A Two-Storey Residential Building Assignment Sample

Introduction To A Two-Storey Residential Building Assignment

As described in this two-story residential building assessment, elements including column footings, concrete floor slabs, wall systems, and roof frames integrate to form load transfer paths resolving forces through the building safely into the ground. Appropriately sized and reinforced concrete column footings provide the foundation, distributing building loads from supported walls and columns without exceeding soil bearing limits. The columns and load-bearing walls then transfer vertical gravity loads as well as lateral wind/seismic forces through interconnections with the concrete floor slabs down into the footings. Roof systems span across the tops of exterior walls, transferring environmental and gravity loads through floors and shear walls strategically placed to handle building reactions efficiently. While offering advantages like strength and durability, disadvantages such as deterioration, maintenance, and inspection difficulties highlight the importance of sound initial construction and scheduled upkeep.

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Discussion

Technical Descriptions

Explanations of foundations, floors, walls, and roofs

Column footings are an important structural element in buildings, designed to transfer considerable loads from columns and walls into the ground (Thai et al. 2020). A column footing with dimensions of 1200mm x 900mm acts as the base that supports either an individual column or section of a load-bearing wall.

The column footing is constructed on top of compressed backfill material and extends below the frost line or sufficiently deep enough into firm soil to provide adequate load-bearing capacity (Ginigaddara et al. 2022). It is typically made of reinforced concrete sized and reinforced to withstand the sheer, bending moments, and compressive stresses transferred from the column or wall above without failing.

Figure 1: Column footing foundation

(Source: self drawn)

The column footing provides a broader area to distribute the concentrated load across more soil area rather than just that of the column. This allows the soil pressures under the footing to remain within allowable limits (Deng et al. 2020). The footing also sets the level of floors throughout the building and aligns all the columns and walls so the floors and roof remain horizontal and on the same plane. Proper footings prevent uneven settlement that could otherwise cause cracks or structural damage. They are an essential foundation element connecting the building superstructure through the soil safely into the ground.

Working

Column footings provide a stabilizing base that distributes the weight from structural columns vertically into the load-bearing soil. The footings are sized and reinforced as needed to transfer the column loads as well as withstand lateral and overturning forces acting on the building (Thai et al 2020). Footings connect the columns to the ground and align them so floors and roof systems can be supported horizontally (Yang et al. 2020). The columns rise up from the aligned footings to support the beams, girders, and floor joists or slabs at each level. The floors then tie all the vertical structural elements together into a unified frame. The floor system transfers gravity and lateral loads to the columns and walls so they can be safely resolved into the footings below the ground.

Figure 2: Typical ground floor Plan

(Source: Self-drawn)

Walls also extend upwards from their own strip or spread footings to enclose each floor level. Interior walls further divide floor space as needed while exterior walls support vertical loads as well as lateral wind and seismic forces (Ahmed and Tsavdaridis, 2019). The floor and roof diaphragms deliver resulting loads to shear walls placed strategically to handle building reactions efficiently. At the top level, a roof structure spans between exterior walls to enclose the building and connect back horizontally to the floor system underneath (Mata et al. 2020). The roof transfers wind, snow, seismic, and its own dead loads through the floors and walls into columns, then vertically through the entire path into adjoining column footings securely embedded in the ground.

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Advantages and disadvantages of the selected elements.

The major advantages of these structural components are their strength, durability, and ability to safely transfer both gravity and lateral loads through an integrated path down to the ground. Disadvantages mainly relate to space usage obstructing views or access, vulnerabilities requiring regular inspection and maintenance, and catastrophic failures resulting from overload or deterioration over time (Abualdenien et al. 2020). Careful design and construction are essential for long-term building integrity. Here is an overview of the advantages and disadvantages of key structural elements in buildings - roofs, beams, columns, walls, and foundations:

Roofs:

Advantages: Protect against weather, provide overhead coverage, and support lighter equipment/utilities.

Disadvantages: Exposed to weathering/deterioration, need regular maintenance, heavier loads require larger structure.

Figure 3: Sectional Elevation at ‘A-A'

(Source: Self-drawn)

Beams:

Advantages: Efficiently handle loads in bending between supports, integrate with other elements like floors/walls.

Disadvantages: Can obstruct headroom, limited load capacity, and spans needing additional members.

Columns:

Advantages: Efficiently carry large vertical gravity loads from beams, roof, and floor systems. Take a little floor space.

Disadvantages: Can disrupt floor layouts, weaker for lateral loads needing bracing elements.

Walls:

Advantages: Enclose, and protect spaces, help manage environmental conditions, provide vertical structure and support.

Disadvantages: Obstruct views/access between spaces, load resistance varies with the material.

Foundations:

Advantages: Safely transfer structure loads into the ground, and provide a fixed base for building stability.

Disadvantages: Buried elements make inspection difficult. Failures cause extensive structure damage.

Assumptions with Justifications.

Assumption 1: The specified column footing dimensions of 1200mm x 900mm provide an appropriate foundation size to support the column or wall loads transferred from the two-story residential building superstructure. Properly designing and sizing column footings is critical to prevent exceeding the bearing capacity of the underlying soil. As broad concrete bases, column footings distribute concentrated forces over larger surface areas to keep soil pressure within safe limits. The stated size offers sufficient load-spreading area for the estimated loads arising from the walls or columns above based on typical single-family residential building analysis by the structural engineer completing these foundation designs per codified parameters. This enables transferring structural forces down through soil safely.

Assumption 2: An underlying assumption made in the structural plans is that the building site contains firm native soil with suitable load-bearing capacity for the expected column footing design loads and adequate depth to establish the footings below local frost line requirements. Soil strength testing should be completed wherever new construction occurs to verify capacity suitability and set allowable footing dimensions and reinforcement criteria. Frost heaving over seasonal freeze-thaw cycles can undermine foundations placed too shallow. So requiring an appropriate planting depth into firm, stable soil material ensures the footings avoid shifting differentially or experiencing cracking damage when soil volumes fluctuate, compromising critical load transfer.

Assumption 3: The specified reinforced concrete mix and steel rebar layouts for constructing the column footings are assumed to meet requirements outlined by relevant design codes and local jurisdiction regulations pertaining to residential foundation components. Achieving prescribed strength benchmarks and durability metrics ensures soil pressures do not trigger concrete crushing or excessive flexural cracking allowing groundwater infiltration or steel corrosion over decades of building occupancy. Reviewing construction documents for compliance provides quality assurance before work begins. It also reduces the chances of incurring expensive rework to address identified deficiencies if inspectors caught issues later on.

Assumption 4: Upon completing construction, the owners and facility managers plan to implement an ongoing maintenance strategy including regular inspection intervals to monitor conditions involving building foundations and other difficult-to-access structural systems toward the end of service life. This enables catching deterioration early before cascading failures occur. It also facilitates intervention planning to avoid expensive emergency repairs. Exercising due diligence extends usable lifespan for optimal return on infrastructure investments. Recommended maintenance tasks for foundations involve checking for signs of cracking, erosion, moisture ingress, and ensuring drainage away from the structure.

Assumption 5: In developing architectural layouts for utilizing interior areas, the engineering design team is working collaboratively to locate essential columns, walls, foundation elements, and other structural components in careful consideration of space usage goals. Occupying higher demand zones with structure poses greater obstruction drawbacks. By reviewing positioning options holistically, less intrusive solutions typically emerge meeting both support and access needs. This multidisciplinary coordination regulates potential inefficient compromises for the builder and owner. Adaptive plans adjust support structures and layouts accordingly if preliminary assumptions require revising.

Annotated drawings of brick foundation

The foundation plan shows the outline of the house with the exterior brick walls labeled as 750mm wide. This provides a sturdy base to support the weight of the structure. The section elevation cuts perpendicularly through the foundation wall to expose the interior components. It displays the thickness of the brick wall, as well as the footing underneath (Thai et al, 2019).

The footing is made of concrete reinforced with steel rebar for additional strength. It has a width of 1200mm, extending 175mm on either side of the 750mm brick wall. The footing has a total thickness of 350mm, situated 200mm below the topsoil to protect against frost heave.

On top of the footing, the first course of concrete masonry units are laid. These block units have nominal dimensions of 390mmx190mmx190mm. They are arranged in a running bond pattern, with each vertical joint staggered. As the courses build up, steel rebar is embedded within select mortar joints to further reinforce the wall. The total wall height stretches 700mm above the top of the footing before the first-floor framing is installed.

Plan and sectional Elevation

The foundation plan shows a rectangular outline with outer dimensions of 9100mm x 10500mm. This will support a two bedroom apartment residence. The exterior brick walls that make up the foundation measure 750mm thick, providing a sturdy base for the weight of the building (Deng et al, 2020). Interior partition walls divide up the space into various rooms - namely two bedrooms, a living room, kitchen, and two bathrooms. The layout balances privacy and functionality. Doorways connect each room. Plumbing and electrical conduits run within the concrete floor slab, branching off to fixtures and outlets.

The slab itself sits atop a layer of gravel and is edged by the thick brick foundation walls. Steel rebar reinforcements within the brickwork and slab add further structural stability. At regular intervals, weep holes ventilate moisture (Yang et al, 2020). This robust foundation allows for the multi-story apartment residence to be constructed on top.

Sectional elevation:

The section view shows the 750mm thick brick foundation walls supported underneath by a 1200mm wide x 350mm thick concrete footing. Steel rebar reinforcements run vertically within the brickwork and horizontally within the footing (Corfar et al, 2022). The footing is situated 200mm below grade atop packed soil and extends 175mm beyond the wall on each side. Total height from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall is 700mm. This robust brick footing foundation provides a stable base for the loads of the two bedroom apartment residence structure above.

Conclusion

In summary, properly designed and interconnected foundations, floors, walls, and roofs provide secure load transfer paths for building stability during use and under specified loading conditions over its lifespan. Concrete column footings, reinforced concrete floor slabs, shear walls, and roof framing function cohesively to resolve a wide range of forces into the ground safely with some reasonable assumptions made. Regular inspection and maintenance help avoid potential failures by catching deterioration in difficult-to-access buried elements. Minor drawbacks like access limitations are managed through intentional layouts preserving intended functionality. When leveraged together in a sound structural strategy, these standardized building components offer an efficient, durable solution customizable across applications. Further analyses focusing on vulnerabilities, cost-optimization, sustainability benefits, or other targets would offer additional valuable insights on the options.

References

Journals

• Thai, H.T., Ngo, T. and Uy, B., 2020, December. A review on modular construction for high-rise buildings. In Structures (Vol. 28, pp. 1265-1290). Elsevier.
• Ginigaddara, B., Perera, S., Feng, Y. and Rahnamayiezekavat, P., 2022. Development of an offsite construction typology: A Delphi study. Buildings, 12(1), p.20.
• Deng, E.F., Zong, L., Ding, Y., Zhang, Z., Zhang, J.F., Shi, F.W., Cai, L.M. and Gao, S.C., 2020. Seismic performance of mid-to-high rise modular steel construction-A critical review. Thin-Walled Structures, 155, p.106924.
• Yang, L., Cheng, J.C. and Wang, Q., 2020. Semi-automated generation of parametric BIM for steel structures based on terrestrial laser scanning data. Automation in Construction, 112, p.103037.
• Ahmed, I.M. and Tsavdaridis, K.D., 2019. The evolution of composite flooring systems: applications, testing, modelling and eurocode design approaches. Journal of Constructional Steel Research, 155, pp.286-300.
• Mata Falcón, J., Bischof, P., Huber, T., Anton, A., Burger, J.J., Ranaudo, F., Jipa, A., Gebhard, L., Reiter, L., Lloret-Fritschi, E. and Van Mele, T., 2022. Digitally fabricated ribbed concrete floor slabs: a sustainable solution for construction. RILEM Technical Letters, 7, pp.68-78.
• Gunawardena, T. and Mendis, P., 2022. Prefabricated building systems—design and construction. Encyclopedia, 2(1), pp.70-95.
• Rajanayagam, H., Poologanathan, K., Gatheeshgar, P., Varelis, G.E., Sherlock, P., Nagaratnam, B. and Hackney, P., 2021, December. A-State-Of-The-Art review on modular building connections. In Structures (Vol. 34, pp. 1903-1922). Elsevier.
• Abualdenien, J., Schneider-Marin, P., Zahedi, A., Harter, H., Exner, H., Steiner, D., Singh, M.M., Borrmann, A., Lang, W., Petzold, F. and König, M., 2020. Consistent management and evaluation of building models in the early design stages. Journal of Information Technology in Construction, 25, pp.212-232.
• Deng, E.F., Zong, L., Ding, Y., Zhang, Z., Zhang, J.F., Shi, F.W., Cai, L.M. and Gao, S.C., 2020. Seismic performance of mid-to-high rise modular steel construction-A critical review. Thin-Walled Structures, 155, p.106924.
• Corfar, D.A. and Tsavdaridis, K.D., 2022. A comprehensive review and classification of inter-module connections for hot-rolled steel modular building systems. Journal of Building Engineering, 50, p.104006.

Website

• Happhoadmin (2022) 10 Modern 2 BHK Floor Plan Ideas for Indian Homes. https://happho.com/10-modern-2-bhk-floor-plan-ideas-for-indian-homes/.