Amogh N P
✦ In loving memory of Amogh N P — Architect · Designer · Visionary ✦
B.Arch Curriculum · Semester 2

Building Materials & Construction II

The course where concrete grows steel. Reinforced cement concrete is the workhorse of modern Indian building, and this studio teaches how to detail and build it, element by element: the footing that meets the soil, the column that carries the load, the plinth, grade and lintel beams that tie and span, the beams and slabs that make the floors, and the staircase that connects them. Reinforcement, bar bending, cover, general-arrangement and detailed drawings — to the Indian codes. The practical counterpart to Concept of Building Structures.

5Units
6Outcomes
4Credits
FreeForever
Start with Unit I All student courses

This is the RCC construction course. It is the practical ‘how to build it’ that complements Concept of Building Structures (the ‘why it stands up’), and it follows Building Materials & Construction I (building anatomy and traditional materials) into reinforced concrete.

Unit V · The expressive element

RCC Staircase

The staircase ties the floors together and is one of the most expressive elements an architect details. This lesson covers its components and the comfort rule that sizes every step, the family of types from the everyday dog-legged to the spiral and helical, the reinforcement of the inclined waist slab and its tricky landing junction, the handrail and baluster, and the floating and folded-plate stairs trending today.

2R + T ruleDog-legged → helicalWaist slabType explorerFloating & folded-plateQuiz
Open the lesson

The syllabus

Five elements, from the footing to the staircase.

Transcribed from the official B.Arch syllabus. All 5 units are live as full interactive lessons — with original diagrams, a reinforcement explorer, a staircase explorer and a self-assessment quiz.

1

Unit 1 — RCC Footings

Live

What reinforced cement concrete is — concrete in compression, steel in tension; footing types — isolated, combined, continuous, raft; the bottom reinforcement mesh, nominal cover and bar bending; detailed drawings, specifications and the bill of quantities.

CO1CO2
2

Unit 2 — RCC Columns

Live

Column types — tied and spiral; square, rectangular and circular; the column marking layout from the grid; vertical (longitudinal) bars and lateral ties; minimum steel, bar diameters and tie spacing (IS 456); detailed drawings.

CO3
3

Unit 3 — Plinth, Grade & Lintel Beams

Live

The beams that tie and span at the lower levels — the plinth beam, the grade/tie beam and the lintel beam (with its sunshade); their site-level structural role; general-arrangement versus detailed drawings.

CO4
4

Unit 4 — RCC Beams & Slabs

Live

Beam reinforcement — main tension bars, stirrups for shear, bent-up bars, anchorage; singly and doubly reinforced beams; one-way and two-way slabs; general-arrangement drawings and detailed beam sections.

CO4
5

Unit 5 — RCC Staircase

Live

Components — tread, riser, going, waist slab, landing; the 2R+T comfort rule; types — dog-legged, open-well, bifurcated, quarter-turn, spiral, helical; waist-slab reinforcement and the landing junction; handrail and baluster; and current trends — floating, folded-plate and helical stairs.

CO5CO6

Course outcomes

What you should be able to do after completing all five units.

1
Understand

Understand reinforced cement concrete — how concrete and steel act together — and read RCC general-arrangement and detailed drawings.

2
Create

Detail an RCC footing — types, bottom reinforcement, cover and bar bending — with drawings and a bill of quantities.

3
Apply

Detail RCC columns — tied and spiral types, the marking layout, vertical bars and lateral ties.

4
Create

Detail RCC plinth, grade and lintel beams, and RCC beams and slabs (one-way and two-way).

5
Create

Detail an RCC staircase — components, types and reinforcement — including current trends.

6
Apply

Prepare reinforcement details and quantities to the Indian codes (IS 456, SP 34, IS 2502).

A reinforcement explorer

Switch between footing, column, beam and slab and see where the steel goes and why. In Unit I.

A staircase-type explorer

Compare dog-legged, open-well, bifurcated, spiral and helical stairs in plan. In Unit V.

Keep going

The course's neighbours

Concept of Building Structures

The theory behind it — loads, RCC behaviour, why members are sized as they are. The 'why' to this course's 'how'.

Building Materials & Construction I

The first construction course — building anatomy and traditional / natural materials.

Architectural Graphics & Computer Studio

Draw your GA and detailed RCC drawings to standard in CAD.

Architectural Design II (Studio)

Where these elements become a designed building.

Construction cost calculator

Estimate quantities and cost for your RCC bill of quantities.

Studio tools & calculators

Free interactive tools for areas, costs and quantities.

Topics and outcomes follow the published B.Arch syllabus (L1 · T0 · S5; 200 marks). Every diagram and both explorers are original Studio Matrx work; the facts, codes and dimensions are cross-checked against IS 456:2000, SP 34, IS 2502 and the National Building Code. The explorers are schematic teaching tools, not for construction use. Photographs are illustrative.

From the footing to the staircase.

The footing, the column, the beams, the slab and the stair — read the five units, try the reinforcement and staircase explorers, and test yourself.

Open Unit I Back to Students

Studio Matrx is a tribute to Amogh N P. The curriculum is free, forever.