PARTITION WALLS

Building Materials & ConstructionCivil Engineering Department

S.V.N.I.T,Surat.

IntroductionIntroductionA partition wall may be defined as a wall or

division made up of bricks, studding, glass or other such material and provided for the purpose of dividing one room or portion of a room from another.

Partition walls are designed as non-load bearing walls. It may be of folding, collapsible or fixed type.

If partition walls are load bearing then they are called as ‘internal wall’.

Advantages of partition wallsDivide the whole area into a number of

rooms.Provide privacy to the inmates from sight

and sound.Are light in weight and cheaper in cost of

construction.Occupy lesser areaEasily constructed in any position.

Requirements of a Good Partition Wall:Requirements of a Good Partition Wall:

Thin in cross-section so that maximum floor area can be utilized.

Provide adequate privacy in rooms both in respect of sight and sound.

Constructed from light, sound, uniform, homogeneous, durable and sound insulated materials.

Simple in nature, easy and economical in construction having proper coherence with the type of building structure.

Offer sufficient resistance against fire, heat, dampness, white ant or fungus, etc.

Rigid enough to take the vibrations caused due to loads.Strong enough to support sanitary fittings and heavy fixtures.

Types of partition walls:Types of partition walls:Brick partitions,Hollow block partitions,Clay block partitions,Concrete partitions,Glass block partitions,Wooden partitions,Straw board partitions,Plaster slab partitions,Metal partitions,Asbestos cement partitions, andDouble glazed window.

Brick partitionBrick partitionConstructed with plain bricks, Reinforced

bricks, bricks-nogged or hollow bricks.Plain brick partition of half brick thickness is

not more than 2m in height.In reinforced brick partition of half brick

thickness, reinforcement in the form of wire mesh or hoop iron or steel bars is provided.

Brick nogging partition wall consists of brickwork built up within a framework of wooden members.

Brick partition is fire-resistant and sound-proof.

Hollow Block and Clay Block PartitionsHollow Block and Clay Block Partitions

Hollow concrete block partitions are built of individual units of concrete.

Clay blocks used are well prepared from clay or terra-cotta, and they are either solids or hollow.

Hollow clay blocks of section 30*20 cm with thickness varying from 5 cm to 15 cm can also be used.

The blocks are provided with grooves on top, bottom and sides, surfaces are kept glazed in different colures.

They do not change their volume and are in lighter in weight.

Hollow clay blocks

Acoustic Clay Hollow Partition Wall

Concrete partitionConcrete partitionIt can be either precast or cast in-situ.Special concrete posts are used for the

construction of precast concrete partition walls.

Concrete block

Glass partitionGlass partitionAre made from sheet glass or hollow glass

blocks.Provides good aesthetics and allow lightAre damp, sound and heat proof.Easy to clean and maintain.Sheets of glass are fixed in the frame work of

wooden or metal.Hollow blocks doesn’t need timber

framework.

Wooden partitionWooden partitionLighter in weight and easy to construct.Neither sound-proof nor fire-proof.Not suitable for damp locations.

Head

Sill

Stud

Wooden partition wall

Strawboard partitionsStrawboard partitionsUseful where removal of partitions is

frequent.Made of compressed straw covered thick

paper or hardboard.Easy to construct.Heat and sound proof partitions.

Strawboard Partition( with glass also used)

Plaster slab partitionsPlaster slab partitionsAre made of burnt gypsum or plaster of paris

mixed with sawdust.5cm to 10cm thick slabs are prepared in iron

or timber moulds.To form rigid joints suitable grooves are

provided in the plaster slabs.Nails and screws can be easily driven into

these slabs.

Incomplete Partition wall of Plaster and expandable metal

Metal partitionsMetal partitionsAre light in weight, fireproof and strong.Are easy to construct and shift.Insulated material is filled into hollow

spaces.Used for office and industrial buildings.Are also formed of metal lathes supported

and fixed by wires.

Skeleton metal partition

Asbestos Cement partitionsAsbestos Cement partitionsLight in weight, impervious, durable, water

tight and fire-proof.Asbestos cement sheets are made of asbestos

cement sheets and fixed into timber framework.

Sheets are placed in position and joined by cement mortar.

Are mostly adopted in works of temporary character.

Double Glazed windowDouble Glazed windowUsed for acoustic insulation.Air space between two panes is kept 50mm

or more.Air contained within narrow cavity is quite

‘stiff’ Transmits vibration at low frequencies.

Double glazed window

Movable partitionsMovable partitionsMovable partitions are used where the walls

of a room are frequently opened to form one large floor area.

Foldable partition wall

Portable PartitionsPortable Partitions

Rolling mobile folding partitions which provide temporary walls

The portable wall partition has two full panel end members which provide support, rigidity, privacy, and noise reduction.

They fold and are on wheels enabling mobility and ease of storage.

Three common uses are:Three common uses are:To divide space quickly where non-mobile

permanent room dividers may be unavailable or unpractical.

As a cost effective way to create a classroom or meeting room in existing space.

Convenient sight divider to conceal door openings to restrooms, commercial kitchens, and other backroom areas.

Portable Partitions are commonly used in:Portable Partitions are commonly used in:

Arena’sChurches/Houses of Worship/Funeral HomesConference/Convention CentresGovernment/Corporate officesHotels/RestaurantsResidencesSalons and SpasSchools of all levels

References:References:Dr B.C.Punamia, Building Construction S.P.Arora and S.P.Bindra, Building

Construction Robert Jantschek, Portable wall partition with

full panel end members.www.niceduniya.com,Principles of design of

partitions walls.Images are taken from google image search