Unit 4 Common Building Elements

1. Introduction

1.1 Read the text title and hypothesize what the text is about. Write down your hypothesis.

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1.2 What do you know concerning this issue? List your ideas in the table left column “I know”.

I know	I have learnt

1.3 If you know answers to these questions write them down in the space given after each question.

1	What are framing elements?
2	What is framing used for?
3	What flooring materials do you know?
4	What are popular types of stone flooring?
5	What is a stair?
6	Where is the circular staircase used?
7	What are the alternatives to stairways?

4. Circle in the list the words and expressions you know. Write down their translation in the table and calculate the percentage of your lexical competence.

1	permanent		9	smooth surface
2	a lighthouse		10	wood flooring
3	underneath		11	alanding
4	sub-floor		12	ceramic tiles
5	special stairways		13	a community
6	framing elements		14	renewable resources
7	from top to bottom		15	flight of stairs
8	sheathing materials		16	to avoid

A number of common building elements are used in many different types of buildings. Each has different areas in which they must demonstrate performance. These elements include:

Framing. Framing elements are structural members that form the shape of the building. They are generally hidden behind the internal and external cladding and so are rarely seen except during construction. Framing is used for walls, ceilings, floors, roofs, partitions and generally has small to medium spans and carries light loads. Framing typically uses a number of fairly closely spaced parallel elements to support large areas of lining or cladding.

Framing, in construction known as light-frame construction, is a building technique based around structural members, usually called studs, which provide a stable frame to which interior and exterior wall coverings are attached, and covered by a roof comprising horizontal ceiling joists and sloping rafters (together forming a truss structure) or manufactured pre-fabricated roof trusses—all of which are covered by various sheathing materials to give weather resistance.

Flooring is the general term for a permanent covering of a floor, or for the work of installing such a floor covering. Floor covering is a term to generically describe any finish material applied over a floor structure to provide a walking surface. Both terms are used interchangeably but floor covering refers more to loose-laid materials.

Materials almost always classified as floor covering include carpet, area rugs, and resilient flooring such as linoleum or vinyl flooring. Materials commonly called flooring include wood flooring, ceramic tile, stone, terrazzo, and various seamless chemical floor coatings.

Subfloor. The floor under the flooring is called the subfloor. This provides the support for the flooring. Subfloors may be laid upon another underlying subfloor which provides the structural strength.

Flooring materials. The choice of material for floor covering is affected by factors such as cost, endurance, noise insulation, comfort and cleaning effort. Some types of flooring must not be installed below grade (lower than ground level), and laminate or hardwood should be avoided where there may be moisture or condensation.

Soft coverings. Carpet is a floor covering woven or felted from natural or man-made fibers. Fitted carpet is attached to the floor structure, extends wall-to-wall, and cannot be moved from place to place.

Wood flooring. Many different species of wood are fabricated into wood flooring in two primary forms: plank and parquet. Hardwoods are typically much more durable than softwoods.

Laminate is a floor covering that appears similar to hardwood but is made with a plywood or medium density fiberboard ("MDF") core with a plastic laminate top layer. Laminate may be more durable than hardwood, but cannot be refinished like hardwood.

Resilient flooring is made of material that has some elasticity. It includes many different manufactured products including linoleum, sheet vinyl, vinyl composition tile (VCT), cork (sheet or tile), rubber, and others.

Hard flooring.

Ceramic tile includes a wide variety of clay products fired into thin units. Varieties include quarry tile, porcelain tile, terracotta tile, and others. Many different natural stones are cut into a variety of sizes, shapes, and thicknesses for use as flooring. Stone flooring is usually set in mortar and grouted similar to ceramic tile. Slate and marble are popular types of stone flooring.

T errazzo consists of marble or other stone aggregate set in mortar and ground and polished to a smooth surface.

A Mosaic consists of many small pieces of stone arranged to form a design or picture and are common in cultural and religious centers.

Sustainable flooring. It is produced from sustainable materials (and by a sustainable process) that reduces demands on ecosystems during its life-cycle.

Stairs. Structural members that must carry the loads of people ascending, descending, leaning on rails, sitting on rails. A stair is a number of steps leading from one level to another.

Step. A step is a short horizontal surface for the foot to facilitate ascent from one level to another.

Flight. A series of steps between floors of landings.

Landing. A platform between two flights.

Stringer. An inclined member which if fixed to a wall may act as housing for the steps is called a stringer..

Balustrade. A balustrade provides protection on the open sides of a stair.

Rise. This is the vertical distance between the upper surface of two consecutive treads.

Going. This is the horizontal distance between nosing of two consecutive.

S pecial stairways include escalators and ladders. Some alternatives to stairways are elevators, stairlifts and inclined moving sidewalks as well as stationary inclined sidewalks.

According to their construction, stairs are categorized as follows:

• Brick Stairs are used for external steps & stairs.

• Stone Stairs are very expensive; and are rarely used.

• Concrete Stairs are widely used in all types of buildings. They are strong, fire resistant and make possible a wide range of forms.

• Timber Stairs are economical & lightweight. Commonly used in domestic buildings.

S tairway, staircase, stairwell, flight of stairs, or simply stairs are names for a construction designed to bridge a large vertical distance by dividing it into smaller vertical distances, called steps. Stairways may be straight, spiral, railings, freestanding, elliptical, single-open-under, industrial, glass, or may consist of two or more straight pieces connected at angles.