FOR SHELTER AGAINST
WIND, RAIN AND THE DAILY AND
SEASONAL VARIATIONS OF OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE
NORMAL TO ITS LOCATION.
FOR REASONABLE INDOOR COMFORT.
FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS
Strength and stability
The strength of the materials used in wall
construction is determined by the strength of
a material in resisting compressive and tensile
stress and the way in which the materials are
put together.
Building Regulations and codes set limits to
the height or thickness ratios to provide
reasonable stiffness against loss of stability
(affected by foundation movement, eccentric loading, lateral forces
(wind) and expansion due to changes in temperature and moisture).
Resistance to weather and ground moisture
Adequate moisture resistance. Moisture includes
water vapour and liquid water. Moisture may
penetrate a wall by absorption of water from the
ground that is in contact with the foundations or
through rain falling on the wall.
Examples of
wall
damages to
moisture
Durability and freedom from maintenance
The durability of a wall is indicated by the frequency and extent of the
work necessary to maintain minimum functional requirements and an
acceptable appearance.
Fire safety - Specifying a minimum period of fire resistance for the
elements of the structure may restrict premature failure of the structural
stability of a building in a fire. It should resist collapse for a minimum
period of time in which the occupants may escape in the event of fire.
Resistance to the passage of sound
The heavier and more dense the material of the wall, the more effective
it is in reducing sound (airborne and impact sound).
Resistance to the passage of sound (cont’d)
(airborne sound)
Airborne sound is generated as cyclical disturbances of air
from, for example, a radio, which radiate from the source of
the sound with diminishing intensity with distance from the
source
Resistance to the passage of sound (cont’d)
(impact sound)
Impact sound is caused by contact with a surface, for example, the
slamming of a door or footsteps on a floor that set up vibrations in walls
and floors that in turn cause vibrations of air around them that are heard
as sound.
Airborne and
impact sounds
Security
Walls, in conjunction with doors and windows, help to
provide a secure enclosure. In domestic properties,
unauthorised entry to property usually takes place through
doors or windows.
Aesthetics - Walls are important visually. They are a vital component in
the design of a building, making a major contribution to the character of
the building. Choice of materials will be dependant upon satisfying the
functional and performance requirements listed earlier and on satisfying
the client’s and designer’s aesthetic preference.
BRICKWORK
The common materials are:
• burnt clay bricks,
• sand lime bricks (calcium silicate
bricks), engineering bricks,
• concrete bricks,
• fly ash clay bricks.
In Malaysia, the standard brick size is
215mm x 102.5mm x 65mm
Types of bricks bonded.
The bricks are said to be ‘bonded’ since they bind together by being
laid across each other along the length of the wall.
1. Stretcher bond
2. Header bond
3. Flemish bond
4. English bond
1. Stretcher bond
The bricks are laid
so that the stretcher
face of each brick
showing externally.
2. Header bond
The bricks are
laid so that a
header face
shows in every
other course to
complete the
bond.
3. Flemish bond
The bond in
which header
faces lie directly
above and
below a
stretcher face is
termed Flemish
bond
4. English bond
The alternate
courses of
header and
stretcher faces.
WALLS CONSTRUCTION
1. SOLID WALL
2. CAVITY WALL
Solid walls
construction:
1. Brick laying – bricks bonded
2. Damp proof course (d.p.c) - The barrier to the passage of
moisture or water between the parts separated by the d.p.c.
3. Thermal Insulation – A layer of some lightweight insulating
material to either the internal or exterior face of the wall. They
are covered with a finish of cement rendering, paint or a
cladding material such as tile, slate, profiled sheeting or
weatherboarding.
Solid walls
construction cont’d:
4. Rendering - rendering the surface of a brick or block wall
smooth by the application of a wet mix of lime, cement and
sand over the face of the wall.
5. Openings in solid walls - Types of openings (doors and
windows) in walls and the size of openings in solid walls are
restricted by regulations for the sake of stability and strength
of the wall.
Openings in solid
walls.
Cavity walls
construction:
A cavity wall consists of
outer leaf (outer wall)
and inner leaf (inner
wall).
Cavity walls
Cavity walls
construction:
The need to improve the
thermal resistance of cavity
walls resulted in the cavity
being filled, either partially or
fully.
(a)Partial fill insulation.
(b)Full fill.
The thickness of each leaf should not be less than 75mm.
The cavity between the walls should not be too much and less. It
would be wise to keep the gap between 50-75mm.
Ventilation also should be provided at the bottom and top of the wall,
to prevent stagnation of air and humidity.
The few courses of cavity wall at top of the wall are built solid; the base
plate is inserted to ensure uniform load distribution to both leaves of
the wall.
INTERIOR WALLS AND PARTITIONS
INTERNAL WALLS MAY EITHER BE LOADBEARING OR NON-
LOADBEARING. NON-LOADBEARING WALLS ARE USUALLY REFERRED
TO AS ‘PARTITION’ WALLS.
WALL CLADDING
ANOTHER MATERIAL THAT WILL CREATE
A SKIN LAYER OVER THE WALLS .
SUCH AS WOOD, BRICK, METAL PLASTIC OR IMITATION STONE. METAL CLADDING IS
USUALLY IN THE FORM OF GALVANIZED STEEL OR ALUMINIUM.
TUTORIAL:
IN A GROUP, LIST DOWN AS MANY TYPES OF
PARTITION WALLS MATERIALS YOU COULD FIND.
Next lecture: Windows
