Construction - Design, Materials, Planning

construction

Table of Contents

Introduction
The history of construction
- Primitive building: the Stone Age
- Bronze Age and early urban cultures
- Stone construction in Egypt
- Greek and Hellenistic cultures
- Roman achievements
  - Masonry construction
  - Early concrete structures
  - Timber and metal construction
  - Building support systems
- Romanesque and Gothic
  - Stone construction
  - Construction in timber and brick
  - Building services
- The Renaissance
  - Reintroduction of dome construction
  - Revival of Roman technics and materials
- The first industrial age
  - Development of iron technology
  - Manufactured building materials
  - Building science
  - Emergence of design professionals
  - Improvements in building services
- The second industrial age
  - Introduction of steel building technology
  - Early steel-frame high-rises
  - Steel long-span construction
  - Reintroduction of concrete
    - The invention of reinforced concrete
    - The concrete dome
  - Development of building service and support systems
    - Vertical transportation
    - Lighting
    - Heating and cooling systems
    - Glass as a building material
  - High-rise construction since 1945
    - Use of steel and other metals
    - Use of reinforced concrete
  - Postwar developments in long-span construction
Modern building practices
- The economic context of building construction
- Building design and construction
  - Design programming
  - Design development
  - Construction
- Low-rise residential buildings
  - Foundations
  - Structural systems
    - Timber frames
    - Masonry walls
  - Enclosure systems
  - Interior finishes
  - Plumbing
  - Heating and cooling
  - Electrical systems
- Low-rise commercial, institutional, and industrial buildings
  - Foundations
  - Timber
  - Steel
  - Concrete
  - Enclosure systems
  - Interior finishes
    - Partitions
    - Ceiling finishes
    - Floor finishes
  - Life-safety systems
  - Vertical transportation
  - Plumbing
  - Environmental control
  - Electrical systems
- High-rise buildings
  - Foundations
  - Structural systems
    - Wind loads
    - Earthquake loads
    - Classification of structural systems
  - Enclosure systems
  - Life-safety systems
  - Vertical transportation
  - Plumbing
  - Environmental control
  - Electrical systems
- Long-span buildings
  - Structural systems
    - Structural types
    - Timber structures
    - Steel structures
    - Concrete structures
  - Factors in the built environment
    - Acoustics
    - Environmental control systems

References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics

Images & Videos

The vidoe thumbnail image shows a two-sided bridge lifting and separating at the center. A blue circle highlights the open section.

Speyer Cathedral: A monument to imperial power

See the various roles involved in designing and constructing a building, from developers to architects to managers

Learn about the skills required to work as an industrial electrician

For Students

building construction summary

Read Next

Blank canvas in an artist's studio. Art; oil paints; brushes; artists' tools

6 Contemporary Artists Who Redefined Their Mediums

Discover

Aphrodite. Greek mythology. Sculpture. Aphrodite is the Greek goddess of love and beauty.

12 Greek Gods and Goddesses

Do Lemmings Really Commit Mass Suicide?

A tornado in rural Iowa sweeps dangerously near a farm. Weather storm

Why Does the United States Have More Tornadoes than Any Other Country?

What State Is Washington, D.C. In?

Ruminant. Deer. Red deer. Cervus elaphus. Buck. Stag. Antlers.

9 of the World’s Deadliest Mammals

Indian hijras participate in a religious procession in Gandhinagar, India, some 30 kilometers from Ahmedabad, on March 22, 2017. Hijra is a term used in South Asia which refers to transgender individuals who are born male. (gender identity, gender expression)

6 Cultures That Recognize More than Two Genders

9 Animals That Look Like Leaves

Low-rise residential buildings include the smallest buildings produced in large quantities. Single-family detached houses, for example, are in the walk-up range of one to three stories and typically meet their users’ needs with about 90 to 180 square meters (about 1,000 to 2,000 square feet) of enclosed floor space. Other examples include the urban row house and walk-up apartment buildings. Typically these forms have relatively low unit costs because of the limited purchasing power of their owners. The demand for this type of housing has a wide geographic distribution, and therefore most are built by small local contractors using relatively ...(100 of 33068 words)

Access the full article

Help support true facts by becoming a member.