743 - Building Construction

Introduction

Simple survey of the main present-day methods of construction of domestic and other building types. Differences between solid and framed building types. Differences between solid and framed construction. Load-bearing and panel-filling walls and their foundations. Outline of the principle structural materials and their uses, organization of the building industry, service required on site work and in domestic building.

Site and Foundations

Site preparations. Depth of foundation. Types and condition of soil. Distribution of load on isolated and continuous foundations. Simple foundation for brick and block wall with and without footings, and any other suitable local method. Standard and model by-laws, and factors which determine its width. Concrete materials and proportions. Timbering in shallow trenches.

Construction of Walls

The construction of brick and block walls in English, Flemish and Garden wall bond in straight walls. Bonding rules. Types of bricks and blocks and their dimensions. Mortars and points. Bonding at quoins, stopped ends, junctions, etc. Piers, simple masonry, walling in rubble. Concrete walls. Coping, string courses and any other weather-protection courses. Damp-proof courses, positions in walls and solid ground floors. Construction of cavity walls including openings and foundations. Timbering in shallow trenches.

Construction of Floors

Hollow and solid ground floor construction. Sleeper walls and ventilation. By laws affecting floor construction. Upper floor in timber constructions including necessary trimmings, strutting and sound deadening. Surface finishes in wood, including boarded and block floors.

Construction of Stairs

Construction of short straight flights of stairs in timber, stone and precast concrete.

Construction of Roofs and Ceilings

Pitched roofs up to 10m span, without hips or valleys, including simple trusses and the carpentry joints involved. Trimming to openings, construction at ridges, eaves, chimneys and verges. Preparation for and covering of slating and tiling. Construction of flat and low-pitched roofs in timber. Construction of simple concrete slab flats. Finishes in lead, copper, bitumen, sheets, asphalt and other suitable coverings. Simple insulation methods. Leadwork to flat and pitched roofs with and without parapets, including flashing, gutters and cesspools. Gutters and down pipes in Cast Iron, cement, galvanized pipes and PVC.

Construction of Partitions

Partition wall in brick, terra cota or concrete blocks and plaster or sheathing on studs. Timber framing in partitions and folding partitions.

Openings in Walls

The formation and bonding round openings in brick walls including cavity walls. Sills and heads in stone and precast concrete, tile, brick, etc. Lintels in wool and reinforced concrete. Construction of flats, segmental and semicircular arches or small span in brick and stone. Centering and formwork.

Doors and Windows

Simple door linings and frames including grounds and architraves. Sizes and preparation of internal and external doors. Principles of construction. Types from ledged to panelled. Consideration of flush doors. Door furniture. Solid window frames with opening casements. Single or double casements in wood an dmetal. Methods of glazing and hanging furniture to casement windows.

Surface Finishes

Plasters and plastering to walls and ceilings. Simple finishes at all angles, openings, cornices and skirtings. Distempering. The painting of exterior and interior wood and ironwork. External rendering.