Cavity walls consist of two skins and a gap in between. However, most walls of this type would be now described as composite as their cavity is filled with insulation. Composite walls usually have brickwork as an outer skin and either further brickwork or concrete blockwork inside, with insulation in the blockwork’s holes in modern [...]
Plywood is constructed using thin (above 2mm) veneers of wood sawn off logs. A sheet is laid flat, covered with adhesive and then another sheet is placed with the grains at right angles. This process can then be repeated to get 3, 5, 7 or more plywood, with all thicknesses in odd numbers as the [...]
A number of factors limit what is possible from buildings themselves…
Regulations control size, volume, appearance and construction methodology
Materials can only perform within their limitations
Costs have to be considered
Unexpected incidents such as adverse weather, strikes, material availability, regulations and planning policy may all affect construction
Ground quality and content affects what can be built on top
Advantages
Good compressive strength
Familiar material to workforce
Ethnic – of the locality
Disadvantages
Poor tensile strength
Some stones decay
Need for skilled workforce
Maintenance cost – discolouration/cleaning
Sedimentary stone is not formed under pressure but in layers and can split off if vertically loaded. This can, however, be useful – eg slate
Some stone, such as marble, is too expensive for construction although may [...]
A number of features can be noticed by simly looking at chimney pots.
The addition of an extra pot on top of an existing one may show a change of fuel in the fire below. If a fire was formerly timber but it now a more modern fuel it will generate more heat and chemicals that, [...]
Communication about buildings consists of drawings and documents such as a specification, bill of quantities, schedule of works and a building contract. Visual communication is therefore very important.
Some key phrases when looking at these drawings…
Scale (eg 1:100) shows how much larger the real building is to the one documented by the drawing.
Plan: a diagram drawn [...]
