Building Construction and Materials I

At the end of this course, students should be able to: 1. state statutory and local authority requirements in building construction process; 2. prepare site for construction; 3. identify different types of engineering soils; 4. set out simple buildings; 5. classify and explain properties of building materials; and 6. explain types and production of cement, aggregates, water and concrete production.

Statutory and Local Authority requirements. Site preparation: Clearing of bushes, grubbing up roots, top vegetable soil excavation, reduced soil excavation, reduced level excavation, dewatering, extermination of termite nests. Types of engineering soils: Importance of soil investigation. Sequence of building operations. Setting out of a simple building, using builders square, 3-4-5 Method, and checking the accuracy of setting out. Classification and properties of building materials, survey of current types of materials and methods used in building construction, concrete (cement, aggregate, water), timber, plastic and steel framing systems; masonry construction; interior and exterior finishes. Students are introduced to preliminary and basic construction processes in the construction of buildings. Types of foundation (strip, pile, pad and raft), functional requirements of foundations, trenching excavation and support, types and functional requirements of floors such as solid ground floor and raised timber ground floors.