Reading Summary

Reading 6 focuses mostly on building materials, Ching talks about different materials like Bricks/CMUS and how they are bonded, Wood, Steel and Concrete, concrete reinforcement. Bricks come in different shapes sizes and compositions (same with cmu) Bricks can be made with soft mud all the way to water struck construction, the main difference between all the brick types is how the brick is being assembled and what types of conditions in going to be used  in like SW bricks are tailored more into being resistant to severe weather like rain and snow which make brick deteriorate faster, CMU or concrete masonry units are on a similar level with brick, they are pre cast with cement, water and aggregate and are poured into cast to take on a specific shape which is determined by the function the unit has to fulfil, CMU also has different grade Levels like N OR S which is for loadbearing but one is meant for exterior use because its weather protected while the other is more for walls exposed to moisture, Wood and steel are 2 very different building elements, Wood can range from being hard to soft and is mainly used for manufacturing things such as doors, winds, and mill work. Wood is categorized by Yard lumber or Shop wood (lumber/timber) the wood can have different grades which are made up from moisture content and species of wood. Steel beams are very versatile because they have good tensile and compressive property’s, the most common shaped steel beam is called the Wide Flanged beam, steel could be welded or riveted together, and its strength depends on the size of the steel as well as the connection it has with the other members. And lastly we have concrete, concrete is a very strong material which is made of cement and various minerals, it has very good compressive resistance but is very weak in tension just like bricks, Steel reinforcement is placed inside of concrete to give it more structure and add tensile force to the concrete, cement rages from category 1-5 . if concrete is reinforced the steel rods that are inside must be protected form the elements to prevent rust which will deteriorate the concrete that’s around it.

Ching explains in detail building materials such as wood and steel. The wood is malleable and compressible, shape-changing and lightweight, but the steel shows better results in terms of firmness and fire resistance. Steel with SWC and tubing three shapes. It also talks about different ways of building wood and steel

In reading number six “Building construction illustrated” chapters 5.25 ~ 12.14, we go over five different building elements. We review the terminology and functions for brick/CMU bonding, wood components, steel shapes reinforced Concrete and precast Concrete floor systems. Beginning with Masonry, Brick is extensively used for cladding on the building envelope. Structural clay tiles are used in areas of heavy wear, or places with lots of moisture. There are Different wall thicknesses and patterns that can be constructed. For example, “Wythe” is a continuous vertical section of a brick one unit in thickness. On the other hand, “course” is a continuous horizontal arrangement of bricks. A “stretcher” are bricks laid horizontally with the longer edge parallel to the surface. Mortar joints are mentioned as well, some examples of these joints are concave joints, v-joints, struck joints, and weathered joints. Brick is also used for cavity walls, which uses the running bond method. Standard brick walls can use either Flemish, Common or Stack for decorative purposes. Next building element is wood; Wood is classified as a renewable material that can be cut and shaped in order to satisfy the demand of a structural load. Lumber; which is simply wood that has been cut to a specific dimension is used as structural lumber, boards and timber. Each has its own strength and load requirements. loads must be evenly distributed with the use of a grid system that supports load bearing elements. Connections between wood pieces can be made by using steel plates, bolts, nails and much more. Steel beams on the other hand are much stronger and are forged instead of cut. Steel beams can be connected using angles, stiffer plates, and bolts. The strength of these connections depends the alignment between individual iron pieces and their size. Then we come across Reinforced concrete, which in most circumstances act as great load bearing columns. Concrete beams main function is to resist applied forces. Lastly precast concrete slabs and beams are used in helping to span units that may be supported by site cast concrete, steel, precast concrete frames. In chapter eight Ching speaks about masonry, and the fact that for the majority of human history masonry was the main material used in building technology, A lot of the foundation and facade were made by using the simplest of building techniques that required more skilled laborer’s than complicated equipment. Materials such as brick, stone, or concrete blocks were stacked in order to make walls and load bearing walls. The chapter also goes into depth about mortar mixes, the construction of brick masonry and its ingredients and components. It emphasizes that brick is the best material to build with when it comes to its fire resistant and color schemes. Bricks also are made with hollow cores to add grouting and reinforcing steel and was easily upgraded when insulation material was later introduced.

Chapter 8 mainly discusses brick masonry. Firstly, it tells the history of brick. Then it introduces the types of mortar, such as cement and lime mortar, composition, use, (involving 13 chapters) and chemical composition. Then it mainly discusses the advantages of many colors, different patterns, good adhesion and high adhesion.

In this reading ching covers wood steal and concrete. The wood consist of  factory lumber, dimension lumber, structural lumber, and timber. Wood is very good with tension and compression. Would is known for structural strength and appearance. Structural lumber includes beams of more than five inches wide stringer and post. Dimensional lumber consist of joice, light framing, and decking, Then theirs steal. Steal comes in four shapes, S shape, W shape, C shape, and tubing. Teal already comes cut from the factories. Steal has shear and moment connections. These connections consist of angles,plates, and bolts. Some ridged connections have well. Open web joist can span from twelve ft to 144ft.

Chapter 8

Mortar is used in machinery to steal and keeps water to seal and keep water away and for bonding. Mortar comes in many colors and strengths. Brick is fined resistant and also comes in many colors. Brick walls have different patterns like the running bond for cavity walls and Flemish bonds. Steal lintels are reinforced brick with cement grout and other lintels are made of precast reinforce concrete. Thicker walls are reinforce with grout.

Reading number six was very long. We as a class had to read from two different textbooks the ching and the fundamental of building construction. I started with Chings book as he mentions and describes many things. Ching talks about masonry and how it has many terminologies. He then goes to explaining the different masonry bonding’s. Lumber, wood panel products, steel beams, steel columns, concrete beams, concrete columns, precast concrete floor systems, and precast concrete units was later on described and explained profoundly. In the other textbook the fundamental of building construction we only had to read chapter eight. That chapter was mainly about sustainability of brick masonry. It at first mentioned the history and the mortar of bricks. It then continued on explaining its benefits and developments  in a construction use.

In Ching he explains in detail of building materials. Ching starts explaining the different parts of masonry bonding and then the different types of mortar joints and different bonding designs. He then moves on to lumber. He explains how there are different types of lumber and what their uses are. Lumber has to go through different grades to make sure that they are suitable for what they will be used for. Next, Ching talks about the different shapes of steel beams, and each one is used in construction. He also explains what span should the steel beams be to support a certain weight. Then Ching explains reinforced concrete beams. He states, ” designed to act together with longitudinal and web reindorcement in resisting applied forces”. Concrete columns should have lateral reinforcement  in order to resist vertical forces. Lastly, Ching talks about pre cast concrete flooring. They are made off site and then bought in. They are used for one way spanning and have great structural capacity.

In this reading Ching basically summarizes the difference between  building and architecture. Many people think that there the same thing but they have there differences. Building is mostly focused on materials, elements, and components. Where in Architecture its more about scale, proportion and organization. This means its about order or patterns for example if theirs a column on one side there should be one in the other side. Its also about human scale and dimensions. For example the rise and tred on stairs or the height of the door etc. Things like this differentiate building to architecture. There are also multiple system when constructing. There are structural, enclosure, and mechanical systems. Where structural systems focus on support and stress and enclosure system consist of roof walls, windows and doors.Finally Mechanical system is based on water, heating, ventilation, and electrical system which basically is what makes a home a home.

For these readings, Ching goes in depth on how certain materials is used for construction , as well as their general purpose/rules of thumb. The materials explained in these readings were bricks, steel, wood, concrete, and stone. Wood is identified as softwood or hardwood, and are graded differently depending on how they were cut. Each wood are also considered as yard lumber or factory and shop lumber. Usually yard lumber is used for general building purposes, and factory/shop lumber is used for doors, windows, and mill work. Each piece has a grade-mark that indicates its stress grade,  origin, moisture content, when it was made, and type of lumber. There are many steel shapes,  and the one used frequently for columns are the W-shaped steel. There are other steel shapes, such as a round pipe, rectangular/square tubing, welded plates, and a cruciform. Ching also explains the spacing for various steel tube sizes. The rule of thumb for steel for estimating the depth of steel is span/20 with beams, and span/15 for girders, with a width 1/3-1/2 in. The idea of steel is to use the lightest steel that resists bending/shear forces. For concrete beams, the rule of thumb for depth is span/16, while the beam width is also 1/3-1/2 in. Some concrete parts require reinforced steel to help stability against forces. Concrete columns spacing determines what load could be on top of it. Concrete wall are usually used for loads as well, along with some reinforced steel. Precast concrete beams, and slabs are made with lightweight concrete which makes them better for structural efficiency, with less depth, reduced length and longer spans. Concrete topping is crucial because it increases fire-resistance, and could help out with wiring. The tees, and slabs of concrete varies depending on the load on top. Concrete girders are usually built for bridges or highways, but could be implemented in buildings sometimes. Masonry bricks vary in size, and depending on how they are used, they could be labeled as something different each time. The stretcher is a unit that is horizontally long, a header is a unit that is horizontal but is` laid out parallel  to the surface, a rowlock is a horizontal brick with a longer edge exposed on the face of the wall, and a soldier is a vertical brick with the longer edge face exposed. The way they are laid out each have a specific purpose, and is usually built for that reason. there is a running bend wall, a common bond, a stack bend, a Flemish cross/ diagonal, and many more.

Referring to ching book in reinforced concrete beams which they are designed to act together with longitudinal and web reinforcement in resisting applied forces with a specific beam depth. And in concrete colums which are designed to act together with vertical and lateral reinforcement in resisting applied forces. Also he mentioned the reinforced concrete columns which are usually cast with concrete beams and slabs to form a monolithic structure. In addition for the precast concrete slabs, beams, and structure tees are one way spanning units that may be supported by sitecate concrete, precast concrete and many others. steel has a special way of connections and it has 10 of them and it has different shapes such as the S shape, W shape, C shape and a construral tube. He have also talked about the Masonry Bonding which is basically on how to place or organise the pattern of the structure.