EXTERIOR WALL CONSTRUCTION
KIGARA KAMWERU
BAR 201: BUILDING TECHNOLOGY AND SERVICES 3
TOO DANIEL K.
DEFINITION
A wall is a continuous, usually
vertical structure, thin in proportion
to its length and height, built to
provide shelter as an external wall
or divide buildings into rooms or
compartments as an internal wall.
The prime function of external wall
is to provide shelter against wind,
rain and the daily and seasonal
variations of outside temperature
normal to its location, for
reasonable indoor comfort.
TYPES OF EXTERNAL WALLS
LOAD BEARING WALLS
Carrying superimposed gravity loads in addition to
their own weight.
NON- LOAD BEARING WALLS
Not carrying superimposed gravity loads in addition to their
own weight, whether capable of carrying such loads or not,
and supported directly on foundations/ground.
CURTAIN WALLS
Non-bearing walls secured to and supported by the structural
frame of an enclosure:
PREFABRICATED WALL PANELS
Prefabricated panels spanning between floor and roof or
between floors and functioning as the complete wall
assembly.
FACED CURTAIN WALLS
Faced walls functioning as facing and/or continuous backup
and support for various types of facings.
Backup walls may be bearing, nonbearing, or curtain.
Facings may be: off-site fabricated panels or units such as
metal; or faced composite panels, or ceramic tile units
assembled on site or made on-site, such as stucco.
FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS OF EXTERNAL WALLS
STRENGTH
Wall strengths are determined by their ability to withstand
compressive and tensile stress
They can either be load
bearing (carry loads from
roof and upper floors in
addition to self-weight) or
non-load bearing which
only carry their own weight
(mostly internal walls also
known as partitions)
STABILITY
This may be affected by foundation movement, eccentric
loads (forces away from centre), lateral forces (forces at
sides e.g. wind) and expansion due to temperature and
moisture changes.
Irregular profile walls
have greater stiffness
against deformation
than straight walls
because of the
buttressing effect.
THERMAL RESISTANCE
External walls should provide resistance to excessive transfer
of heat both from inside to outside and from outside to
inside during periods of cold or hot.
The materials most effective in resisting heat transfer are of
a fibrous or cellular nature with small pockets of air trapped
hence acting as insulation against heat transfer.
Because of their light weight
nature these materials do not
have sufficient strength to serve
as part of the structure hence
they are sandwiched between
materials that have strength.
WEATHER & GROUND MOISTURE RESISTANCE
Walls should adequately resist
passage of moisture to the inside of
the building.
Moisture may penetrate the wall by
absorption from the ground in contact
with the foundation walls or through
rain falling on the wall.
An impermeable layer, the damp
proof course, is built in, 150mm above
ground level.
The nature of walling material and
finish affects the behavior of the wall
to exclude rain
DURABILITY & MAINTENANCE FREE
Durability of a wall is indicated by the frequency and
extent of the work necessary to maintain functional
requirements and acceptable appearance.
Burnt brick and natural stone require least maintenance.
FIRE SAFETY
Wall linings should limit surface
spread of flames by avoiding
use of thermoplastic materials.
The wall structure should
withstand fire for a period of
time to allow occupants to
escape (30 minutes for 2 floor
units and 120 minutes for units
more than 10 floors.)
ACOUSTIC CONTROL
Sound is transmitted as airborne
sound or impact sound.
Airborne sound: vibrations in the air
causes vibrations in enclosing walls
which will vibrate air on the
opposite side of walls.
Impact sound is caused by contact
with a surface (slamming of a door)
which sets up vibrations in walls.
Dense walls and Cavity walls
plastered on both sides absorb
energy of the airborne sound
waves.
AESTHETICS
Formal walls have smooth
surfaces and are
symmetrical in the window
and door placements
Informal walls are rough,
asymmetrical and are more
open with a horizontal feel.
Affects light qualities: white
walls reflects up to 89% of
light and black reflects
about 2%
DEGREE OF ENCLOSURE AND PRIVACY
Opaque walls mean that
you can’t see through
them.
Transluscent means that
you can see through the
windows.
Transparent walls mean
that you can see through
them.
OPENING ON EXTERNAL WALLS
Windows: To let light and air in
Doors: To get in and out.
Feature openings: To define the character of the building.
WINDOWS
They admit ventilation
They admit light
Controls the physical
atmosphere within a space by
enclosing it, excluding air
drafts, so that interior may be
more effectively heated or
cooled.
They act as a barrier to noise.
TYPES OF WINDOWS
DOORS
They admit ventilation and light
Controls the physical
atmosphere within a space by
enclosing it, excluding air
drafts, so that interior may be
more effectively heated or
cooled.
They act as a barrier to noise.
Used to screen areas of a
building for aesthetic purposes,
keeping formal and utility
areas separate.
TYPES OF DOORS
ARCHES
An arch may be defined as the mechanical
arrangement of wedge shaped blocks of stones or
bricks mutually supporting each other and supported at
the ends by piers or abutments.
Because of their shape the blocks support each other
by mutual pressure of their own weight and the
structure remains in position by the resistance from the
support.
TYPES OF ARCHES
PROBLEMS THAT COMES WITH OPENINGS
Openings weakens integrity of the walls
The wall above the opening can fall down into it.
Rain can get it around the edges of the opening
WATER PROOFING
In exposed positions, walls
may become so saturated
by rain that water
penetrates to their inside
face.
External rendering
generally improves the
resistance of a wall to rain
penetration.
WATERPROOF RENDER
Plaster is a building material used for the protective
and/or decorative coating of walls and ceilings and for
moulding and casting decorative elements.
"plaster" usually means
a material used for the
interiors of buildings,
while "render" commonly
refers to external
applications.
Two or three coats of
cement and lime mixed
with natural aggregates
WATERPROOF PAINTS
Paints come in numerous colours producing unlimited shades,
tones and tints
Paints are made from a vast array of synthetic and legend
materials.
TILES
Tile is a thin slab of
glazed or unglazed fired
clay used structurally or
decoratively on walls.
These are easy to install.
They are made from
natural clay and often
from other recycled
materials.
Types of tiles: ceramic,
quarry, porcelain, mosaic,
marble, natural stone,
travertine, slate, plastic
MOSAICS
Mosaics are works of art
of surface decorations,
composed of variously
colored small pieces f
glass, stones, ceramics or
other materials.
Thin slabs of marble or of
colored stone were cut
into strips, which were
then cut or broken into
cubes.
ALUMINIUM COMPOSITE PANELS
A type of flat panel
that consists of two
thin aluminium sheets
bonded to a non-
aluminium core.
ACPs are frequently
used for external
cladding or facades
of buildings,
insulation, and
signage
BUILDING ENVELOPE VIS A VIS
ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS
CAVITY WALLS
Cavity walls consist of two skins separated by a hollow
space. The skins are commonly masonry such as brick of
concrete block
The cavity serves as a
way to drain this water
back out through weep
holes at the base of the
wall system.
Cavity wall insulation is
used to reduce heat loss
through a cavity wall
ADVANTAGES OF CAVITY WALLS
The moisture cannot enter from outer wall to inner wall, since there
is no direct contact.
Provide good insulation against
sound
Proves economical during
construction
Load on foundation is reduced.
Reduction of heat transfer since
air layer between leaves acts
as non-conductor of heat.
BRICK WALLS
Brick with its rich colors and textures offer
attractive and durable material for building
envelopes
Economical (Raw material is easily available)
Hard and durable
Compressive strength is good enough for
ordinary construction
Very low maintenance cost is required
Demolishing of brick structures is very easy,
less time consuming and hence economic
Reusable and Recyclable
Highly fire resistant
Produces less environmental pollution during
manufacturing process
STONE WALLS
If the surface is polished it
becomes impermeable to
water.
Durable
Easy to maintain
Offers variety in shape, color
and size
Stone is affordable.
CONCRETE BLOCKS
A concrete block is one of several precast concrete products
used in construction.
Greatly reduces construction costs
Reduces maintenance cost
Extremely durable
Good insulator
Design flexbility
GLASS WALLS
Glass is light weight hence
reduces the weight of high rise
buildings.
Transparency allows sufficient
natural light.
Can cause serious light
pollution.
Safety issues.
Thermal control limitations.
Noise control limitations.
