Measured Building Survey - Coursework Example

Assessment MEASURED BUILDING SURVEY Presented to Cross Section AA (Not drawn to scale) PLAN OF BUILDING Critical analysis of the task There exist different types of survey depending on cost, work conducted, and detail of the structure and qualifications of type surveyor. There are four types of survey although they are tailored by the surveyors according to their preference in report writing. The survey types are: full structural survey, major defects survey, home buyer report and specific survey. Full structural survey deals with a complete and detailed inspection of the property. It comments on the current state of all parts of the structure. These parts of the building are physically inspected but limited to the scope of services offered by the building surveyor. Major defects survey is also referred to as main elements survey. For this type of survey, focus is on the main parts of the structure. Inspection and report concentrate on selected areas like roofs, floors, ceilings and windows. The home buyer report survey is standardized, covering main aspects of the structure but not detailed. It is restricted only to accessible parts of the structure. Specific survey narrows down the scope of survey to particular parts of a property depending on the owner’s knowledge (Douglas, and Noy, 2011 P.8). In most cases, building survey is advocated for buildings that lack documentation or they cannot be used. However, it assists in developing reliable and an accurate document and or a verification of an existing document. This makes building survey an essential activity in the planning process as well as providing detailed information for further planning activities. The methods of survey used are: field sketch, dimensioned sketch, tape and offset survey or extended baseline survey and plane table and alidade survey. The best survey is achieved through a combination of these three methods (Scotland’s Rural Past, 2005, p.6). Sketches, plans and accurate geometric data together with information gathered from survey are combined and structured properly. These parameters are used to derive an actual design and planning process. The first step towards building survey is taking of measurements on site by use of conventional equipment like measuring stick or optical distance meters. Sophisticated surveying techniques like tachometry, laser scanner and photogrammetry are used (.Douglas, and Noy 2011, p.34). The next steps involve combining the measurements to produce details, sections and elevation of the property that are derived from plan. According to RICS (2007, p.30), any residential property is defined by linear measurement but not from floor area. Measurements are taken from a point not greater than 1.5 meters above the floor and skirting board. Recesses, bays and the like are excluded in the measurements taken. The room area should include kitchen units, cupboards and the like although it must be identified separately. When taking garage measurements, the span between main walls faces internally are of importance. Risk Assessment Some of the factors to consider in risk assessment are: Critical areas of concern in relation to residential property. Considerations from building codes and seismic zones. How to get information in relation to resources, skills and ability to investigate what you are not familiar with. Commitment to the task of checking and confirming details in the design. From the plan, elevations and sections developed from survey, the form, dimensions, orientation, natural lighting, ventilation and spatial organizations of occupants assist in redesigning a new property. Issues required in designing of a house and their relevance as well as recommendations is considered. This is what is called risk assessment that aims at construction of safer homes. The main risks for property are; fire, harsh environment, floods, cyclones and earthquakes. The main services are drainage, gas, electricity and water. The survey conducted never included these services. An outside facility available is a parking space constructed on the front elevation side of the property. Health and Safety Risks The windows available in the structure offer it proper ventilation. Escape windows are not available in the first floor. This increases the risk of the inhabitants being trapped in the building in the event of fire. The walls should meet the international building codes as far as fire resistance standards are concerned. Handrails are in bad state thus increasing chances of accidents. Seismic loads are a threat to most structures. A retrofit designer is therefore required to improve the characteristics of individual components and its overall performance (Sugano, 1996). The building codes for retrofit design are therefore recommended (Holmes, 1996 p. 2826). Social structure Social structure of a property focuses on its size, culture of the occupants, function and aesthetic value. From the plan of the property, a veranda was never included. Verandas are commonly included for buildings in areas of hot climate hence affect the occupants’ social structure. Therefore, if the property is in a hot climate, a veranda will be necessary. The purpose of a house is to protect the inhabitants from harsh climatic conditions. Trees can be planted near the property to improve indoor and outdoor conditions as well as protect the structure from harsh winds, erosion and solar radiation. Flexibility The occupants of the building are likely to increase in number creating a demand for space. From the design, enough space has been provided for a specific number of people depending on the number of bedrooms (World Bank, 2010 p.163). Bibliography Douglas, J. and Noy, A. E. 2011. Building Surveys & Reports, 4th Edtn. Willey-Blackwell Publishing, UK. Holmes, W.T. 1996. Risk Assessment and Retrofit of Existing Buildings. San Francisco. RICS, 2007. Code of Measuring Practice: A guide for Property Professionals, 6th Edtn. UK. Scotland’s Rural Past, 2005.Guide to Basic surveying. Scotland. Sugano, S. “State of the Art in Techniques for Rehabilitation of Buildings”. (Paper No. 2178), Proceedings of the Eleventh World Conference on Earthquake Engineering, Acapulco, Mexico, Elsevier Science Ltd., London. World Bank, 2010. Safer Homes, Stronger Communities: A Handbook for Reconstructing after Natural Disasters. [pdf]. www.housingreconstruction.org. Accessed 28th Feb 2012. Assessment 2: Construction Assignment (Name) Presented to (Instructor/Tutor) (Course/Subject) (Institution/University) (City, State) (Date) Task: Suggestion- Building the Tunnel at Galleons Reach under the Thames 1. Introduction The new river crossings proposed are Thames crossing located in east and southeast London. These are: a. The Gallions Reach Ferry, a new vehicle, which will be a new vehicle to replace Woolwich Ferry. It will be located at Gallions Reach and b. Silvertown Tunnel. This is a new road to be constructed at Silvertown. Within twenty years, east and southeast London population will grow, and employment rate will also spiral. For achievement of growth, vehicles and people must be in a position to cross the Thames. The current tunnels, that is, Blackwall, Rotherhithe and Woolwich cannot maintain the growing population, traffic and goods that are ferried currently and in the future. Despite the great improvement in public transport, there is a need to consider commercial traffic responsible for goods and service delivery. Public transport available options are: I. London Overground II. DLR extensions III. Upgraded Jubilee line IV. Crossrail to be completed by 2018 and V. Emirates Air Line cable car. Currently, the available routes used by vehicles are limited. The Rotherhithe Tunnel has a narrow width while the Blackwall Tunnel has a restricted height. With these complications, there are high probabilities of tunnel closure and delay for vehicles. The aged Woolwich Ferry is not fit for current and future requirements. With the limited number of crossings, any closure will imply that people have to consume a lot of time in diversions so that they can get an alternative. This will create an impact on the economy. The Blackwall Tunnel will be congested, with an average of 20 minutes delay per vehicle during peak hours. Investment is likely to be discouraged because of additional costs. All these issues result because of; Lack of options and Inflexibility (Transport for London, 2012). 2. Construction Design and Management Requirements Construction Design Management requirements (CDM) focus on management of health and safety. Health and safety management focus on planning and designing of construction work. The contractor is not left with the sole responsibility of health and safety, but they are shared by other parties. The Approved Code of Practice (The ACOP) was approved by Health and Safety Commission. CDM 2007 regulation codes ensure that construction projects are safe during construction, use, easily maintained and offer for money. A harmonious relationship of participants in construction is encouraged. This is achieved through a chosen team that works together. The outline principles features are; The Client The client has the obligation of choosing a team that will execute the work to the required specifications. For this to be achieved, the client need to; i. Employ competent human resource. A competent human resource will ensure that the design and construction entail the required resources and the client accounts for value of money. They must be appointed in advance, so that work is done safely. This is achieved through incorporation of a recognised trade association. ii. Time is an important factor to any construction work. Adequate time avoids a rushed product of poor quality. Adequate time should be allocated to designing, planning and construction. In case of doubt, the client is free to get clarification from those he has appointed. iii. Communication is important for progress of work. The client is obliged to provide adequate information to his team. Information on safety, utility, and maintenance should be communicated to all parties involved in the construction process. In case of any doubt, the client should seek clarification from these parties. iv. Cooperation and coordination is important for the success of the project. Issues related to building, utility and maintenance of the structure must be discussed with the designers and contractors. This assists in prevention of injuries and costs in construction and services phases of the structure. v. Management arrangements should be put in place. Such a construction involves participation of different trades and occupations. These arrangements need to be in place through out initiation phases of the project. vi. Welfare facilities must be available in the site. The client is obliged to ensure that the contractor provides this service to workers before the commencement of work. vii. Designated work places will enhance the health, safety and welfare since it is carried in a new place. The client should seek assistance from the party committed to design work to ensure that the required standards are achieved. Since the project will last more than thirty days and exceed 500 person days, the client need to; I. Appoint a CDM co-ordinator or a planning supervisor II. Appoint a Principal contractor III. Ensure that a health and safety plan is in place and IV. Keep healthy and safety file. The planning supervisor or CDM co-ordinator has the role of assisting the client on CDM duties. These are; I. Advise the client on how to select competent designers and contractors II. Clarify information needed by designers and contractors III. Organize health and safety in the planning phase of the project IV. Notify Health and Safety Executive bout the project V. Verify to the client that the plan of initial construction phase is viable and VI. Help the client in preparing health and safety file. The designer The designer should ensure that the client understands his duties. Risks likely to occur during and after construction should be avoided by designers. Information about risks associated with the design should be relayed to the client. During the construction phase, the designer must always be in touch with other parties; to improve, manage and control risks. The designer will achieve these requirements by; I. Providing notes on the drawings II. Provide written information accompanying the design and III. Provide information on sequences available for construction (Health Safety and Executive, 2007 p.33, 34). The principal contractor The main role of the principal contractor is to organise, manage and co-ordinate execution of work in the construction phase. An early appointment by the principal contractor ensures that adequate time is spent in planning and proper execution of work. Other contractors Competence and adequate resources Health and safety plan Health and safety file (Joyce, 2003, p.17). 3. Roles of Land/Engineering Surveyor, a Construction Manager and a Civil Engineer Land/ Engineering Surveyor The legal boundaries of the project must be searched for in public records and other relevant documents like land title deeds and maps. The land surveyors, travel to the site where the project is done to take measurements and records about features like contours, location and elevations on the land are noted. A report on boundary encroachment by the project is forwarded to responsible parties. The land surveyors will also assist the client in establishing the boundaries of the project. In case land disputes emerge, the land surveyors will preparation of data and reports to the court. Construction Manager A construction manager ensures that important jobs should be completed before the project commences. This includes mobilisation of resources, machinery and human resource. He must analyse and know the requirements of the project at all stages. The duty of hiring, disciplining, and even firing when necessary of workers is in his docket. Ordering of all supplies is done by the construction manager. Civil Engineer Some of the roles of a civil engineer in this project are to: I. Design the project: adequate time taken in technical and feasibility study of the project. Site investigations are necessary to check progress of work. A detailed design developed that assist in risk management is important. II. Focus on development of the project. The tendering process, proposals, supervision, management advising contractor are considered. III. Get involved in the construction process of the project through controlling budgets, looking management options and compile, check and approve reports. 4. Official bodies/Authorities to be contacted are: a. Local authorities like Municipal and county councils b. Clients c. Design team d. Manufacturers e. House and Safety Executive (WRAP no date, Section 3). 5. Methods of Tunnelling Several factors determine the choice of tunnelling method. These factors are; The cross-section and length of the channel Experience of the available human resource Costs and duration allocated to the project The extent of surface disturbance The geological and hydrological conditions in the area where the project is to be constructed. The common tunnel construction methods include: Mechanical drilling/ cutting Classical methods Cut-and-cover Drill and blast Shields and tunnel boring machines New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM) Immersed tunnels Tunnel jacking among other special methods. The New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM) is the most preferred because it: Has a high speed in mobilisation, Gives an opportunity to engineers to vary the cross-section of the tunnel and Has an ease in formation of junctions (Fugemen, Hawley and Myers, 1992 p.87). Bibliography Fugemen I.C.D., Hawley J. and Myers A.G. 1992. The Channel Tunnel: Part 1-Tunnels. London; Institute of Civil Engineers. Health Safety and Executive, 2007. Managing Health and Safety in Construction 2007. London. Joyce, R. 2003. The CDM Regulations Explained, 2nd Edtn. London, Thomas Telford Publishing. Transport for London. 2012. River Crossings. rivercrossings@tfl.gov.uk . Accessed 4th March 2012. Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP). No date. Halving Waste to Landfill: The Role of Local Authorities as Construction Clients. www.wrap.org.uk/construction. Accessed on 4th March 2012. Read More