MODULE 3: BUILDING CONSTRUCTION

WEEK 5: CLASSIFICATION OF BUILDINGS

A Building is a relatively solid enclosed construction over a plot of land having one roof or more
than one level roof, used for a variety of activities such as living, working and manufacturing.
Canopies, Shamianahs, tarpaulin shelters and other types of tents built for temporary and
conventional events are not considered as buildings. The basic components of a building and
functions of these components are necessary to be well-known before constructing a house.

All buildings, whether existing or hereafter erected may be classified based on different
parameters like occupancy, load transfer in the structure, materials used, degree of fire
resistance, type of construction method, etc.

Classification of buildings based on occupancy: Depending upon the character of occupancy

or the type of use, buildings can be classified into different categories as follows: Residential
Building, Educational Building, Office Building, Historical Building, Industrial Building,
Recreational Building, Institutional Building, Commercial Building, Hazardous Building,
Storage Building, Assembly Building, Public Building, Military Buildings, Power plants

Residential Building

The buildings in which an individual or a family or a group of families reside temporarily or

permanently are referred as residential buildings such as flat, cottage, house, bungalow, etc.

Educational Building

The buildings in which education is imparted to the students are referred as Educational
Buildings such as school, college, library, coaching center, etc.

Office Building

The buildings which are used for official purposes by any department such as Income Tax,
Telegraph, Telephone, Public health referred as Office Buildings.

Historical Building
The buildings which indicate the historic importance are referred as Historical Buildings such as
Museums, Lal Quila, Taj Mahal, Jama Masjid, Qutub Minar, etc.

Industrial Building

The Buildings used for producing industrial goods or products are referred as Industrial
Buildings such as factories, workshops, etc.

Recreational Building

The buildings used for recreation purposes are referred as Recreational Buildings such as
cinemas, clubs, swimming, pools, etc.

Institutional Building

The buildings constructed for the care of persons suffering from various diseases mental as well
as physical are referred as Institutional Buildings such as hospitals, sanitaria, etc.

Commercial Building

The buildings used for business purposes referred as Commercial Buildings such as shops,
stores, banks etc.

Storage Building

The buildings used for the storage of various products are reffered as storage buildings such as
cold storages, godowns etc.

Hazardous Building

The buildings used for the purposes of storage and handling of highly combustible materials are
referred as Hazardous Buildings such as Building used for the storage of sulfur dioxide ammonia
carbon dioxide etc,

Assembly Building

The buildings used for get together purposes are referred as Assembly Buildings such as
Temples, townhalls mosque, etc.
Public Building

The buildings constructed in the interest of the public are referred as Public Buildings such as
railway station, bus stands, airport etc.

Classification of buildings based on the type of construction methods:

1. Fire resistive buildings (Type 1A, 1B): This category applies to any building that stands
over 75 feet tall. This applies to all high-rise housing and commercial space. That
includes apartment buildings, offices, and hotels. These buildings are designed to
withstand high temperatures for a specified period without collapsing; usually one to four
hours, giving occupants enough time to evacuate and firefighters time to extinguish the
fire. Beyond that, all structural materials are non-combustible. Walls, floors, and roofs
are constructed with reinforced concrete and protected steel. While these features make
these buildings extremely durable, it also increases construction costs. Fire Resistive
construction often uses fire-resistant concrete, brick, and steel materials.
2. Non-Combustible buildings (Type 2A, 2B): Non-Combustible construction refers to
building materials and techniques that do not ignite, burn, or contribute fuel to a fire. Like
Type 1 buildings, Type 2 buildings contain non-combustible walls, partitions, columns,
floors, and roofs. They typically contain metal floors and metal roofs with masonry or
tilt-slab walls. These constructions reduce fire risk and limit its spread within a building
by using materials such as steel, concrete, and masonry, which have a high resistance to
fire and do not release harmful fumes or gases when exposed to fire. Though these
structures typically contain fire suppression systems, they are not often protected with
fire-resistive coatings and are prone to collapse.
3. Ordinary Buildings (Type III): Ordinary construction refers to building materials and
techniques commonly used in buildings that are not classified as fire-resistive or non-
combustible. Also known as brick-and-joist structures, Type III buildings consist of
reinforced masonry walls. These materials are non-combustible. That is to say, some of
the interior structural elements (frames, floor, ceilings, etc.) are made with wood or
combustible materials. Schools, buildings, and houses can all fall under this construction
type. One of the perks associated with this construction type is that ventilation is possible.
Many Type III buildings contain connected attics or horizontal void spaces, making fire
 extensions more likely. These constructions are designed to be functional and
economical, but they may not offer the same level of fire resistance as more advanced
building techniques. Ordinary construction may use wood framing, plaster, and brick
veneer. Buildings constructed with ordinary construction methods may require additional
fire safety measures, such as sprinkler systems or fire-resistant coatings.
4. Heavy timber buildings (Type IV): Heavy Timber construction or Type IV buildings
refers to building materials and techniques that use large dimensional timber as the main
structural element connected using metal plates and bolts. This type of construction is
known for its strength, durability, and resistance to fire. Heavy Timber construction
typically uses large wooden beams, columns, and decking to create a solid and sturdy
structure. This building type demands that all wooden members meet specific
dimensional requirements. Structural wood supports such as columns, beams, and girders
must be at least 8 inches thick. Heavy planks for roofs and floors must be at least 6 inches
thick.
The thickness of the timber provides natural fire resistance, as it chars on the outside and
slows the spread of flames. Heavy Timber construction is commonly used in churches,
schools, and historic structures. Though these buildings contain combustible materials,
they generally fare well when exposed to fire. Their structural mass also makes them
more resilient against collapse. Still, firefighters will require large volumes of water to
extinguish a fire in this type of building.
5. Wood framed buildings (Type V): Wood Frame Construction refers to building
materials and techniques that use wood as the main structural element. Type V buildings
are the most combustible construction type on this list. It is the only category of
construction that allows combustible exterior walls as well as combustible structural
members on the interior walls. The frames, walls, floors, and roofs are made entirely or
partly out of wood. These building elements are cheaper to develop and increasingly
common in the construction of single-family homes and garages. These structural
elements can be particularly worrisome to firefighters, as exposed wood offers no fire
resistance. If a fire starts, the building will ignite significantly. These buildings may be
somewhat resistant to collapse unless it is a lightweight construction, in which case, it
will collapse within minutes of a fire breaking out.
 This type of construction is popular in residential and light commercial buildings due to
its cost-effectiveness and ease of construction. Wood Frame Construction typically
involves using dimensional lumber, engineered wood products, or wood panels to create
the framing of the building. While wood is a combustible material, Wood Frame
construction can be made more fire-resistant through fire-retardant treatments, sprinkler
systems, and other fire safety measures.

ELEMENTS OF A BUILDING

Components of a building includes:

 Sub-structure or foundation
 Plinth
 Superstructure

A building can be divided into substructure (foundation) and superstructure, the plinth level
being the dividing line between them. In building construction, we study how the civil works are
carried out in the field after they have been planned by an architect and structurally designed by
an engineer.
SUBSTRUCTURE

Foundation:

Foundation is the most important part of a building. Building activity starts with digging the
ground for foundation and then building it. It is the lower most part of the building. It transfers
the load of the building (superstructure) to the ground. A foundation engineer should know how
to examine the soil profile and arrive at a suitable foundation. Its main functions and
requirements are:

(a) Distribute the load from the structure to soil evenly and safely.
(b) To anchor the building to the ground so that under lateral loads building will not move.
(c) It prevents the building from overturning due to lateral forces.
(d) It gives level surface for the construction of super structure.

The following are some of the different types of foundation generally used:

1. Strip foundation (shallow foundations)

2. Pad Footing foundation (shallow foundations)

3. Raft foundation (shallow foundations)

4. Pile foundation (deep foundations)

PLINTH

The portion of the wall between the ground level and the ground floor level is called plinth. It is
usually of stone masonry. At the top of plinth a damp proof course is provided. It is usually 75
mm thick plain concrete course. The function of the plinth is to keep the ground floor above
ground level, free of dampness. Its height is not less than 450 mm. It is required that plinth level
is at least 150 mm above the road level, so that connections to underground drainage system can
be made.

SUPERSTRUCTURE

a.) Floors: These are horizontal surfaces which divide a building into different levels. Floors
give working/useful area to occupants, furniture and equipment of a building. Then floor
finishing is done as per the requirement of the owner. Cheapest floor finish for a
moderate house is with 20 to 25 mm rich mortar course finished with red oxide. The
costliest floor finish is mossaic or marble finishing. Other floors are usually of R.C.C.
finished as per the requirements of the owner.

Requirements of floors
 Floors should be strong enough to carry load safely.
 Provide a clean, smooth, impervious, durable and weather resistant surface
 Floors should have adequate resistance against fire
 Floors should have sufficient heat and sound insulation
b.) Walls and Columns: Columns are vertical components constructed to transfer the load
of the structure vertically downwards to transfer it to foundation. Walls divide the spaces
in the building into various rooms and also performs the following functions:
 It encloses building area into different compartments and provides privacy.
  Walls support and transfer the loads from the roof or upper floors to the
foundation
 It provides safety from burglary and insects.
 It keeps the building warm in winter and cool in summer.
c.) Slabs: These are reinforced concrete horizontal members in a building. The thickness of
a slab is small compared to its length and breadth. For a single storey building, the top
slab forms the roof while in case of a multi-storey building, the slab forms the floor for
the next storey. Slabs transfer the load of the building to the beams which is in turn
transferred to the columns.

d.) Beams: These are horizontal structural members above which the slabs are provided.
Beams are supported on walls and columns.
Requirements of a beam
 They are reinforced concrete components
 The length of a beams is greater than other dimensions
 Beams transfer load from the slab to the column

e.) Sills, Lintels and Eaves: A window frame should not be directly placed over masonry. It
is placed over 50 mm to 75 mm thick plain concrete course provided over the masonry.
This course is called as sill.

Lintels are the R.C.C. or stone beams provided over the door and window openings to
transfer the load transversely so as to see that door or window frame is not stressed
unduly. The width of lintels is equal to the width of wall while thickness to be provided
depends upon the opening size.

Eaves are the projection given outside the wall to protect doors and windows from the
sun and rain. They are usually made with R.C.C. The projection of eaves varies from 600
mm to 800 mm.

f.) Doors and Windows: Doors are openings provided in the walls of a building to give
access to different rooms in the building and to deny the access whenever necessary.
 Number of doors should be minimum possible. The size of the door should be of such
dimension as will facilitate the movement of the largest object likely to use the door.

Windows are openings provided in the outer walls of a building to get light and
ventilation in the building. They are located at a height of 0.75 m to 0.9 m from the floor
level.

g.) Roof: Roof is the top most portion of the building which provides top cover to the
building. It should be leak proof. Roofs may be flat, sloping or curved.

Sloping roof like tiled and Asbestos Cement (A.C) sheet give leak proof cover easily. But
they do not give provision for the construction of additional floor. Tiled roof give good
thermal protection.

Flat roofs give provision for additional floors. Terrace adds to the comfort of occupants.
Water tanks can be easily placed over the flat roofs.

h.) Step, Stairs and Lifts: Steps give convenient access from ground level to ground floor
level. They are required at doors in the outer wall. 250 to 300 mm wide and 150 mm rise
is ideal size for steps. In no case should the size of two consecutive steps be different.
Number of steps required depends upon the difference in the levels of the ground and the
floor. Stairs give access from floor to floor. They should consists of steps of uniform
sizes.
i.) Finishing: Bottom portion of slab (ceiling), walls and top of floor need smooth finishing
with plaster. Then they are provided with white wash, distemper or paints or tiles. The
function of finishing work is:
 Give protective cover
 Improve aesthetic view
 Rectify defective workmanship
 Finishing work for plinth consists in pointing while for floor it consists in
polishing.
 10. Building Services: Water supply, sanitation and drainage works, electric supply work
and construction of cupboards and show cases constitute major building services. Some
of the building services include:
 Plumbing work is made so as to get water in kitchen, bathrooms, water closets,
sinks and garden taps. Water tanks built in the house property for storing water.
 For draining rain water from roofs, down take pipes of at least 100 mm diameters
are used. Proper slopes should be given to roof towards down take pipe.
 The sanitary fittings connected to underground drainage of municipal lines or to
the septic tank.
 Many carpentry works are required for building service. They are in the form of
showcases, cupboards, racks etc.
 Electric supply is essential part of building services. The building should be
provided with sufficient points for supply of lights, fans and other electric
gadgets.

BASIC REQUIREMENTS OF A BUILDING

All buildings should be properly planned, keeping in view the various requirements of a good
building. Except strength requirement, all other requirements of a good building are taken care at
the stage of planning. Strength requirement is taken care during structural design of building
components. The planning and construction of a building should be aimed at fulfilling the
following requirements:

1. Strength and stability

2. Dimensional stability

3. Resistance to dampness

4. Resistance to fire

5. Heat insulation

6. Sound insulation

7. Protection against termite attack

8. Durability

9. Security against burglary

10. Lighting and ventilation

11. Comforts and convenience

12. Economy.

SELECTION OF SITE FOR BUILDINGS

There are many factors which must be taken into account while selecting a site for a commercial
and residential building. Some of these factors are given below:

1. The site should be fairly levelled with good quality soil

2. The location should be calm but reasonably developed
3. It should be well connected by roads and other modes of transportation
4. Availability of good communication facilities
5. Electricity, water and sewer lines should be available
6. The site should be away from hazardous industries
7. Flood prone areas, water logged areas and reclaimed lands should be avoided
8. The ground water table at the site should not be high
9. The site should have good natural ventilation and lighting
10. Proximity to schools, shopping centres, hospitals, recreational centres
11. The area must be sufficient for present and future development
12. Places prone to air and water pollution should be avoided.
13. Proper ownership and other legal matters must be thoroughly checked before buying a
site.
14. The type of land use recommended by the town planning/development schemes for the
proposed site.