Principles of Architectural Structures - Essay Example

Principles of Architectural Structures Introduction Structural design can be defined as a methodical investigation of the strength, stability and rigidity of structures. The primary objective of the structural design and analysis is producing a structure that is able to resist the applied loads without failing in the structure’s intended life. The structural design of any given building should make sure that the structure is capable of standing up safely, functioning without movements and deflections which can lead to fatigue of the structural elements, fittings and partitions, fixtures’ failure or cracking, or discomfort for the occupants. The design also encompasses forces and movements as a result of temperature, cracking, creep, as well as imposed loads (Dabby & Bedi 2012, p.5). The structural design should also make sure that the design is buildable practically within the allowable material’s manufacturing tolerances. The design of the structure should also give room for fitting and functionality of systems such as smoke extraction, air conditioning, lighting among others. Structural design, in general, has a role of making the structure suitable for living in all dimensions. Various components of a structure are used in enhancing the suitability of the structure. This is brought about by the choice of materials to build these components, design as well as other basic processes (Bach 2009, p.9). They are done technically to impact a certain aspect that will help the structure to achieve the required standards as discussed in the document below. The document also addresses the use of reinforced concrete in solving various structural essentials. Discussion Reinforced concrete is basically a composite material whereby concrete that has relatively low ductility, and tensile strength are counteracted by the reinforcement inclusion with higher ductility and tensile strength. This as an aspect in return makes the reinforced concrete very strong and hence a suitable building material. Reinforced concrete can be classified among the types of building materials. The architecture needs to be keen in choosing the construction materials. The choice of building materials should be on the basis of the required properties of the structure. In this scenario, reinforced concrete will be used to solve the problem of the aspects such as thermal and acoustic performance, durability, fire resistance, and load resistivity among others (Emmitt et al. 2004, p.37). In terms of load resistivity reinforced concrete outdo all the other building materials such as wood and steel. This aspect is brought about by the act that the reinforced concrete has very high compressive strength. When the reinforced concrete is used as columns, they will be of great importance for the stability of the structure. Since the reinforced steel has excellent compressive strength, they can be able to withstand a significant amount of load. This shows that the reinforced concrete is a perfect structural material in terms of load resistivity (Greefhorst & Proper 2011, p.42). The incorporated reinforcement provides the reinforced concrete with the ability to withstand a reasonable amount of tensile strength. This makes the reinforcement steel good material to make structural components such as trusses and beams. Weather and fire resistance are other aspects that are very essential in every structure that is being constructed. The materials being used in the construction determines how well the structure will be able to resist weather and fire. Reinforced concrete does well in resisting fire and weather as opposed to materials such as steel and timber. This hence proves it a suitable material for building a structure that will be able to resist fire to a great extent. In terms of durability of a structure, the reinforced concrete enables a building to be more durable than other structures built of other materials (Rajan 2000, p.16). This indicates that the building that will be built of reinforced concrete will have excellent durability as opposed to structures built of other types of materials. Thermal and acoustic performance is another feature that the design of a given structure needs to address. Thermal mass can be defined as the capability of a given material to store heat. The construction materials can address the thermal extent although at various measures and extents (Kassapoglou 2011, p.24). The best construction material is the one that can manage to absorb as well as release heat. This should take place on the basis of the daily cooling and heating cycle. The concrete materials do this excellently. This is because as a result of their density they have the power of storing much heat. Timber, for instance, absorbs heat very slowly and hence they cannot offer an effective thermal mass. Steel, on the other hand, tends to conduct heat very rapidly. The reinforced concrete, on the other hand, has the power to absorb heat only to release it later and hence the most suitable structural material. For example, in warm summer days, floors and walls with thermal mass tends to absorb heat steadily at their surface. They then conduct this heat inwardly, stores it until they get exposed to cool air of a night. At this point in time, heat that was stored in the concrete starts migrating back to the concrete’s surface and gets released (Syal & Goel 2009, p,45). In such way, the reinforced concrete allows heat to move in a wave-like motion thereby being absorbed during the day and being released in the night times. This ability to respond to changing conditions naturally helps in stabilizing the internal temperature. The aspect stabilizes the internal temperature and also provides a self-regulating surrounding. This helps in reducing the overheating risk and also reduces the need for the mechanical cooling. In terms of emission of gases, the reinforced concrete happens to be the best materials for building a living place. Concrete tends to be an inert material. This means that there are no harmful gases that can be emitted. It offers a perfect way of natural ventilation as opposed to other building materials. The natural ventilation allows the dumpy and unwanted air to be drawn out while else fresh air draws in. the aspect clearly indicates that in a building, carbon dioxide can be easily disposed of naturally, and oxygen supplied to the occupants (In Wang et al. 2006, p.57). The concrete also offers robust surfaces for partitions, soffits, cladding and columns through its nature. This feature makes it easy for the cleaning, aesthetics and attainment of a healthy atmosphere. A healthy atmosphere in turn enhances the user satisfaction. Acoustic performance is another feature that is very essential in a structure. For example, in schools good acoustics are vital for all the learning activities as well as adequate sound insulation. It is evident that high background noises that tend to be generated outside the classroom, or magnified sound from space’s inside tends to cause stress thus reducing performance for both the teachers and the students. The concrete’s mass, as well as the damping qualities, can meet easily the building regulations acoustic performance (Srinivasan & MacFarland 2001, p. 73). This leads to a productive environment that tends to be isolated from vibrations and noise from the adjoining rooms. In the same manner the intrusion of noise can become disruptive; the quiet spaces are highly recommendable for an essential planning stage. In order to attain sound friendly living environment, as well as excellent thermal mass performance, , the secret lies in the interior finishing (Pillai & Devadas 2003, p.25). When the architecture is considering acoustics and sound in a structure, rather than the sound transfer between rooms the whole issue is brought about by considering the sound absorption areas. A zone that is on high up on the walls in an appropriate place for the absorbing panels of the acoustic sound coupled with baffles that can suspend from the ceiling offers adequate sound absorption. This also indicates that the acoustic performance of concrete walls is also praiseworthy. The overall stability of a reinforced concrete structure depends on the way reinforcement steels will be joined and connected. It is very essential to put into consideration the effectiveness of the connections. They enhance transfer of forces between the individual building components and the stabilizing foundation and cores. Structural integrity is highly demanded when it comes to connections since they dictate the strength and stability of the structure. At vertical joints, the connections used between the facades and wall panels are usually acquired by the use of cast in-situ joints (In Wang et al. 2006, p.59). The connection links are usually provided by the use of distributed loops that tend to be directly anchored within the panels. Dowel connections, on the other hand, are used in offering connections at horizontal joints. This takes place more specifically for the load bearing wall. Core holes are usually formed within the wall with the use of corrugated pipe sleeves and propriety splice sleeves. These holes alongside with vertical continuity bars are then filled with grout when the wall is fully installed. Floors should resist the horizontal forces as well as the vertical loads. This is aimed at preventing slabs movement. The individual precast elements have to be connected so that an integrated floor can be formed. Cast in-situ reinforced structural topping helps in achieving the integrated floor (Srinivasan & MacFarland 2001, p. 72). The building is divided into two broad parts namely the sub-structure and the super-structure. The substructure also referred to as the foundation refers to building’s lower portion usually located underneath the ground level. Superstructure on the other hand entails the structure’s part that is above the ground level (Pillai & Devadas 2003, p.24). It serves the structure’s intended purpose. However, the super structure cannot exist on its own or with a faulty sub-structure. The sub-structure transmits the superstructure’s loads to the soil supporting the structure. The stability and strength of the superstructure, therefore, depends to a great extent on the structure’s substructure. A sloping site is counted as a challenging site in the world of construction. A site is declared sloppy if its gradient exceeds 30 degrees. This is because there is no construction work that can be done on such a site. Much work needs to be done for a structure can be erected. Earth retaining walls are very essential in this aspect. There is a wide range of constructing the retaining walls which will in return give room for the construction of the intended structure. The options available for the construction of retaining walls include the crib walls, reinforced concrete, structural brickwork, reinforced concretes among others. These options will help in leveling the ground and from hence a structure can be constructed easily. The retaining wall makes the ground firm in that when the structure stands firm there will not be slow erosion on the downside which might weaken the structure. The main objective of the retaining wall is providing a firm ground for the structure (Charleson 2005, p.76). Conclusion The structure design is a very crucial aspect. Structures can easily fail if some design aspects are ignored. A structure is usually constructed to live for a long time and consequently shortcuts should be avoided if the engineer wants the structure to be durable. The very correct materials should be used as specified by the architecture, and the design should specifications should be strictly adhered to if the structure is to meet the expected standards. It is clear from the discussion above that every material can be used but some are suitable in one way and unsuitable in another, and hence the engineer should be keen on the choice of materials. References List Bach, J. (2009). Principles of synthetic intelligence: PSI : an architecture of motivated cognition. Oxford, Oxford University Press. Pp.9 Charleson, A. (2005). Structure as architecture: A sourcebook for architects and structural engineers. Amsterdam [u.a., Architectural Press. Pp.76 Dabby, R., & Bedi, A. (2012). Structure for architects: A primer. Hoboken, N.J, Wiley. Pp.5 Emmitt, S., Olie, J., & Schmid, P. (2004). Principles of architectural detailing. Oxford [u.a., Blackwell. Pp.37 Greefhorst, D., & Proper, E. (2011). Architecture principles: The cornerstones of enterprise architecture. Berlin, Springer. Pp.42 In Wang, L.-T., In Wu, C.-W., & In Wen, X. (2006). VLSI test principles and architectures: Design for testability. Amsterdam, Elsevier Morgan Kaufmann Publishers. Pp.57-59 Kassapoglou, C. (2011). Design and Analysis of Composite Structures: With Applications to Aerospace Structures. New York, NY, John Wiley & Sons. Pp.24 Pillai, S. U., & Devadas, M. (2003). Reinforced concrete design. New Delhi: Tata McGraw Hill. Pp.24-25 Rajan, S. D. (2000). Introduction to structural analysis & design. New York, John Wiley. Pp.16 Srinivasan, A. V., & MacFarland, D. M. (2001). Smart structures: Analysis and design. Cambridge [u.a., Cambridge Univ. Press. Pp. 72-73 Syal, I. C., & Goel, A. K. (2009). Reinforced concrete structures. Ram Nagar, New Delhi: S. Chand. Pp.45 Read More