What is Building: Definition and 918 Discussions

A building, or edifice, is a structure with a roof and walls standing more or less permanently in one place, such as a house or factory. Buildings come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and functions, and have been adapted throughout history for a wide number of factors, from building materials available, to weather conditions, land prices, ground conditions, specific uses, and aesthetic reasons. To better understand the term building compare the list of nonbuilding structures.
Buildings serve several societal needs – primarily as shelter from weather, security, living space, privacy, to store belongings, and to comfortably live and work. A building as a shelter represents a physical division of the human habitat (a place of comfort and safety) and the outside (a place that at times may be harsh and harmful).
Ever since the first cave paintings, buildings have also become objects or canvasses of much artistic expression. In recent years, interest in sustainable planning and building practices has also become an intentional part of the design process of many new buildings and other structures.

View More On Wikipedia.org
  1. waybux

    Building metal rv cover with cantilever

    Good morning everyone, new member. Have been reading some other posts for awhile. I am auto technician/business owner. I was wondering if I was to post some rudimentary plans for a rv cover I am going to build over a 2 post outdoor car lift, if some one would be willing to give me points on any...
  2. MrRobotoToo

    I Building a Unitary Matrix from a Non-Unitary Matrix

    Suppose I have some arbitrary square matrix M, and I want to build a unitary matrix U: U=\left[\begin{array}{c|c}M & N \\\hline O & P\end{array}\right] Does there exist some general procedure for determining N, O, and P given M?
  3. O

    Building a garage elevator.... 3"x3" wall thickness

    Afternoon everyone, I just found this awesome site where I thought I could enlist the help of a lot smarter people than myself with my project. I want to build a garage elevator to raise and lower various articles from my storage loft. My loft has 9' floor with a 15' ceiling. I was going to...
  4. C

    I have a question about building a tensile tester

    For the sake of knowledge, I'd like to ask few questions. Although not now, I'm thinking of building my own cheap tensile testing machine that isn't used for testing on ones with such heavy loads like commercial machine. 1. For the uper body, I'm just planning to start by connecting with...
  5. S

    Quantum Building a Solid knowledge of Quantum Field Theory

    Hello! I read several books and took courses on quantum mechanics and particle physics and I understood the topics. However I feel that I have only pieces of informations without a global image of what is going on. For example in the particle physics classes we were given Feynman rules without...
  6. P

    Building speakers, induction and induced current

    i made a speaker from a cup, a coil of wire and a magnet. I hooked up both of the ends of the wire to a headphone jack and it works. Albeit very low sound, but it works. Can you point me in the direction of some equations that will show me the most influential factors on how to make it louder...
  7. S

    Building a Diesel-Powered Car: Pneumatic Starter Questions

    Hi I'm very new to this so bear with me lol. I'm trying to plan out a project for building a diesel powered car and I want to use an of the shelf pneumatic starter for novelty but I don't know how much volume I need. So the starter requires 120 psi @500scfm. My idea is to use scuba tanks or...
  8. The Maker

    I want professional feedback on my work -- Building Model Structures

    Hello, I am The Maker. I am here because I want professional feedback on my work. I have been building things with K'NEX and popsicle sticks since I was little and as a future engineer, I wanted real engineers to evaluate my potential. Please be honest, I am trying to improve my engineering...
  9. V

    Building a Magnetic Motor Using a Computer Fan

    I am try to build a magnetic motor using a computer fan on the basis of a video I saw on YouTube. I have placed 4 neodymium magnets at the edges of the fans frame. However the fan has failed to spin from the magnetic field created by the magnets. How can I find the correct orientation in order...
  10. Lacplesis

    I Chimney vs building demolition physics

    I have seen a bunch of chimney and building demolition videos on youtube and what I typically see is that whenever they bring down a building with explosives especially in urban areas they make the structural elements cut in such a way as for the building to fall in its own footprint and the...
  11. R

    B How to prevent static from building up on me

    I've recently been developing a lot of static electricity and it's very annoying as I get shocked when i touch metal objects or other people. This isn't like it happens every time I touch something though. It just happens after I take off my jacket for example. So then I have to find some metal...
  12. axutio

    Building a wall to reduce maximum collision force

    Homework Statement I was recently assigned a project of, tl;dr, building a wall to reduce the maximum force during a collision. Let me start by describing the setup as best as I can. First, here's an image: These aren't the exact track and carts we're using, but they provide a great...
  13. john101

    Computer Build Your Own PC: DIY Tips & Tricks

    I build my own computers. I've built and serviced many for others. There are some things I think are useful. - Always research. Don't automatically do something that someone says. Always research it thoroughly. There are almost always others who have had the same questions and often there are...
  14. fluidistic

    Computer Building a PC, give me your thoughts please

    It's been years I don't have a desktop pc and now is the time I "need" one. My use will be numerical simulations, compiling general programs as well as latex documents, some lightweight/middleweight programming, using a virtual machine and use another OS's this way. I'll be using Linux only. My...
  15. BiGyElLoWhAt

    Building a PC for ProTools/Java/C/Python/LoL

    Perhaps this is the place to put this? I'm in the market for a new pc, and am thinking of doing it myself (this will be my first time building one from scratch). I'm fairly familiar with the components and what they do, but specifically, what I will need, that is where my real question lies...
  16. R

    Ball is thrown at the edge of the roof of a building

    Homework Statement A ball is thrown at the edge of the roof of a building in a direction at an "alpha" angle above the horizontal. It landed 5 seconds later at 50 meters from the building. The maximum height reached by the ball during its trajectory is 20 meters above the roof. Find The...
  17. ikihi

    Building a Clock from a Spring: Exploring Potential Energy

    Homework Statement You are in a spaceship far from any other objects, and you want to build a clock. You decide to build your clock out of a spring with a mass attached to it. You use a spring with spring constant k = 138 N/m, and you initially displace the mass a distance x=25.0 cm from...
  18. kolleamm

    Building programs yourself vs interships, for experience

    I'm trying to get some more work experience for my computer science resume since it's practically empty. All of the internships I've found so far are too demanding of my time since I'm a full time student. Would it be worth my time to create my own software and put that on my resume or should I...
  19. S

    What building mass should be applied for 2D analyses?

    I am performing a 2D analysis on a steel frame structure that is 8 storeys high using NZS 1170.5:2004 (New Zealand Standard for Earthquake Actions). How much of the original 3D structure's mass should be added to the 2D frame to make the analysis realistic? How should this mass be distributed...
  20. Ryaners

    Beginning Sets: Advice on Set Building Notation?

    I've started Book of Proof, the first chapter of which is an intro to sets. Q.1 Is there any particular way to approach these kinds of problems, other than using intuition / trial & error? I tend to have some difficulty in working out the best way to express the general term of a sequence, for...
  21. pioneerboy

    Electronics Building an Alarm Clock with Basic C Programming Skills

    I'd like to build my own reliable alarm clock, but I don't have any knowledge in electronics and no fancy equipment, only some humble C programming experience. What do I need and what do I need to know to build one myself. Thanks very much.
  22. A

    Building a Drone from Scratch - Where to Start?

    I am planning to make a drone in near time. I have absolutely zero pre-requisite knowledge of the technical stuff and drone designs. I am going to start with a basic drone. Can somebody help me out as to how many types of drones are there, where should I commence etc?
  23. T

    What happens when a building, or town is abandoned?

    I've been trying to do research on the decay rate at which stuff starts looking like it's a hundred, and falling apart, but a brief attempt at a google search only gave me results for mostly articles about Olympic venues that have been abandoned. Which is nice but not exactly what I want. I...
  24. D

    DIY Vacuum Sealer: Building for Maximum Efficiency on a Budget

    Hey all, I'm a bit of a food geek and a DIY nut and I'm looking to build my own vacuum sealer for as cheap as possible. My question to you guys, is what is the cheapest material I can use that will still withstand the pressure as well as maintain the airtight seal needed? I am looking to get a...
  25. P

    Other Will building a telescope help my resume?

    The Physics group at my university is building an optical telescope (it will have a dome the size of an 8mX4m room and the mirror will have a diameter of about 65cm.) and we might also build a radio telescope or an array of telescopes which will work as one giant telescope. Also, I heard that we...
  26. J

    Building a computing device for COMSOL and ABAQUS

    Hello to everyone, I've just started my PhD in Mechanical Engineering. And we've to buy a computing machine of high end to use ABAQUS and COMSOL software. Can anybody recommend the machines which can run these both software. P.S: We have to use Windows because there seems to be some graphics...
  27. woody stanford

    I Building a List of Feynman Diagrams

    Back again. This time I'm looking to build a small catalog of Feynman diagrams for my own use (and when I'm done to put it on the Internet in PDF format). I need your help to get a list of URLs together that I can download the required PDF's off the internet, bring them into Illustrator and have...
  28. Khatti

    Building a Dyson Sphere around a Class-B Star

    I was idly thinking of Dyson Spheres and solar energy when this idea came to me: say you were technologically advanced enough to build a perfect, Dyson sphere and were able to deal with the problems of drift--in other words you belong to a really, technologically advanced civilization! It...
  29. A

    Building a Lattice in MCNP: Seeking Help

    HI, i´m trying to build a lattice in mcnp. Actually it works but there are still lots of red lines in the plot. Maybe someone can help me. The Lattice code looks like that : lattice 1 0 2 $ outer space 2 3 -0.00126 -2 #4 #39 #41 #42 #43 #44 #45 #46 #47 $ universe 4 2 -8.4 -1 $ ball to enable...
  30. Planobilly

    Building a vacuum tube amp from scratch

    This is my first try at building everything myself. Programming the G Code to cut the chassis on my old Linux computer took a bit of thinking...lol Here is a short video. A few photos so far. I will post the schematic when I finish it. Cheers, Billy
  31. A

    Problems Building a Van De Graaff Generator

    I have been trying to build a small Van de Graaff generator based on the designs found here: http://rimstar.org/equip/build_make_van_de_graaff.htm Unfortunately I haven't been having much luck. How can I improve it...
  32. RJLiberator

    Computer Building a Desktop Computer for Math/Physics

    Hi all, Over the summer I have been working hard to net some extra cash to acquire a desktop computer for education based purposes. Physics research, modelling, and coding is what to be expected. I am hoping to have this computer be my main setup for the end of undergraduate (2 years) and...
  33. I

    Building a portable AC for my car

    Hello everyone. This is a very simple project that I intend to build. It involves a cooler full of ice and water, two 120mm computer fans, a 240mm computer radiator and a 600 gallons per hour water pump. All these will run off the cars cigarette lighter rated at 12 Volts. I need your help to...
  34. V

    Building an electromagnet, would appreciate advice

    Hi, I want to repel a permanent Neo magnet using an electromagnet which i want to build. The distance from which it should repel is about 2 inches and to a height of 1 inch. So what would be the ideal gauge of copper wire and the number of turns on the MS rod as core, if i supply 12v DC through...
  35. KaleLetendre

    Automotive Building an Efficient Electric Vehicle from Scratch

    Lets say we have a car with no engine, just a shell. We want to create an extremely efficient electric vehicle. If we have unlimited resources and man power how would you go about making this vehicle?
  36. jedishrfu

    New Book Lab Girl -- Building a World Class Lab Cheaply

    ARS Technica reviewed the book Lab Girl about overcoming funding issues to build a world class lab and about being a woman scientist in today's world: http://arstechnica.com/science/2016/05/how-two-determined-scientists-built-a-world-class-lab-out-of-radio-shack-parts/
  37. kolleamm

    Building prosthetic feet for my robot

    I came up with the idea today of using a prosthetic feet for my robot. The problem is that hardly anyone sells them online. What materials would I use to build one? The size is a regular shoe size. Something that looks like this. I'd like to make a very good quality one. Thanks in advance
  38. Shadow-Shocker

    Building a musical tesla coil,

    What is the general cost for building a tesla coil. I already have a PVC pipe and wiring, but I know I need a board, power supply, coil, led lights, capacitors, resistors, and semi-conductors, etc. I know there are some things I am missing and I am on a budget. If there are any other supplies...
  39. G

    Practicality of building large size magnets

    I am curious about the possibility of building a large permanent magnet that could exert a huge pushing/pulling force of about 135 million Newtons. In answering the questions, I wanted to have these following points addressed: 1. The magnet is 30m wide by 30m long...would have to push a...
  40. astro_chara

    Tips for Building a Magnetic Levitator: A High School Physics Project

    Hi, recently I've been trying to think of a few ideas for my high school physics/astronomy club to build, and have heard that a magnetic leviator is completely doable. Are there any tips out there for building one? Materials, circuits, etc would help a whole lot. Thanks.
  41. Steve619

    Building a solar phone charger

    Hello. I am building a solar phone charger and have decided to use 3 Nimh batteries, a 5/6 v solar panel, a usb 5V rectifier and also a Lipo credit card rechargeable cell. My reasoning is limited for this build as the more I read, the more conflicting info I find... (Eg, charging AA batteries...
  42. K

    Build a Capacitor in 30 minutes

    Hi! I have to build a capacitor out of the following materials: 10 square feet of aluminum foil, 10 square feet of saran wrap (polyvinyl chloride), several sheets of paper, and tape to put it all together. I will only have about 30 minutes to manufacture my design. I have been researching...
  43. C

    The most beautiful physics department w/ stone architecture?

    I really like stone buildings and Gothic architecture. In US, UK, Canada and Australia, there are many university campuses with stone buildings. But what about physics departments? Although some universities such as Stanford, Princeton, Sydney, Oxford and Cambridge have marvelous limestone or...
  44. DuckAmuck

    Is it possible to build a magnetic monopole using permanent magnets?

    Has anyone attempted build a magnetic monopole? If you took a bunch of wedge-shaped permanent magnets and assembled them into a ball such that the same pole for each magnet was pointing out radially, then you would have a magnetic monopole. (see attached).
  45. DiracPool

    Testing Einstein's Theory: What if Bob Jumps Off the Empire State Building?

    In the spirit of Einsteins happiest moment, I'm working on a new theory of gravity and would like to test a prediction of mine against the experts here at PF. We know that Bob standing on top of the empire state building close to Earth's gravity is aging slower than Major Tom floating out at...
  46. A

    Computer Building a rig for simulations

    Hello! As the title states, I want to get myself a new rig for simulating complex physical phenomena. Specifically, I'm going to run quantum chemistry/solid state physics/atomic physics calculations on it. I'm planning to re-use some parts of my old PC, and buy some new ones. I want to spend...
  47. H

    How do I estimate how tall this building is?

    How do I estimate the height of the tall building spiderman swings to at 0:48? I need it for a physics assignment. What does you're intuition tell you? (I've never lived in a city full of buildings). Is there a way to estimate it using physics? I'm not sure that building actually exists.
  48. R

    Thermal power of the air extracted from a building

    Good afternoon. I need to know if the thermal power of the air extracted from a building is greater than 80kW. I know the flows entering and leaving the building. Also, I know the temperature of the air inside and outside the building. How do I calculate the power of the air extracted? thank you
  49. Sergiy

    Building a digital VHR AM Aircraft receiver

    This is a continuation of the archived thread from https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/how-to-make-inductor-coils.570700/. Judging by the list of needed coils, I suspect the author was looking to build VHR AM Aircraft Receiver as described here...
Back
Top