Amogh N P
✦ In loving memory of Amogh N P — Architect · Designer · Visionary ✦
B.Arch Curriculum · Semester 4

Building Materials & Construction IV

Special RCC structures and the materials of the modern envelope. Design water-tight liquid storage tanks to IS 3370, hold back earth with cantilever and counterfort retaining walls, understand special RCC slabs and footings (circular slab, flat slab, raft), build faster with pre-fabrication, and clad and finish with glass, plastics, cladding systems, flooring and paint. The fourth and final BMC course — completing the trilogy of natural materials, RCC and steel.

5Units
2Calculators
4Credits
FreeForever
Start with Unit I All student courses
Where this course sits. BMC IV completes the construction line — BMC I (natural materials), BMC II (RCC), BMC III (steel) — with special RCC structures and modern materials. Its detailed member design links to Design of Structures I.
Unit I · The water-tight structure

Liquid Storage Structures

A water tank is RCC held to a higher standard: it must not leak, so it is designed for no cracking (or cracks ≤ 0.2 mm) to IS 3370, with low permissible stresses, M30 concrete and generous cover. Learn the families of tank — rectangular and circular, underground and overhead — the hoop tension that governs a circular wall (T = γHD/2), the rectangular wall that spans vertically or horizontally, freeboard, and the staging that carries an elevated tank against wind and earthquake.

IS 3370 no-crackHoop tension γHD/2UG & overheadWater-tank calculator
Open the lesson

The syllabus

Five units, from the water tank to the curtain wall.

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

1

Unit 1 — Liquid Storage Structures

Live

Water tanks — rectangular and circular, underground and overhead — designed and detailed to IS 3370. The water-tightness (no-crack) design philosophy, hoop tension in a circular tank, the rectangular tank wall, freeboard, and the staging of an overhead tank.

CO1CO6
2

Unit 2 — Retaining Walls

Live

Cantilever and counterfort retaining walls — Rankine's active earth pressure, the parts of a cantilever wall (stem, heel, toe, shear key), and the three stability checks: overturning, sliding and base bearing.

CO2CO6
3

Unit 3 — Special RCC Slabs & Footings

Live

Special RCC elements at concept level — the circular slab (radial and circumferential moments), the flat slab (beamless, on drops and column heads) and the raft (mat) foundation. Detailed member design is in Design of Structures I.

CO3CO6
4

Unit 4 — Pre-Fabrication Technology

Live

Building off-site — what pre-fabrication is and why; its types (small/medium/large; precast components, panels, 3D volumetric/modular; tilt-up); the critical detailing of wet and dry joints; and its applications in the Indian context.

CO4CO6
5

Unit 5 — Glass, Plastics, Cladding & Finishes

Live

The materials of the envelope — glass (types, IS 16231) and plastics (thermoplastic vs thermoset); cladding (stone, ACP, timber), the curtain wall and structural glazing; flooring techniques; and painting types and specifications.

CO5CO6

Course outcomes

What you should be able to do after completing all five units (CO1–CO6, from the syllabus).

1
Understand

Understand the design of liquid storage structures — rectangular and circular water tanks, underground and overhead, to IS 3370.

2
Understand

Understand the behaviour and design of cantilever and counterfort retaining walls — earth pressure and stability.

3
Apply

Apply structural concepts to special RCC slabs and footings — the circular slab, the flat slab and the raft foundation.

4
Understand

Understand pre-fabrication technology — its types, applications and the detailing of joints.

5
Understand

Understand the materials of the envelope — glass, plastics, cladding, flooring and painting — and their uses.

6
Create

Size and detail basic liquid-retaining and retaining elements, and select appropriate materials and finishes.

Topics follow the published B.Arch syllabus (L1 · T0 · P/S5; 200 marks). The diagrams and the two live calculators — a water-tank sizer and a retaining-wall earth-pressure tool — are original Studio Matrx work, validated against worked examples and cross-checked against IS 3370, IS 456, IS 14458 and IS 16231. The tools build intuition — they are not a substitute for a qualified structural engineer.

Tanks, walls, slabs — and the skin.

From a water-tight tank to a curtain wall of glass. Read the five units, drive the calculators, and test yourself.

Open Unit I Back to Students

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