B.Arch CurriculumFree, forever
A tribute to Amogh N P
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.
Course byAmogh N P· Architect & interior designer
The syllabus
5 units · 5 liveTranscribed from the official B.Arch syllabus. All 5 units are live as full interactive lessons, each with original diagrams and a self-assessment quiz.
Unit 1 — Liquid Storage Structures
LiveWater 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.
Unit 2 — Retaining Walls
LiveCantilever 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.
Unit 3 — Special RCC Slabs & Footings
LiveSpecial 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.
Unit 4 — Pre-Fabrication Technology
LiveBuilding 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.
Unit 5 — Glass, Plastics, Cladding & Finishes
LiveThe 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.
Course outcomes
What you will be able to doUnderstand the design of liquid storage structures — rectangular and circular water tanks, underground and overhead, to IS 3370.
Understand the behaviour and design of cantilever and counterfort retaining walls — earth pressure and stability.
Apply structural concepts to special RCC slabs and footings — the circular slab, the flat slab and the raft foundation.
Understand pre-fabrication technology — its types, applications and the detailing of joints.
Understand the materials of the envelope — glass, plastics, cladding, flooring and painting — and their uses.
Size and detail basic liquid-retaining and retaining elements, and select appropriate materials and finishes.
The author
Amogh N P
Architect, interior designer, and creative polymath. Studio Matrx began in his notebooks — his vision of design made honest, useful, and open to everyone. Its Academy is written and taught in his memory, and free, forever.
More about Amogh →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.
The curriculum is free, forever