriorates the

materials strength, reduces durability and could cause partial or total failure
of the structure.
26 Design and Performance Requirements (CoNT...)
6. Fire protection
Ø A building structure should not ignite easily
Ø A building should provide means of fire escape
Ø A building should be designed to reduce the spread of fire

7. Heat insulation

Ø The building should be designed in such a way to maintain fairly constant

temperature of the internal environment independently of the varying
climatic conditions externally.
27 Design and Performance Requirements (CoNT...)
8. Durability
Ø The durability of a building is defined as the time over which a building
remains serviceable and depends mainly on
ü Type of building materials
ü Environmental exposure
ü Quality of workmanship
ü Degree of maintenance, etc
9. Economy

Ø The designer must exercise economy at every stage of planning, design,

construction, maintenance and operation.
28 Project Life-Cycle of a Building

 Building life cycle refers to the view of a building over the course of its entire life,
viewing it not just as an operational building, but taking into account the design,
construction, operation, demolition and waste treatment.

 We divide a building's life-cycle into four stages:

Ø Construction stage,
Ø Production stage,
Ø Use stage, and
Ø End-of-life stage.
29 Main Parties in Building Construction
 Project stakeholders or participants or parties:
Ø Are individuals and organizations who are actively involved in project
execution or successful project completion.

Stackholders in BC

Ø Are those who have stakes or vested interest in construction project

Ø Are those who has a telling effect on a project
30 Main parties in Building Construction (CoNT...)
 Depending on the size, complexity, and purpose of a particular construction
project, the project team may include:

Internal stackholders External stackholders

31 Main Parties in Building Construction (CoNT...)

Ø The consultant transfers the wish of the owner

into realizable form and makes the study, design
and possibly the supervision.
Ø The main role of the consultant is to interpret the
client’s project requirement into a specific design.

Ø The contractor is the one who performs the work.

Ø These are groups established mainly as commercial companies, that
contract to construct development projects.
 Go to Chapter-2
Building Drawings
 Quiz

1/ Define the term

a) Building construction
b) Building design
2/ As a civil engineer, list out at least five civil engineering works?
3/ Mention at least 5 consideration in architectural design of a building?
4/ List out the major building elements ?
5/ List and discuss the main stackholders in building construction?
6/ State the critria to classify building and give example?