Can I build a partition wall over a floor slab without a beam below it?
The purposes of the a wall are to 1. support the roof / ceiling 2. to enclose a space to give buildings its form and 3. privacy (mainly visual and sometimes even sound). A partition wall need not be a load bearing one to support any load over it.There are a few methods to construct a partition wall without beam below it:Construct with Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (AAC) Blocks which weighs almost less than one third of normal bricks. (for better privacy)Provide an inverted beam on the slab on which the wall is to be constructed.If the strength of slab is in doubt, provide I section below the slab as shown. This method is widely used in many places. If done properly, you may even construct ordinary concrete blocks for the walls above it.4. If the purpose of partition wall is for separating a space form the main utility of the room, the wall can be made with any light wight material like gypsum board, Aluminium partition, particle boards or a combination of any of these with better aesthetic.Note: 1. Partition walls are generally 4.5″ thick 2. All the above methods are advised for a structurally sound slab 3. Consult an experienced engineer if in doubt.
Can water leak up through the basement floor?
We've lived in our house for about a year and this is the first problem we've had with it. Our basement is partially finished and the unfinished side has some occasional leakage. It has that system where it has the gutters around the perimeter of the room that flow into the sump pump. It works really well and I've never seen water outside the gutters. Well, lately we've had an extraordinary amount of rain within a short period of time. It was to the point where we had about 3 inches of standing water in our back yard Thursday. It was gone by Friday and I haven't seen any water in our basement at all. Then Saturday night I felt a wet spot in the middle of the carpet. We had a party that day so I assumed that some kid spilled water and just didn't say anything. I tried to soak it up with a towel and left it to dry on it's own. Well, it's still there, although is' not quite as wet. If it was a spill I would assume that it would dry faster than that. I walked in a circle around it and there isn't a trail to it. It's not coming through the ceiling. Can water come up through the foundation like that? Is this something to worry about? Our house was build midcentury and has the wastewater hooked up to the sewer (I think that's what it is), if that helps. Should I be worried?
Can I build a ground plus first floor on a simple brick wall without RCC columns and beams?
Yes, you can , it is simply called load bearing structures a long running practice in the history of construction but you have to put few things in your mind firstIdentify the earthquake zone of your locality.the span of room should not exceed the maximum 15–16 feets or that provided by local building guidelines. For longer span use of buttress walls can be donetry to minimize the openings in the wall ie. using smaller windowsUse of horizontal bands. Timber steel or even rcc bands running horizontally thriugh sill and lintel levels can strengthen your structureChoice of materials. For upper floors you can go for light weight materials like timber planks or boards. With proper insulation and finish they act better both structurally and aesthetically.Load bearing walls are supposed to be thicker than normal walls. Also since walls are transfering the loads, its prefered to have walls on upper floor exactly above the walls in lower level.Hope it helps.
Difference between foundation, footing and pier?
As long as you are not talking about piers used for docks on a lake or ocean. Some land is not stable enough (too spongy, soft, swampy etc...) to support a conventional building on but for one reason or another someone may want to have a building on that type of land. Piers (aka piles) are either treated wood or metal poles/pipe that are driven into the earth though the softer soil to contact harder soil below. These piers provide solid support for the said building and are spaced according to engineering specifications. The building should then have a footing atop the piers with a foundation atop the footing. In conventional building, footings are generally on native undisturbed or compacted soil with the foundation on top. The overall theory is to build a structure on soil/supports that won't settle/move later on (example-Leaning Tower pf Piza) to cause structural damage.