Building Construction Elements and Foundation Types

Constructive Elements of a Building

• Foundation
• Structure
• Deck
• Enclosures
• Partition Walls
• Installations

Classification of Buildings by Use

Building architecture and industrial building techniques.

Classification of Buildings by Age

• Traditional
• Current

Functions and Uses of Buildings

A building is intended to provide shelter for an activity and demands:

• Artistic and humanistic design
• Functionality and endurance

Uses of buildings: Commercial, Administrative, Health, Cultural, and Educational.

Classification of Foundations

The various types of foundations are classified from a construction point of view into two main categories:

Surface Foundations (Shallow)

• Isolated footings
• Eccentric braced shoes
• Footings and foundation beams
• Slab thickness
• Slabs with capitals
• Ribbed slabs
• Floating slabs

Deep Foundations

• Precast piles
• Piles in situ

Types of Earthworks

• Cleaning up: This aims to remove the topsoil, clearing it of weeds, shrubs, etc.
• Excavation: This involves the removal of earth in areas where the soil is higher than the final profile.
• Removal: The excavation is made above the ground level of the street or the surrounding terrain.
• Cast: The excavation takes place below the grade level of the street or the surrounding terrain.
• Terracing: This operation consists of adding and compacting earth in areas where the ground is lower than the final profile.
• Compaction: Reduction in the volume of the ground when trodden. It is measured by the compaction coefficient (CC), which expresses the decrease in volume as a percentage compared to the initial volume.
• Sponging (Bulking): The volume increase experienced by soil after removal. It is measured by the ratio of overrun (Ce), which expresses the increase in volume as a percentage compared to the initial volume.
• Transport: The purpose is to transfer soil from the excavation site, either to remove it from the site to a landfill or for use within the same construction work, accumulating it in mounds called 'gentlemen' (spoil heaps).

Types of Soil and Terrain

For all purposes related to earthworks, we consider the following types of land:

• Hard: Excavated with machinery, but not with a pickaxe, such as rocks and highly compacted decomposed soils.
• Medium: Excavated with a pickaxe, but not with a shovel, such as semi-clay with or without gravel.
• Soft: Excavated with a shovel, such as loose dirt, topsoil, and sand.

Sludge, slurry, and compact rocks are excluded from these categories.