Building Structures Illustrated

Patterns, Systems, and Design

Francis D. K. Ching, Barry S. Onouye, Douglas Zuberbuhler

• Publisher: Wiley
• Year: 2014
• ISBN:
  9781118848302
• Edition: 2
• Topic: Architecture
• Subtopic: Architecture Design

A new edition of Francis D.K. Ching's illustrated guide to structural design

Structures are an essential element of the building process, yet one of the most difficult concepts for architects to grasp. While structural engineers do the detailed consulting work for a project, architects should have enough knowledge of structural theory and analysis to design a building. Building Structures Illustrated takes a new approach to structural design, showing how structural systems of a building—such as an integrated assembly of elements with pattern, proportions, and scale—are related to the fundamental aspects of architectural design. The book features a one-stop guide to structural design in practice, a thorough treatment of structural design as part of the entire building process, and an overview of the historical development of architectural materails and structure. Illustrated throughout with Ching's signature line drawings, this new Second Edition is an ideal guide to structures for designers, builders, and students.

• Updated to include new information on building code compliance, additional learning resources, and a new glossary of terms
• Offers thorough coverage of formal and spatial composition, program fit, coordination with other building systems, code compliance, and much more
• Beautifully illustrated by the renowned Francis D.K. Ching

Building Structures Illustrated, Second Edition is the ideal resource for students and professionals who want to make informed decisions on architectural design.

1
Building Structures

BUILDING STRUCTURES

Buildings—the relatively permanent constructions we erect on a plot of land for habitable use—have developed over the course of history from simple shelters constructed of sticks, mud-brick, and stones to the more sophisticated constructions of concrete, steel, and glass of today. Throughout this evolution of building technology, what has remained constant is the enduring presence of some form of structural system capable of withstanding the forces of gravity, wind, and oftentimes, earthquakes.

We can define a structural system as a stable assembly of elements designed and constructed to function as a whole in supporting and transmitting applied loads safely to the ground without exceeding the allowable stresses in the members. While the forms and materials of structural systems have evolved with advances in technology and culture, not to mention the lessons learned from numerous building failures, they remain essential to the existence of all buildings, no matter their scale, context, or use.

The brief historical survey that follows illustrates the development of structural systems over time, from the earliest attempts to satisfy the fundamental human need for shelter against sun, wind, and rain, to the longer spans, greater heights, and increasing complexity of modern architecture.

A HISTORICAL SURVEY

9000 BC: Göbekli Tepe (Turkey). The world’s oldest known stone temples.

Neolithic Age: China, Northern Shaanxi province. Cave dwelling continues to the present day.

7500 BC: Catal Hüyük (Anatolia). Mud-brick houses with plastered interior walls.

6500 BC: Mehrgarh (Pakistan). Compartmentalized mud-brick structures.

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5000 BC – Bronze Age

The Neolithic period dawned with the advent of farming c. 8500 BC and transitioned to the early Bronze Age with the development of metal tools c. 3500 BC. The practice of using caves for shelter and dwelling had already existed for millennia and continued to develop as an architectural form, ranging from simple extensions of natural caves to carved out temples and churches to entire towns carved into the sides of the mountains.

5000 BC: Banpo, China. Pit-style houses using thick pillars to support their roofs.

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3400 BC: Sumerians introduce kilns.

3000 BC: Alvastra (Scandinavia). Houses raised on wood stilts.

3000 BC: Egyptians mix straw with mud to bind dried bricks.

2600 BC: Harappa and Mohenjo-daro, Indus Valley, modern-day Pakistan and India. Fire-baked bricks and corbeled arches.

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2500 BC – 1000 BC – Iron Age

While cave dwelling endures in various forms in different parts of the world, most architecture is created by assembling materials to define the limits of space as well as to provide shelter, house activities, commemorate events, and signify meaning. Early houses consisted of rough timber frames with mud-brick walls and thatched roofing. Sometimes pits were dug in the earth to provide additional warmth and protection; at other times, dwellings were elevated on stilts for ventilation in warm, humid climates or to rise above the shores of rivers and lakes. The use of heavy timber for the structural framing of walls and roof spans continued to develop over time and was ...