BUILDING TECHNOLOGY 5 - ALTERNATIVE

CONSTRUCTION SYSTEMS
Research # 1

AR 2221: BUILDING TECHNOLOGY 5 - ALTERNATIVE CONSTRUCTION SYSTEMS

Group 1 | W 8:30am - 4:30pm

Submitted by:

MONTECLARO, ELDRIN V.

Submitted to:

AR. MAEGAN BUGARIN, MArch, UAP

AR 2221 Instructor
 Table of Contents

Chapter I Pages

Parts Of the Structure…....……….……………………………………………….1

Introduction …..…………………………………………………………………1

FOUNDATION ……………………………………………………………………2

STRUCTURAL FLOORING...…………………………………………………..6

WALLS & PARTITIONS…………………………………………………………9

ROOF FRAMING………………………………………………..………………11

FINISHED TRIMS…………………………………………….…………………13

CEILING……………………………………………………………..………….…..15

DOORS AND WINDOWS……………………………………………………….16

STAIRS……………………………………………………………..………………..17

GUTTER SYSTEM…………………………………………………………………18

Chapter II

Part of Elevator……………………………………………………..………………………….20

Introduction…………………..…………………………………………………………………….20

Types of Elevators………………………………………………………………..………………20

Electric elevator…………………………………………………….…….……………..20

Oil Hydraulic Elevator………………………………………….………………………23

Commercial vs Residential…………………….……………………………..………………24

References………..………………………………………………………………..………………27
 Chapter 1 - Parts Of the Structure

Introduction

BUILDING is the physical embodiment of several necessarily related, coordinated & integrated

systems that allow unimpeded human activity irrespective of the conditions of the natural

environment. It will be a building if the constructed structure has its enclosure and utilities

after the will, it be called a building (BUILDING = Enclosure + Utilities). An Enclosure is the

means of containment & articulation of habitable space, assembled to maintain its intended

shape & integrity under all possible combinations of environmental factors and forces acting

upon it and an enclosure has this distinct part for it to be called an enclosure: Means of

Support + Envelope + Elements of Interior. Means of Support maintains the enclosure in the

shape intended while resisting all external & internal forces acting upon such enclosure &

transmitting all such forces to the ground. This pertains to the structural system of a building

that supports the building against the pull of gravity, wind pressure & earthquake. Envelope

act as a barrier or filter to all external environment forces acting upon such envelope. Roof &

walls are parts of the envelope which are primarily affected by the immediate environment.

Elements of the Interior: Elements of Interior defines the spaces within the enclosure while

resisting any environmental factors and forces acting upon them. These elements include the

ceiling, floor, partitions, stairs, and ramps. Utilities are the means of maintaining the

environment within the enclosure at comfort & safety levels required by the occupants. These

include 1. Electrical utilities -light & power 2. Plumbing utilities -water supply & drainage 3.

Mechanical utilities -air conditioning 4. Communication -telephone, cable TV 5. Safety &

Security - smoke detector, fire alarm & burglar alarm. Parts of a Building The main parts of

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the building are grouped into eleven sections, as follows: 1. Foundations 2. Post and Lintels

3. Floor 4. Wall / Partition 5. Partitions 6. Roof 7. Ceiling 8. Doors and Windows 9. Stairs 10.

Finish Trims- exterior / interior 11. Miscellaneous parts

Foundation

Foundations is coming from the Latin verb “fundare” meaning to lay the base or bottom of

anything. In construction methodology the term “foundation” is applied to three items

namely.

1.Construction below grade, such as column footings, wall footings and basement

walls, forming the lower section of a structure.

2.The natural material, the part of the earth’s surface on which the construction rests.

3.To special construction such as piles or piers used to transmit the loads of the

building to firm substrata.

Foundation is the lowest support on which the building rests. They are buried to give them a

firm base to rest on. The materials are usually made of reinforced concrete because they carry

the weight of the entire building. The parts of the foundation are:

1. Footing – the widened part of the base of the column or wall used to spread the

load over a greater area to prevent settling.

2. Column/Pier – a relatively slender structural compression member usually vertical,

supporting a beam.

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 Figure 1.1 Foundation parts

Post & Lintel, Posts are the upright support of the building found above the ground. Lintels

are the structural horizontal members whose primary function is to carry transverse loads.

Types of Foundation

1. Spread foundation.

Figure 1.2 Illustration types of spread

footing
a. individual, isolated or independent footing – these are footing that are

typically in a square or rectangular form in plan with reinforcement

consisting of two sets of bars at right angles to each other or a two-way

reinforcement.

a. block or square footing,

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 b. stepped footing,

c. sloped footing.

b. Combined footings – this footing supports two or more columns. Used when

the building is constructed on or near the property line of the site, exterior

footing is combined to the nearest interior footing so that the combined loads

will pass through the center of gravity of the footing.

a. combined (rectangular or trapezoidal)

b. cantilevered footing

c. continuous footing

Figure 1.3 Plan, section, and isometric

of Combined footing

2. Mat, raft, or floating foundation – it is used in an unstable foundation bed or low

bearing soil in the different parts of the building. It is either flat slab consisting of

a series of beams connecting the columns and a slab spanning the entire structure.

a. Flat slabs of plain or reinforced concrete

b. Beams or girders with a slab underneath

c. Beams or girders with slab on top

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 Figure 1.4 Section and isometric of Mat,
Raft foundation

3. Pile foundation – a system of concrete, steel or wood shafts which are driven or

otherwise introduced into the soil usually to carry a vertical load and transfer this

load to the bearing stratum into which the piles are driven and piles can be a

bearing type (carries a vertical load) or the friction type ( transfer its load to the

soil through friction with the earth surrounding it and also known as floating pile

foundation). Soft ground is best used for piles for they are best adapted for it as

well as silt, clay, or filled land under which a firm bearing bed is at so great a depth

that it is not economical to have the concrete down to it.

a. Driven pile

i. Wood pile

ii. Precast concrete pile

iii. Cast-in-place pile

1. Raymund or McArthur pile

2. Simplex pile

3. Pedestal pile

iv. Steel pile

v. Composite pile

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 1. Bored pile

2. Dug pile.

vi. Barrette pile

Figure 1.5 Plan and elevation of pile

foundation

4. Grillage foundation – it is used when construction desired to avoid the deep

excavation required for concrete footing and when the load has to be distributed

over a wide area of support.

Figure 1.6 parts of Grillage foundation

Structural Flooring

Structural flooring systems are designed using beams and joists that connect to walls. Floor

sheathing is laid on top of the joists, which may or may not support concrete and has its own

functional requirements such as strength and stability, considerations, resistance to the

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elements, durability, fire safety, resistance to passage of heat, and acoustic integrity.

Structural flooring systems which include vertical, horizontal and lateral systems. They are

designed to resist gravity loads and safely transfer them to vertical systems like columns.

Floors in wooden construction method, it is a framework comprising the following parts:

1. Girder – the beam which supports the floor joists & tie the posts

together.

2. Floor joists – a series of parallel beams used to support the flooring.

3. Bridging – serves to stiffen the joists, to hold them in place & to help distribute the

load.

4. Flooring – the material used to cover the floor.

Figure 1.7 Wood and timber Foundation

& floor system parts

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Ground supported concrete floors is part of the structural flooring systems and also has its

own functional requirements of ground supported concrete floor and it is to withstand loads

both live and dead loads (people, furnitures, etc.), prevent moisture penetration by using

damp-proof membrane, reduce heat loss into the ground below, be durable and reduce

maintenance costs, provide acceptable surface finish. Ground supported concrete floors are

composed of various layers as follows:

1. Hardcore layer

a. Used to fill hollows and raise finish level of a slab on wet sites on the other

hand provides a firm working surface and the best hardcore has hard and

durable and chemically inert particles such as brick, gravel or quarry waste.

2. Damp proof membrane (D.P.M)

a. These kind of material should be impermeable to water and moisture and

tough to remain undamaged when laying screed and finish and can be located

below screed or below concrete base. Material usually used as D.P.M. include

nylon, mastic asphalt or bitumen sheets

3. Concrete base

a. Composed of concrete mix of cement, sand and aggregate to a ratio of 1:3:6

and a minimum thickness of 100 mm.

4. Cement screed

a. Provides a level surface in which a floor finish can be applied and composed of

cement, sand, and water then thoroughly mixed and spread over the concrete

base and then compacted and leveled to a smooth finish. Thickness depends

on the surface on which the screed is laid, the mix shrinks as it dries and the

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 thinner the screed, the more rapidly it dries and the more it will shrink and

crack.

Figure 1.8 section Floor layers

Wall & Partitions

A wall is a structure and a surface that defines an area, carries loads, provides security, shelter

and soundproofing or can be decorative. There are many kinds of walls which include walls in

a building that form a fundamental part of the superstructure or separate interior rooms,

sometimes for fire safety. In architecture, walls have many kinds of purposes including

structural support (walls provide support for the building structures, including beams, vaults,

lintels, pillars, and columns), enclosures (define interior and exterior spaces.), protection

(provide protection and security.), temperature regulations (regulate temperature and

provide insulation), aesthetics (contribute to the overall aesthetics of the building), and

soundproofing (provide soundproofing).

a. Wooden

A wooden wall is an exterior framework consisting of:

1. Sole plate – a horizontal member which serves as the base for the vertical studs.

2. Vertical & Horizontal studs – upright & transverse members that act as supporting

elements in a wall or partition.

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 3. Cap plate – the top plate where the upper end of the studs are nailed.

4. Walling – the material that covers the wall

Figure 1.9 Wood Wall parts

b. Masonry

Masonry Wall consists of:

1. Concrete Masonry Unit (CMU) – the manufactured building unit of stone, clay or

concrete block. In the Philippines, we commonly use the Concrete Hollow Block (CHB)

2. Lintel Beam – a horizontal structural member over an opening which carries the

weight of the wall above it

3. Capping – the concrete beam that tops a masonry wall.

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 Figure 1.10 Concrete Wall parts

Roof

Roof is the framework that acts as the top cover of the building serving to protect against all

forces of nature such as rain, snow, sunlight, wind, and extremes of temperatures. Roofs have

been constructed in a wide variety of forms such as flat, pitched, vaulted, domed, or in

combinations as consideration to technical, economic or aesthetic considerations. It consists

of the following:

1. Girt – the horizontal member between posts & supports the truss & rafter.

2. Truss – a braced framework usually in some triangular arrangement & used to hold

up the roof.

3. Rafter – an inclined member that supports the roof. It can be part of the truss or

maybe used alone.

4. Purlin – a series of horizontal members where the roofing is attached.

5. Cleat – anchor the purlin to the truss or rafter to prevent the purlin from tilting.

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6. Stretcher – the horizontal member placed between the bottom chords of the

trusses & serves to steady the

lower part.

7. Truss braces – connect the bottom chord of one truss & steadying the upper part of

the truss.

8. Roofing – the waterproof cover of the building

Figure 1.11 Roof and its parts

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Finish Trims

Finish Trims are the visible woodwork, plasterwork or mouldings of the building/room which

covers or protects joints & edges of another material and have two categories and within each

categories have parts, and these are:

a) Exterior Trims

1. Wall trim – boards placed at the corners of walls making then watertight.

2. Cornice – molded projection which crowns the part to which it is affixed.

3. Fascia board – pieces of nailed around the eaves & edges of the roof to protect the

exposed parts of the purlins or rafters.

4. Casing – pieces of boards placed around door & window opening to decorate them

5. Roof end flashing – G.I. sheets of various design profile placed at the end of the

bargeboard to make the ends of the roof watertight.

6. Drip cap – a piece of board placed above the door or window opening to make the

water flow away from the opening & from the other members below it.

7. Water table – a piece of board placed at the bottom of the wall & goes all around

the building and functions like a drip cap.

8. Weather board – the piece of board placed below the water table & used to cover

the exposed parts of the floor joists & girders from the weather.

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 Figure 1.11 Exterior finish

b) Interior Trims

1. Baseboard – boards placed at the base of partitions to conceal or protect the bottom

of the

partitions.

2. Mouldings – pieces of boards of various designs placed at corners to cover gaps and

beautify any corners.

Figure 1.12 Interior Finishing

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Ceiling

Ceiling is the overhead surface of the room used to conceal the floor above or the roof in

order to hide floor and roof constructions. They have been The following are its parts:

1. Ceiling joist – a series of members to which the ceiling is

attached. The 2 types of ceiling joists are:

a. Primary Ceiling Joist

b. Intermediate Ceiling Joist

2. Hangers – support the ceiling where it tends to sag.

3. Ceiling boards – are attached to the ceiling joists.

Figure 1.13 Ceiling Frame and parts

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Doors and Windows

Doors are barriers which swing, slide, tilt or fold to open or close an opening in the wall for

the passage of human traffic. Windows are openings usually in an external wall of a building

to admit light and air. The door & window opening Frame is divided into two parts:

a. The Rough Frame – the vertical studs on both sides of the opening.

b. The Finish Frame – includes the following:

1. Header – the uppermost horizontal member.

2. Jamb – the vertical member of each side of the opening.

3. Sill – the horizontal bottom member of the window frame.

4. Mullion – a vertical member separating panels set in series.

Figure 1.14 Parts of the window and

door

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Stair

The stair is a series of steps connected by a landing which permit passage between two or

more levels or floors. The parts of the stair includes:

1. Stringer – supports the steps & form the sides of the stair.

2. Tread – is the horizontal step.

3. Riser – covers the space between two successive steps.

4. Handrail – serves as a guard or support at the side of the stairway.

5. Baluster – a small post supporting the handrail.

6. Newel Post – the support at the ends of the handrail.

7. Landing – serves to break the flight of stairs.

Figure 1.14 concrete and wooden stair

parts

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GUTTER SYSTEM

A rain gutter, also known simply as a gutter or guttering, is part of a discharge system of a

structure. It is a channel that runs around the perimeter of a roof that collects rainwater,

discharging it usually at the rainwater downpipes which convey it to a drainage system this

protects the exterior surfaces of the building and its foundation from damp and potentially

suffering from immense damage. A gutter system is a part of the building’s water discharge

system. It consists of gutters, downspouts, and extensions that are designed to direct

rainwater away from a building’s foundation and into the sewer or storm drain.

1. Gutter is the rainwater collector at the ends of the building.’

2. Downspout – the tube or pipe that conveys rainwater from the gutter of the point

of discharge.

3. End caps – pieces that close off the end of the gutters to prevent water from flowing

out. Also gives the gutter system a more finished look.

4. Elbows – are pieces that connect the gutters to the downspouts. Allows the water

to flow around corners and downspouts in the best location for water diversion.

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 5. Hangers – the brackets that attach the gutters to the house. They support and help

keep the drains in place during heavy rain and winds.

6. underground pipes – the final destination for the water collected from the roof.

They run under the ground and carry water away from the house. Ensuring

7. Splash blocks – an optional component of a gutter system. Concrete blocks placed

under the downspouts end to disperse the water away from the house’s foundation.

This is essential for areas with prominent heavy rainfall or where the soil doesn’t

absorb water effectively.

Figure 1.15 Gutter system parts

There are different Types of gutter system in which to meet a certain demand of the owner

and these are types of gutter system:

1. One-piece gutter – traditional gutters that are commonly installed in residential

homes.

2. Two-piece gutters – professional installation is needed for it to function properly.

3. Built-in gutters – also called gutter liners, traditionally found on older homes where it

is placed in lower edge of the roof.

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 4. Double bottom or shell and liner gutters – features a decorative outside shell with a

custom profile.

Chapter 2 - Parts Of the Elevator

Introduction

Elevator is a means of transportation that are commonly used in the modern days of man and

now a regular sight because of the construction of multiple buildings and high risers. Elevators

are generally used in buildings where several peak periods of traffic or in layman’s terms a

heavy foot traffic in an area which occur each day examples are office buildings, hospitals,

apartments, malls and many more. There are more variety of lifting systems that are set up

as per use requirements. There are two types of elevators, and these are electric elevators,

and Oil Hydraulic elevators both have the same use in every type of building classification

which is to be a transportation system to achieve fast foot traffic in a given area or to help

people move to one place to another much more quicker. The two types of elevators only

differ in how its power and a small change in parts.

Types of Elevators

Electric Elevators

Electric elevators use electric motors to steer and lift the elevator car and come in

different variety of designs, but the most common type is the traction elevator/ traction lifts

simply consist of an electric moto with toothed pulley attach to the output shaft. A cable runs

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up and over this pulley, with one end attached to the elevator car and the other attached to

a counterweight.

When the elevator is called to a floor, the motor turns the pulley, and it raises or

lowers the car. The counterweight reduces the strain on the motor and eliminates the need

for complex components like gearboxes. This makes traction elevators simple, effective, and

power-efficient, but they often cost more to install upfront.

Parts of an electric elevator:

a. Shaft - vertical passageway for cars and counterweights.

b. Car - a cage of light metal supported on a structural frame, the top member of which

the cables, that carry the car, are fastened.

c. Cables - are the means for lifting or lowering the car, usually 3 to 8 cables placed in

parallel fastened to top of car by cable sockets passing over a motor driven cylindrical

sheave to the counterweights.

d. Counterweights- these are rectangular blocks of cast iron stacked in one frame which

is fastened to the opposite ends of the cables to which the car is fastened.

e. Guide Rails- are vertical tracks that guide the car and the counterweights.

f. Machine Room- a room usually placed directly above the shaft in which the elevator

machine is housed. It contains the motor-generator (MG) set which supplies energy

to the elevator machine, the control board, and the control equipment.

g. Elevator Machine- turns the sheave that lifts and lowers the car.

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h. Controls- a combination of push buttons, contacts, relays, and devices, operated

manually or automatically to initiate door opening, starting acceleration, retardation,

leveling and stopping of the car.

Safety Devices

a) Main Brake

mounted directly on the shaft of the elevator machine.

b) Safety Switch

is designed to stop an elevator car automatically before car speed becomes excessive.

On overspeed, the speed governor will cut off power to the motor and set the brake.

This usually stops the car, but should speed still increase, the governor will actuate rail

clamps mounted at the bottom of the car one on each side. This will clamp the guide

rails bringing the car to a switch stop.

c) Electric Final Limit Switches

are located a few feet below and above safe travel limits of elevator car. If car over-

travels, either down or up, these switches de-energizes the motor and sets the main

brake.

d) Oil or Spring Buffers

are placed at the bottom of the elevator pit, not to stop a falling car, but to bring it to

a partially cushion stop if the car should overshoot the lower terminal.

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 Figure 2.1 Electric Elevator Parts

Oil Hydraulic Elevator

Oil hydraulic elevators or lifts have a major difference from the former life types, that

is speed. The Oil Hydraulic Elevators use non-compressible oil to drive a piston up and down

in a cylinder which has a similarity to the technology used to power earthmoving equipment.

The Hydraulic Elevator doesn’t use an overhead lifting machinery but typically mounted

beneath the elevator car, with a piston pushing up on the bottom of the elevator/ has a

considerably constant speed of about 150 feet per minute and cannot travel beyond that

speed.

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 When the elevator is called, a powerful pump pressurizes the oil in the system and the

piston pushes the car up to the correct floor. On the way down, pressure is released from the

system and the piston slowly retracts into its cylinder, lowering the elevator car. This simple

technology makes hydraulic elevators affordable, but they use significantly more power and

are often less smooth to ride in than electric options.

Figure 2.2 Oil Hydraulic Elevator parts

Commercial vs. Residential

Both Residential and commercial elevators have the same basic purpose or use

and it is to transport or move things or people from one level of a building or structure

to another. While commercial elevators are more popular but at the same time various

number or types of commercial elevators are available for residential use while

residential elevators are available in the same types and with the same features as

commercial elevators such as hydraulic, traction drive, winding drum models and

others as well which are both available in commercial and residential.

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 A major difference between the two classifications of the transport system are

its weight and size requirements as residential don’t have the same requirements of

commercial. For example, in America all commercial elevators must adhere to the

Americans with Disability Act as well as Elevator Code ANSI A17.1. These regulations

outline the minimum weight and size requirements for commercial elevators

depending on the number of floors that they serve while in the Philippines we shall

follow our own sets of rules and regulation in terms of designing buildings. According

to the accessibility law in the Philippines we shall follow these set of regulations:

1. Accessible elevators should be located not more than 30.00 m. from the

entrance and should be easy to locate with the aid of signs.

2. Accessible elevators shall have a minimum dimension of 1.10 m. x 1.40 m.

3. Control panels and emergency system of accessible elevators shall be within

reach of a seated person; centerline heights for the topmost buttons shall be

between 0.90 m to 1.20 m from the floor.

4. Button controls shall be provided with braille signs to indicate floor level; at

each floor, at the door frames of elevator doors, braille-type signs shall be

placed so that blind persons can be able to discern what floor the elevator car

has stopped and from

what level they are embarking from.

5. Button sizes at elevator control panels shall have a minimum diameter of 20

mm and should have a maximum depression depth of 1 mm.

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Figure 2.3 elevator dimensions

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 References

The Architects Diary. (n.d.). The difference between hydraulic and electric lifts. The

Architects Diary. https://thearchitectsdiary.com/the-difference-between-hydraulic-and-

electric-lifts

Apex Elevators. (n.d.). Hydraulic lift vs electric lift. Google Sites.

https://sites.google.com/view/hydraulicliftelectriclift/Building Technology Floors. (n.d.).

Building Technology Floors [PDF document]. Scribd.

https://www.scribd.com/document/207372335/Building-Technology-

FloorsArchi-Monarch. (n.d.). Walls in architecture. Archi-Monarch. https://archi-

monarch.com/walls-in
architecture/#:~:text=Walls%20in%20architecture%20serve%20a,overall%20aestheti
cs%20of%20the%20building.

Encyclopedia Britannica. (n.d.). Canopy (architecture). Encyclopedia Britannica.

https://www.britannica.com/technology/canopy-architecture

Marvin. (n.d.). Parts of a door. Marvin Windows and Doors.

https://www.marvin.com/blog/parts-of-a-doorDesigning Buildings Wiki. (n.d.). Rain
gutter. Designing Buildings Wiki.

Designing Buildings Wiki. (n.d.). Rain gutter. Designing Buildings Wiki.

https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Rain_gutter#:~:text=A%20rain%20gutter
%2C%20also%20known,it%20to%20a%20drainage%20system.

Garlock-French. (n.d.). Rain gutters: Why are they important? Garlock-French

Corporation. https://garlock-french.com/gutters/rain-gutters-why-are-they-
important/#:~:text=Your%20gutters%20are%20responsible%20for,water%20to%20s
tagnate%20and%20overflow.

Limcora. (n.d.). Importance of gutter drainage. Limcora.

https://limcora.com.au/residential-drainage/importance-of-gutter-
drainage/#:~:text=Gutter%20drainage%20is%20essential%20to,the%20sewer%20or
%20storm%20drain.

Designing Buildings Wiki. (n.d.). Rain gutter. Designing Buildings Wiki.

https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/wiki/Rain_gutter#:~:text=A%20rain%20gutter
%2C%20also%20known,it%20to%20a%20drainage%20system.

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Tan, M. A. (2022). The building and its parts [PowerPoint slides]. Building Technology
1, University of San Carlos Talamban Campus, Sitio Nasipit, Brgy, Cebu City.

Ruz, M. C. (2023). Transportation systems [PowerPoint slides]. Building Utilities 2 -

Electronics and Mechanical Systems, University of San Carlos Talamban Campus,
Sitio Nasipit, Brgy, Cebu City.

Department of Public Works and Highways. (n.d.). BPB 344: National Structural Code
of the Philippines. Department of Public Works and Highways. Retrieved from
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