Damp proof course ( DPC )

Damp proof course (DPC) is a physical barrier

inserted into the fabric of a building to stop water
passing from one place to another. This can be on a
horizontal plane, stopping water rising up from the
ground by being sucked up by the dry masonry above,
or vertically to stop water passing from the outside of a
building, though the masonry, to the inside. DPC's have
taken many forms through the ages and one of the earliest
forms was to use a layer of slate in the construction. Slate
is still used but the less expensive plastic version (below
right) is now more widely used.
 Damp proof course ( DPC )
Dampness not only affects the life of the
building adversely, but also creates unhygienic
conditions for the occupants. Hence, treatment
to check dampness is considered to be one of the
important items of work in the construction of a
building. The treatment given to prevent leakage of
water from roof is generally termed as water-
proofing, whereas the treatment given to keep the
walls, floors and basement dry is termed as damp-
proofing.
 A horizontal DPC is
usually placed 6 inches
above ground level and
used in conjunction with a
damp proof membrane
which stops water rising to
any part of the ground floor
from the ground. A diagram
of a typical ground floor
construction can be seen
below and you can see
how a Damp Proof Course
works in conjunction with
the membrane to stop any
water rising up into the
building above.
 Effects of dampness
The main effects of dampness are as follows:
(l) It creates unhealthy conditions for the occupants of
the building.
(2) It causes efflorescence which may finally result in
the disintegration of bricks, tiles etc.
(3) Plasters become soft and crumbled.
(4) It causes warping and decay of timber.
(5) The metals used in the construction of building are
subjected to corrosion.
(6) It causes blistering, bleaching and flaking of points.
(7) Electrical installations are damaged.
(8) The floor covering materials are deteriorated.
(9) Termites grow faster.
 Causes of dampness
(1) Orientation of the building
(2) Rain water
(3) Exposed tops of wall
(4) Rise of ground moisture
(5) Condensation
(6) Poor drainage of the site
(7) New construction.
(8) Bad workmanship
 Properties of an ideal damp-
proofing material
(1) Damp-proofing material should be impervious
for restricting the moisture movement through
even in a thin layer of it.
(2) It should carry safely the loads coming over
it due to dead weight of the structure, live load,
wind load, etc.
(3) It should be stable and should not allow any
movement within itself.
(4) The material should not change its properties
with time.
DAMP-PROOFING METHODS
The different types of damp-proofing
methods are follow:
(1) Integral damp-proofing
(2) Membrane damp-proofing
(3) Surface treatment for damp-proofing
(4) Cavity wall construction
(5) Guniting
Membrane damp-proofing
Guniting
 Materials used for damp-
proofing
(1) Bitumen
This flexible material is placed on a bed of concrete or mortar and
thickness is at least 3 mm.
(2) Mastic Asphalt
This semi-rigid material provides an impervious layer to be used as
damp-proof course.
(3) It is available in the market in rolls of normal wall thickness. It is
laid on a layer of cement mortar with an overlap of 10 cm. and full
overlap at corners of the building. It is very convenient to lay.
(4) Mortar
Cement mortar (l : 3) in a layer of 2 to 3 cm. thickness 18 used for
preparing damp-proof bedding layer. Its workability can be increased
by mixing a small amount of lime in it. Pulverized alum and soap
water is also used with cement mortar to make it more impervious.
Patented materials such as cico, impermo, pudlo, etc. can be also
used with the cement mortar.
Mastic Asphalt
Bituminous felt
 Materials used for damp-
proofing
(5) Cement concrete
A layer of 6 to 15 cm. thick cement concrete (1: 2: 4) is generally
provided at the plinth level of the building to serve as a damp-
proof course, in the area where dampness is not excessive.
Otherwise 3 to 5% of patented damp-proofing compound is used
with the cement to make it more impervious. .
(6) Stones
Damp-proof course can be provided by using two courses of strong
and dense stones (i.e. slates, granites, etc.) in cement mortar for
full width of the wall.
(7) Bricks
Two courses of dense bricks are used as damp-proof course when
the dampness is not excessive.
(8) Metal sheets
Metal sheets of copper, lead and aluminium, etc. are used as damp-
proof course. They are very effective in preventing dampness.
 DAMP PROOFING TREATMENT
IN BUILDINGS

Damp-proofing: treatment in buildings can be

broadly divided into the following categories:
(i) Treatment to foundations
(ii) Treatment to floors
(iii) Treatment to walls
(iv) Treatment to flat roof
(v) Treatment to parapet wall
(vi) Treatment to pitched roof
 DAMP-PROOFING TREATMENT
TO FOUNDATIONS
Before dealing
with the problem of
damp-proofing
treatment to be
given to
foundations, it is
necessary to have
an idea about the
ground water level.
 DAMP-PROOFING TREATMENT
TO FOUNDATIONS
Depending upon the depth of the ground level,
the treatment to be given to the foundation
can be subdivided into the following four
categories.
(1) Treatment to foundations on ordinary soil
(2) Treatment to foundations on damp soil
(3) Treatment to basements in ordinary soil
(4) Treatment to basement in damp soil
Treatment to foundations on ordinary soil
Treatment to foundations on damp soil
Treatment to basements in ordinary soil
Treatment to basement in damp soil
Treatment to basement in damp soil
Precautions is damp-proofing

(1) The mortar bedding for damp-proofing course

should be spread evenly.
(2) A damp-proofing course must be provided in
correct position with respect to other D.P.C.
to obtain a continuous protection.
(3) The damp-proofing course is provided for the
full thickness of the wall.
(4) The horizontal damp-proofing course is laid
continuously at junctions and corners of the
wall.
 SHORING
Shoring is a general term used in construction to
describe the process of supporting a structure in
order to prevent collapse so that construction
can proceed. The phrase can also be used as a
noun to refer to the materials used in the process.
Shoring is used to support the beams and
floors in a building while a column or wall is
removed. In this situation vertical supports are
used as a temporary replacement for the building
columns or walls.
 SHORING
Trenches - During excavation, shoring
systems provide safety for workers in a trench
and speed excavation. In this case, shoring should
not be confused with shielding. Shoring is
designed to prevent collapse where shielding is
only designed to protect workers when collapses
occur. concrete structures shoring, in this case also
referred to as falsework, provides temporary
support until the concrete becomes hard and
achieves the desired strength to support loads.
 main objects of shoring
1. When the walls of a building develop signs of
bulging or leaning outwards, shoring is necessary to
prevent further development of the defects.
2. When defective walls of a building are to be
dismantled and rebuilt, shoring is resorted to for
supporting the floors or roofs connected to that wall.
3. Shoring is necessary to support the super-
structure when large openings are required to be made
in the main walls. Shoring may be essential to give support
to the walls of two adjacent buildings when the intermediate
building is to be pulled down and rebuilt.
 TYPES OF SHORING
There are three different types of shores
1. Raking shores
2. Flying shores
3. Dead shores
 Raking shores

This is a system of
giving temporary
support to an unsafe
wall. The construction
of raking shore, also
known as inclined
shore, varies with the
conditions of site.
 Flying shores
It is a system of providing
temporary support to the
party walls of two
buildings where the
intermediate building is
to be pulled down and
rebuilt. All types of
arrangements of
supporting the unsafe
structure in which the
shores do not reach the
ground come under this
category.
 Dead shores
This is the system
of shoring which is
used to render vertical
support to walls and
roofs, floors, etc., when
the lower part of a
wall has to be
removed for the
purposes of providing
an opening in, a wall or
to rebuild a defective
load bearing wall in a
structure.
 UNDERPINNING

In construction, underpinning is the process of

strengthening and stabilizing the foundation of an
existing building or other structure. Underpinning
may be necessary for a variety of reasons:
1. The original foundation is simply not strong or stable
enough.
2. The usage of the structure has changed.
3. The properties of the soil supporting the foundation
may have changed (possibly through subsidence) or
were mischaracterized during planning.
4. The construction of nearby structures necessitates
the excavation of soil supporting existing foundations.
 UNDERPINNING

It is more economical, due to land price or

otherwise, to work on the present structure's
foundation than to build a new one.
Underpinning is accomplished by extending the
foundation in depth or in breadth so it either rests on
more supportive soil stratum or distributes its load across
a greater area. Use of micro piles and jet grouting are
common methods in underpinning. An alternative to
underpinning is the weakening of the soil by the
introduction of a grout. All of these processes are generally
expensive and elaborate.
UNDERPINNING
 SCAFFOLDING
Scaffolding is a
temporary frame used
to support people and
material in the
construction or repair of
buildings and other large
structures. It is usually a
modular system of metal
pipes, although it can be
made out of other
materials. Bamboo is still
used in some areas.
 TYPES OF SCAFFOLDS

The following different types of scaffolds are

in common use:
1. Brick-layer's scaffold
2. Mason's scaffold
3. Steel or tabular scaffold
4. Needle scaffold
5. Wooden scaffold
Brick-layer's scaffold
Mason's scaffold
Steel or tabular scaffold
Needle scaffold
Wooden scaffold
 DOOR
A door may be defined as a framework of wood, steel,
aluminum, glass or a combination of these materials secured in an
opening left in a wall for the purposes of providing access to the
users of the structures. It basically consists of two parts i.e.
i. A frame and
ii. Shutter

The frame is normally made up of timber. This is on account of

the fact that timber is easily available everywhere and it can be worked
into different shapes without difficulty. However where economy is the
main consideration, frames made up of steel or precast R.C.C.
members are generally used. Steel or R.C.C. Frames are also
recommended in construction on sites infested with termites. Shutters
are generally made up of timber framework with panel insets of glass,
timber plywood, block board or a combination of such materials.
 DOOR
In case of steel doors, the shutters are made of
frame work of rolled steel sections with panel inserts of
glass or steel plates. Next to steel, aluminum is the metal
largely used in the manufacture of doors.
Aluminum doors are considered to be the best as
they are rust proof and present an elegant appearance.
However since aluminum is costly as compared to timber
or steel, use of aluminum doors .is normally restricted to
public buildings.
For small opening a door is provided with one leaf or
shutter and such a door is known a single leaf door. In case
of wider opening the door should have two leaves and such
a door is termed as double leaf door
 LOCATION 0F DOORS
The following guidelines should be kept in view while
deciding the location of doors in a building.
(i) From consideration of adequate air circulation within the
room, the doors should be provided in opposite walls facing each
other.
(ii) From consideration of proper space utilization and
privacy, doors should as for as possible be located near the comer
of a room (say about 20 cm away from the corner).
(iii) The location of the door should meet the functional
requirements of the room.
(iv) The number of doors in a room should be kept minimum
to achieve optimum utilization of space. Large number of doors besides
causing obstruction, consume more area in circulation.
 Classification of door
Depending upon the
1. Type of material used
2. Arrangement of different components
3. Method of construction and
4. Nature of working operation doors can be broadly classified into different
types as under:
(1) Battened and ledged doors.
(2) Battened ledged and braced doors.
(3) Battened ledged, braced and framed doors.
(4) Framed and panelled doors.
(5) Glazed or sash doors.
(6) Flush doors.
(7) Fly proof doors.
(8) Revolving doors.
 Classification of door
Depending upon the
1. Type of material used
2. Arrangement of different components
3. Method of construction and
4. Nature of working operation doors can be broadly classified into different
types as under:

(9) Sliding doors.

(10) Swing doors.
(11) Collapsible steel doors.
(12) Rolling steel shutter doors.
(13) Rolling grill doors.
(14) M.S. sheet doors.
(15) Fire check door.
 framed- and paneled door
ledge and brace Glazed or sash doors
Flush doors Fly proof doors Revolving doors
Sliding doors Swing doors
Collapsible steel doors
 Fire check door
Rolling grill doors
 WINDOW
A window may be defined as an opening made in a
wall for the purpose of providing day light,
vision and ventilation. The construction of
window is identical to that of door.
Window consists of a window frame and shutter.
The frame consists of two vertical members
called jambs ,one flat member connecting the
jambs at top, known as head and another flat
inem6er connecting the jambs at their feet
known as sill. The shutter can be fully glazed,
panelled and glazed or panelled type.
 The selection of size, shape, lotion and
the number of windows to be provided in a
room depends upon the following
consideration

1. Size of room to be lighted.

2. Location of the room and its utility.
3. Architectural treatment is to be given
to the building.
4. Direction of wind and its speed.
5. Climatic considerations of the site such
as humidity, temperature variation etc.
 CLASSIFICATION OF WINDOWS
Depending upon type of material used, nature of operational movements of the shutters, location and
the manner in which they an; fixed, windows can be broadly classified as under.
(1) Fixed windows
(2) Pivoted windows
(3) Double hung windows
(4) Sliding windows
(5) Casement windows
(6) Sash or glazed windows
(7) Louvered or venetianed windows
(8) Metal windows
(9) Bay windows
(10) Clerestory windows
(11) Corner windows
(12) Dormer windows
(13) Gable windows
(14) Sky fights
(15) Fan fights
(16) Ventilators
 CLASSIFICATION OF WINDOWS
Depending upon type of material used, nature of operational movements of the shutters, location and
the manner in which they an; fixed, windows can be broadly classified as under.
(1) Fixed windows
(2) Pivoted windows
(3) Double hung windows
(4) Sliding windows
(5) Casement windows
(6) Sash or glazed windows
(7) Louvered or venetianed windows
(8) Metal windows
(9) Bay windows
(10) Clerestory windows
(11) Corner windows
(12) Dormer windows
(13) Gable windows
(14) Sky fights
(15) Fan fights
(16) Ventilators
Fixed windows Sliding windows

Double hung windows