Building (walls)

Walls are continuous vertical structure of a building which are built primarily to perform any or a combination of these functions:

1. Enclose space, as in the external walls of a building, boundary or fence wall, reservoirs, and so on.

Ii. Divide space as in partition and compartment walks.

iii. Carry load and provide support for other elements and fitments for the building structure like the load of the floor and the roof above, windows, electrical fittings, air conditioners, sanity and water supply fitments.

Walks in the building can, in addition, be used as a shield against bad weather; some are used for screening spaces from view, and yet some are also used for decoration. Walls may or may not be constructed to carry any load.

Materials for making Walls

There are variety of materials for the construction of walls in Nigeria, walls are with any or combination of these materials – grasses, leaves, tree branches, tree trunks, timbre, stone, mud, bricks of clay, sand, concrete blocks, metal sheets, concrete, timer products (manufactured wood), synthetic materials and glass, curtain, zinc. Some of these walls are shown.

Types of Walls

Walls may be classified according to the materials for which they are made of or according to the purpose they serve.

Classification of walls according to their materials

1. Block wall/masonry
2. Stone wall

iii. Mud wall

1. Timber wall
2. Zinc wall
3. Brick wall

vii. Glazed wall

viii. Concrete wall

1. Metal wall

Classification of walls according to their functions

1. This wall supports or carry load from the upper floor or roof.
2. Non-load bearing wall: This wall does not support other loads apart from its own.

iii. Partition wall: This wall divides space inside building g into rooms or compartments.

1. Parapet wall: This is a wall above the roof plane. It is used in concrete roof. Also, it is used to guide the edge of a roof or balcony. It is usually protected with coping.

Bonding

Bonding is a process of laying blocks or bricks so that the blocks or bricks lap or project beyond those immediately above or below them. Masonry walls have little tensile strength compared to their great weight, therefore whenever there is a slight settlement especially near a corner or joint, the walls tend to crack. Bonding or otherwise tying together of the units of masonry is the best practical way of preventing these cracks. An unbounded wall which is easily identified by the presence of continuous vertical joints is a very weak structure. When a load is transmitted to the unbonded wall, it is practically concentrated on the portion between the continuous vertical joints with the result that the portion may end to “drop” and the wall shears along the joint. The unbounded wall therefore has little strength and stability. The same load transmitted to a bonded wall is distributed and borne by a larger number of flocks or bricks and therefore over a larger area.

Types of Bond

1. Flemish bond
2. English bond
3. Stretcher bond

Assessment

List the types of bond you know