LIGHTWEIGHT CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS

Sagar Malsane, Asst. Prof., NICMAR

INTRODUCTION AND DEFINITIONHigh rise is defined differently by different bodies

“A multi-story structure between 35-100 meters tall, or a building of unknown height from 12-39 floors is termed as high rise.

Building code of Hyderabad,India- A high-rise building is one with four floors or more, or one 15 meters or more in height.

The International Conference on Fire Safety – "any structure where the height can have a serious impact on evacuation“

Massachusetts, United States General Laws –A high-rise is being higher than 70 feet (21 m).

Demand for High Rise

Building Load Types

Load Types

Gravity Loads

Dead Loads

Live Loads Rain Load Snow

Load

Lateral Loads

Wind loads

Earthquake Load

Structural Loads

• Gravity loads– Dead loads– Live loads– Snow loads

• Lateral loads– Wind loads– Seismic loads

• Special load cases– Impact loads– Blast loads

CONVENTIONAL CONSTRUCTION

Conventional construction utilizes structural members that depend on size for strength.

The greater the span for a structural member the larger it has to be to support a given load.

Light Weight CONSTRUCTION

Strength does not derive from size, is obtained from multiple members that are in compression and tension.

Light Weight CONSTRUCTION

Members/Materials used for high rise buildings • Foundation• Steel Structural System- steel• Shear wall system• Concrete - High alumina cement used for roofs &

floors. It contains bauxite instead of clay, cement, Portland cement of lime stone, silica.

• Glass – Structural glazing, Tempered glass.• Cladding material – Glass, • Plastic for pipes, conduits etc.• Partitions for dividing floor spaces

Foundation Types

• Raft foundation: one of the most common foundation. It is known for its load distributing capability. With the usage of this type of foundation the enormous load of the building gets distributed & helps the building stay upright and sturdy. Loads are transferred by raft into the ground.

• Pile foundation: used for high rise construction. Load of building is distributed to the ground with the help of piles. Transfer the loads into the ground with an Adequate factor of safety.

• Combined raft-pile: is the hybrid of 2 foundation. It Consists of both the pile and raft foundation. Useful in sandy soil that has low bearing capacity.

Steel structural systems

Shear wall system

• A type of rigid frame construction.• The shear wall is in steel or concrete to provide

greater lateral rigidity. • Horizontal and vertical loads - Wind &

earthquake loads. • Is composed of braced panels (or shear panels)

to counter the effects of lateral load acting on a structure.

• For skyscrapers, as the size of the structure increases, so does the size of the supporting wall.

• Shear walls tend to be used only in conjunction with other support systems.

Vertical Panel Systems

Crane-lifted panel systems are commonly used on building sites to form vertical elements and usually consist of a steel frame with plywood, steel, plastic or composite material.

The systems are normally modular in nature, assembly times and labor costs are considerably lower than

Traditional formwork methods with far fewer components required.

They offer greater opportunities for reuse for different applications on site.

Panel systems are extremely flexible

PlasticsProperties of Plastics

Lightweight

Rustproof

Strong

Flexible

Waterproof

Non-conductor

Good Electrical

insulators

Good Thermal

insulators

Good resistance to

chemicals

Plastics - uses of plastics in construction

Electrical Conduits

Water Seals

Roofing Tiles

Decorative Skirting

Electrical Insulation

Flooring tiles/finishes

Water pipes

Drainage pipes

Glass partitions

Glass partition walls are constructed using glass sheets or hollow blocks.

Glass sheet partitions

Features Wooden frame work is used in which glass

sheets are fixed. Number of horizontal and vertical posts

spaced to divide the entire area into number of panels.

Glass sheets are kept in position in the panel either by using timber beadings or by putty.

Such partitions are light weight, vermin proof and sound proof.

Steel Partitions

Features Steel partition walls improve and create new spaces. They can be quick and easy to install and can create

spaces such as a home office/study, a utility room, a bathroom or a playroom.

Single skin steel partition Double skin steel partition

Single skin steel partition

A Full Steel B Steel / Glass Door

C Steel / Glass / Steel D Steel / Glass

E Steel / Mesh / Steel F Steel / Mesh

G Drop Down Hatch H Steel / Mesh Door

2440, 2745, 3050 & 3660 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, 800,900 & 1000

Panel heights c(mm)

Panel width (mm)

Double skin steel partition

2440, 2745, 3050 & 3660 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, 800,900 & 1000

Panel heights c(mm)

Panel width (mm)

A Full Steel B Steel / Glass Steel

C Steel / Glass D Steel Double Door

E Timber Door F Full Glazed with Blind

G Chair Rails Glazed H Fully Glazed

Double skin steel partition

2440, 2745, 3050 & 3660 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, 800,900 & 1000

Panel heights c(mm)

Panel width (mm)

A Full Steel B Steel / Glass Steel

C Steel / Glass D Steel Double Door

E Timber Door F Full Glazed with Blind

G Chair Rails Glazed H Fully Glazed