BUILDING TYPES AND METHODS

An explanation, by Craig Wright

INTRODUCTION

There are loads of different building types and methods here I will try to explain some I have learnt about and some I have built.

BUILDING TYPES

1. Light timber frames: Probably the most common form of building in New Zealand, timber has to be at least H1.2, frames can be made on site in situ or more commonly in a pre nail factory. Sometimes they connect and relate with steel beams or laminate beams, they can be made on a poured concrete pad or on top of piles. 

2. Light Steel Frames: made most commonly with galvanised steel and fixed together with propriety tech screws - pre painted. Steel framing stays true, does not warp, and is lighter than timber, but in my opinion, is more difficult to put together and does not lend itself easily to future renovations. 

3. Heavy Timber construction: more common in expensively designed houses these days, this used to be a more traditional style of building - in England for example. These heavy frames do not usually use nails or screws but mortise and tendon joins. These days modern factory produced steel connectors can be used. 

4. Heavy Steel Construction like heavy timber frames the load is transferred to columns, the strength and lightweight of steel means you can produce great spans, which is why this style of building is commonly used in factory warehouses, the buildings can be too noisy to be used in residential however this can be mitigated. This style can also be used for multi-story buildings. 

5. Concrete construction: Concrete construction is very common and very tried and tested, you can use precast elements or pour on site, concrete is strong in compression but weak in tension so steel must always be used. Concrete is porous, so damp proof membranes must be used

6. Natural: some more greener options of buildings are earth, cob, rammed earth, and poured earth also there are straw mud and hemp houses. 

7. Log Cabin: Something I have always personally wanted to do.  Not so common here in New Zealand because of the lack of suitable trees and the cost. 

8. Some other Alternative building methods include: interlocking solid timber, various panel systems, and modular.  

BUILDINGS I HAVE WORKED ON

This is the cottage my son lives in, the white one was an existing one we re lined with gum lining that was felled and milled on site.The add on was made with macrocarpa framing which was also felled and milled on site the macrocarpa was not treated, as it does not need to be. The lining was gib board with solid plaster mixed with paint over the top

This is a fancy house in Ponsonby it had a car elevator, as the house was right on the front boundary... ie no lawn so car would drive in the garage, descend and allow for another car, we used block, pre cast panels, on site- made form work and Doka formwork.

Some Pozi Struts at a fancy designed house in Algies it had some Heavy timber framing, a block foundation and high end finishing it also had a elevator in it, this is the house below.

this is the Oaks Retirement village in Warkworth we built, one 5 storey and one 4 story building it was heavy steel beams with precast concrete panels which were craned in, the whole top floor was all light timber frames to allow for the roof design.

these are modular houses we built in the yard in Whangarei and trucked to Auckland for install they were light timber frames, we craned the top floor on top of the bottom floor.

Some light steel frames houses we built for a Maori trust in Kaikohe.

Large scale formwork Ngawha power plant.

Block work designer house Langs Cove.

Heavy steel framing Shade Systems Dargaville.

I never built this well I helped make the boy but this is the stone house in Kerikeri another style of construction that stands the test of time.

I did not build this, stayed across the road thought it was a good example of modern brick which fitted the history of area, (site was an old brick works) would of been heavy steel framing inside I think to support different levels, either that or pre cast panels.