Methods of Building Construction

Types of construction methods

When you purchase a home, more thought is put into the location and layout of the property than the methods of construction that were used to build it. That is something that becomes incredibly important when you decide that you want to build your own home from scratch. You quickly learn how different structural methods and materials used in the construction can affect the bottom line. With a definite budget in place, you really need to pay attention to all of these details, which usually means that such things as amenities and house features take second place to the actual build.

In our earlier articles, we have discussed an entire guide for RCC construction. The guide includes the detailed procedures for carrying out various different calculations for designing different parts of the building. Foundation design is the most important and first step in the design of RCC structures.

Masonry construction

One of the most commonly used methods of construction is one that basically dates back centuries, and that is masonry. Brick and stone are durable materials that can withstand the elements better than most. Building a brick home on a stone slab means that you will have a solid home with a strong foundation, but it is also a little more labor intensive than most of the modern methods that are available today. That additional labour can drive build costs up, but money can also be saved by using re-purposed bricks, which can also add a very unique look to the home.

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Prefabricated Construction and Lightweight building systems

Prefabricated Construction and Lightweight building systems

What is Prefabrication?

Prefabrication is the practice of assembling components of a structure in a factory or other manufacturing site, and transporting complete assemblies or sub-assemblies to the construction site where the structure is to be located. The term is used to distinguish this process from the more conventional construction practice of transporting the basic materials to the construction site where all assembly is carried out.

During the development in the industrial revolution, the people have full awareness regarding the behaviour of the structure.

It was fully analyzed and understood that for the existence of an object and its form, it is necessary that the object can bear all forces which act on it.

 

Precast Concrete House Construction
Precast Concrete House Construction

The structure thus, functions in three subsequent operations:

  1. Load reception
  2. Load transfer
  3. Load discharge

The flow of forces does not pose problem as long as the object form follows the direction of acting forces. With these analytical theories of structure and at the same time new technological developments like prefabricated construction influence the designer.

In the works of Buckminster Fuller and Moshe Safdie, there is extensive use of fabricated components.

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