PARTITION WALLS

Building Materials & Construction

INTRODUCTION
▪ A partition wall may be defined as a wall or
division made up of bricks, studding, glass or other
such material and provided for the purpose of
dividing one room or portion of a room from
another.
▪ Partition walls are designed as non-load bearing
walls. It may be of folding, collapsible or fixed
type.
▪ If partition walls are load bearing then they are
called as ‘internal wall’.
▪ Divide the whole area into a number of rooms.
▪ Provide privacy to the inmates from sight and
sound.
▪ Are light in weight and cheaper in cost of
construction.
▪ Occupy lesser area
▪ Easily constructed in any position.
 REQUIREMENTS OF A GOOD PARTITION WALL:

▪ Thin in cross-section so that maximum floor area can be utilized.

▪ Provide adequate privacy in rooms both in respect of sight and
sound.
▪ Constructed from light, sound, uniform, homogeneous, durable
and sound insulated materials.
▪ Simple in nature, easy and economical in construction having
proper coherence with the type of building structure.
▪ Offer sufficient resistance against fire, heat, dampness, white ant
or fungus, etc.
▪ Rigid enough to take the vibrations caused due to loads.
▪ Strong enough to support sanitary fittings and heavy fixtures.
TYPES OF PARTITION
▪ Brick partitions,
WALLS:
▪ Hollow block partitions,
▪ Clay block partitions,
▪ Concrete partitions,
▪ Glass block partitions,
▪ Wooden partitions,
▪ Straw board partitions,
▪ Plaster slab partitions,
▪ Metal partitions,
▪ Asbestos cement partitions, and
▪ Double glazed window.
BRICK PARTITION
▪ Constructed with plain bricks, Reinforced
bricks, bricks-nogged or hollow bricks.
▪ Plain brick partition of half brick thickness is
not more than 2m in height.
▪ In reinforced brick partition of half brick
thickness, reinforcement in the form of wire
mesh or hoop iron or steel bars is provided.
▪ Brick nogging partition wall consists of
brickwork built up within a framework of
wooden members.
▪ Brick partition is fire-resistant and sound-
proof.
HOLLOW BLOCK AND CLAY BLOCK
PARTITIONS
▪ Hollow concrete block partitions are built of
individual units of concrete.
▪ Clay blocks used are well prepared from clay or
terra-cotta, and they are either solids or hollow.
▪ Hollow clay blocks of section 30*20 cm with
thickness varying from 5 cm to 15 cm can also
be used.
▪ The blocks are provided with grooves on top,
bottom and sides, surfaces are kept glazed in
different colures.
They do not change their volume and are in
lighter in weight.

Hollow clay blocks

Acoustic Clay Hollow Partition
Wall
CONCRETE PARTITION
▪ It can be either precast or cast in-situ.
▪ Special concrete posts are used for the
construction of precast concrete partition walls.

Concrete block
GLASS PARTITION
▪ Are made from sheet glass or hollow glass
blocks.
▪ Provides good aesthetics and allow light
▪ Are damp, sound and heat proof.
▪ Easy to clean and maintain.
▪ Sheets of glass are fixed in the frame work of
wooden or metal.
▪ Hollow blocks doesn’t need timber framework.
WOODEN PARTITION
▪ Lighter in weight and easy to construct.
▪ Neither sound-proof nor fire-proof.
▪ Not suitable for damp locations.
Are of two types

Common partitions Trussed partitions

Are comprised of vertical
members known as studs
bridged between upper
horizontal(head) and lower
horizontal(sill) member.
Are designed on the principle
of truss are useful where it is
possible to provide supports
only.
Head

Stud

Sill
Wooden partition wall
STRAWBOARD PARTITIONS
▪ Useful where removal of partitions is
frequent.
▪ Made of compressed straw covered thick
paper or hardboard.
▪ Easy to construct.
▪ Heat and sound proof partitions.
Strawboard Partition( with glass also used)
PLASTER SLAB PARTITIONS
▪ Are made of burnt gypsum or plaster of paris
mixed with sawdust.
▪ 5cm to 10cm thick slabs are prepared in iron or
timber moulds.
▪ To form rigid joints suitable grooves are
provided in the plaster slabs.
▪ Nails and screws can be easily driven into these
slabs.
Incomplete Partition wall of Plaster and expandable metal
METAL PARTITIONS
▪ Are light in weight, fireproof and strong.
▪ Are easy to construct and shift.
▪ Insulated material is filled into hollow spaces.
▪ Used for office and industrial buildings.
▪ Are also formed of metal lathes supported and
fixed by wires.
Skeleton metal partition
ASBESTOS CEMENT PARTITIONS
▪ Light in weight, impervious, durable, water
tight and fire-proof.
▪ Asbestos cement sheets are made of asbestos
cement sheets and fixed into timber framework.
▪ Sheets are placed in position and joined by
cement mortar.
▪ Are mostly adopted in works of temporary
character.
DOUBLE GLAZED WINDOW
▪ Used for acoustic insulation.
▪ Air space between two panes is kept 50mm or
more.
▪ Air contained within narrow cavity is quite
‘stiff’
▪ Transmits vibration at low frequencies.
Double glazed window
MOVABLE PARTITIONS
▪ Movable partitions are used where the walls of
a room are frequently opened to form one large
floor area.
 There are
three types of
partitions:

Sliding: Sliding Screens: Screens are

Sliding & folding:
partitions consists of usually constructed of
Sliding and folding
series of panels that a metal or timber
partitions operate in a
slide in tracks fixed to frame. It is fixed with
similar manner to
the floor and ceiling. plywood and
sliding folding doors.
The machine if the chipboard inside. The
They are normally
partition is similar to screen supported with
used for smaller spans.
those of sliding doors. legs for free standing
and easy movement.
Foldable partition wall
PORTABLE PARTITIONS
▪ Rolling mobile folding partitions which provide
temporary walls
▪ The portable wall partition has two full panel
end members which provide support, rigidity,
privacy, and noise reduction.
▪ They fold and are on wheels enabling mobility
and ease of storage.
THREE COMMON USES ARE:
▪ To divide space quickly where non-mobile
permanent room dividers may be unavailable or
unpractical.
▪ As a cost effective way to create a classroom or
meeting room in existing space.
▪ Convenient sight divider to conceal door
openings to restrooms, commercial kitchens,
and other backroom areas.
PORTABLE PARTITIONS ARE COMMONLY USED IN:

▪ Arena’s
▪ Churches/Houses of Worship/Funeral Homes
▪ Conference/Convention Centres
▪ Government/Corporate offices
▪ Hotels/Restaurants
▪ Residences
▪ Salons and Spas
▪ Schools of all levels
REFERENCES:
▪ Dr B.C.Punamia, Building Construction
▪ S.P.Arora and S.P.Bindra, Building
Construction
▪ Robert Jantschek, Portable wall partition with
full panel end members.
▪ www.niceduniya.com,Principles of design of
partitions walls.
▪ Images are taken from google image search