If you have acquired a piece of land as a private individual, the real work will only start. There are a lot of choices with endless possibilities to look around the corner. It is therefore wise to take an architect in the hand. He knows exactly what the possibilities are that fit within the relevant zoning plan. It also often works together with a constructor, who knows what choices there are with regard to the support structure.
The various wear-constructive elements that are important for a new home to be built and the choices that can be distinguished within this, I will go through in the coming blogs.
One of the most important load-bearing elements of a home is the load-bearing walls. These will then also be discussed in this blog.
Function bearing walls
What function do bearing walls have? The loadbearing walls in a home first have the function of absorbing the weight of the floors and all the loads that work on the floors. The bearing walls must therefore be strong enough to absorb these loads. In addition, bearing walls must then be able to transfer these loads to the foundation. Finally, load-bearing walls also fulfill an important function for stability. They ensure that horizontal loads, such as the wind load, are also transferred to the foundation.
The following building methods can roughly be distinguished for setting up the main structure of a new home:
- Modern stacking
- Casting
- Assembly construction
- Timber frame construction
Modern stacking method
Traditionally, the stacking method is a common method. It concerns the stacking of stones or blocks to realize the load-bearing elements. This method is often obsolete by modern techniques. However, the stacked construction has kept its place in modern times in adapted form. Today, sand-lime brick or concrete brick is used. The cellular concrete material is also suitable for low-rise buildings. Specific material properties, processing method and / or cost price then determine the final choice.
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Casting
Cast building is the construction method where concrete mortar is poured into a formwork at the building site, as a result of which walls with reinforcement are built up. Casting has been very popular since the 1960s, but is still often used today. Drained concrete walls are a widely used solution, especially for the series of residential buildings.
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Timber frame construction
Timber frame construction is an element construction method where wood is used. The elements consist of wooden styles and rules that fulfill the supporting function. The whole is prefabricated and then mounted on the construction site.
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Houtskeletbouw
Houtskeletbouw is een elementenbouw methode waar hout wordt toegepast. De elementen bestaan uit houten stijlen en regels die de dragende functie vervullen. Het geheel wordt geprefabriceerd en daarna gemonteerd op de bouwplaats.
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Element construction with fiber material
A construction method that is new on the market is the element construction where the load-bearing elements consist of fiber material. By adjusting the orientation and pressing of the fiber structure, the load-bearing capacity can be adjusted in such a way that it offers more load-bearing capacity than timber frame construction and comparable load capacity as steel. There are two manufacturers with such a system active on the Dutch market, Rockwool with Rockzero with stone wool as base material and Kingspan with TEK with wood chips as base material.
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As can be seen, there are many options and it is up to the project and the wishes of the customer which building method is the most efficient and effective. It is therefore advisable to call in an architect office. He has the expertise to advise you in this area.
