Marvin G.
Samson BSCE-3C
GUIDE QUESTIONS NO. 5
BUILDING SERVICE SYSTEMS
GUIDE QUESTIONS
1. What is building service system?
Building Service Systems means the electrical, HVAC, plumbing and telecommunication
(voice/data/signal) systems that service the building up to the point of localized
distribution serving the Leased Premises only. Such systems provide the main source of
supply and distribution throughout the building.
2. What is the importance of building service systems?
Building services are the systems installed in buildings to make them comfortable,
functional, efficient and safe. They can include fire safety, HVAC (heating, ventilation
and air conditioning), lighting, plumbing, ICT (information and communications
technology), and so on.
3. What are the different types of building service systems? Describe each
briefly.
The foundation is the lowest division of a building (its substructure) constructed partly
or wholly below the surface of the ground. Its primary function is to support and anchor
the superstructure above and transmit its loads safely into the earth. Because it serves as a
critical link in the distribution and resolution of building loads, the foundation system
must be designed to both accommodate the form and layout of the superstructure above
and respond to the varying conditions of soil, rock, and water below.
Floor systems are the horizontal planes that must support both live loads (people,
furnishings, and movable equipment) and dead loads (the weight of the floor construction
itself). Floor systems must transfer their loads horizontally across space to either beams
and columns or to loadbearing walls. Rigid floor planes can also be designed to serve as
horizontal diaphragms that act as thin, wide beams in transferring lateral forces to shear
walls.
Walls are the vertical constructions of a building that enclose, separate, and protect its
interior spaces, They may be loadbearing structures of homogeneous or composite
construction designed to support imposed loads from floors and roofs, or consist of a
framework of columns and beams with nonstructural panels attached to or filling in
between them. The pattern of these load bearing walls and columns should be
coordinated with the layout of the interior spaces of a building.
The roof system functions as the primary sheltering element for the interior spaces of a
building. The form and slope of a roof must be compatible with the type of roofing
(shingles, tiles, or a continuous membrane) used to shed rainwater and melting snow to a
system of drains, gutters, and downspouts. The construction of a roof should also control
the passage of moisture vapor, the infiltration of air, and the flow of heat and solar
radiation. And depending on the type of construction required by the building code, the
roof structure and assembly may have to resist the spread of fire.
Floor Finishing (Flooring) is the general term for a permanent covering of a floor.
Materials almost always classified as floor covering include carpet, area rugs, and
resilient flooring such as linoleum or vinyl flooring. Materials commonly called flooring
include wood flooring, ceramic tile, stone, terrazzo, and various seamless chemical floor
coatings.
Plaster is a building material used for coating walls and ceilings. Plaster is manufactured
as a dry powder and is mixed with water to form a paste when used. The reaction with
water liberates heat through crystallization and the hydrated plaster then hardens. Wall
cladding is a type of decorative covering intended to make a wall look like it is made of a
different sort of material than it actually is. Some of the most common examples are on
the outside of buildings, but cladding can also be an artistic element in interior
decorating. Paneling is a wall covering constructed from rigid or semi-rigid components.
These are traditionally interlocking wood, but could be plastic or other materials.
Paneling was developed in antiquity to make rooms in stone buildings more comfortable
The panels served to insulate the room