Unit 1 : Structures (Buildings)
Unit 1: Structures
1.1 Earthworks
1.2 Structures
• Foundations
• Excavations
• Timbering
• Excavating Basements
• Retaining Walls
• Structures
• Structural Forms
• Scaffolding
• Formwork
• Concrete Compaction
• Brickwork bonding
Structures
• Structures- relates to buildings, bridges &
dams, which serve many purposes.
• Construction process is concerned with
rational & economic use of resources:
Man
Materials
Machines
Money
Methods
Structures
Structures
Hoover Dam
1931
Border between
U.S states of
Nevada and
Arizona
Structures
Structures
Opera House, Sydney, Australia 1973
Structures
The tallest and longest suspension bridge:
The Millau Viaduct (France)
Structures
• Construction processes is concerned with:
Nature & sequence of operations- method
of construction
• Environmental issues that needs to be
considered when designing:
Weather, fire, temperature, sound & wind
Structures
Professionals involved in building – Architect &
Structural engineer.
• Architect- designs the structure to meet the needs of
the client & performance standards. The structure
should be aesthetically pleasing, environmentally
sensitive & safe.
• Structural engineer – design structural
requirements of the building, e.g. foundations,
beams, slabs & roof structures within safety
limits.
Structures
• The structure consists of two components:
substructure & superstructure
The substructure refers to the construction below ground level
Superstructure relates to the actual building you see. This can
consist of various forms – for example, brick, reinforced
concrete, precast concrete, timber and structural steel frames.
• Common structural
forms:
Reinforced
concrete buildings and
Structural steel bridges
Precast
Reinforced
concrete
concrete frame
Plain concrete – mixture of cement, fine
aggregate, coarse aggregate and water
Factors affecting concrete strength:
The type of cement
Type & size of aggregate
Clean mixing water
Admixtures used
Water/cement ratio
Structural Form - Reinforced concrete
Reinforced concrete – plain
concrete with reinforcing steel
• Requirements for steel to be used in
concrete
High tensile strength
Easily bent to form shapes
Its surface must be capable of
forming
Structural Form - Reinforced concrete
• Two types of steel
bars:
Mild High-yield
steel steel
Structural Form - Reinforced concrete
Design process
You consider self-weight & imposed loads
on
member
Calculate reactions and their effects –
decide on a use of reinforcement & how
Calculate bending moments, shear forces
& area of steel required.
Prepare detailed drawings for construction
Structural Form - Reinforced concrete
During placing of bars the Engineer must check
the following:
Correct bars are used
Proper bar diameters are used
Bars are fixed as designed
Concrete cover to steel is as specified – spacer
blocks are used to maintain cover between
formwork & reinforcement
A beam is a structural element that is
capable of withstanding load primarily by
resisting bending. The bending force
induced into the material of the beam as a
result of the external loads, own weight
and external reactions to these loads is
called a bending moment.
Beams generally carry vertical gravitational
forces but can also be used to carry hor
izontal loads (i.e., loads due to an earthqua
ke or wind). The loads carried by a beam
are transferred to columns, walls, or girders
, which then transfer the force to adjacent
Simply
supported
Continuous
Cantilever
Structural Form - Reinforced
Concrete Column
A column in structural engineering is a vertical structural
element that transmits, through compression, the weight
of the structure above to other structural elements below.
Other compression members are often termed columns
because of the similar stress conditions. Columns are
frequently used to support beams or arches on which the
upper parts of walls or ceilings rest.
In architecture "column" refers to such a structural
element that also has certain proportional and decorative
features. A column might not support any major structure
but be a decorative or triumphant feature with e.g a
statue on top.
Structural Form - Reinforced
Concrete Column
Structural Form - Reinforced
Concrete Slab
• A Concrete slab is a common
of modernelement
structural buildings. Horizontal
reinforced
slabs concrete,
of steel are most
construct
often floors
usedwhile and ceilings (in
to thinner slabs are
building),
multi-storey
exterior
• also
Shear used
paving.
for are important when
stresses
structural members. Cause
you design
sliding between
• adjacent
Vertical shear - occurs near
section.
forces
supportscausing
due to central section slide
downwards
vertically shear - caused by bending
• Horizontal
of beams
Structural Form - Reinforced
Concrete Slab
Structural steel forms
• Steel frame – Elements of the
building remain the same as with
reinforced concrete. (vertical steel
columns and horizontal I-beams,
etc.)
Structural steel forms
• Portal
Frame
Structural steel forms
Types of steel sections
Universal beams (or I-sections-
parallel flange)
Universal columns (H-sections-
parallel flange)
Rolled steel joists (taper flange)
Angles (equal & unequal leg)
Channels (taper flange & parallel
Structural steel forms
Structural steel forms
- Connections
Types of connections
Pin or hinge connection – use base plates which are
helped by bolts
Base connection – use special holding plates
(gusset)
Pocket connection – base plates are inserted in a
formed pocket
Material
• Bolts
Black bolts
Rivets
High strength friction bolts
• Welding
Structural steel forms
- Connections
• Precast concrete
products:
Septic tank
Manholes
Box culverts
Channels
Prestressed bridge
beams
Bridge decks
Advantages Disadvantages
The mixing, placing and curing of the Precasting of large and complex sections are
concrete is carried out at the factory difficult.
(under controlled conditions) resulting
Large cranes are needed to lift sections into
in good quality products.
place.
This off-site activity makes more space
Structural connections between the precast
available on the site.
concrete units can present both design and
Mass production reduces cost. contractual problems.
The complete sections can be Need specialised transportation and
assembled on site in almost any delivery requirements of precast concrete
weather, minimising delays. units.
The assembling is done by semi-skilled
workers.
• Scaffolding is a temporary structure
from which people can gain access
to high-level working areas to carry
out construction operations.
• Forms of scaffolding:
Putlog scaffolds
Independent scaffolds
• Materials for scaffolding are tubular
steel,
tubular aluminium alloy or timber
Putlog scaffolds consist of a
single row of uprights or
standards set away from the
wall at a distance that
accommodates the width of
the working platform.
The standards are joined
together with horizontal
members called ‘ledgers’ and
are tied to the building with
cross members called ‘putlogs’.
Independent
Independent scaffolds have two rows
of standards that are tied by cross
ledger members called transoms.
This form of scaffold does not rely on
the building for support and is
therefore suitable for most types of
structures.
For safety reasons, it may be
necessary to tie the scaffold to the
building at regular intervals using a
horizontal tube called a ‘bridle
bearing’.
Formwork for in situ concrete work may be
described as a mould or box into which wet
concrete can be poured to form the shape of
the required member.
Materials
Timber
Plywood
Clipboard
Steel forms
Formwork must fulfil the following functions:
It should be strong enough to support the load of wet concrete
It must not deflect under load
It must be accurately set out.
The joints must be properly sealed to prevent unnecessary loss of
concrete
Formwork must be designed to be manageable in terms of
handling and fixing in place.
The materials used for formwork must be easily fixed using nails
or wood screws
• Formwork possible defects:
Uneven colour
Blowholes
Common Practice : spray or
brushing
release agent onto the
formwork.
• Foundation
formwork
• Column
formwork
• Beam
formwork
• Slab
formwork
END