Forms of superstructure.

Types of buildings

Buildings can be divided in to several categories as per their use.

They are:

Residential buildings (houses, apartments).

Commercial & public buildings (shopping complexes, restaurants,

hotels, banks, offices).

Industrial buildings (factories, workshops, ware houses).

Mixed development (commercial & residential).

 Types of buildings
As per their structural forms.
Low rise buildings (G+4 floors).
Mid rise buildings (more than 5 floors but less
than 12 floors).
High rise buildings (more than 35 meters,
minimum of 12 floors).
Long span buildings.
 Types of buildings
As per their construction method
 Solid or ‘traditional’ construction.
 Structural steel frame construction.
 Reinforced concrete construction.
 Modular system construction.
 Portal frame construction.
 Composite construction.
Solid construction
Structural steel
Reinforced construction
Modular construction
 Structural components of a building
 Foundations
 Columns
 Walls
 Floors
 Roofs

 Building structure can be divided in to two.

Sub structure (part under the ground)
Super structure (parts above the ground)
 Functions of a building
 Structural stability.
 Durability.
 Thermal insulation.
 Exclusion of moisture & protection from
weather.
 Sound insulation.
 Flexibility.
 Esthetics.
 Stability of the building
 Stability of the building is depend on successful transfer
of loads by the super structure to the sub structure.

 Ability of the sub structure to distribute these loads

evenly to the soil underneath.

 There are two types of loads. They are

 Dead load (weight of the building).
 Live load (weight of its occupants and other moveable items
such as furniture etc).
 Stability of the building
 Stability of the super structure is depend on its structural form and
its strengths of materials.

 Stability of the sub structure depends on bearing capacity of the

soil underneath.

 This shows the bearing capacity of soil play major role of a

stability of the building. Therefore structural engineers who are
responsible in designing sub structure first study the condition of
the soil in view of finding the bearing capacity of soils of a
particular site prior to decide the suitable sub structure for a
building.
Stability failure

A building at the Lotus

Riverside complex in
Shanghai’s Minhang district
Durability
Thermal insulation
Protection from weather
Sound insulation
Flexibility
Esthetics