Application of Structural Principles to Residential Low-Rise Constructions - Assignment Example

Application of structural principles to residential low-rise constructions Task 1: “developing a plan for the demolition of the existing dwelling which is asbestos clad in accordance with legislative and planning requirements and with utilisation of safe work practices”. It is necessary for the demolition to be as per the set requirements and following all the safety procedures. The foremost step in the building demolition procedure is the application of the demolition permit. The builder or the demolisher prepares the documentation and the building surveyor applies for the permit. If the building is within a “heritage overlay” a planning permit will be required (Oberta, 2005). In the application for the permit, it is necessary that the person involved includes the following information; building’s description, site plan of the environs, structural computations of the building, protection details, and demolition procedure in a written format and evidence of knowledge that the demolisher has (Engel, 1984). It is essential that the subsequent details get to be put into deliberation before the demolition process is started. The demolisher’s details and licence, method to be used, extent of the fencing, protection of the immediate property, notices for service disconnections, order of removal of the structural systems, details of materials which may be hazardous, amenities located on the site, considerations for the environment, traffic control measures and control of noise and other disruptions (Lewis, 1995). In the event of demolishing a building which is clad with asbestos, the first process is to remove all loose fittings, external cladding and internal linings. In following all the other demolition procedures, the demolition must comply with WorkCover/WorkSafe legislation. This regulation should be in accordance with the state considering that the regulations vary. Task 2: identification of the types of loads that the building will be subjected to There are various types of loads that a building can be subjected to owing to the way it has been constructed and the environment in which it has been constructed. For the building to survive, it must be able to handle all these types of loads Dead load: the total weight of the building structure which includes all things that are permanently attached to the building Live load: weight of anything that moves within that structure like people objects. In this case live load will include human beings within the building and any other equipment that is not permanently attached to the building but can move such as furniture and so on. Wind loads: effects of various instances of wind on the building. Wind loads act in different directions in the building and can have diversified effects on the building. Secondary loads: these are loads which are mainly caused by the environment within which that particular building is situated. The loads of such nature may or may not affect a building. They include among others; snow loads, shrinkage loads, settlement loads, dynamic loads and seismic loads. These loads are mainly due to the environmental impacts on the building. Task 3: relevant industry professionals In construction of any particular building, there are various industry professionals who are involved. They provide some particular set of skills through which they contribute to the building construction process. a) Engineers: engineers fall in different categories as will be discussed herein. Geo-technical engineers provide important information and recommendation on the foundation of the building. In this way, they take a soil analysis to get the best footing for that type. Service engineers are involved in various services as per extra categories like fire service engineers, hydraulic engineers who deal with design of water tanks, electrical engineers to design lifts and mechanical engineers to design the air conditioning systems. Structural engineers are responsible for the structural components of the building like footings and concrete slabs and preparing of reports (Build Right). b) Architects: these are professionals who get their qualifications from tertiary institutions. They must be aligned to a professional institution through registration. There is also a requirement for a licensing procedure which should be very strict. The main duty of the architect is to design the building though they are also concerned with other services which may be partial or full depending on the call. Full services range from design of the concept, developing the design, documenting the contract, procedures for tendering and administering the contract. Partial services are in most cases found in domestic constructions and may include developing the design, designing the concept and taking care of the procedures for tendering. c) Draftspeople: this group is responsible for the production of various kinds of drawings for a building. At times, engineers employ them to put into details the building’s structural requirements. In other cases, they operate independently by providing drafting services to the industry (Ford, 2003). d) Building surveyors: the main role of the building surveyor is to make sure that a particular building conforms to the “Building Code of Australia (BCA)”. They are also responsible for checking of conditions of existing buildings in terms of renovations, maintenance, alterations and repairs. In their duties, they make use of inspectors who work on site to enhance that the BCA requirements are fully met during construction of a building. They also act as advisors and interpreters of the laws that govern the construction procedures of particular buildings. At times they take structural surveys and come up with dilapidation schedules and also draft repair reports for buildings which are in a poor condition. They are also responsible for getting the required approvals from the necessary authorities in line with the acts of the land (Kasai, 1988). e) Land surveyors: these are professionals who are specifically licensed to conduct measurements of building sites and also buildings (on site). They take measurements of angles, levels and distances. f) Quantity surveyors: they act as consultants to clients mostly in large construction projects. In this manner, they are advisors who make estimations and monitor costs of construction projects. This is usually from feasibility to completion of the project. The name quantity surveyor has been coined from the “bill of quantities” which is used to itemise the material and labour required for a particular project. This bill mainly uses measurements from the drawings used in the contract. This data helps the contractors in the processes of tendering, variations and payments. In the process of a construction, they are often called upon to determine the fair movement of the payments. They are also capable of costing the changes to the design and also to the quantities which may come up in the progress of the construction (Dewees, 1986). “Task 3: Documentation conformance check” All the documents were carefully looked into against the specifications of the building in order to determine the conformance of the building to the building codes and the measurements. To make this a success, all measurements that were on site were directly compared to what was in the papers. No errors and omissions were detected in all the structural members and all the additional parts of the structure. This was a clear indicator for a go ahead in the construction process (Wang, 2004). Task 4: pre commencement site inspection A pre commencement site inspection in order to ensure that the actual site is in agreement with all the contract documentations tat was provided. The diagram below is a sketch of the site Checklist 1. Is there any available evidence that the construction started before issuance of a certificate? Yes/No. 2. Is the certifier a nominated person by the certifying authority? Yes/No. 3. Is there any available evidence that the certifying authority has notified the council and the consent authority before the start of the work? Yes/No. 4. Is there any available evidence that the certifier is comfortable with the builder or the owner prior to start of the work? Yes/No. 5. Has the certifying authority been served with the contract details? Yes/No. 6. Have compliance certificates been issued? Yes/No. 7. If yes, is the person who issued them the one who was appointed by the PCA? Yes/No (ABCB, 2006). Task 5: footing layout Stump and pad footing Stumps are the most famous for making of footings. They are mostly used in support of houses with timber frames due to the cost effectiveness. The most commonly used materials are timber, concrete and steel. The specifications for the footings’ depths are as follows: Site class Depth of the pad footings (Ds)- mm A 400 S 400 M 500 H 1,000 Strip footings Task 6: Floor systems Bearers and floor joists They are positioned prior to the other members and put on supports such as stumps and piers. They are mostly made of timber and rarely of other products like mild steel. Typical bearers and floor joists are as shown below. The diagram below shows bearers and floor joists Task 7: wall framing members’ schedule The wall framing members include the top plate, the lintel, common stud, jamb stud, jack stud, noggin, bottom plate, timber/metal bracing and the sheet bracing. Task 8: services Plumbing This is done by plumbers who need to registered members of the proper “water and sewerage authority”. All the plumbing work should be inspected undergo the requisite approval and then issued with a certificate of compliance which is a guarantee to their work. The installed pipes are used for running of water and gas in the building to their presupposed location. During the plumbing service, the plumbers should not cut notches which are deep in the studs or in other areas which bear loads. In case there are members that bear too many notches, they should be replaced or repaired by the use of extra back blocking. The pipes should be clipped properly to the frames. This will help in avoiding vibration and water hammer effects. All the fixtures used in plumbing should be attached to the frame properly and leaks should be inspected adequately before internal linings are installed (ABCB, 2006). Electrical services All the electricians to take part in this activity should be registered with the relevant authorities. All the electrical work should be inspected undergo the requisite approval and then issued with a certificate of compliance which is a guarantee to their work. This is supposed to be done previous to the building’s connection to the electricity supply. The electricians are responsible for running the requisite in the building to all the power points, appliances, light fittings and switches. In case the building needs to be wired for other extra and specialized systems such as intercom, this can be done by specialists. During the electrical installation service, the electricians should not cut notches which are deep in the studs or in other areas which bear loads. In case there are members that bear too many notches, they should be replaced or repaired by the use of extra back blocking. The electricians are supposed to be equipped with suitable working drawings which should have clear indications of all the necessary internal and external installations. There should be clear indicators of all the appliances that make use of electricity such as the hot water system. Such appliances should conform to the specifications of the manufacturers thus the electricians need to be equipped with this information. After the electrical installations, all the cables should be clipped to the frame adequately and protection from mechanical damages should be enhanced. To make this possible, installation should be done with the frame and then internal lining used as a cover. In case the cabling will be outside the walls, it is pertinent that the cables are run in protective conduits. All the electrical cabling in a building should be installed before the internal lining has been installed. In order to make location easy and completion of the internal lining, the people involved in the installation should ensure that they clearly mark the spots on the floor using non permanent marks (ABCB, 2006). Ducted vacuum system installation All the pipe work in this process should be done by the plumbers. The pipes should be minimized in length for a more efficient system. The timbers should be drilled in such a way that the notches should be minimized as much as possible to avoid weak joints. In order to avoid mistakes, all the pipe work should first be run before any gluing is done. When all the pipes and the necessary fittings have been glued, pipe saddles can be used to make sure that the whole set up has been properly fixed (Chen, 2005). Task 9: roof truss Task 10: window schedule: SYM QUAN Type Window Size Rough Opening Manufacturer Specifications 1 3 DH 3'-1 5/8" X 5'-5 1/4"  3'-2 1/8" X 5'-5 1/4"  Anderson # 3052  Terratone w/storms & screens HP 2 1 Combo Picture 8'-1" x 4'-9 1/4"  8'-1 ½" x 4'-9 1/4"  Anderson # 18-4446-18  Terratone w/storms & screens HP  3 1 CW 2'-9 3/4" x 2'-11 15/16" 2'-10 1/4"x 3'-0 1/2"  Anderson # CR23  Terratone w/ screens HP 4 4 DH 3'-5 1/4" x 5'-5 1/4"  3'-6 1/8"x 5'-5 1/4"  Anderson # 3452  Terratone w/storms & screens HP  Task 11: quality checklist in accordance to BCA standards Roofs The roof and the ceiling being part of the envelope achieve the total R value in accordance with the specifications below (Gang-Nail). Type of the roof construction: R value of the construction: Total R value that’s specified: Total required R value: R value of insulation: a) The roof construction types not provided will have the documentary evidence attached which will demonstrate the construction’s R value at an added insulation. Yes [ ], N/A [ ]. b) The building has got a metal roof which has metal purlins fixed, rafters and does noty have a fixed ceiling lining or the ceiling is attached to the purlins. Thermal breaks of over R0.2 will be installed. Yes [ ], N/A [ ]. c) No roof lights serve a room which is habitable/interconnecting space. Aggregate life is more than 1.5% of the area of the floor. Yes [ ], N/A [ ]. d) Aggregate roof life area ranges from 1.5% to 10% of the floor. The space served will go inline with SHGC value and also the U value requirements in total. Yes [ ], N/A [ ]. e) Natural light will be provided by the roof lights that are over 10% the floor. SGHC not more than 0.25 and U value over 1.3. f) The trusses conform to the layout, specifications and the certifications g) There is adequate support for the trusses. Yes [ ], N/A [ ]. h) There is no on site modifications for the trusses. Yes [ ], N/A [ ]. i) There is adequate collar ties to the roof j) The ceiling joist has been checked and its alignment with the rafters. Yes [ ], N/A [ ]. External walls The walls have been fitted with an external cladding. Yes [ ], N/A [ ]. Thermal breaks have been installed on the walls. Yes [ ], N/A [ ]. The walls have no wall linings or the wall linings are fixed to the metal frames. Yes [ ], N/A [ ]. Floors and footings The building has a floor without a heating system. Yes [ ], N/A [ ]. The floor is suspended and there is an in slab heating system. Yes [ ], N/A [ ]. Slab has been properly checked against the footing. Yes [ ], N/A [ ]. The pier and the beams have been considered properly. Yes [ ], N/A [ ]. The footings have been designed by an engineer ion case of class E and P soils. Yes [ ], N/A [ ]. The design of the footing has been checked to avert termites. Yes [ ], N/A [ ]. (ABCB, 2006). References Australian Building Codes Board (2006) Building code of Australia, CanPrint Communications. Build Right (n.d)BCGBC4010A Apply structural principles to residential low-rise constructions (n.d.) Retrieved February 27, 2011, from http://toolboxes.flexiblelearning.net.au/demosites/series10/10_01/content/bcgbc4010a/co mp_index.htm Chen, W. (2005), Principles of structural design, London: CRC/Taylor & Francis. Dewees, D. (1986) Controlling asbestos in buildings: an economic investigation, Indiana: Resources for the future. Engel, I. (1984), Structural principles, Michigan: the University of Michigan. Ford, E. (2003), the details of modern architecture, Volume 2, Massachusetts: MIT Press. Gang-Nail (n.d), stud strap Fast method of fixing top And bottom plates to one Side of studs. Retrieved March 01, 2011, from http://www.mitek.com.au/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=2109 Gang-Nail (n.d), Truss System manufacturing specification. Retrieved March 01, 2011, from http://www.southpacificrooftrusses.com.au/pdf/manufacturing_ordering_handling.pdf Huth, M. (2009) Understanding Construction Drawings, Cengage Learning. Kasai, Y. (1988) “Demolition and Reuse of Concrete and Masonry...” proceedings of the Second International RILEM Symposium, Tokio, 7.-11. november 1988. Reuse of demolition waste, Volume 2, Taylor & Francis. Lewis, M. (1995) Modern stone cladding: design and installation of exterior dimension stone systems, ASTM International. Oberta, A. (2005) Asbestos control: surveys, removal, and management, ASTM International. Somer, H. (2010) Project Management for Building Construction: 35 Years of Innovation at Drees & Sommer, Springer. Spence, W. (1993) Architectural working drawings: residential and commercial buildings, New Jersey: John Wiley and Sons. Wang, C. et. Al. (2004) Exact solutions for buckling of structural members, CRC Press. Read More