Construction Flashcards

1
Q

Structural Matters (Loads and Stability 3 Each)

A

Load
- Live and Dead Loads
- Lateral Loads - Bracing
- Torsion

Stability
- Anchorage - Foundations
- Height - Vibrations in tall buildings
- Cantilever principles - Center of gravity/Counterbalance

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2
Q

Examples of Loads (Imposed Loads and Dead Loads) (6 Each)

A

Imposed Loads (Live Loads)
- People
- Furniture
- Movable Partitions
- Vehicles Materials
- Stored Materials
- Snow

Dead Loads
- Beams
- Columns
- Floors
- Roofs
- Cladding
- Permanent Partitions

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3
Q

Example of lateral Loads (2)

A
  • Wind
  • Earthquakes
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4
Q

Internal Forces (6)

A

Compression
Tension
Shear
Torsion
Bending
Fatigue

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5
Q

Stress?

A

Forces acting on a material.
- Compressive force
- Tensile force

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6
Q

Strain?

A

Material or structural response to stress.
-Shorten
- Lengthen

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7
Q

Properties to be aware of when using materials in construction

A

Elasticity
Stiffness
Strength (30N/mm^2 – 250 N/mm^2)
Flexibility

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8
Q

Material Technology - Timber

A

Rough sawn timber –
straight from the logging
mill used as structure.
* Hardwoods (deciduous
trees)
* Softwoods (coniferous
trees)
* Prone to decay - moisture
and inadequate ventilation
can lead to rot or fungal
and insect attack
* Tanalith-E (applied under
pressure most common
treatments for against
wood decay and insect
attack

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9
Q

Material Technology - Steel

A
  • Steel is a product of coal,
    iron ore and limestone.
  • Sections can be
    connected by drilling and
    bolting or by brazing and
    gluing.
  • Welding is the only way
    of joining two pieces of
    steel and make them act
    as a single piece.
  • Corrosion (oxidation of
    iron will produce rust)
    can be prevented by
    plating, painting,
    application of coatings or
    galvanization
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10
Q

Material Technology - Stone

A
  • Low Tensile Strength
    (strong in compression, weak
    in tension)
  • Traditionally used to form
    LOAD bearing walls,
    columns and arches
  • Excavated from both
    underground quarries and
    open cast mines
  • Stone can be split,
    chiseled, cropped and even
    sawed into shapes
  • Oldest building material?
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11
Q

How is today’s CONCRETE made?

A

Portland Cement
Coarse aggregates of stone
Fine aggregates of sand, and
Water

Admixture are chemicals that can be added to the concrete to mix to control its setting properties and are used primarily when placing concrete during environmental extremes.

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12
Q

How to make general use concrete. (4 things totaling 6.5 parts)

A

One part Portland cement.
Two parts dry sand.
Three parts dry stone/aggregate
Half part clean water.

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13
Q

What is cement?

A

A binder which sets and hardens independently and can bind other materials together. When water is added to the cement powder mixture it is referred to as concrete.

(Cement should not be confused with concrete as the term cement explicitly refers to the dry powder substance.)

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14
Q

What are aggregates?

A

Sand, gravel and crushed stone.

Recycled aggregates (from construction, demolition and excavation waste) are increasingly used as partial replacement of natural aggregates.

Decorative stones can also be used to make the concrete more visually appealing.

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15
Q

What is Hydration in (Concrete)

A

Combining water with cementitious materials form a cement paste by the process of hydration.

This paste glues the aggregates together, fills voids within and allows it to flow more easily.

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16
Q

What is CURING?

A

The hardening process of concrete. (Chemical process not drying)

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17
Q

What will happen if less water is used to make concrete?

A

This can cause problems when setting or can also result in premature failure of the structure.

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18
Q

How do you test the consistency of Concrete? (Test name)

A

Slump Test

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19
Q

Forms of concrete? (3)

A

Reinforced concrete (Reinforced with steel rebar)

In-situ Concrete (Concrete cast on site in its final location, e.g. foundation)

Precast Concrete - Concrete elements cast elsewhere for subsequent assembly on-site.

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20
Q

What is formwork?

A

Formwork is the box into which concrete is poured to make required shapes.

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21
Q

Is Concrete strong or weak in tensile strength?

A

Weak.

The addition of steel means that the tensile forces will transfer to the steel. The concrete resists compressive forces and the steel resists tensile forces.

22
Q

Tutorial 5 Construction Look at the diagrams

A
23
Q

What is the function of a foundation?

A

To act as the interference between the building and the ground which supports it.

To spread the load over a sufficiently large area.

24
Q

What are foundations made of?

A

Foundations are almost always made of concrete.

25
Q

What types of foundations are the most common? (4)

A

Strip
Pad
Raft
Pier

26
Q

Examples of Shallow Foundations (6)

A

Strip foundations
Ordinary or traditional strip
Wide strip
Deep strip
Stepped
Pad foundation
Single pad
Double (combined) Pad
Steel grillage

27
Q

Foundations (Deep) (2)

A

Piles
Pier

28
Q

What do the terms heave and subside mean in foundations? Which forces are stronger?

A

Heave means that the foundational forces are stronger than the weight of the house. Thus the house be pushed upwards.

Subsidence means that the weight of the house is greater than the forces of the foundation so the house will sink.

29
Q

Strip foundations

A

A continuous strip of concrete supporting a load bearing wall.

Wide strip foundations are used were the soil is soft and can be spread the load over a larger area. (reinforced by steel rebar)

30
Q

Deep Strip Foundations

A
  • Due to the high cost of labour, deep strip foundations
    have largely been replaced by “trench fill”.
  • Trenches are dug to a depth where the subsoil provides
    sufficient load-bearing capacity, and the whole trench
    is filled with concrete.
  • Steel reinforcement may be added in areas close to
    trees.
  • Compared to deep strip foundations, trench fill
    minimises the width of the dig and the labour and
    materials required for building masonry below ground
    level, offsetting the cost of the additional concrete.
  • If the soil load is light and the soil is a firm clay a deep narrow
    foundation is used.
31
Q

Advantages of deep strip foundation compared to normal strip footing. (5)

A

Less soil is excavated than for normal strip footing.

The amount of foundation brickwork is reduced.

Working space for the bricklayers is not needed.

timbering is not required.

The foundation is built much more quickly.

32
Q

Types of strain on foundations

A

Shear Forces

Compression and Tension

Torsion

33
Q

Pad Foundation

A

Used when isolated loads need to be supported, E.g. to support the columns of steel or post and beam frame house.

The load is concentrated on a small area.

Individual posts or columns are positioned on their own concrete pads - strip foundations are not efficient for this sort of construction.

34
Q

Raft foundations

A

Raft foundations (sometimes known as Mat Foundations) are formed as a large concrete slab which can support a number of columns and walls.

The slab is spread out under the entire building or at least a large part of it which lowers the contact pressure compared to the traditionally used strip or tench footings.

35
Q

Steps to building a raft foundation. (5)

A

The soil removed down to correct depth.

The foundation bed is then compacted by ramming.

Lay reinforcement on the spacers over the foundation bed

Pour concrete over the reinforcement

The foundation may stiffened by ribs or beams built in during construction which will add extra strength and rigidity.

36
Q

Advantages and Disadvantages of Raft Foundations. (3A 2D)

A

Advantages
- Cheaper
- Saves time and materials as the floor slab and foundations are combined.
- Less excavation is required.

Disadvantages
- Prone to damage specifically edge erosion.
- Not effective if the load of the building is going to be focused on a single point.

37
Q

Advantages of Pier Foundation (4)

A

Saves money and time as doesn’t need extensive excavation and concrete.

Minimal disruption to soil and environment.

House above the ground so good in areas prone to flooding.

The space between the house and ground used to install utilities.

38
Q

What is needed to make a good wall?

A

Strength and stability: resistance to imposed loads.

Weather resistance: wind and rain penetration.

Fire resistance: acting as a barrier to stop the spread of fire.

Thermal resistance: barrier to passage of heat.

Sound insulation.

39
Q

Types of walls (2)

A

Load bearing (Supporting loads from floors and roof)

Non-load bearing walls. (Timber frames widely used to divide rooms)

40
Q

Traditional Masonry Walls (see image)

A

Constructed from Solid Stone

Timber framing with lath and plaster as internal finish.

Not thermally efficient when compared to modern walls.

Originally constructed with lime mortar but (many) were repointed using OPC-based Mortar)

41
Q

Key features of traditional masonry walls

A

Header

Internal Skin

External Skin

Through Stone

Joint

Cavity fillings

42
Q

Cavity Walls

A

Plaster or plasterboard on the inside

Inner leaf (Thin bricks that the plasterboard is applied to)

Partial fill cavity wall insulation. (The insulator)

Outer leaf

43
Q

What are some benefits of a cavity wall?

A

Provides thermal insulation

Allows for the drainage of moisture that is as a result of condensation.

44
Q

Benefits of Timber framing

A

Possibility of off-site prefabrication

Faster construction = faster completion

Quality control

Efficient use of materials

Low dead weight compared to masonry construction

Efficient foundation design

Dry construction

No wet trades - drying time reduced / eliminated

High level of insulation possible.

45
Q

Purpose of floors. (2)

A

Structural support of the room’s content and users and the weight of the floor itself.

Provides resistance to ground moisture and heat loss through thermal insulation.

46
Q

3 Main types of floor construction.

A

Solid floor

Suspended timber floor

Suspended concrete floor

47
Q

Most common types of roofs in the UK 3

A

Gable

Hip

Flat

48
Q

Gable Roofs (4A, 2D)

A

Advantages:
- Gable roofs will easily shed water and snow.
- Provides space for attics.
- Allows for increased ventilation.
- Cheaper than more complex designs.

Disadvantages:
- Problematic in high winds.
- Roofs can collapse if not correctly installed.

49
Q

Hip Roofs (3A 2D)

A

Advantages:
- Hip roofs are more stable than gable roofs as all sides slope inwards
- Excellent for high winds and snowy areas as there are no overhangs and it is more aerodynamic.
- Offers extra living space with an addition of dormer.

Disadvantages:
- Complex design which requires more materials.
- With the addition of a dormer it can result in water leaks if not installed correctly.

50
Q

Flat (4A, 2D)

A

Advantages:
- Extra living space on the roof for a patio, garden or partially enclose for a penthouse room.
- Heating and cooling units can also be placed on flat roofs, keeping them out of sight.
- Also ideal for installing solar panels.
- Easier to make and more affordable

Disadvantages:
- The low pitch makes them more susceptible to water leaks.
- Not suitable for high rainfall or snowfall areas as the snow can cause the roof to collapse.

51
Q

Roofing Materials (5)

A

Interlocking Tiles
Slate
Thatch
Metal
Stone

52
Q

Modern Materials (6)

A

Self healing concrete
3D graphene
Modular Bamboo
Transparent Aluminium
Translucent Wood
Wool bricks