Construction Techniques for High Rise Construction - Essay Example

Review of Construction techniques for high rise construction Your name Griffith School of Engineering, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD4222, Australia This paper presents construction techniques for high-rise construction. The discussions are based on the overall requirements of the high rise construction, regulatory requirements and utilization of different techniques and methods. In planning, seeking approvals and adhering to the legislation framework is important. High-quality materials usage is integral and effective quality assurance should be in a place different techniques and approaches are used in the construction and equipment such as cranes and vibrators are important in movement and compacting of the raw materials. Supportive equipment and methods such as scaffolding are important in the construction techniques for high-rise construction. Keywords: high rise construction, concrete, steel, scaffolding, equipment 1. Introduction High-rise construction is the building of structures, which are tall or beyond certain human capacities. Some institutions define high structures as building with more than 15 meters in height while others define high-rise construction has structures with more than 12 floors. A specific definition of high-rise construction does not exist because of different legislations and regulatory requirements based on locations and jurisdiction. Even though the definitions are different, what remains as a constant is the construction techniques employed. The paper discusses numerous construction techniques including the prerequisite before beginning the construction. 2. The Literature Review Numerous factors are considered before high-rise construction is done (Assaf and Al-Hejji, 2006). The factors range from pre-planning phase, provision of appropriate structural support, materials and other factors that influence the construction process. 2.1. Planning Considerations In high rise construction, there are some prerequisites before the actual construction (Sambasivan and Soon, 2007). Some of the factors considered before construction include a statutory obligation, contractual obligation, social obligation and site characteristics. 2.1.1 Statutory Obligations Statutory obligation is the requirement of compliance with approval plan and building regulation. Site supervision and continuous engagement with the government institutions on any changes is integral in ensuring the regulatory requirements and safety requirements are championed (Jaillon and Poon, 2009). The statutory obligation involves fulfilling the requirements of Fire Service Department, Labor Department, Construction Safety Regulations among other statutory codes and requirements. 2.1.2 Contractual Obligation Contractual obligation is the understanding between the contractor and the owners of the building or the employer (Jaillon and Poon, 2009). The contractual obligation defines the conditions and terms of engagement and usually contained in a contract document (Baldwin et al. 2009). It includes basic information on the requirements and assumptions from engineers, architects, and employer. 2.1.3 Social Obligation Social obligations involve taking care pf the neighbors and workers (Sambasivan and Soon, 2007). The workers should be provided with safe working conditions while environmental sustainability should be championed (Navon, R., and Kolton, 2006). It involves adhering to the regulatory and legislative framework in the entire construction process (Assaf and Al-Hejji, 2006). It includes seeking for new methods and approaches of fulfilling the social obligation and integrating these aspects into social development. 2.1.4 Site Characteristics Each site is different and has unique characteristics (Van der Lugt, Van den Dobbelsteen, and Janssen 2006). Some of the characteristics include constraints of the site, skill-set, people’s knowledge, time of construction, nature of works and geographical location. These different variables affect the nature of the building and the entire construction requirements. 2.2. Materials and Equipment The quality of materials and availability of appropriate equipment are important in high-rise construction (Van der Lugt, Van den Dobbelsteen, and Janssen 2006). It includes the combination of materials, the use of equipment to move materials, and strategies for strengthening the materials, and the strength of the structure. 2.2.1 High Strength Concrete The levels of the floors determine the strength of the concrete to be used. The nature of the structure and the construction levels determines the strength of the concrete, and effective quality assurance approaches in ensuring the consistency and reliability of the concrete production in place (Assaf and Al-Hejji, 2006). It includes the creation of an extensive chain of quality assurance and ensuring engineering strategies employed in determining the strength of the concrete and other fundamentals of the concrete (Jaillon and Poon, 2009). Different methods exist, which are used to strengthen the concrete. Some of the methods include prestressed concrete, pre-tensioning and post-tensioning (Van der Lugt, Van den Dobbelsteen, and Janssen 2006). The pre-stressed concrete is strengthening the concrete through the use of steel resulting in compressive stress that counterbalances tensile stresses associated with the external loads (Jaillon and Poon, 2009). Pre-tensioning allows the use of high tensile tensions before the concrete is casted, and curing is used to strengthen the final product (Tam, Tam, and Ng, 2007). Post-tensioning is the use of in duct-tubes to strengthen the concrete and the integrity of the structure. 2.2.2 Construction Materials The materials used creates both advantages and disadvantages in construction and determination of the structural integrity of the structure (Jaillon, Poon, and Chiang, 2009). The appropriateness of the right materials includes cast in situ capability, non-corrosive materials, easy in casting, easily availability and plasticity. The determination of the appropriate materials should consider these requirements, and determine the effectiveness of these different materials in fulfilling the construction requirements (Sambasivan and Soon, 2007). Some shortcomings associated with the concrete as materials include difficulty in pouring, dead weight and cost of form. In addition, the construction has to consider reducing the loads through the use of glass (Navon, R., and Kolton, 2006). Tempered and double glass is used instead of plain glass since it is light and also difficult to shatter (Sambasivan and Soon, 2007). Other materials that are important in high-rise building include high alumina cement, cladding material, glass, steel, and concrete. 2.2.3 Equipment Numerous equipment is used in aiding the construction of high-rise structures (Tam, Tam, and Ng, 2007). The air compressor is used to generate power used during the drilling or breaking construction requirements (Baldwin et al. 2009). The drilling rig is used to create holes, the tower crane is used to lift the materials and other construction components, and the concrete pump is used to pump the concrete to the right location or level (Zou, Zhang, and Wang, 2007). 2.3. High Rise Structural Systems Different materials and products are used to strengthen the structural products (Tam, Tam, and Ng, 2007). For example, steel and concrete are combined because each of these products complement each other (Baldwin et al. 2009). The walls should be able to provide resistance to both vertical and horizontal loads (Zou, Zhang, and Wang, 2007). The structural design should provide enough strength for the lateral load while also providing mechanisms to act against earthquake and wind load (Jaillon and Poon, 2009). Backhoe and another excavation equipment are used to remove unwanted soil materials to enable laying the foundation or even used to break rocks that prevent laying the foundation (Assaf and Al-Hejji, 2006). Crane lorry and other forms of trucks are used to move the materials to the site and used to deliver the construction material to the appropriate location. Rubbish chute and modifications of the rubbish chute are used to remove debris and rubbish off the site (Navon, R., and Kolton, 2006). Hoist is used in the transportation of material and person between the different construction levels. 2.3.1 Raft Foundation The nature of the foundation determines the structural integrity of the structure (Jaillon, Poon, and Chiang, 2009). Raft foundation is commonly utilized because it enables effective distribution of the load. The importance of raft foundation is enabling distribution of the structural load, which results in the structure been sturdy and upright (Assaf and Al-Hejji, 2006). The raft is used to transfer the structure load into the ground. Other types of foundations exist including pile foundation, and can employ any approach including deep foundation (Van der Lugt, Van den Dobbelsteen, and Janssen 2006). The deep foundation such as H-pile and large diameter bored pile is employed to address weaknesses of the sites. 2.3.2 Scaffolding Different scaffolding methods exist, which includes bamboo and steel scaffolding (Jaillon, Poon, and Chiang, 2009). The purpose of scaffolding in high rise construction is to provide precaution measures (Baldwin et al. 2009). The scaffolding is also used to easy the construction methods, and enabling holding some construction approaches to accomplish the construction requirements. 3. Conclusion In conclusion, different technologies and techniques are employed in fulfilling the construction requirements. Concrete and steel are the main materials used in ensuring the structure are stable and fulfill the construction requirements. In addition, different processes and approaches are required in planning and implementation of any strategy. For example, seeking approval from the government institutions, and collaborating with different stakeholders is important. There are also additional equipment and methods crucial to complete the high rise structures. For example, different types of cranes are required to move people and materials, and compacting devices such as vibrators are required to compact the concrete. The nature of the materials and quality of the materials are also important while the structural support systems during the construction are important. Thus, construction techniques for high-rise construction are similar, but the location characteristics determine the appropriate techniques and approaches. References Assaf, S. A., and Al-Hejji, S. (2006) Causes of delay in large construction projects. International Journal of Project Management, 24(4), 349-357. Baldwin, A., Poon, C. S., Shen, L. Y., Austin, S. and Wong, I. (2009) Designing out waste in high-rise residential buildings: Analysis of precasting methods and traditional construction. Renewable Energy, 34(9), 2067-2073. Jaillon, L., and Poon, C. S. 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(2006) An environmental, economic and practical assessment of bamboo as a building material for supporting structures. Construction and Building Materials, 20(9), 648-656. Zou, P. X., Zhang, G. and Wang, J. (2007) Understanding the key risks in construction projects in China. International Journal of Project Management, 25(6), 601-614. Read More