Existing Domestic Building in the UK - Coursework Example

Student Name: Tutor: Title: Report on existing domestic Building in the UK Course: Date Introduction Traditional buildings in the United Kingdom have a long history. Whereas there has been a long history of energy efficiency as well as conservation improvements as well as widespread recognition of the need for carbon saving by energy management, the United Kingdom has failed to overcome inconsistency and attain the energy efficiency needed to mitigate climate change. Developing energy efficiency building is a priority for engineers in the 21st century. The foundation of any building is very important since it determines the durability of that building. There are various types of foundations that are suitable for different buildings and also different sites. The type of foundation will dictate the strength of the building. The walls play an important role in giving the building the shape and the finish that it requires. DPC forms are important part that prevents dampness from rising up the walls. A building without DPC can allow dampness to rise up the walls and cause problems or sickness to the people occupying the building. Improving sustainability credentials is the goal of every engineer in order to get an energy efficiency building that meet the building standards set by the government. This report discusses important components of the domestic building in the UK and how energy efficiency has been achieved using realistic means. The report ends with a personal reflection on the lesson learnt through the preparation. Components of construction of domestic building Structures need a foundation. The foundation is important for supporting the building loads as well as distributing then to the surrounding subsoil’s. The type of foundations has to be appropriate for the site and the type of building. It is important to make a good choice. Foundations have to transmit the load of building safely to the ground. Consequently, all buildings must have adequate foundations (usually concrete), that will vary from one project to another project depending on the conditions of the specific case. The building foundation is also referred to as artificial foundation and the ground on which it stands is known as the natural foundation (Chudley & Greeno, 2013). Early building were founded on firm or rock ground; it was until the early twentieth century that concrete was escalating used as foundation base for the walls. A foundation is needed to make sure that loads of the building are sustained as well as safely transmitted to the ground. Load bearing elements comprise of party walls, external walls, piers, chimney breasts and internal bearing walls have to sit on adequate foundation (Evins et al, 2012). It is important to make sure that the excavation for new foundation in any way does not undermine the adjacent structures. It is good to excavate at least the same depth similar to the bottom of the foundation of the adjacent building. The foundations have to be dug considering the predetermined plan and have to be accurately set out and surveyed. Depth of excavation is not easy to be predetermined and this is usually decided using the building inspector who is on site. A crosshead is used at the time of setting out a building (Emmitt & Gorse, 2013). The specific dimensions are marked out on the horizontal crosshead by the designated engineer. The dimensions for walls, founds and frameworks are clearly marked. Figure 1: A crosshead The instance of closely regulated systems has occasioned the use of foundations which are less prone to challenges as compared to other earlier construction methods. One disadvantage of the standardized approach is that some foundations can be over-designed for loads carried, to avoid possibility of foundation failure simply by the application of unsuitable foundations for a specific building type (Chudley & Greeno, 2013). Figure 2: Concrete strip Foundation for cavity wall Piling foundations for domestic buildings are regarded as Deep Foundation. They have to be used in conditions where the ground is softer than usual and may not have the needed load bearing abilities. Pile foundations are used in case the underlying substrate is weak. With reference to being deep, the foundation has to go down more than three meters below the ground level for it to reach more stable and solid ground. Any building put on the foundation becomes adequately supported (Chung, 2011). In many cases piling foundations involves a series of concrete and steel piles that are sunk down into the ground until a certain suitable depth is attained. A ring of reinforced concrete beams are then laid on top forming what is referred to as a ‘ring beam’. Other structures are constructed on the ring beam. Figure 3: Ring beam For majority of commercial and domestic construction situations there are two common types of pile. Displacement pile is the kind of pile that is pre-constructed and carried to the site and driven down to the ground by use of a special kind of machine known as Piling Hammer (Chudley & Greeno, 2013). The machine has the capacity of emanating huge amounts of force that is applied in pushing the piles down through the existing soil to the point they cannot not move any more while displacing the earth that was in place previously. The other kind of pile is the replacement pile whereby huge holes are dug at the place where the pile is to be placed and then either concrete or steel piles are put in each of the hole and secured. The piles replace the earth and soil that was there (Evins et al, 2012). The most cost-effective way is using driven pre-cast concrete piles or displacement pile. Figure 4: Displacement pile Strip foundation for domestic building involves excavating a trench. Wooden pegs are then driven in at specified intervals. The pegs must be levelled to the concrete’s depth. The concrete will be poured to the depth of the pegs. The concrete is then left to harden prior to start building (Evins et al, 2012). Concrete refers to the mixture of particles of gravel and sand, bound together with cement. Figure 5: wooden pegs driven into the ground at intervals Outer wall of domestic buildings The main functions of walls is to provide stability, strengths, weather exclusion, thermal insulation, sound insulation, durability, fire resistance as well as appearance to the building. Walls can be split into four types depending on their purpose and these include external walls, internal walls, load bearing walls, and non-load bearing walls (Chudley & Greeno, 2013). A cavity wall is formed by an inner skin as well as an outer skin of masonry which is connected by ties but separated using a cavity. The hard units of masonry could be stone, block or brick. In many circumstances when the external walls of a building are not thicker than 30cm, then they are most likely to have a cavity. Cavity walls were common during Roman and Greek periods but they are developed as components for construction. Even in the course of this time, they were very scarce and overall entailed two skins only connected in the second half of the ninetieth century and became common in 20th century (Evins et al, 2012). Including a cavity in the external wall construction prevents moisture from being transmitted from the outer skin into the inner skin. Moisture reaching the cavity from the outside runs down the external skin and is directed to weep holes on the outer skin through cavity trays where it drains outside. The cavities are normally ventilated to make sure that accumulating moisture can elaborate and move to the outside. Figure 6: Cavity wall Cavities can offer space for installation of thermal insulation as the need to reduce passage of heat between the outside and inside of buildings. Insulation is usually fixed on the external face of internal skin of cavity walls. This gives chance to the remainder of the cavity to undergo ventilation without substantial heat loss (Castleton et al, 2010). In cases where the insulation is retrofitted, the whole cavity is filled up. There must be caution to make sure that a path is not created for moisture penetration between the inside and the outside. Walls are usually constructed by use of brick but other materials can be used to either replace or supplement traditional brickwork. Reconstructed stone, stone, cast concrete, breeze blocks or wood can be used (Chung, 2011). The choice of material for walls will depend on strength, appearance among other things but different materials are used for different parts of the construction. External surface of the wall can also be used to provide a smooth finish. Materials for domestic building Bricks refers to small rectangular blocks which can be used in forming part of the building especially the walls. Bricks have been used for a long time dating back prior o 7,000 BC when he earliest forms of bricks were made from hand-moulded mud hen dried in the sun. Bricks are commonly used for walls’ construction and other complex features (Watson, 2010). Bricks are popular since they are relatively small as well as easy o handle. They can be very strong in compression, have high durability as well as low maintenance. Bricks can be used to build complex shapes that are visually attractive. Other materials have been used for building larger buildings since bricks can be time consuming as well as expensive. Bricks can be limiting and need too much on-site labour (Castleton et al, 2010). Bricks are often typically made out of clay although sometimes they are made from concrete, and calcium-silicate. Dry-press or soft-mud bricks are formed through pressing the mixture of brick into moulds and firing them into a kiln. The soft-mud bricks are constructed from a thin mix while dry-press bricks are constructed from a thicker mix that provides crisper definition. More strength is attained by use of greater force during the pressing of the brick and firing it for a long time, although it increases the cost. Extruded bricks are made through pushing the brick mixture in a die to get an extrusion that is wire cut to give out bricks of specific length. Holes can be perforated on bricks with the purpose of reducing material used or they can be solid. Bricks can also bear an indention on one of the surface or two referred as frog (Gwynne, 2013). The frog has to be filled with mortar during the laying down of bricks or else the acoustic and structural performance of the wall will be adversely affected. It is the best practice to place the bricks with the side with frog facing upwards in order to make it easy to fill. Products: DPC DPCs are used in isolating all dry inner surfaces of a building from the outer surfaces that can absorb water and become damp. Whereas some surfaces are made to be totally water resistant (like roof coverings) other areas can absorb water readily. In order to prevent the moisture absorption has to be a thin membrane or layer, often plastic that is inserted between the dry inner surface and the damp outer surface (Chung, 2011). In many situations the membranes are used under the base of walls for preventing damp rising from underground. The Damp Proof Course (DPC) is a means of preventing dampness from moving up into walls resulting into problems. It is a requirement in building regulations to find a way of achieving this. It is usual to lay a strip of plastic within the wall to curtain prevent damp from rising up the masonry. DPC is placed at least 150mm above the ground level on the outer leaf of a cavity wall in order to make it above snow level as well as splashes from rainfall (Castleton et al, 2010). DPC came into major use in the early 20th century. Other materials like slate, lead, bitumen, zinc and engineering brick were used before the invention of plastic. Figure 7:DPC placement Internal services installations of domestic buildings in UK Control of flow of air is significant for making sure indoor air quality is maintained, controlling energy consumption, avoiding condensation and offering comfort. The control of air movement comprises of flow through the enclosure or the buildings’ components (Evins et al, 2012). Physical components of the envelope entail the roof, foundation, doors, walls, ceiling, windows as well as related barriers and insulation. Gas-fired central heating systems have to meet the minimum standards. External service installations Standards for air quality and ventilation requirements for buildings are included in the building regulations. Owing to increasing complexity of ventilation strategies, regulations and system design have to be factored in at the earliest stage of building design. The cost-effective way of improving energy efficiency of a building is usually attained through efficiency control strategy (Gwynne, 2013).  Making a building energy efficient and sustainable is great for environment. It results into financial value. There is need to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in the world. Buildings are contributors of emissions released in the atmosphere in the United Kingdom and Ireland. HVAC and lighting systems within buildings have to be augmented with a good control scheme in order to offer comfort under varying load conditions (Emmitt & Gorse, 2013). The efficient control is usually the most cost-effective manner of improving a building’s energy efficiency. Improving the sustainability credentials of a building The patterns of cooling and heating in building models reflect realistic environmental controls and to attain thermal comfort within a building. One way of improving a property is making it more energy efficient to reduce fuel bills and make it comfortable to live in. Resource efficient construction utilises materials, energy and water in the best way over the lifecycle assets in order to reduce operational and embodied carbon (Sadineni, Madala & Boehm, 2011). The efficiency measures are not usually a panacea for all impacts of resource scarcity as well as higher prices. Survey of global businesses points out resource efficiency as the most effective response for addressing the risks of resource scarcity. An approach that is resource efficient entails optimizing material use includes reuse of materials present on the site or building. It also involves selecting construction methods as well as site practices which minimise waste, water and energy in the course of the construction (Morrissey & Horne, 2011). The approach also involves choosing specifications that are suitably adaptable, durable, demountable of deconstruction and pursuing options that provide the greatest potential for recovery and reuse and have minimised environmental impacts. Rooflights are cost effective and simple way of reducing the energy consumed through lighting when installed on a building. The daylight through rooflights usually compensates for lighting demands within the building (Firth, Lomas & Wright, 2010). Daylight is important for healthy living. Ample daylight enhances the general feeling of health as well as well-being of a workforce and it improves safety and productivity. Domestic EPC content defines the regulation of achieving energy efficiency building. The EPC offers rating for the overall energy efficiency for building on a scale from A to G (Watson, 2010). G is least efficient and A is very efficient. This rating is based on the features of the building itself as well as its services together with a standardised occupancy profile. The domestic EPCs entails environmental impact rating that describes a measure of a home’s impact on environment in terms of CO2 emissions. The higher the score means less effect on the environment. Moreover, EPC shows the possible energy efficiency as well as environmental impact rating when all the cost-effective measures are put in place (Watson, 2010). The certificate has a report that entails cost-effective recommendations needed to enhance energy rating specific to the chosen dwelling. Reflection I have learnt a lot though doing this report. Building and construction has a long history in the United Kingdom and it is not possible for anyone to be acquainted with everything at ago. It requires time and preparation to get well versed with the various building regulations that are set in the country. I come to learn about the history of different building in history from the time of the Roman and Greek empire. This history has enabled me to build a foundation that is strong with regard to general knowledge of architecture in the United Kingdom. There so many things that I did not know that I learnt through completing this report. I was able to unearth the history of brick making and the various types of bricks that we have. I just realised that the DPC is very important in preventing dampness from rising up the walls of a building. This report gave me an opportunity to learn about the different foundations that we have and what foundation has to be used in what place and the type of building that is suitable. I believe I did not have adequate time to research thoroughly and next time I will limit myself to the specific place that I want to research so that I learn facts in detail. This time I was eager to learn and I spent most the time reading some materials that was not relevant or useful to my area of discussion. This report assignment has been an eye-opener to me in many areas. It was important for me to work on this report to gain a deeper understanding on building and construction standards and history in the United Kingdom. References Castleton, H.F., Stovin, V., Beck, S.B. and Davison, J.B., 2010. Green roofs; building energy savings and the potential for retrofit. Energy and buildings, 42(10), pp.1582-1591. Chudley, R. and Greeno, R., 2013. Building construction handbook. Routledge. Chung, W., 2011. Review of building energy-use performance benchmarking methodologies. Applied Energy, 88(5), pp.1470-1479. Evins, R., Pointer, P., Vaidyanathan, R. and Burgess, S., 2012. A case study exploring regulated energy use in domestic buildings using design-of-experiments and multi-objective optimisation. Building and Environment, 54, pp.126-136. Emmitt, S. and Gorse, C.A., 2013. Barry's introduction to construction of buildings. John Wiley & Sons. Firth, S.K., Lomas, K.J. and Wright, A.J., 2010. Targeting household energy-efficiency measures using sensitivity analysis. Building Research & Information, 38(1), pp.25-41. Gwynne, A., 2013. Guide to building control. John Wiley & Sons. Morrissey, J. and Horne, R.E., 2011. Life cycle cost implications of energy efficiency measures in new residential buildings. Energy and Buildings, 43(4), pp.915-924. Sadineni, S.B., Madala, S. and Boehm, R.F., 2011. Passive building energy savings: A review of building envelope components. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 15(8), pp.3617-3631. Watson, P., 2010. An introduction to UK energy performance certificates (EPCs). Journal of Building Appraisal, 5(3), pp.241-250. Read More