Elements of a Building The following are the basic elements of a building: 1. Foundation 2. Plinth 3. Walls and columns 4. Sills, lintels and chejjas 5. Doors and windows 6. Floors 7. Roofs 8. Steps, stairs and lifts 9. Finishing work 10. Building services. The functions of these elements and the main requirement of them is presented in this article. 1. Foundation: Foundation is the most important part of the building. Building activity starts with digging the ground for foundation and then building it. It is the lower most part of the building. It transfers the load of the building to the ground. Its main functions and requirements are: (a) Distribute the load from the structure to soil evenly and safely. (b) To anchor the building to the ground so that under lateral loads building will not move. (c) It prevents the building from overturning due to lateral forces. (d) It gives level surface for the construction of super structure. 2. Plinth: The portion...
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