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RICS APC SESSION 1 2025 > Construction Technology > Flashcards

Construction Technology Flashcards

1
Q

What are the RIBA Plan of Work Stages?

A

0 = Strategic definition
1 = Preparation & Brief
2 = Concept Design
3 = Spatial Coordination
4 = Technical Design
5 = Manufacturing & Construction
6 = Handover
7 = In Use

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2
Q

What legislation are you aware of that impacts design and construction in the UK?

A

o Building Regulations
o Part M – Access and use of buildings

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3
Q

How many Parts are there to the Building Regulations?

A

19 Approved Documents

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4
Q

What are the Building Regulations (2010)?

A

Official legal requirements for building works in the UK. Made up of Approved Documents relating to items such as:

B = Fire Safety
F = Ventilation
H = Drainage and waste disposal
M = Access to and Use
L = Conservation of fuel

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5
Q

What is Part M of the Building Regulations?

A

Part M: Access to and use of buildings.

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6
Q

How does Part M impact the design and construction of a building?

A
  • Provision of ramps, level access entrance and automatic doors.
  • Door width being wide enough for disabled access.
  • Signage and wayfinding – tactile or braille.
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7
Q

What is Part B of the Building Regulations?

A

Fire Safety (updated in 2022)

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8
Q

How does Part B impact the design of buildings?

A

Buildings over 18m/7 stories high need sprinklers and 2nr escape stairs.

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9
Q

What is Part F of the Building Regs?

A

Ventilation and indoor air quality.

E.g. Kitchens and bathrooms must provide extract ventilation.

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10
Q

What is CAT A fit out?

A

o Basic operational fit out that provides a functional space.
o Typically includes RAF, suspended ceilings, basic MEP, fire alarm and emergency systems, lighting.
o Not tailored to the tenant’s specific needs.

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11
Q

What is CAT B fit out?

A

o Tenant specific fit out to make the space better suited to their needs.
o Includes partitioning to allow for meeting rooms, specific lighting, furniture, soft furnishings, IT and AV installations and specialised finishes and materials.

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12
Q

Where are CAT A & CAT B defined?

A

The BCO Fit Out Guide (British Council for Offices)

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13
Q

What is provided at Shell & Core?

A

Basic structure, services and building envelope. Includes fit out of reception, lobbies, WCs.

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14
Q

What is value engineering?

A

Going to alternative materials and specifications with the view of reducing cost but maintaining the function.

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15
Q

What is value management?

A

o A holistic approach to add value to the scheme.
o Understanding where the client sees value and monitoring this throughout the design and construction process.

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16
Q

What are some advantages of using bathroom pods?

A
  • Standardisation of design and repetitive room types – so well suited to PBSA.
    • Quality – factory-controlled conditions.
  • Fewer trades in tight spaces.
  • Less waste
  • Programme not impacted by weather
  • Not dissimilar in cost to in situ - but involves less labour in tight spaces.
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17
Q

What are some disadvantages of using bathroom pods?

A
  • Long lead times, but this is not an issue if factored into programme.
  • Damaged pods are costly, and repairs take a long time.
  • Transportation costs and carbon footprint.
  • Storage of units.
  • General attitude / culture towards use.
  • Only as good as the person installing it.
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18
Q

What is Part L of the Building Regs?

A

Conservation of fuel and power.

It specifies insulation levels and thermal performance.

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19
Q

Name three types of heating systems available?

A

HVAC, FCUs, AHUs, perimeter trench heaters, chilled beams, plate heat exchangers.

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20
Q

What is a volumetric module?

A

A volumetric room prefabricated offsite in a factory which is delivered to site in its near finished state.

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21
Q

What are MMCs?

A

‘Smart construction’ processes focusing on offsite construction techniques such as factory production.

22
Q

Can you give me 3 examples of MMCs?

A

Bathroom pods
Volumetric modules
Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs)
Precast panels
Precast concrete slabs
Timber frames
Cross Laminated Timber (CLT)

23
Q

What are Traditional Methods of Construction (TMCs)?

A

Method of building with raw materials on site and follows conventional step by step processes, involving various trade packages.

24
Q

How do you install RAF?

A
  1. Ensure the subfloor is clean and free of any debris.
  2. Place pedestals on the subfloor.
  3. Adjust the heights of the pedestals so that they are level.
  4. For extra stability, connect stringers horizontally between the pedestals to distribute the load more evenly.
  5. Place the floor tiles onto pedestals so that they interlink.
  6. Screw down the floor tiles.
  7. 48hrs later, undertake a T42 test:
25
What is a T42 test? How do you undertake one?
A test carried out on RAF to check stability. A 3kg sandbag is swung from 90degrees at a 1metre radius – strikes the pedestal. If it fails, refix and retest.
26
On Acrisure, how did you advise the client of the change from a closed ceiling tile to the expanding mesh tile?
I undertook an order of cost estimate that showed how the scope and cost changed, illustrating the cost uplift. Arranged a call with the client to present the order of cost and how it would impact design risk allowance.
27
What is an expanded mesh tile? How is it made?
A large metal sheet with thin and consistent alternating slots in it which is stretched to give the diamond mesh pattern.
28
How do you install a suspended ceiling?
1. Install the ceiling grid and framework to the soffit. 2. Slot in the ceiling tiles into the framework.
29
What was the £/m2 for the suspended metal ceiling vs. the mesh tile?
Closed suspended tile was £200/m2 Expanded mesh tile was £300/m2
30
How did you research the mesh tile material for the ceiling?
Reviewed other projects where it has been used to understanding what was required for an expanding mesh ceiling. The requirement for soffit and services spray was additional. With a mesh tile, the acoustic properties were reduced so soffit spray would need to be acoustic.
31
What was the cost impact associated with moving from the closed ceiling tile to the mesh tile?
Total uplift of £250k: - Mesh tile at £300/m2 - Closed tile at £200/m2 - Soffit spray at £40/m2 or £100/m2 if an acoustic spray.
32
What is Raised Access Flooring (RAF) and why is it required?
Made up of a tile and a pedestal. It is installed to raise the floor and allow services to be run underneath it. The tiles lift off when access is required.
33
Can you talk me through how you advised your client not to proceed with the reused RAF on 50BS?
1. Considered the area covered which was 11,000m2-12,000m2. This was not sufficient to cover the whole area so the shortfall would need to be supplemented with new. 2. The base build contractor had already uninstalled and palleted the tiles to be stored offsite. This would carry a cost of £75,000 to transport offsite and store. There would be an additional cost to transport them back. 3. 25 year warranties had expired for the tiles/pedestals. This was a new office and I did not want to compromise quality.
34
Regarding the Mayfair project, did you consider the impact on BREEAM when you advised the client not to proceed with the reused RAF?
I did, as this was a key driver for its consideration in the first place. I instead looked towards procuring recycled RAF, which carry new warranties and offer BREEAM credits.
35
How much would you typically cost RAF at per m2?
£60/m2 or £6/sqft
36
How is the cost per m2 split for RAF?
£35 for labour. £15 for the pedestal. £10 for the tile.
37
What is the cost of concrete at the moment?
£260/m3 to £300/m2
38
What is the cost of structural steel at the moment?
£4,000/t to £5,000/t The higher end of the range may include the cost of intumescent paint already.
39
What is the cost of intumescent paint?
£1,250/t
40
Can you give me an example of when you have value engineered on a project?
On my project in Victoria, I targeted the cubicle systems. I proposed that the timber veneer was resurfaced and asked for prices on a woodgrain laminate and a standard laminate. o Timber veneer £70,000 o Woodgrain laminate £50,000 o Standard laminate £25,000 OMERS – change from double glazed to single glazed. Reduction to specification of carpet. £1,000/lm vs £1,500/lm.
41
What is a SMART building?
One that uses technology to enable an efficient and economical use of resources e.g. 107 Cheapside had occupancy sensors installed which fed into the BMS system and showed which rooms were occupied. This information could be used to adjust ventilation accordingly – increase or decreased.
42
What is the cost of an occupancy sensor?
£1,000 a unit (excl. BMS interface and cabling)
43
What is the cost of an air quality sensor?
£500-£750 a unit (excl. BMS interface and cabling)
44
How does Smart Tech impact a building? What are the air quality and occupancy sensors used for?
The occupancy sensor sends information about the number of people in a room to the BMS system. This then turns lights on or off. The air quality sensor sends information about a room i.e., whether there are people in it and then sends information to the BMS. The BMS increases or decreases ventilation in that space.
45
If there was less pricing information available for the sensors, how did you obtain a cost?
Attended a seminar on ‘Smart Cities’ and met with some specialists in the industry. Market tested to MEP contractors.
46
What did you learn from the seminar you attended? How do you think tech is transforming real estate?
Clients are striving more towards SMART buildings and wanting sensors to be installed. I think it’s a big selling point for commercial offices. Allows my clients to attract tenants – the smart enabled is an expectation in the market. It is also relatively new, so some of my clients don’t understand how it can be used yet.
47
Can you tell me about the differences between concrete frame and steel frame?
Steel: Prefabricated and quicker to assemble. So quicker construction period. Larger spans – allows for less columns to be required, so better suited to office Susceptible to volatile material prices. Concrete: Better suited to residential buildings More columns and smaller spans. Less suited to offices, because unlike steel which as larger, clearer spans, concrete needs more frequent supports
48
How has the Building Safety Act (BSA) impacted your projects?
1. 20MSQ - Had to install an additional staircase. 1. Additional consultants required i.e., BSA Principal Designer so more professional fees.
49
What is timber veneer? How is it made up?
Real timber applied to a ply.
50
What is the difference between a veneer and woodgrain laminate?
Veneer = real timber, more expensive and can be sanded down. Woodgrain laminate = Synthetic manufactured plastic made to look like wood.
51

RICS APC SESSION 1 2025 (11 decks)

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