Construction Technology and Environmental Services Flashcards
1
Q
What are the various types of foundations you are aware of?
A
Traditional Strip foundation
Trench fill foundation
Raft Foundations
Pile foundation
Pad Foundations
2
Q
What are the advantages of traditional strip foundation
A
- It is less expensive than other types of foundation, such as a deep foundation.
- Strip footing is also quick in construction.
- Simple construction
3
Q
What are the disadvantages of traditional strip foundation?
A
- Strip Footing is not as strong as other types.
- It is not suitable for tall buildings.
- Not suitable for weak ground conditions.
4
Q
What are the advantages of raft foundations
A
- Raft foundations are constructed for shallow depths hence, it requires less excavation.
- Well suitable in soils of low bearing capacity.
- Loads coming from superstructure are distributed over a larger area.
- Differential settlement of soil can be reduced
5
Q
What are the disadvantages of raft foundations
A
- In some cases, large amount of reinforcement is required for raft foundation which increases the cost of project.
- Special attention on raft foundations is required in case of concentrated loads.
- If they are not treated properly, there is a chance of edge erosion.
- Skilled workers are required to construct the raft foundations.
6
Q
What are the types of pile foundations that you are aware of?
A
- Bored pile foundation
- Driven t pile foundations
- Sheet Piles
- Secent Piles
7
Q
What are the advantages of pile foundation?
A
- High load bearing capacity
- Pile foundations can be adapted to different types of soil, including cohesive, non-cohesive, and mixed soils, allowing for flexibility in construction projects.
- Pile foundations are used for various types of structures.
- Pile foundations are particularly useful in areas with weak or unstable upper soil layers
8
Q
What are the disadvantages of piles?
A
- Pile foundations can be more expensive compared to shallow foundations
- Complex Design and Installation: Designing and installing pile foundations require expertise and engineering knowledge
- Pile installation can generate noise and vibrations, potentially causing disturbances to nearby structures
- Pile foundations may not be suitable for sites with limited access to installation equipment.
9
Q
Tell me about the different types of external wall systems?
A
- Cavity wall
- External cladding
- Curtain Wall
- Solid Wall
10
Q
Can you tell me more about curtain walling
A
- It’s an exterior glazing system that cover the external facade of the building
- Non structural
- Typically comprises glazed or opaque infill panels fixed on to a lightweight aluminium frame lightweight aluminium frame
11
Q
What are the different kinds of cladding systems you are aware of?
A
- Brickslip cladding
- Timber cladding
- Aluminium cladding
- Perforated cladding
- Zinc cladding
12
Q
What is cavity wall?
A
- External wall which consist of a outer brickwork skin, insulation, a cavity and an brick/blockwork inner skin.
13
Q
What do you know about timber frame construction
A
- Uses prefabricated external and internal stud walls, floor joists and roof truss to form the superstructure of the building.
- The timber frame structure can then be clad in brick, wood, fibre cement board, rendered or tiled
14
Q
On you Heather house project how did you consider Sport England and Rugby Football Union guidelines as part of your design.
A
The guidelines set out by Sports England and RFU. Set out criteria on the sizes of the changing rooms required and the flooring requirements of the sport hall.
15
Q
Can you tell me about the different types of soils?
A
- Sandy Soils
- Clay soils
- Silt Soils
- Peat Soils
16
Q
What are the disadvantages of modular over traditional construction?
A
- Could potentially be a lesser quality
- Required high level of design input to at early stage to ensure the design is correct as there is less scope for change once manufactured and delivered on site
- Transportation cost and risk
- Likely to be less suitable of a site with limited space
17
Q
On the cycle hub project what did you consider when advising the client on the cost implication for providing the gym facility?
A
I considered the required for the structural capacity of the existing building to with withstand the live loads of having a gym facility. Therefore, cost for potential structural strengthening works would have to be considered.
18
Q
What are the advantages of steel frame construction?
A
- Strength and durability
- Speed of construction
- Can be prefabricated in different sizes
- Improved fire resistance using fire protection measures
- Capable of Long Span Construction
19
Q
What are the disadvantage of steel frame construction?
A
- Less flexibility on site
- Steel material is prone to rusting
- Low thermal efficiency - insulation measures need to be put in place.
- High initial cost
20
Q
What are the benefits of MMC?
A
- Speed & efficiency: significantly faster than traditional building methods.
- Cost savings: By reducing build times and less labour and material required on site
- Sustainable: because most components are manufactured offsite, there is less impact on the environment from transportation emissions and noise pollution from heavy machinery.
- Less disruption: There is no need for large teams of on-site workers, resources and materials storage.
21
Q
What are the approved documents?
A
A. Structure.
B. Fire safety.
C. Site preparation and damp proofing.
D. Toxic substances.
E. Sound proofing.
F. Ventilation.
G. Hygiene.
H. Drainage and waste disposal.
I. Not in use.
J. Heating appliances.
K. Protection from falling, collision and impact.
L. Conservation of fuel and power.
M. Disabled access and facilities.
N. Glazing.
O. Not in use.
P. Electrical safety
22
Q
What is superstructure?
A
All internal and external works items above the damp proof course.
* This is made up of:
o External walls.
o Stairs.
o Roof.
o Structural walls.
o Suspended ceilings.
o Raised floors.
23
Q
What are the typical components of site investigations?
A
Their objective is to collect and record data to help with the design and construction process. This should include matters in relation to the site that may impact the development for example:-
o Boundary hedges & fencing.
o Existing trees.
o Size, depth and location of services including gas, telephone, electricity, water & drains.
o Existing buildings.
o Ground water conditions.
o Soil investigations.
o Trial pit information.
24
Q
What is the purpose of soil investigations?
A
- Their purpose is to determine the suitability of the site for the proposed works and determine adequate and economic foundation design.
The investigation should determine the potential difficulties associated with the ground conditions and assist with identifying a suitable foundation solution.
25
What are the different ways that the piles transfer their load to the
surrounding ground?
End bearing piles - transfer load through low bearing capacity soil to a strong stratum such as
rock or very dense sand.
* Friction piles - bear on frictional resistance between their outer surface and the soil in contact.
* Settlement reducing piles - usually incorporated beneath the central part of a raft foundation in order to
reduce differential settlement to an acceptable level.
* Tension piles - resist uplifting forces that might otherwise cause the structure to be extracted from the ground due to uplifting forces such as hydrostatic pressure, seismic activity or overturning movement.
26
What is the difference between bored vs. pre-cast piles?
Bored piles are defined when the process for removing the spoil to form the hole for the pile is carried out by a boring technique.
* They are used primarily in cohesive subsoils for the formation of friction piles and when forming pile
foundations close to existing buildings where the allowable amount of noise and/or vibration is limited.
* Pre-cast Concrete piles are generally used where soft soil deposits overlie firmer strata. These piles are
usually driven using a drop or single action hammer.
* Issues can arise due to the noise levels associated with the installation method of pre-cast piles.
27
What is a raft foundation?
Raft foundations spread the load of the superstructure over a large base and reduce the load per m2 of the area.
* Raft foundation solutions are useful in low bearing capacity soils.
* They can be a solid raft slab or beam and slab raft such as a ground beam system and suspended PC
concrete ground floor.
28
Under what conditions would you expect a raft foundation to be used
for a substructure?
A raft can be used for lightly loaded buildings on sites with poor soils
29
What is a strip foundation?
- Strip foundations are formed by creating a shallow continuous excavation to support the perimeter and internal walls.
- They are also referred to as strip footings and are suitable for most subsoils and a light structural design.
30
What are pad foundations?
- Pad foundations provide a base for reinforced concrete or steel columns.
- They are usually formed by making an isolated excavation in the shape of a square or rectangle.
- They often have reinforcement mesh as part of the construction and spread the load to a layer of bearing soil or rock below
31
What are the advantages of concrete frames?
- Provide good sound and heat insulation properties
- Maintenance requirements associated with concrete frames are relatively low in comparison to alternative methods
- Proved more flexibility
32
What are the technical disadvantages of concrete frames?
- In comparison to steel frames, they are more time consuming to install
- The need for steel reinforcement can lead to issues around price fluctuations and cost uncertainty associated with steel frames.
- Concrete frames are often heavier and require larger foundations.
- There may also be complications during the install resulting from colder and inclement weather conditions.
33
Describe a cladding rainscreen detail?
- Provides a screening function rather than an enclosure in its own right.
- Used to shield a wall, whether this be of masonry, metal studwork or in some cases glass.
- Usually designed to permit some controlled leakage with the main functions of resistance to air and water being provided by the shielded wall behind
34
Describe a Cladding Stick System?
- The curtain wall frame (mullions) and glass or opaque panels are installed and connected together piece by piece.
- Versatile and allow for the integration of other systems, such as sliding doors and windows. They tend to be less specialised and can be built by all types of fabricators as they
are not dependent on having a large factory.
- Require multiple steps to erect and seal the wall, which means more time is
spent on site – an approximate rule of thumb would be that 70% of the work is carried out on site,with 30% in the factory. This incurs further costs due to additional labour time.
35
Describe a Unitised cladding system?
- Comprise narrow-width, storey-height units of aluminum framework containing
glazed and/or opaque insulated panels. The entire system is pre-assembled under factory-controlled conditions.
- The entire system is pre-assembled under factory-controlled conditions.
- Usually craned into position, with pre-positioned brackets attached to the floor
slab or the structural frame
- Unitised systems do have higher direct costs despite their reduced labour time for the install
36
Describe a Panellised systems?
- Panellised curtain walling is constructed in the factory to improve quality control
and speed of erection
- Systems comprise large prefabricated panels of bay width and storey height which are connected back to the primary structural columns or to the floor slab.
- Panels may be of precast concrete or comprise a structural steel framework and are often clad with a variety of stone, metal and masonry cladding materials.
- The advantage of these systems is improved adherence to specification as a consequence of factory prefabrication, allowing improved control of quality and rapid installation with the minimum number of site sealed joints. Panellised systems are less common and more expensive than unitised construction.
37
What are the common components you would expect to see within a
steel frame construction?
Beams.
Columns.
Purlins.
Rafters.
Eaves.
Fixings
38
What is intumescent paint?
- Fire Resistant paint that is sprayed on in the factory and touched up by hand on site.
- It works by stopping oxygen from reaching the surface of the material it is protecting
39
What is formwork?
- Anything that holds fresh in-situ concrete in place until it hardens, such as plywood shutters, steel pan forms, fibreglass moulds or profiled decking.
- Falsework holds the formwork in place and includes items such as accessories like wedges and clips for tightening joints and to make stripping easy
40
What is the size of a brick?
Standard bricks are 215mm x 102.5mm x 65mm.
41
How many bricks are in a m2?
There are about 60 bricks per m2.
42
What are the different types of brick bond?
- Stretcher – most commonly used with walls just a half brick wide.
- English – with alternating courses of headers and stretchers.
43
What type of building work is covered by the Building regulations?
- The Erection or extension of a building.
- Installation or extension of a service that is controlled by the regulations.
- Alteration projects which will temporarily or permanently affect the building in terms of structure, fire
& access.
- Insertion of insulation into cavity walls.
- Underpinning building foundations
44
What are the specific areas covered by the Building Regulations?
A) Structure.
* B) Fire Safety.
* C) Site preparation and resistance to moisture.
* D) Toxic substances.
* E) Resistance to the passage of sound.
* F) Ventilation.
* G) Hygiene.
* H) Drainage.
* J) Heat producing appliances.
* K) Protection from falling, collision and impact.
* L) Conservation of fuel and power.
* M) Access and facilities for disabled people.
* N) Glazing – safety in relation to impact, opening and cleaning.
* P) Electrical safety.
45
What are the Building Regulations Approved Documents?
- They provide general guidance on performance of materials expected in order to comply with the
functional requirements of the building regulations & provide practical examples.
- They only provide guidance & therefore there is no obligation to adopt specific solutions if it is possible
to meet requirements via a different means.
46
Who ensures the building regulations are complied with?
Building Control Services such as the Local Authority or Approved Inspectors (Private companies set up to specifically regulate building control)
