Components of a building

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Building: A building can be defined as a structure broadly consisting of walls, floors and
roofs created to provide covered space for different uses such as residence, education,
business, manufacturing, storage, hospitalization, entertainment, worship etc. Normally
all buildings are constructed according to drawings and specifications prepared by
architects.
Types of Building
Depending upon the character of occupancy or the type of use, different types of
buildings have been classified in following groups:
 Residential Buildings (e.g. apartment, house, hotel)
 Educational Buildings (e.g. school, college)
 Institutional Buildings (e.g. hospital, prisons, nursing homes)
 Assembly Buildings (e.g. club room, restaurants)
 Business Building (e.g. shopping mall, market)
 Mercantile Buildings (e.g. bank, stores)
 Industrial Buildings (e.g. mills, gas plant)
 Storage Buildings (e.g. garages, cold storage)
 Hazardous Buildings
Components of a Building
A building can be broadly divided in two parts:
1. Super Structure
-Portion of the building above the ground
2. Sub-Structure
-Portion of the building below the ground
Figure: Super structure and Sub structure

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The components of a building can be broadly classified as under:
Foundation
It is the lowest part of a structure below the ground level which is in direct contact with
the ground and transmits all dead, live and other loads to the soil in a way that the soil is
not stressed beyond its safe allowable bearing capacity.
Foundation are two types:
 Shallow Foundation
1. Strip
2. Individual
3. Mat
 Deep Foundation
1. Pile
2. Caisson
3. Cofferdam
Figure: Foundation
Plinth
The portion of the building between the ground surrounding the building and the top of
the floor immediately above the ground is known as plinth.
The level of the surrounding ground is known as formation level and the level of the
ground floor of the building is known as plinth level (PL).

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Figure: Plinth
 Prevents rain water from entering the ground floor.
Walls
Walls are provided to enclose or divide the floor space in desire pattern. In addition, walls
provide privacy, security and give protection against sun, rain, cold and other adverse
effects of weather.
Walls can be broadly divided in two categories:
 Non Load Bearing Walls:
o Do not carry load to foundation. Rather only use as partition wall.
 Load Bearing Walls:
o Participate in transferring load to foundation.
Figure: Walls
Beam
A Beam is a structure element that is capable of withstanding load primarily by resisting
bending. Beams are primarily designed to take load coming in a direction parallel to its
cross section.

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 Apart from taking load coming from transverse direction, beams are often
designed to take significant amount of axial load as well.
 Five types of beam:
1. Simple Supported Beam
2. Cantilever Beam
3. Fixed Beam
4. Overhanging Beam
5. Continuous Beam
Figure: Beam
Column
Column is a structural element that transmits the weight of the structure above to other
structural elements below primarily through ‘compression’. In other words a column is
primarily a compression member.
 Often column is designed to take significant lateral loads as well.
 It strengthen the wall to resist lateral pressure without bulking.

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Figure: Columns
Floors
Floors are flat supporting elements of a building. They divided a building into different
levels thereby creating more accommodation on a given plot or land.
 The basic purpose of a floor is to provide a firm and dry platform for people and
other items like furniture, stores, equipment etc.
Floors are basically two types:
 Suspended Floor
 Basement Floor
A floor basically consist of two parts:
 Sub-floor
 Flooring

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Figure: Floors
Doors, Windows etc.
A door may be defined as a barrier secured in an opening left in a wall to provide usual
means of access building, room or passage.
 Types of doors:
1. Framed and Paneled Door
2. Glazed or Sash Door
3. Flush Door etc.
A window may be defined as an opening left in a wall for the purpose of providing day
light, vision and ventilation.
 Types of windows:
1. Fixed Windows
2. Pivoted Windows
3. Bay Windows etc.
Figure: Door
Stairs
A stair may be defined as a structure comprising of a steps connecting one floor to
another.
 The different forms of stair may be classified under the following main heads:
1. Straight Stairs
2. Dog-Legged Stairs
3. Open-newel Stairs etc.

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Figure: Stair
Roof
It is the uppermost component of a building and its main function is to cover the space
below and protect it from rain, snow, sun, wind etc.
 Classification of Roofs: two main types,
1. Pitched or Sloped Roofs
2. Flat or Terraced Roofs
Figure: Roof
Building Finishes

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 A building is considered incomplete till such time the surface of its components is
given appropriate treatment.
 Building finishes include items like plastering, pointing, white/ color washing,
painting, varnishing, distempering etc.
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Figure: Building Finishes
Building services
Building services include services like water supply, drainage, sanitation, lighting,
electricity, acoustics, heating, ventilation, air conditioning, fire detection and fire control
etc.
 The services likewater supply, drainage and sanitation are normally clubbed under
the term ‘plumbing services’.
Technical Terms and Definitions
Balcony: A horizontal cantilevered projection including a hand-rail or balustrade to serve
as passage or sitting out place.
Basement or cellar: The lower storey of a building of building below or partly below
ground level.
Sunshade: Feature on the exterior of a building that provides shade.
Courtyard: A space permanently open to the sky, enclosed fully or partially by building
and may be at ground level or any other level within or adjacent to a building.
Damp Proof Course: A course consisting of some appropriate water proofing material
provided to prevent of dampness or moisture.

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Floor Area Ratio (FAR): The quotient obtained by dividing the total covered area (plinth
area) on all floors multiplied by 100 by area of the plot.
Footing: A foundation unit constructed in brick work, masonry or concrete under thebase
of a wall or column for the purpose of distributing the load over a large area.
Figure: Footing
Foundation: The part of the structure which is in direct contact with and transmitting
loads to the ground.
Garage: A building or portion thereof used for shelter, storage or parking of a wheeled
vehicle.
Ground Floor: Means the storey of the building which has its floor surface nearest to the
ground around the building’
Parapet: A low wall or railing built along the edge of a roof or a floor.
Porch: A covered surface supported on pillars or otherwise for the purpose of pedestrian
or vehicular approach to a building.
Room Height: The vertical distance measured from the finished floor surface to the
finished ceiling surface.
Structural wall: Means a load bearing wall or a wall that carries load in addition to its own
weight.
Lintel: Lintel is a horizontal building component that lies across an opening and holds the
weight of the structure above it. It is generally placed between two vertical supports.

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Figure: Lintel
Load Transfer Path
For a typical frame structure, vertical external load (self-weight and other dead Loads)
passes from one member to another in the following sequence and finally distributed on
soil.

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Figure: Load transfer path (frame or non-load bearing structure)
 On the other hand, for a typical Load Bearing Wall, vertical external wall load (self-
weight and other dead loads) passes from one member to another is the following
sequence and finally distributed on soil.
Slab
•Load from Superimposed Deal Load (Partition wall,furniture) and Live Load is initally carried by the
slab on which those are placed.
Beam
•This load is transferred fromslab to the beams that supportslab.
Column
•Load is transferred from beam to columns that support the beam.
Column
•Column of one floor transfers load to column of the floor below.
Column
•This process is continue...
Foundati-
on
•Bottom most column of the structure transfers load to foundation.
Soil
•Finally,foundation transfersthe load to the soil beneath the structure.

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Figure: Load bearing wall
 In special case:(1):
Slab
•Load from Superimposed Deal Load (Partition wall,furnitureetc) and Live Load is
initially carried by the slab on which those areplaced.
Beam
•This load is transferred fromslab to the beams that supportthe slab.
Wall
•Load is transferred from beam to walls thatsupportthe beam.
Wall
•Wall of one floor transfers load to wall of the floor below.
Wall
•This process is continued….
Founda-
tion
•Wall of the bottom floor transfers load to foundation.
Soil

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Figure: Load Bearing Structure (Column to Beam)
 In special case (2):
Slab
Beam
Column
•Load is transferred from beam to columns that support the beam.
Column
Column
•This process is continued…
Beam
•Then, Load is transferred from column to beam that supportthe beam.
Column
•Load is transferred from beam to columns that support the beam
Founda
-tion
Soil

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Figure: Load transfer path (beam to Beam)
Slab
Beam
Beam
•Load is transferred from beam to beam which is connect with the privious beam.
Column
•Then,Load is transferred from beam to columns that supportthe beam.
Column
Column
•This process is continued…
Foundat
ion
Soil

Components of a building

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