WALLS

TABLE OF CONTENT

-Walls. •Definition and characteristics.

-Types of walls.•Load-Bearing wall•Non-Bearing wall

-Conclusions

Do you know what a wall is and what is its function?

Is a vertical structure, usually solid, that defines and

sometimes protects an area.

A building wall will usually have:

• structural elements• Insulation• surface

Functions of the walls

• containment an area• for walling • delineates a building• separates space in buildings• to support roofs and ceilings

• The wall may house various types of electrical wiring or plumbing

• Building walls frequently become works of art externally and internally

• Curtain walls

Characteristics

Materials

The two most common materials used nowadays for walling in domestic construction are brickwork and blockwork.

Stones

Brick Concrete

Wood Masonry

The two types of walls are load-bearing, which supports the weight of floors and roofs, and non-bearing wall, which

at most supports its own weight.

TYPES OF WALLS

LOAD-BEARING WALL

The load-bearing wall of masonry is thickened in proportion to the forces it has to resist: its own load, the load of floors, roofs, persons, etc., and the lateral forces of arches, vaults, wind, etc., that may cause it to crack or buckle.

Its thickness can often be reduced at the top, because loads accumulate towards the base.

The number of openings that can be used depends on the strength of the masonry and the stresses in the

wall. Walls in light, wood-framed structures and in reinforced-

concrete construction may have a bearing function also

Doors and windows weaken the resistance of the wall and divert the forces about them to the parts on

either side, which must be thickened in proportion to the width of

the opening.

The placement of walls is determined by the type of support for

floors and roofs. The commonest support is the beam, which must be

jointed to walls at both ends.

All floors and coverings are most easily

supported on straight, parallel walls except

the dome.

NON-BEARING WALL A non-bearing wall system is an outer covering of a building in which the outer walls are non-structural, but merely keep the weather out

and the occupants in. As it is non-structural it can be made of a lightweight material reducing

construction costs. The non-bearing wall appears only where loads are carried by other

members.

CONCLUSIONSWalls are vital in architecture and our life, because they give us shelter protecting us from the outside.

Some of them are used to bear loads, but others work just as a separation from the outside and at the same

time, to give the building best visuals.