Exercises in Building Construction

Getting Started with the Exercises v

1. Making Buildings 1

1.1 Environmental Impacts of Materials 2

1.2 Building Code Restrictions 5

1.3 Observing Construction 9

1.4 Providing Construction Services 13

2. Foundations 15

2.1 Waterproofing, Drainage, and Insulation 16

2.2 Soil Types and Bearing Capacities 19

2.3 Foundation and Slope Support Systems 21

3. Wood 23

3.1 Working with Wood—Part I 25

3.2 Working with Wood—Part II 27

4. Heavy Timber and Mass Timber Construction 29

4.1 Heavy Timber Framing 30

4.2 Cross-Laminated Timber Panels 33

5. Wood Light Frame Construction 35

5.1 Laying Out Floor Framing 36

5.2 Laying Out Wall Framing 39

5.3 Working with Pitched Roofs 41

5.4 Designing Roof Framing 45

6. Exterior Finishes for Wood Light Frame Construction 47

6.1 Exterior Detailing 48

7. Interior Finishes for Wood Light Frame Construction 51

7.1 Proportioning Fireplaces 52

7.2 Proportioning Stairs 55

7.3 Platform Frame Design Project 57

8. Brick Masonry 61

8.1 Selecting Bricks and Mortar 62

8.2 Brick Bonds 65

8.3 Masonry Dimensioning 67

8.4 Lintels and Arches 71

9. Stone and Concrete Masonry 73

9.1 Selecting Concrete Masonry Units 74

9.2 Stone Masonry 77

10. Masonry Wall Construction 79

10.1 Movement Joints in Masonry Construction 80

10.2 Masonry Cavity Wall Detailing 83

11. Steel Frame Construction 85

11.1 Steel Structural Shapes 86

11.2 Steel Framing Plans 89

11.3 Detailing Steel Connections 93

11.4 Steel Frame Design Exercise 97

12. Light Gauge Steel Frame Construction 101

12.1 Light Gauge Steel Framing Details 102

13. Concrete Construction 105

13.1 Detailing Concrete Reinforcing Bars 106

14. Sitecast Concrete Framing Systems 109

14.1 Sitecast Concrete Framing Systems 110

14.2 Architectural Concrete 113

15. Precast Concrete Framing Systems 115

15.1 Precast Concrete Framing Systems 116

15.2 Detailing Precast Concrete Framing 119

16. Designing the Building Enclosure 123

16.1 Keeping Water Out 124

16.2 Controlling the Flow of Heat 127

17. Roofing 129

17.1 Low-Slope Roof Drainage 130

17.2 Low-Slope Roof Detailing 133

18. Glass and Glazing 135

18.1 Selecting Glass and Glazing 136

19. Windows and Doors 137

19.1 Selecting Windows and Doors 138

20. Cladding with Masonry and Concrete 139

20.1 Masonry Cladding Design 140

21. Cladding with Metal and Glass 141

21.1 Aluminum Extrusions 143

21.2 Metal and Glass Cladding Systems 144

22. Selecting Interior Finishes 145

22.1 Selecting Interior Finish Systems 146

23. Interior Walls and Partitions 149

23.1 Detailing Interior Wall Finishes 150

24. Finish Ceilings and Floors 153

24.1 Detailing Floor and Ceiling Finishes 154

Teach Yourself to Build 157