Technical Principles of Building for Safety

About this book

This book describes principles and construction techniques for builders, householders and communities who are building in hazard-prone areas. The principles are clearly and simply presented - and in a form which can be adapted for use in training or public information campaigns - with an emphasis on improving hazard-resistance at minimum cost; and the book concentrated on those principles which are universally applicable. It includes sections on site safety; building safely in brick and block, building safely in earth and stone; building safely in timber; building safely in reinforced concrete - and building a safe roof.

Contents

Chapter 1 Know your hazards: Hazard awareness; Earthquakes; Floods; Land instabilities; Wind storms. Chapter 2 Choosing a safe site: Siting and safety; Siting a settlement; Siting a building; Safe siting in flood hazard areas; Choosing a stable site; Safe siting in wind-prone areas; Safe siting in earthquake areas; Further reading on safe siting. Chapter 3 Building safely in brick and block: Masonry and hazards; Robust building form; Firm foundations; Good quality materials; Strong walls; Distributed openings; Horizontal reinforcement; Safe modifications; Regular maintenance; Summary. Chapter 4 Building safely in earth and stone: Weak masonry and hazards; Good practice; Robust layout; Ring beam; Summary; Further reading on building safely in earth and stone. Chapter 5 Building safely in timber: Timber and hazards; Why timber?; Good foundations; Rigid vertical structure; Braced floors and roofs; Strong connections; Regular maintenance; Protect against fire; Summary. Chapter 6 Building safely in reinforced concrete: Concrete and hazards; Why concrete?; Robust building form; Regular frame; Attention to element design; High quality construction; Summary. Chapter 7 Safe roof construction: Roofs and hazards; Aerodynamic roof form; Roof connected to structure; Regular maintenance; Summary.

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