Wall system

Introduction; wall system is one of the parts of the building system which makes the
building functional.it is the part of supper structure which serve as partition inside the building
and also differentiate the inside from the external environment. There are different types of
wall based on their function or other mechanism.

Definition;
Walls are vertical or inclined elements of a building that enclose, separate and protect its
interior spaces.
Wall is used to transfer loads that come from supper structure’s (load bearing wall)
It used to define architectural spaces to architectural elements.
It is;
Main architectural element
Geometry: vertical, standing, straight or curved, flat volumes
Walls + Piers most important load bearing element
Interior: Definition of rooms,
Exterior: Volumetric and aesthetic appearance
Connecting + Separating
Filter between exterior and interior
Accompany our movements
Accommodating us and our things
Essence of interior is influenced by relation of wall and opening
Buildings can have character of wall 

PURPOSE
•Provide required level of enclosure and define space
1-defines space hence afford security, privacy
2-thermal insulation
3-sound insulation
4-wind protection
5-structural -support of the structure above
6-fire protection
So walls should be;
1-strong and stable-impact resistant
2-weather resistant-sun and dampness
3-durable
4-fire resistant
5-thermal insulating
6-sound insulating
REQUIREMENTS

1. TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS
• Strength
–Supporting roofs & their own weight,
–Transfer load on it to beams,
–Resist any lateral loads.
–Retain earth pressure.
•Exclude Weather
•Insulate sound and temperature
•Resist fire transmission

2. ARCHITECTURAL REQUIREMENTS

Walls are the most visible form-defining elements & thus become primary elements that define
the aesthetic character of a building.
–Shape & surface characteristic of walls are responsible for making visual composition.

–Factors affecting appearance /visual pattern/ are:

TEXTURE, COLOR, FORM & SCALE

–Which in turn affects, choice of materials.

3 Functional requirements
The functional requirements of a wall are
• Strength and stability
• Resistance to weather
• Durability and freedom from maintenance
• Fire safety
• Resistance to the passage of heat
• Resistance to the passage of sound

TYPES:
Wall types can be categorized on the bases of:
•Location of the Wall
–External walls
It used to separate the building from the external environment.
 –Internal /Partition walls
It is in side wall that used to separate or partition inside partition of the building
•based on Structural Requirement
–Load bearing walls
Wall supporting itself as well as loads from above-dead load, live load, wind
pressure, earth quake force etc.
In order to insure uniformity of loading openings on wall should be minimized.
Strength of the wall is a direct proportion of strength of the individual elements in it and
joining element.

Examples of load bearing wall

a-solid masonry wall
b-cavity wall
c-faced wall
d-veneered wall

–Non Load bearing walls

Wall only supporting itself, but could be fire resistant, sound insulating

Example; Framed Infill Walls

•based on Material Used

–Wood and chika
Traditional construction in Ethiopia-
Neighborhood chika mixed with straw ( chid -straw of teff)
-circular plans with thatched roofs in countryside
-rectangular plans in towns
–Stone and chika
Common in Ethiopia, especially in northern part-
-hidmo house in tigrai
Relatively more durable than wood and chika, good environmental advantage.
Goode environmental advantage.
–Brick masonry
Masonryisthetermusedtoreferconstructionusingpiecesofconstructionmaterialsmadeintoblocksa
ndstackedtogetherusingdifferentbindingmechanisms.
Brick masonry-from brick units bonded together with cementing material referred as mortar.-
the strength of brickwork as a mass or wall depends on what is known as “bond” and its
cementing material. Brick sizes in Addis Ababa-l=24cm, w=11.5cm h=5.32w+joint=l-----------
--joint=1cm2h+joint=w------------joint=1cm

MORTAR
Usedtobindmasonryunitstogether.Intheearlydaysmasonrywasjustpileduponeontopoftheotherto
createrubblewall.Laterbindingmaterialssuchasmud,limeandrecentlycementmortarstartedtobeu
sed.CementmortarformasonryismadeofPortlandcement,hydratedlime,sandandwater.

Bonding- Is the system of laying bricks in such a manner that no vertical joint in any row or
course is in line with the joint in the course immediately above or below the one considered,
joints are staggered. Mortar types in brick wall construction are
Cement mortar
Lime mortar
Cement lime mortar
Mud mortar
The advantages of using mortar are:
–Water exclusion: the mortar blocks passage of water through masonry walls
–Wind exclusion
–Cushions the masonry units, to stand stable
–They also emphasize the pattern in which the masonry is arranged.
–Block masonry
–Concrete blocks-mixture of cement and aggregate using aggregate such as gravel and sand or
light weight aggregate such as pumice. Sizes -Stone Size 40 x 20 x 20 cm Module Size41 x 21 x
21 cm in-expensive, light, strong and durable with adequate fire resistant.
–Concrete walls

Have been in use since the beginning of this century.

Best wall material cause of durability, strength and fire resistance-when reinforced
provide great strength and used for multistory.
Concrete walls in cold areas are heat-insulated. (Inferior heat and cold insulation
property)
Finished of cast in place concrete walls dense finish textured finish as is
Very smooth finish with formwork.
Aggregate transfer hammered or sand plastering Rubbed finish.

Examples;
-Precast Concrete
 Can be structural or non structural

 Economical when large no. of identical pieces are made

Advantages

 Better quality control of concrete elements

 Elements can be cast and erected in all weather conditions

 Fast construction time

Types of precast concrete panels-

1-under sill cladding panels

2-storey high or more non structural cladding panels
3-structural cladding panels
4-permanent shuttering-i.e., cladding units used as permanent formwork to in-situ
concrete.
–Glass walls
GLASS partition walls are constructed using either glass sheets or hollow blocks. Glass
sheet partition-wooden frames are used consisting a number of horizontal and vertical
elements for glass sheet placement.
Hollow Blocks-translucent units of glass, which are light in weight and are available in
different sizes and shapes, and thickness. They are usually 14*14 and 19*19 cm with a
thickness of 10cm.
Glass blocks or glass brick walls provide good architectural effect and also admit light.
They are sound proof, fire-proof and heat-proof to some extent.

–wooden walls
Wooden buildings are normally covered by wood Balloon frame Use full length studs
running two stories from foundation to roof
However, they were found too long to be efficiently erected. they easily spread
fire between the stories attempts were made to overcome these difficulties
Among them is the development of the platform frame Plat form frame Each floor
is an independent frame.

–cavity walls
Cavity wall or hollow wall is the one which consists of two separate walls called leaves
or skins with a cavity or gap between.
If non-load bearing –can have equal thickness, or the internal leaf may be thicker than
the external to meet the structural requirement. Connector-metal pins, bonding bricks at
suitable intervals
Advantages-
No contact between the two parts hence moisture can't pass through.
25% more heat and cold insulation than other solid walls
Good insulation against sound
Efflorescence is reduced
Cheaper and economical
Load on foundation is reduced-lesser solid thickness

General precautions-Contact between outer leave and inner should be minimal

Ties should be strong and rust proof.
DPC for inner and outer leaves should be laid separately
Bottom of cavity should be ventilated
Mortar placement should be with care
In door and window openings weep holes should be provided
Simultaneous building of of the two leaves.
Examples;
 –Metal walls
Metal lath partitions placing 2cm or 2.5cm channels vertically and fixing metal lath to it.
Plastering is then applied to both faces.
Thickness may vary between 5 - 7.5 cm.
If hollow partition is required metal lath is fixed to the channels on both sides and
bracing can be applied.
Hence metal lath partition are thin, strong, durable and considerably fire resistant other
metal walls-Corrugated sheet walling, aluminum sheet walling…etc.

•based on Material Composition

– Composite
CONSTRUCTION OF WALL OUT OF TWO OR MORE TYPES OF BUILDING UNITS.
Composite masonry may be adopted due to two reasons-Improvement in the
appearance of the wall Use of available materials, to obtain optimum economy.
Some composite masonry are-
Stone composite masonry-combination of ashlar and rubble masonry
Brick stone masonry-combination of brick and stone cement concrete masonry-HCB–
combination of cement, aggregate
Hollow clay tile masonry-dried clay blocks reinforced brick masonry-combination of brick and

reinforcement.

–Monolithic
Construction of walls only one types of building unites.

Comparison between the types of wall

Types of wall advantage disadvantage

Wood and chika - chip and easily -less strong
available(low cost) -less durable
- short constructive
time
Wood - low cost -easily affected by weather
- we can get easily and insect.
-less fire resistant
Block masonry - Moderately -it has less tensile strength
expensive.
- We can get easily.
Brick masonry - It has good quality - It is expensive
- It has good fire
resistant
metal -it has good strength -easily affected by
corrosion
-it can be easily construct - It is expensive
concrete -easily constructible -the reinforcement that
-it is durable found inside the concrete
-no affected by insect may be corrosion

glass -It has good quality -cannot easily transport

It is expensive
Sone and chika - chip and easily -less strong
available(low cost) -less durable
short constructive time
Cavity wall -it is used for thermal and -easily affected by weather
heat insulation and insect.
-easy to maintenance -less fire resistant
 Details on wall


Sub structure
Retaining wall
Super structure wall
Cavity and solid wall
Dump proof membrane
Flashing in masonry wall
Parapet wall
Retaining wall…. a wall built to keep earth or water in place.
The primary purpose of retaining wall is to hold back and restrain the earth without cracking of
falling out.

-
-Reinforced concrete retaining wall
-dump proof course
-Brick layer
-Selected aggregate
-Perforated pipe
Parapet wall …. a low wall projecting above the level of a roof, bridge or balcony forming
a guard or barrier at the edge.
Cavity Walls … these consist of an outer block leaf or skin separated from an inner
brick or block leaf or skin by an air space called a cavity.
Flashing in Masonry Walls
Flashing should be used to divert to the exterior of building water that may penetrate or condense
on the interior face of masonry walls

These walls have better thermal insulation and weather resistance properties than a comparable
solid masonry wall.
The two leaves of a cavity wall are tied together with wall ties .
Wood Frame Walls …The construction of a timber framed wall is a rapid,
clean, dry operation.
Covered with wall finishes it has sufficient resistance to damage by fire, good thermal insulating
properties and reasonable durability
Common mistakes on the current local practice
Now on the current local practice in some construction systems there is mistakes during
constructively of those types of wall system.
As we saw from the site
1. There is mistakes during construction that require improvement.
2. There is unskilled manpower it should be change the unskilled man power by skilled or
experienced workers in order to change the construction systems.

For example; during the construction of wall which required special treatment for any external
factors that can affect the wall like weather, insect, corrosion,….etc. But there is no special
consideration during construction in the local site in order to prevent those factors.

Sit overview and report

From the site observation we get enough knowledge regarding to wall system construction and
types of wall.
For example;
There is a technical construction method during block masonry,
We see a metal with diameter 16 mm which run along vertical direction which helps to give
strength to mortars which connect block wall and make the building strong and stable.
We also get practical and observable chanced that used to understand easily the theoretical parts
with enough practices and the site practice.
Generally; we see detailed construction method of wall system.
 Reference

1. Site observation
2. Lectures note
3. Building material book
4. Academicals knowledge
5. Websites