Spectrum

Building construction can be regarded as the totality of technical measures taken in order to ensure that the functions of a building required to allow for basic human activities to unfold within them are reliably and durably fulfilled. These functions must be differentiated into separate hierarchical levels depending on whether the whole building is contemplated or a particular constructional solution, or other levels of complexity located in between. The set of functions most relevant to constructional design are the so-called constructional partial functions which encompass the most important protective functions, like against humidity, heat or cold, noise, or fire, but also the fundamental function of load bearing.