Structural Scheme - Report Example

Civil Engineering (Hons) – 4th Year Final Integrated Project Report – Structural Scheme Group E Abdullah Almalki ID: G00317793 Introduction As an engineering report, the concern for this report would be to provide elaborations on the structural schemes that can be adopted by the client (IDA). Particularly, the focus would be on the considerations for the characterization of the geotechnical site that would entail taking notes on the behavior of the soil under cyclic loading and measuring the parameters of the soil. The proposed project is the construction of four office buildings on a site located in the townland of KILLAGOOLA, about 13.4 KM from Galway city. The region is situated far away from unique areas of conservation of animals and forests; thus, making it an ideal site for the proposed building given that the construction works and activities of the development after completion will not impede the ordinary lives of wildlife and other people. A geological map showing the underlying Bedrock is as shown in the figure below. Figure 1: Geological map of the site plan To be able to present the engineering report in a professional manner, the report will integrate several sub-themes from the past subject-specific report that have been written regarding the same project, as well as, provide project diagrams as part of the tender documentation. Other areas of significance to the report would be the feasibility report, environmental impacts of the building and the health and safety issues associated with the project (Crotty, 2012). These among others shall form the categorization of the report in addressing the relevant themes to the client. Programme of works The program of works for this proposed project considers the current composition of the industry as being comprised of small projects and small contractors with tender bids that can run as low as 30%. It is quite encouraging to note this growth plus other issues such as the declining rate of the accidents and fatalities in this high risk industry. However, there are instances when the safety and health standards are perceived as of great concern to the projects’ completion given that the standards are often slipping away (Kibert, 2008). In this case, the program of works shall entail the basic requirements such as a plant and equipment, design and procurement, safety and construction skills, as well as the worker engagements and representations. In the entire project’s program, safety is a paramount requirement given that the construction industry still employs a large number of people directly, in spite of the hazardous nature of the industry. As such, the main concern for all the partners shall be the erosion of the achievements made so far by the economic pressures calling for the maintenance of safety. The inclusion of the program of works among the list of contract documents made it to be legally binding for all the partners in the project (Kotaji, 2002). Upon the completion of the studies relevant to the success of the project at the site, the work on the site is expected to commence within a span of 3 months from the last date of submission of feasibility and environmental reports and their approval. The planned completion date is in 6 months after the start of the project. In total, the intended project is expected to last one year at most should any further delays in construction be experienced in the course of its implementation. The order in which the contractor intends for the work to be completed is as outlined in the contract. However, an outline of the program of works to be involved is as below. a. Improvement of the safety in design, procurement and coordination. The confirmation of safety in the construction project has been largely defined by the safety and ethos considerations that exist during the design phase of the project and with the client. As such, the commencement of work in the area shall take into consideration the production of an innovative and simple safety document that would ensure that the consideration for the safety of all workers in the site is ensured while in the construction site. To achieve this, increased awareness of the client’s statutory duties to ensure that all the health and safety appointments are ensured, will be required. The attainment of this would be through the Client Assessment Forms. Furthermore, extensive research was carried out in the determination of the adequate resources that were needed for safety and health or workers’ well-being at the construction site. This was enhanced by the development of guidelines on health and safety measures for the clients. b. Testing and certification of the site and equipment Testing and certification can be achieved through two main ways. First, through the development of a guidance and tracking system that would monitor the escalation of the project in respect to the safety culture that has been adopted by the client. It is a common phenomenon to have accidents in the construction sites hence, the need to develop workable initiatives that would entail the monitoring and maintenance of safety equipment in use by the construction team. Buildability From the already conducted feasibility study, it can be reasoned that the practicality of installing a building/project in the proposed piece of land takes into consideration the ecological, human and socio-economic factors related to the project’s construction in the proposed site. The report takes into consideration the preservation of the flora and fauna, geology and drainage issues neighboring the site of the development and an air eminence that may result from the scheme. Additionally, the information considers scenery and esthetic value of the venture on the chosen setting, cultural, architectural and interactions of environment effects (Elvin, 2007). As shown in the map, the site is located on soil type BktPt. This is akin to a mixture of sandy and loamy soils with a high concentration of sand. Due to the concentration ratios, the soil is compact and does not suffer from easy erosion. However, given that the heavy construction works of the project are potential causative agents of erosion by loosening the sub-soils surrounding the site; in this case, there is no possibility of loosening the soils surrounding the site to such extreme erosive degrees, as the soil is firm and compact (Emmitt & Gorse, 2013; Mcnevin, 2005). Constructing the project on the proposed piece of land does not cause any environmental threats to issues related with soil erosion. A diagrammatical representation of the bedrock of the site is as presented below. Figure 2: Geological representation of the site’s bedrock The feasibility study that was conducted also revealed the following information presented in figure 3 about the ground water plans for the site. Figure 3: Groundwater plan After an extensive examination of the borehole results that were obtained from the field work, different soil layers were found to span the area. These included: a. Peat b. Very Stiff Clay c. Stiff Clay d. Grey Hard Clay e. Soft Brown Clay f. Weathered Rock These soil types were found in varying layers and depths; thus, greatly effected activities such as retaining wall design, foundation design and road substructure build-up of the intended project. For example, a section of the project in an area with a large quantity of peat hinted to the idea that the layer had to be removed first because in the plan of the building, there will be a basement in a deep foundation and car parking thus, likely to cause the peat to pile and cause health and safety issues (Ching, 2013). Soil sections were taken through the site in order to find a visual exemplification of the soil layers through the site. These sections were taken through the proposed positions of the office buildings so they can be associated to the foundation design procedures. Figures 4 to 10 below show the integration of the soil into various layers. Figure 4: Site selection plan Figure 5: Section A Figure 6: Soil profile for section A of the site Figure 7: Section B of the site Figure 8: Soil profile of Section B of the site Figure 9: Section C of the site Figure 10: Section C soil profile The performance of the soil tests on these soil profiles yielded variations of results given that each stratum of soil had different soil mineral compositions. The results for the various soil strata are as shown below based on the various boreholes that were sunk in the process of site examination (Retik & Langford, 2001). Figure 11: Borehole #06 Figure 12: Borehole #08 Figure 13: Borehole #11 Figure 14: Borehole #16 Figure 15: Borehole #20 Figure 16: Borehole #02 Figure 17: Borehole #07 Figure 18: Borehole #01 Figure 19: Borehole #13 Figure 20: Borehole #21 The results obtained from the various soil tests above indicate an overall picture of the tectonic situation and stratigraphy to be ensured in the designing and construction of the foundation for a structure in our design buildings. In the course of the exploration, it was clear that the ability to accurately and unambiguously coordinate and position the required elements was a key requirement for the success of the construction. As a result, a singly coordinate system was adopted for the survey. One of the important parts of the analysis is the groundwater conditions. The results in this aspect revealed that there were permeability melt water clay layers present at specific depths of the investigated sites. For each and every borehole results, the depth ranges from 0.2-2.8. Generally, the water levels were at par with the required standards with the highest measure being 1.5. The topsoil is basically clay; hence, its strengths are unquestionable. The results reveal a significant range between the liquid and plastic limits which appear variable with depth (Kudder & Erdly, 1998). Project Management Basically, the program of works can be modeled to entail the achievement of the following outcomes. a. Identification and description of the construction activities that need to be programmed for the building. In this, the work was divided into manageable units or activities for the type of construction to be performed. Consequently, it was required that the activities are explained in detail at the required type of program. b. Definition of the interrelationship that exists between the construction activities for the building. This should describe the range of the project’s activities such as the start and finish times for each aspect of the project activities. Subsequently, the interrelationships should match the supplied methodology for the construction. The essence of the definition of the interrelationships is so as to establish the order in which the activities are to be completed. Subsequently, the interrelations help in determining the construction activities that can run concurrently thus, reducing the project’s duration. c. Sequencing of the construction activities on the basis of charts and graphs that are drawn both manually and through the use of computers. d. Allocation of the resources for the construction activities based on the ongoing monitoring of the work plans and activities. e. Reviewing and rescheduling of the activities that can be connected to accomplish the ideals of the program. This review and rescheduling entailed the resources level assessments and activities adjustments for the project so as to determine the advantages of the float resources and the balances that are required to balance the requirements. f. Under project management, the updates that are made to the plan will be centered on the contingencies and progress that is reported. The end results for the project indicated that the building information that was presented matched up with the project requirements of the client. g. Subjectively, the outcomes that were achieved on the building project were critical and based on the actions that were taken; there was a realigning to the contingencies of the project with the planned outcomes (Woolley, 2013). Environmental Impact Based on the environmental feasibility that was conducted, the concern of this final environmental report was on the sustainability of the project on the marked region of the map. By dissecting the environmental feasibility of the site based on ecological, human and socio-economic factors, the environmental feasibility discovered that there were potential environmental effects of the construction of the mega civil construction on the underground water (Sarsby, 2000). Apparently, the underground water is a major asset and resource in the area under the map and most of the maps produced focused on the effects of the construction on water. Additionally, ecological factors such as the bedrock, karst features and soil types in the region were covered in the report. Furthermore, the report dwells on human factors and aesthetic approach on the effects of the construction of the building. Vulnerability of the aquifer bed The proposed site overlaid a vulnerable aquifer bed on a scale of about 80%. The basis of this fundamental statement is that the construction of the proposed project on the location meant many risks to the underground water source. Furthermore, the map detailing the use of aquifer bed reveals that the proposed location is placed on an underground waterbed that is used by the whole community. In the event that the construction process and activities of the finished proposed project unleashes harmful substances to the aquifer bed, people, livestock and wildlife are placed at risk of consuming contaminated water (Punmia, Jain & Jain, 1993). Therefore, based on the base consideration of the underground water base, the location for the project may need relocation to alternate sites. Karst Features, Bedrock, Soils and Rock Units According to the Ordinance Survey Ireland and Government of Ireland (2008), the bedrock of the proposed site is marine shelf facies. As such, this type of underground rock provides a durable groundwork for the building of the facility that can tolerate tension forces of nature. Karst features that could spell weakening of the ground were placed far away from the site. The closest karst features were equidistant from the site of construction to the southeast and southwest, approximately 3km away. The benefits to be derived from this relates to safety matters and the safe distance achieved to prevent land-slides and sinking during heavy construction acts of the project (Allen & Iano, 2013). Furthermore, the site is over dinantian pure bedded limestone, making the ground strong enough to support heavy construction works yet soft enough to allow for easy destruction should a trigger of any form be applied on it. Water Hydrometric Areas and Water River Basin Subsequently, in assessing the environmental impact of the project on the location, the Ordinance Survey Ireland and Government of Ireland (2008) established that the location of the project on the coastal area on the map was environmentally suitable. Under normal circumstances, coastal basins are usually left for purposes of recreation. In essence, constructing the project on the proposed area would mean depriving the locals and visitors a place to recreate. This has severe communal and environmental consequences as the coastal region becomes heavy with commercial centers. In addition to deprivation of recreation areas, there are possible dangers of littering the waters and areas surrounding the ocean due to increased human activities. In this respect, the location poses massive environmental risks to the coastal region and alternative locations need to be sought (Ordinance Survey Ireland & Government of Ireland, 2008). However, the situation of the project site outside of Culdaff and Inner Gulway Bay SPA, places it outside the perimeters of any specially protected area; thus, raising no environmental concerns over special protection areas. Furthermore, there is no point of natural heritage that was overlapped within the area. Therefore, the construction of the project on the proposed location may not have negative environmental effects on natural heritage of the community. In addition, the location does not fall under the area specially protected regions by the Red-Cross; thus, making it an ideal site given the fact that it may not affect special operations of the community or inflict negatively to the natural heritage of the society (National Research Council (É.-U.), 2000). On the negative sides, having the project built on this area of conservation places the treasures protected at risk of extinction or destruction. Other than the destructive outcomes of the construction process, human activities that result from such a mega engineering work would render the conservation efforts of the special areas under protection futile. National Juniper Survey, Source Protection Areas According to the National Juniper Survey on the source protection areas, there is no point of natural heritage overlapped within the area for the proposed project. Therefore, constructing the project on the proposed location may not have negative environmental effects on natural heritage of the community. In addition, the location does not fall under the area specially protected by the Red-Cross; thus, making it an ideal site for the project given the fact that it may not affect special operations of the community or inflict negatively on their society’s natural heritage. Special Area of Conservation and protection The proposed location of the project lies squarely on East Barren Complex. This is marked in the map as a special area of conservation legend. Therefore, having the project built on this area of conservation places the treasures protected in the area at risk of extinction or destruction. Other than the destructive outcomes of the construction process, human activities that result from such a mega engineering work would render the conservation efforts of the special areas under protection futile. The region proposed for the project lies outside Culdaff and Inner Gulway Bay SPA (Ordinance Survey Ireland & Government of Ireland, 2008), which places it outside any specially protected area; thus, raising no environmental concerns over special protection areas. Sustainability Sustainability of an engineering project is critical for the conduct of the project given that the clients are more concerned with the duration in time that a particular project will be able to sustain their structural needs. Sustainability has always been a concern for civil engineers given that it is the basis upon which the client’s expectation for performance is based. In such cases, they have sought to deliver on technically superior solutions that can meet up to the expectations of the society in relation to the protection of the environment. As such, in this report, we have sought to show the sustainable benefits and conditions that the proposed project will be subjected to owing to the fact that standardization in construction of projects is a core factor in ensuring sustainable growth (Kibert, 2008). The project has identified, acknowledged and proven as sufficient the professional standards and conducts that are required by engineering boards in relation to the setting up of this building. In this case, sustainability for the project took into consideration factors such as the finiteness and fitness of the natural resource bases in the area, the increasing demand for sustainable construction services by the client, the need for the provision of support to the available infrastructure that is currently considered as aging. Subsequently, the project took into consideration the high levels of regulatory demands by both the client and the neighboring communities, as well as the presence of the fact that building projects are usually affected by limited sources of funding; hence, likely to lack the critical and required infrastructural programs that are needed for sustainable development of the project. In relation to the factors noted above, it is noted that while there is an easy connection between the project’s sustainability and the conservation and protection of the environment, the building drivers are more indicative of broader propositions for value that are conventionally needed in the attainment of the project’s sustainability. In addition to these intergenerational obligations that are noted in the project’s performance, it is worth to recognize that sustainability as a concept has been described in this context as a confluence of feasible solutions that will greatly aid in the support of the environment. Consequently, this concept has been used to explain the client’s economic and social needs in relation to the desired benefits expected to be achieved after the completion of the building project (Kibert, 2008). The success of this project’s sustainability considered the various environmental dimensions in the client’s surrounding which were critical for the visualization of the means by which the project would be operated including economic, social, cultural and the natural environment. Therefore, the sustainability of this project considers the broader recognition of processes that are multipurpose in the attainment of goals, purposes and objectives thus, enhancing the attainment of fruitful outcomes in the end. The achievement of this project’s goals thus, considered the delivery of the project in a highly complex setting that was well regulated so as to be able to incorporate the interest of the public that entailed the determination and accommodation of the different views, outcomes and opinions of the public. Subsequently, the success and failure factors that were recorded in this project were a measure of the technical and financial attributes of the client. There were also balanced social, environmental and economic features of the project’s components in a manner that ensured efficient performance of the building systems (Kibert, 2008). However, despite the operational success attained in regard to the environmental sustainability, this report recommends that new infrastructural upgrades and maintenance for the new systems be ensured in a manner that would enhance the protection of the community’s quality natural heritages and the promotion and support of economic competitiveness. The project team will be more committed to the development and support of various building series that can be used to enhance the deliverance of sustainable solutions that can meet to the expectations and imperative needs of the client. Cost and value engineering Value engineering can be simply referred to as the systematic application of construction techniques that can be used in the identification of product or service functions by the building multi-disciplined teams; thus, enabling the establishment of the project’s worth, the generation of alternatives through critical thinking, as well as the provision of needed functions for the accomplishment of the project’s original purpose. The essence of value engineering in the context of this building project is to ensure that the project is reliably achieved and the life cycle cost maintained at the lowest level possible but, without having to sacrifice quality, construction safety standards and the environmental attributes of the project. The main concern in this is the application of value engineering to the major modernization and new construction projects as this current one (Retik & Langford, 2001). In this project, value engineering was used both in the pre-awarding and post-awarding phases of the project. In the management of every construction project, a key factor that sets the project from its general contracting features is its pre-construction. This pre-construction phase is considered to be the most essential phase for this project, owing to the fact that the actions or decisions made at this stage in relation to the project will greatly determine the completion of the project within the intended time frame. In the context of this study, value engineering was defined at the pre-construction stage with the client being informed of the significant effects the same would have had on the schedule, cost/budget and quality of the project. The attainment of value engineering in this project also entailed the recognition for proper planning, as well as a unique positioning of the construction organization with the client. Subsequently, value engineering and the determination of cost-effective construction methods involved an input analysis into the equipment, materials, scheduling and staging as instrumental parameters in the realization and maintenance of the budgetary constraints. Our perception about value engineering in this project was that it could be performed at any stage of the project’s timeline given that it was incorporated both at planning stage, project design and implementation stages, respectively. In committing to value management, a top-down management approach was applied in the process of reaffirming the commitment of value engineering. Value engineering, cost attainment approach and the construction processes started with the realignment of our principals. Subsequently, there was no timeline for the value engineering since the construction process was an ongoing process. As such, it received full company principals’ commitment in its design and construction processes given that the client appreciated the advantage that was offered by the systematic approach to the construction process, centering on the understanding or familiarity of the construction team. In this study, it was also realized that the key to attainment of successful value engineering depended on the attainment of cost. For instance, value engineering was used to reduce labor costs while ensuring that quality is maintained; reducing material costs but, maintaining the construction standards, and monitoring of the delivery dates of the materials (Retik & Langford, 2001). Subsequently, the efforts of value engineering were concentrated in the earlier stages of the project given that the early reviews afforded greater savings and allowed the change of direction should there be a need without having to compromise the project’s delivery schedules. The emphasis was on the obtainment of maximum project life cycle for the first time costs in a justifiable manner that can allow for the reduction of the product’s budget and recognizing the design features that would enhance the life cycle value of the building. However, despite ensuring that value engineering and cost attainment are achieved, the construction plan was arranged in a manner that ensured no lessening of the building’s life cycle cost, safety, design quality, appearance or even the ease for up keeping the project. The goals of the value engineering were shared amongst all the apprehensive parties in the construction process such as the consultants, the contractors and the client or the end users (Kibert, 2008). This was to ensure that any unwanted costs or problems are eliminated at the earliest time possible but, the function and quality of the project is improved. As such, the requirement of high product performance was attained but, at the lowest cost possible. The following feature categorizations were used in enhancing value engineering. a. Identification of the project’s main elements. b. Analysis of the functions of these elements. c. Development of alternative solutions to the delivery of the functions involved. d. Assessment of the alternative solutions. e. Allocation of appropriate costs to the alternative solutions. f. Development of the alternatives into greater details with the aim of attaining the highest success likelihood. The following were the accelerators of the results. a. Avoidance of generalities. b. Obtainment of all the available costs. c. Use of information obtained from the best sources. d. Blasting, creation and refining of new ideas. e. Being creative towards the conduct of the project. f. Identification and overcoming roadblocks. g. Engaging the use of experts in the industry. h. Application of strategies that are price tolerant. i. Using standard products for the construction process. j. Using and paying for the expert services. k. Using specialists’ processes in the enhancement of the construction. In general, cost and value engineering proved to be effective in the reduction of costs at the scheme and structure phases of the plan. Building Information Modeling & Facilities Management Occupiers, owners and developers of construction structures are increasingly noting the benefits that can be derived from the newly built and refurbished construction projects that have been delivered by the engagement of the BIM processes. A BIM process is a multi-dimensional tool that is commonly used to generate visual models of a building to be constructed and managing its data both at the design, construction and working life of the project. Typically, real-time, dynamic modeling that generates 3D diagrams are used thus, increasing efficiency and productivity, reducing project’s costs at the design and construction stages, as well as reducing the costs in the entire project’s life that relate to the running costs of the project (Retik & Langford, 2001). In this project, the use of the BIM covered the essential construction areas such as light analysis, spatial relationships, geometry, geographic information, project management, properties and quantities of the building components and the post-construction management of the facilities. Subsequently, BIM was used in the illustration of the entire project’s life cycle in relation to the extraction of quality products from the inception of the design to its completion. The work’s scope encompassed the administration of the targets of the project and its facilities through an understanding of its life. Consequently, the systems, assemblies, components and sequences were shown together in a relative scale to the entire project. Not focusing on the shapes and lines achieved from the modeling of the building by the BIM software, the main concern was in relation to the text boxes and shapes. These are as presented by the 3D shapes shown herein. The BIM as applied in this project aided in the incorporation and integration of the inputs from various specialists and professionals in the field of architecture and engineering so as to enable the attainment of quality building designs for the satisfaction of the client. On a technical basis, the in-depth incorporation of the BIM has enabled the saving of time and costs in the entire project management in the sense that wastages of materials used in the site were reduced and it rendered unnecessary any extra coordination checks on the construction process by the construction engineering teams (Retik & Langford, 2001). Conclusion Basically, the entire development of this report has been largely concerned with the enhancement of the benefits of having to run the project through dynamic stages that have aided in the integration of quality assurance as the basis for the delivery of the project’s goals. Presented to the client and other concerned parties, this report would greatly highlight the crucial aspects that are requisite for measuring the delivery of the project and their impacts on the modernization processes of construction. Consequently, the report considers the effects of the project from a diverse dimensional level to the surrounding community in areas such as its hydrological impacts, environmental impacts, sustainability, cost management and the valuation of BIM and value engineering on the prospects of the building’s design (Kibert, 2008). References List ALLEN, E., & IANO, J. (2013). Fundamentals of building construction materials and methods. Hoboken, N.J., Wiley. http://rbdigital.oneclickdigital.com. CHING, F. D. K. (2013). Building construction illustrated. Hoboken, N.J., Wiley. http://rbdigital.oneclickdigital.com. CROTTY, R. (2012). The impact of building information modelling: transforming construction. Abingdon, Oxon, Spon. ELVIN, G. (2007). Integrated practice in architecture: mastering design-build, fast-track, and building information modeling. Hoboken, NJ, Wiley. EMMITT, S., & GORSE, C. (2013). Barrys Introduction to Construction of Buildings. Chicester, Wiley. http://public.eblib.com/EBLPublic/PublicView.do?ptiID=1124634. KIBERT, C. J. (2008). Sustainable construction: green building design and delivery. Hoboken, N.J., John Wiley & Sons. KOTAJI, S. (2002). Life-cycle assessment in building and construction: a state-of-the-art report, 2003. Pensacola, Fla, SETAC Press. KUDDER, R. J., & ERDLY, J. L. (1998). Water leakage through building facades. West Conshohocken, PA, ASTM. MCNEVIN, G. (2005). Building & construction: Australia. Ultimo, N.S.W., Career FAQs. NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL (É.-U.). (2000). Primer environmental impact of construction and repair materials on surface and ground waters. Washington, D.C., National Academy Press. NORDIC COUNCIL OF MINISTERS. (2011). Assessment of initiatives to prevent waste from building and construction sectors. Copenhagen, Nordic Council of Ministers. Ordinance Survey Ireland & Government of Ireland. (2008, Nov 21). Feasibility Report Ireland: Ordinance Survey Ireland & Government of Ireland. PUNMIA, B. C., JAIN, A. K., & JAIN, A. K. (1993). A text book of building construction. New Delhi, Laxmi Publications Pvt. RETIK, A., & LANGFORD, D. (2001). Computer Integrated Planning and Design for Construction. London, Telford. SARSBY, B. (2000). Environmental geotechnics. London, Thomas Telford. WOOLLEY, T. (2013). Low impact housing: building with renewable materials. Chichester, West Sussex, UK, John Wiley & Sons. Read More