In this section of the book Ching is talking about Concrete, Masonry, Steel, Stoon and Wood. Concere is a mixed of water,aggregate and cement. There is 5 different types of cements are listed in Ching’s book. Adding Aggregate to Concrete is important to the strength, weight, and fire resistance of the hardened concrete. Masonry refers to a building with different natural products such as Bricks, Stone and Concrete blocks. Steel is basically any type of iron that have a carbon content less then cast iron and more than wrought iron. It has differen types of shaping such as first Structural tubing which can be either square, rectangular or circular. Second WT shape or L shape. Third is Basrd that can be either square, round and or even flat. Stone is an aggregate or combination of minerals which is composed of inorganic chemical substances to qualify as a construction material. to be qualified stone should have: strenght, hardness, Durability, workability, density and appearance. Reffering to ching’s book Wood is strong, durable, light in weight and easy to work with as a construction material. Two of the major classes of wood are softwood and hardwood.
Category: Uncategorized (Page 7 of 12)
Reading Number 5, In this Section Ching discusses the different types of building materials that are used and what purpose each of the material fulfills. The materials include Stone, Brick/CMU, Wood, Steel, and Concrete/Reinforced concrete. Each of the building materials Listed has its own select properties: Stone is useful as a load bearing material but has plenty of other uses like making aggerate, decoration purpose and structures like posts or flooring. Bricks/CMU could be used for common building or making masonry walls bricks are listed in 5 different categories each consisting of a different process of manufacturing (soft,sand,water,stiff,dry) and bricks have different ratings to see how durable they are from the elements (SW,MW,NW) Cmu on the other hand is concrete poured into specific shapes but are also used to create walls since these cmu’s are precast they can be made into any shape that will be needed on a building site (come in different weights and exposure ratings to the elements) Wood which come in all shapes, sizes and durability is a strong building element that is very versatile like all these other building elements certain woods are used for different  functions based on rating (N,A,B,C,C-Plugged, D) Steel which is common used as wide flange can be used to create beams but is also versatile and lastly concrete and reinforcement, concrete is made by mixing an aggerate with various minerals and water. Once the concrete is mixed it is than poured into casts with steel reinforcement to add structure and reinforcement to the cement.
In this part of the Ching’s book, he talks about the accessories of a foundation. He begins with stone, its qualities and types. According to ching, stone must have specific strength, hardness, durability, appearance, density and texture. The 3 main types of stone are Igneous Rock (Crystallization of molten magma), Sedimentary Rock (Removal of remains by glacial action), Metamorphic rock (changes in texture by heat and pressure). Some other types of stone are Rubble stone, which are the most rough, broken pieces. Crushed stone are the aggregate in concrete. Dimension stone are the uniformly shaped squares used for flooring and panels. And flagstone which are slabs used for flooring and vertical surfaces. Earlier in chapter 12 he defines bricks as Face (good for color and design) and Common or Building bricks (no treatment of color or texture). Their types vary from greater variation sizes and color range, to moderate, and narrow (FBX, FBS, FBA). Ching also warns us on page 6 chapter 12 that Efflorescence (exposed white powder of concrete from salts) can be treated with moisture absorption. Then, he labels with illustrations all types of blocks and their functions toward building a foundation. Furthermore in chapter 12, he introduces wood as natural, strong, lightweight, and friendly to use as a foundation or a design structure. The 2 major classes or wood are hard (from cherry or maple trees) or soft (from pine or spruce). Along with categorizing wood, he mentions that tree growth depicts strength and joints for enclosure. With his illustrations, he made clear that the grain direction depicts the use of wood as a structural material in the parallel direction to handle tension and compression well. However, tension that is perpendicular to the grain causes split! In addition, keep in mind that radial shrinkage can happen twice as much as tangential shrinkage. To protect your wood from fungi or bacteria (not 100%) dry its moisture to increase strength and stability. Moreover, on page 8, steel in described by Ching as high in strength, low-cost material, which must be coated with fire resistant materials, then he provides illustrations to the different shapes of steel. Finally, he provides the formula to make concrete (Cement+Water+Aggregate). Cement is a fine powder of burning a mix of limestone and clay. The water must be free of all organic materials. And aggregates must make up 60 to 80% of the concrete. The ratio of water to cement should be 0.45-0.60. Because concrete is not great in tension, it’s usually supported by reinforced steel. And now I summarized Ching’s part of his book about Masonry and materials in volumes.
Ching talks about concrete, masonry, stone, and wood. Reading five starts by Ching stating how concrete is made and how reinforcement is required to handle tensile and shear stresses. The mixing of cement and various mineral aggregates with sufficient water to cause the cement to set and blind the entire mass is what customs concrete. Then Ching talks about masonry which he refers to the building with units of various natural or manufactured product, examples are brick, stone, or concrete blocks. 12.07 explains concrete masonry units which are precast of Portland cement, fine aggregate, and water. Concrete masonry is molded into various shapes to satisfy various constructions. Stone is an aggregate or combination of minerals, each of which is composed of inorganic chemical substances. Ching tells us how stones should have the qualities strength, hardness, durability, workability, density, and appearance. 12.11-12.12 was about wood. Wood is mentioned to be as a construction material that’s strong, durable, light and weight, and easy to work with.
In reading four Ching talks about structural units, structural spans, structural patterns, and lateral stability. Structural units can be capable of defining and enclosing the volume of space for a habitation with the principal structural elements of column, beam, slab, and loadbearing wall. Structural spans explain the relationship between the span and the spacing of elements that influence the dimensions and scale of the space that are defined by the structural system of a building. Structural patterns are basically preparation of principal vertical supports of regulating the selection of a spanning system and also that determines the possibilities for the ordering of spaces and functions in a building. 2.22 “Lateral stability” explains how structural systems must be designed to carry vertical gravity loads and also withstand lateral wind and seismic force from any direction. The mechanisms for ensuring lateral stability are knee bracing, k-brace, and cross bracing. Ching also explains how the torsional effects of lateral forces are determined by the asymmetrical layout of irregular structures generally requires dynamic analysis.
In this section of the book Ching speaks about stone, masonry, brick, brick types, brick grades, wood, steel, and concrete. Ching explains that stone is an aggregate or combination of minerals, each of which is composed of inorganic chemical substances. He also says stone should have the following qualities strength, hardness, durability, workability, density, and appearance. Stone may also be classified according to geological origin into types of ingenious rock, metamorphic rock and sedimentary rock. Stone is also similar to modular unit masonry. Masonry refers to building with units of various natural or manufactured products, such as brick, stone, or concrete block. Brick is a mansonry unit of clay formed into a rectangular prism, just like stone there are different types of bricks as well and they are soft mud, sand bricks, water struck brick, stiff mud and dry press. Brick grades designates the Durability of a brick unit when exposed to weathering. In this section Ching explains that wood is strong, durable, light in weight, and easy to work, in addition it offers natural beauty and warmth to sight and touch. Lastly concrete is made by mixing cement and various mineral aggregates with sufficient water to cause the cement to set and bind the entire mass.
This reading covers structural units, spans, and patterns. Some important units that we should take in consideration would be beams,joist, and columns, bearing walls, slabs and decking. These elements put together can construct a solid well put together peace. There are two different types of systems there are one way systems and two way systems but two way systems are more effective there supported by four columns which defines a horizontal layered space. The length of the horizontal element depends on the vertical support. There are also patterns that are made up of a grid. Grids that you can make different varieties of. You can make regular, irregular and even rotations. Forms of stability are knee bracing, K bracing , cross bracing. There are rigid frames bracing frames and shear walls to hold up.
In reading #4 Chin describes the fundamental basic building block for a structural system. The best way to start of structure is with a more rectangular shaped postal and lintel frame work. For example that system is when the ration of the long to shot damsons is greater than 1.5:1. When the system is close to complete or before you begin to do such, you have to make sure which system you’ll use. Different materials and different spacing for the system is needed for various damsons of the site. You can use a grid to help you process and understand the fundamental system that you need for your building. When contrasting a lateral force you must have a center of mass as strong as possible.
Amira Abdalla
March 8, 2019
Professor Montgomery
ARCH 1231
In this part of the book by Ching, he explains the structural topologies of the buildings. First, he summarizes the pieces that make up the structure and their functions. For example, the vertical joists are supported by the horizontal beams which are defined by the length of the vertical parts. In order to build a strong foundation, the more rectangular the structure is the better (ratio of long to short is 1.5 : 1). Think of an X and Y axis. The horizontal beams are the X (independent) axis which define the spacing that depicts where the vertical joists Y (dependent) should be placed. Furthermore he describes a structural pattern as a grid. He defines the intersections as the location of the columns or a threshold in the design. The spaces between vertical joists define the movement spaces. And finally, any spaces present between 2 structures can be filled in with a third structure such as load bearing walls. Later on, he writes about structural stability as a series of structures working together to keep the foundation stable if joined correctly. For example, the horizontal diaphragm acts as the compression plate that tests the Braced and rigid frame to keep out any angular changes in the structure. The shear wall also acts against gravity which prevents the structure from digging into the ground. Moreover, he warns us that structures must be arranged symmetrically to avoid any distortion. With that said. He vividly explains with the use of images to help the reader visualize the meanings of his terminology.
In Ching’s book, He explains how structural units (beams, columns, and bearing walls) need to be placed in order to carry the load of the structure. When it comes to beams and columns there is a rule on how wide the span between them must be. The span also depends on how the structure is. For example, if there are two bearing walls they are more effective with a series of joists or planks. On page 2.20, Ching shows a chart on span can the material hold and what they can hold with that length. Structural patterns is another way for the materials to bear. Ching states, “The inherent geometric order of a grid can be used in the design process to initiate and reinforce the functional and spatial organization of a building design.” In the structure there should also be lateral stability. The basic design for that are Rigid frames, shear walls, and braced frames. Rigid frames and braced frames can use additional design for more lateral support such as knee bracing, k-brace, and cross-bracing. However, the lateral forces should be arranged in a symmetrical order of center and mass to prevent destructive torsional effects.
