Table of Contents
| Summary: A partition wall is a separation wall made up of a variety of materials like brick, wood, glass, metal, etc, constructed to maintain privacy or to divide a larger room or space into smaller ones. This wall may be temporary or permanent. It can be of folding, collapsible or fixed type. Main Purposes of partition wall: a. To maintain privacy b. To utilise spaces efficiently for gaining maximum benefit. Walls that are present inside our house (except exterior walls) are partition walls. These walls are generally non-load bearing. |
A partition wall is a separation wall constructed of bricks, studding, glass, or other such materials and utilized to divide a larger space into smaller spaces.
✔ The partition wall is commonly used in warehouses, offices, commercial buildings, etc.
✔ This wall is also used in residential buildings to divide bigger rooms or spaces into smaller ones so that every space is utilized efficiently.
✔ Partition walls are prepared as non-load-bearing walls.
It can be off,
~ Folding,
~ Collapsible or
~ Fixed Type
✔ If partition walls are load-bearing then it is called ‘internal walls’.
a. 10 Types of Partition Walls
10 different types of partition walls are:
1. Brick Partition Wall
Plain brick partition of half brick thickness is restricted to 2m height during construction in a day. The cement mortar used in the brick partition wall of proportion 1:3.
2. Hollow block and Clay Block Partition
✔ These are built of individual units of concrete.
✔ Clay blocks are used well prepared from clay or terracotta.
✔ The blocks are provided with grooves on the top, bottom, and sides.
✔ Hollow block of section 30X 20cm with thickness varying from 5cm to 15cm.
3. Concrete partition
✔ It can be either precast or cast in-situ.
✔ Special concrete posts are utilized for the preparation of precast concrete partition walls.
4. Glass Block Partitions
Glass block partitions can be utilized in residential as well as commercial projects, such as non-load-bearing walls, windows, or partitions. Popular utilizes contain shower stall walls, interior partitions, sidelights for entry doors, basement windows, and windowless kitchen walls.
There are many benefits to utilizing glass blocks in both residential housing and commercial buildings.
These materials are considered a powerful alternative to windows while they can be a part of the walls that could provide great illumination and insulation.
Advantages of Glass block partitions
✔ Permit to pass Natural Light
✔ It provides Privacy to clients.
✔ It comes in different choices
✔ It provides security to clients.
✔ It is Durable
✔ Provides Good Thermal and Sound Insulation
✔ Extremely Resistant
✔ Green Building Credits
✔ Glass block showers
5. Wooden Partitions
1. wooden framework either supported on the floor below or by sidewalls.
2. The framework consists of a rigid arrangement of timber members which may be plastered or covered with boarding etc from both sides.
3. It is not fire-resistant
Types of Wooden Partitions
✔ Common Partitions
✔ Trussed Partitions.
6. Strawboard Partitions
✔ It is good where the removal of partitions is done.
✔ It is prepared by compiled straw-covered thick paper or hardboard.
✔ It is very easy to construct.
✔ It is Heat and soundproof partitions.
7. Plaster Slab Partitions
It is made of burnt gypsum or plaster of Paris mixed with sawdust. 5cm to 10cm thick slabs is prepared in iron or timber moulds.
To form rigid joints best grooves are given in the plaster slabs. Nails and screws can be easily attached to these slabs.
8. Metal Partitions
1. It is light in weight, fireproof and strong and is easy to construct and shift. An insulating material is filled into hollow spaces.
2. It is Utilized for office and industrial buildings and is also made of metal lathes supported and supported by wires.
9. Asbestos Cement Partitions
It is very light in weight, impervious, durable, watertight and fire-proof. Asbestos cement sheets are made of asbestos cement sheets and fixed into timber frameworks.
Sheets are laid in position and joined by cement mortar. It is majorly utilized in works of temporary character.
10. Double-Glazed Partitions
It is used for acoustic insulation. Air space between two panes is kept at 50mm or more. The air contained within the narrow cavity is quite `stiff’ and Transmits vibration at low frequencies.
3. Requirements of a Good Partition Wall
The requirement that must be in the partition wall to be good are as follows:
✔ Thin in cross-section so that maximum floor area can be utilized.
✔ Provide sufficient privacy to clients in the room both in respect of sight and sound.
✔ Constructed from light, sound, uniform, homogeneous, durable, and sound-insulated materials.
✔ Simple in nature, easy, and low cost in construction having proper coherence with the variety of building structures.
✔ It offers enough resistance to fire, heat, dampness, white ant or fungus, etc.
✔ Rigid enough to take the vibrations caused due to loads.
✔ It is sufficiently strong to support sanitary fittings and heavy fixtures.
4. Feature of Partition Wall
The features/properties of a partition wall are as follows:
✔ Resist heat transfer
✔ Reduce sound transmission
✔ Provide shelter
✔ Provide security
✔ Partition of internal spaces
✔ Provide fire resistance
5. Uses of Partition Wall
The uses of partition walls are as follows:
✔ It is used to increase the size of a small room.
✔ It is used to resist heat transfer.
✔ It is used to decrease the sound transmission.
✔ To provide privacy.
✔ To divide into the number of rooms.
6. Advantages of Partition Walls
The advantages of partition walls are as follows:
✔ Separate the whole area into several rooms.
✔ Provide privacy to the inmates from sight and sound.
✔ Are light in weight and cheaper in cost of construction.
✔ Occupy lesser areas.
✔ Easily can be built in any position.
7. Disadvantages of Partition Wall
The disadvantages of partition walls are as follows:
✔ It cannot be utilized in high seismic zones.
✔ Bricks absorb water quickly, so, they can cause fluorescence when not exposed to air.
✔ The rough surfaces of bricks can cause mould growth if not properly cleaned.
✔ Cleaning brick surfaces is a difficult job.
✔ Colour of bad-quality brick changes when comes to the sun for a long period.
✔ Time-consuming construction.
8. Difference Between Load Bearing Walls and Partition Walls
The difference between load-bearing walls and partition walls are as follows:
| S.no | Load Bearing walls | Partition walls |
| 1. | They take loads coming from the roof, floor, self-weight etc. | They take only their self-weight only. |
| 2. | They are thick and hence capture and hence more floor area. | These walls are thin and capture less floor area. |
| 3. | As the material needed is more, the construction cost is more. | As the material needed is less, the construction cost is less. |
| 4. | Stones or bricks are utilized for the construction. | Stones are not utilized for the construction of partition walls. |
| Read More: Self Healing Concrete |
