The caves were the early abodes of man. The first hut with bamboo and leaves may be the first civil engineering construction carried out to satisfy the man’s need for a shelter. Man has been molding his environment throughout the ages for more comfortable living. In this process various building structures have comeup. Egyptians constructed huge pyramids. The Greeks developed a style of proportions of building elements; these proportions are known as “The Order of Architecture”. Romans developed arches for vaults and domes. During the gothic period of architecture (1100-1500 A.D.) churches with pointed arches and the vaults were constructed. The arched ribs were supported by stone pillars strengthened by buttresses. These structures led to the idea of framed structures. The period from 1750 A.D. onwards is known as ‘the period of modern architecture’. Due to industrial development, many new methods and materials of construction were developed. A building is a habitable structure or construction of more or less permanent nature. Any structure that is movable or designed for a purpose other than their occupancy is not a building. Constructing the building that sits on the ground, houses some form of human activity, gets rained on, is in place through many seasons and years, must be built by skilled persons engaged in construction business using best material and products available.
Due to industrial development many new methods and materials of construction were developed. The use of reinforced concrete construction triggered the rapid development of modern architecture. Structural components like columns, chajjas, canopies, R.C.C slabs became popular because of the increased speed in construction.
Buildings have typical parts and building design involve dealing with basic factors relating to the functions of those parts and to the problems of making them. Designing of any selected building part must be done in the context of the problems of the whole building. Dealing with the individual elements of building construction requires some attention to their eventual co-ordination in the whole building construction. The main considerations while designing a building are
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