LECTURER ZOWA T HARARE POLYTECHNIC CIVIL ENGINEERING DIVISION

ND ARCHITECTURAL TECHNOLOGY/QUANTITY SURVEYING/CONSTRUCTION

ENGINEERING- CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY NOTES

INTERNAL FINISHES

INTERNAL PARTITIONS

Internal walls that divide the interior of the building into areas of accommodation and circulation e.g.
Corridor/passage.

- Generally considered to be internal walls which are lightweight, non-load bearing and movable.
- They are usually used in offices where the system of internal division can be altered to suit
changes in usage.

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LECTURER ZOWA T HARARE POLYTECHNIC CIVIL ENGINEERING DIVISION
ND ARCHITECTURAL TECHNOLOGY/QUANTITY SURVEYING/CONSTRUCTION
ENGINEERING- CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY NOTES

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LECTURER ZOWA T HARARE POLYTECHNIC CIVIL ENGINEERING DIVISION
ND ARCHITECTURAL TECHNOLOGY/QUANTITY SURVEYING/CONSTRUCTION
ENGINEERING- CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY NOTES

There are two basic design concepts for internal walls those which accept and transmit structural loads
to the foundations are called load Bearing walls and those which support only their own self-weight and
do not accept any structural loads are called non-load Bearing Walls or partitions

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LECTURER ZOWA T HARARE POLYTECHNIC CIVIL ENGINEERING DIVISION
ND ARCHITECTURAL TECHNOLOGY/QUANTITY SURVEYING/CONSTRUCTION
ENGINEERING- CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY NOTES

Types of Partitions

1. Load Bearing Partitions

Designed and constructed to receive structural load and transmit them to the foundation

Materials used

Bricks

Blocks

In-situ concrete

Load Bearing partitions are capable of having good fire resistance because of materials that are used.
Main advantage is permanence giving rise to an inflexible internal layout.

2. Non-Load Bearing
Designed and constructed to carry their own weight and any fittings or fixings attached to them

Materials used
Bricks
Blocks
These are built directly off the floor or pinned or wedged to the underside of the ceiling.
Can be placed onto one of three groups.
i) Masonry partitions
ii) Stud partitions
iii) Demountable partitions

Masonry Partitions

- Usually built with block of clay or light concrete which readily available and easy to construct
thus making them popular.

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LECTURER ZOWA T HARARE POLYTECHNIC CIVIL ENGINEERING DIVISION
ND ARCHITECTURAL TECHNOLOGY/QUANTITY SURVEYING/CONSTRUCTION
ENGINEERING- CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY NOTES

Timber Stud Partitions

Lighter than brick or block partitions and they are easy to construct because of their lightness are
suitable for building off a suspended timber floor.

Less efficient as sound or thermal insulations. A simple framed grid of timber is constructed and then
dry lining materials such as plywood plasterboard or hardwood can be attached.

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LECTURER ZOWA T HARARE POLYTECHNIC CIVIL ENGINEERING DIVISION
ND ARCHITECTURAL TECHNOLOGY/QUANTITY SURVEYING/CONSTRUCTION
ENGINEERING- CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY NOTES

Typical Details

Metal Stud Partitions

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LECTURER ZOWA T HARARE POLYTECHNIC CIVIL ENGINEERING DIVISION
ND ARCHITECTURAL TECHNOLOGY/QUANTITY SURVEYING/CONSTRUCTION
ENGINEERING- CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY NOTES

Demountable Partitions

- It can be argued that all internal non-load bearing partitions are demountable and therefore the
major problem is the amount of demountability required in the context of ease of moving and
the possible frequency anticipated.
- Range of partitions available is very wide including stud partitions, framed panel partitions on
panel to panel partitions and sliding/folding partitions which are similar in concept to industrial
doors.
-

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LECTURER ZOWA T HARARE POLYTECHNIC CIVIL ENGINEERING DIVISION
ND ARCHITECTURAL TECHNOLOGY/QUANTITY SURVEYING/CONSTRUCTION
ENGINEERING- CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY NOTES

Plaster
- A wet mixed material applied to internal walls as a finish to fill in any irregularities in the wall
surface and to provide a smooth continuous surface suitable for direct decoration.
- Plaster needs to have a good resistance to impact damage. The materials used fulfill these
requirements is gypsum plaster-a combination of calcium sulphate and water.
- Dry Linings
- Materials used to cover internal surfaces of the walls and partitions.
- The materials can be self-finished ready for direct decoration or have a surface suitable for a
single final coat.
- Finishes can be direct application of paint, vanish, wall paper or glazed wall tiles.

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LECTURER ZOWA T HARARE POLYTECHNIC CIVIL ENGINEERING DIVISION
ND ARCHITECTURAL TECHNOLOGY/QUANTITY SURVEYING/CONSTRUCTION
ENGINEERING- CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY NOTES

Materials for dry lining

Hardboard, Plywood, Clipboard, Plasterboard.

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LECTURER ZOWA T HARARE POLYTECHNIC CIVIL ENGINEERING DIVISION
ND ARCHITECTURAL TECHNOLOGY/QUANTITY SURVEYING/CONSTRUCTION
ENGINEERING- CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY NOTES

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LECTURER ZOWA T HARARE POLYTECHNIC CIVIL ENGINEERING DIVISION
ND ARCHITECTURAL TECHNOLOGY/QUANTITY SURVEYING/CONSTRUCTION
ENGINEERING- CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY NOTES

SUSPENDED CEILINGS

Ceilings which are fixed to a framework suspended from main structure thus forming a void
between the two components.

Purpose of suspended ceilings

1. To provide a finish to the bottom of structural floor or roof.

2. To create void space to house services and light finishes for example:
Geysers
Electric cables
3. To improve sound insulation
4. To provide a means of structural fire protection to steel beams supporting a concrete floor.
5. To create a lower ceiling height.

Functional requirements of suspended ceilings.

1. Should be easy to construct, repair, maintain and clean.

2. Should provide an adequate means of access for the maintenance of ceilings and services
3. Provide required sound and thermal insulation
4. Provide required acoustic control interms of absorption and reverberation.
5. Provide required structural/fire protection to structural steel beams supporting a concrete floor.
6. Should conform to the minimum requirements set out in building regulations.

Types of suspended ceilings

1. Joint less suspended ceilings

- Provide a continuous and joint less surface with the internal appearance of a convention ceiling.
- May be selected to fulfill five resistance requirements or to provide a no-bust form of
suspended ceiling.

Two common ways of construction are:-

Plasterboard or expanded metal lathing soffit with hand applied plaster finish.

A sprayed applied rendering with a cement base.

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LECTURER ZOWA T HARARE POLYTECHNIC CIVIL ENGINEERING DIVISION
ND ARCHITECTURAL TECHNOLOGY/QUANTITY SURVEYING/CONSTRUCTION
ENGINEERING- CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY NOTES

Paneled suspended ceilings/jointed ceiling

- Most popular form of suspended ceiling consisting of a suspended grid framework to which the
ceiling covering is attached.
- The covering can be of a tile, tray, board or strip format in a wide variety of materials with an
exposed or concealed supporting framework.
- Services such as luminaries can usually be incorporated within the system.
- Generally paneled systems are easy to assemble and install using a water level or laser beam for
initial and final leveling.

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LECTURER ZOWA T HARARE POLYTECHNIC CIVIL ENGINEERING DIVISION
ND ARCHITECTURAL TECHNOLOGY/QUANTITY SURVEYING/CONSTRUCTION
ENGINEERING- CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY NOTES

Typical Paneled Suspended Ceiling Details

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LECTURER ZOWA T HARARE POLYTECHNIC CIVIL ENGINEERING DIVISION
ND ARCHITECTURAL TECHNOLOGY/QUANTITY SURVEYING/CONSTRUCTION
ENGINEERING- CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY NOTES

Decorative and open suspended ceilings

- These ceilings usually consists of an openwork grid or suspended shapes onto which the lights
fixed at, above or below ceiling level can be trained thus creating a decorative and illuminated
effect.
- Many of these ceilings are purpose designed and built as opposed to the proprietary systems
associated with joint less and paneled suspended ceilings.

Typical examples

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LECTURER ZOWA T HARARE POLYTECHNIC CIVIL ENGINEERING DIVISION
ND ARCHITECTURAL TECHNOLOGY/QUANTITY SURVEYING/CONSTRUCTION
ENGINEERING- CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY NOTES

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