Basics in Building Construction

Basics in Building Construction 4(2+2)

Lesson 07 : Walls

Types Of Walls

Walls are basically divided into two types

1. Load bearing walls and
2. Non-loading bearing walls.

Each type may further be divided into external and internal wall. External walls are for enclosing and internal walls are for dividing the space.

• Loading bearing walls are designed to carry super-imposed loads transferred through roofs in addition to their own self-weight.
• Non-load bearing walls carry their own load only. They generally serve as divide walls or partition walls.
• Panel wall is the external non-load bearing wall, commonly related to framed structures.
• Partition wall is a thin internal wall which is constructed to divide the space within the building into rooms or areas. It may either be non-load bearing or load bearing.
• Party wall is a wall separating adjoining buildings belonging to different owners or occupied by different persons. It may or may not be load-bearing.
• Separate wall is a wall separating different occupancies within the same building.
• Curtain wall is a self-supporting wall carrying no other vertical loads but subject to lateral loads. It may be laterally supported by vertical or horizontal structural members where necessary.
• Cross-wall construction is a particular form of load-bearing wall construction in which all the loads are carried by internal walls, running at right angles to the length of the building.