Construction Tech - Architectural

Question 1

What are the building regulations?

Answer 1

Impose a duty on those who design and construct buildings to ensure health, safety and high standards

Applied to refurb if substantial

16 approved documents

Question 2

Examples of surveys

Answer 2

• Refurbishment and demolition (R&D) survey
• CCTV survey
• Existing site survey

Question 3

Types of asbestos

Answer 3

• Chrysotile (white asbestos, the most common)
• Amosite (brown asbestos)
• Crocidolite (blue asbestos)

(all can cause asbestosis / lung cancer)

Question 4

Asbestos regulations

Answer 4

• Blue and brown banned in 1985, white banned in 1999

Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012

Question 5

Important considerations when deciding whether to develop on Greenfield or Brownfield sites

Answer 5

• Planning
• Infrastructure / services
• Unknown ground conditions
• Sustainability

Question 6

Ground investigations

Answer 6

• Window sampling
• Trial pits / trenches
• Sonic drilling
• Rotary boreholes

Question 7

What is required before completing demolition / strip out works?

Answer 7

• R&D survey
• Structural RAMS
• Planning
• Pre-construction information

Question 8

Methods of demo?

Answer 8

• Explosives
• Hand demo
• Machine demo

Question 9

What is substructure?

Answer 9

• Supports superstructure
• Below ground level
• Basement / foundations
• Transfers load

NRM Inclusions:

• Foundations
• Lowest floor construction / basement
• Basement retaining walls
• MEP services relating to above

Question 10

What is the superstructure?

Answer 10

The part of the building above ground level supported by the foundations

NRM inclusions:

• Frame
• Upper floors
• Roof
• Stairs and ramps
• External walls
• Windows and external doors
• Internal walls and partitions
• Internal doors

Question 11

What should be considered when deciding on the right type of foundations for your project?

Answer 11

• Size of building
• Ground conditions
• Wind loads?
• Surrounding area

Question 12

Types of shallow foundations?

Answer 12

• Strip
• Raft
• Pad
• Trench

Question 13

Type of piles / pile walls? What costs to consider?

Answer 13

Piles = replacement (friction) / displacement (end-bearing)

Pile walls - contiguous, secant, sheet piling

Costs = piling mat, rig, pile, reinforcement, testing, cap

Question 14

What is underpinning?

Answer 14

Strengthening existing foundations

Types = Mini piled, beam and base, mass concrete

Question 15

How can you waterproof a basement?

Answer 15

Tanking

Structural protection

Question 16

In-situ concrete floors?

Answer 16

• Flat slab
• Ribbed / waffle slabs
• Beam and slab

Question 17

Pre-cast concrete floors?

Answer 17

• Hollowcore
• Composite hollowcore
• Beam and block

Question 18

What floors were used on Tolowrth?

Answer 18

Composite structural floor

• Metal decking
• Rebar
• In-situ concrete

Question 19

Raised access floor components?

Answer 19

Panels and pedestals

Question 20

UFH layers

Answer 20

Slab
DPM
Insulation
UFH coils
Screed 
Finish

Question 21

Methods of core construction?

Answer 21

Jump form

Slip form

Question 22

Components of a steel frame

Answer 22

Beams

• I Beam
• Angles
• Channels
• Joists
• Hollow sections

Fixings:

• End plate (holes for bolts predrilled in column / beam and end plate ensuring accurate fixing)
• Fin plates
• Column to column spliced – bolted connection
• Column Bases
• Bracing Connections
• Embedment plates – for connecting to concrete
• Special connections
• Splice plates (used to weld small and larger columns together) which are bolted to the top column and welded to the lower column
• Angle cleat / angle seating

Fire protection:

• Intumescent paint
• Concrete encasement
• Boarding / casing

Question 23

Pro’s and con’s of steel frame

Answer 23

Pros

• Strength and durability
• Speed of construction
• Good tensile strength

Cons

• Fire protection needed
• Expensive
• Rust

Question 24

Pro’s and con’s of concrete frame

Answer 24

Pros

• Fire resistant (still needs protection)
• Good in compression
• Flexibility with shape casting

Cons

• Poor in tension
• Time taken to construct
• Needs reinforcement

Question 25

How does the different grading of concrete work and what types are there?

Answer 25

MPA - overall compressive strength

Range from 5-70

M = Mix

Question 26

Concrete reinforcement

Answer 26

Prestressed (placed under compression)

Pre-tensioned

Post-tensioned

Question 27

Bricks

Answer 27

• Common burnt clay bricks
• Sand lime bricks
• Engineering bricks
• Concrete bricks

Question 28

Types of cladding

Answer 28

• Curtain wall
• Stick system
• Unitised system
• Rain screen cladding
• Timber cladding