Lesson 1 Flashcards
Main difference between conventional and alternative building materials
• Conventional building use non-recycled products that cause harm to environment
• Alternative building material use recycled products, environmentally preferred
Combination of materials used to build roofs, walls, and floor of your home
(your) construction system
____ and good passive design will generally suit cold and temperate climates
high-mass systems
generally suit humid hot climates
low-mass systems
combination of materials used to build the main elements of our homes - roof, walls, and floor
construction systems
traditional method of constructing new homes. the home is built on the site starting from the foundations and finishing with the roof
on-site construction
all the raw materials and supplies are brought to the site, unloaded and installed as they are needed
on-site construction
provies greater flexibility in design, can be slower, especially if there are weather delays
on-site construction
most of the work is completed off site in a factory environment
modular construction
large component of the house are prefabricated to varying stages of completeness in a factory, and stacked for transport on a truck. the components are then assembled in site
flat pack or component modular construction
whole and complete components are taken to site by truck, and joined up to make the whole building. this is the most common and demands the least amount of time
big box or volumetric modular construction
foundations are prepared, water and sewer connections made, and then the box are cranned into position, with minor detailing to the joints carried out over a matter of days
big box or volumetric modular construction
in temperate and cold climates, this can contribute to thermal comfort by absorbing solar heat during the day and releasing it at night or on cloudy days. for this passive warming to happen, passive design principles must be used to ensure the mass is exposed internally and insulated extremely
high-mass construction
in hot and humid climates, low-mass construction works better to encourage __
passive cooling
high-mass systems
• can reduce heating and cooling energy use
• are most appropriate in climate with high diurnal (day-night) temperature ranges
• can be a liability in tropical climates where energy is used for cooling
• generally have embodied high energy
• require more substantial footing system and cause greater site impact and disturbances
• are often quarried and processed with high environmental impact
• require careful cost-benefit analysis on remote sites where transport needs are significant
lightweight systems
• respond rapidly to external temperature changes or heating or cooling input
• can provide significant benefits in temperature and hot climates by cooling rapidly at night
• may require more heating and cooling energy in high diurnal range climates
• generally have low embodied energy
• are often preferable on remote sites with high materials transport cost
• can have thermal mass added through inclusion of water-filled containers or phase-change materials
• can have lower production if sustainably sourced
in temperate climates, the best overall outcome is mostly simply achieved with concrete slab-on-ground and lightweight walls. in hot humid climates, low mass constructuon is preferable, in cool-climates, high is preferred. in cold and hot climates, careful positioning of low and high mass throughout the building is required to achieve the best outcomes
mixed mass systems
different construction options are available at your home
construction system elements
the base of your home. they are the structures that transfer the weight of the home to the foundation material, such as concrete and steel
construction system elements
must be designed to suit the site’s soil conditions and provide adequate tie-down for the building structure under the site’s wind classification
footing systems
lowest site impact and embodied energy. a broad range of lightweight steel footing systems is available including screw piles, adjustable steel piers on a simple concrete pad or bored columns
lightweight framed systems
require substantial excavation on all but level sites, ibcreasing impact m. they can reduce construction cost where the slope is low. they can be an effective part of passive design where the climate allows for earth coupling.
concrete slab integrated footings
cost-effective solution on flat sites and they dont require major excavation. waffle pods reduce the overall cost of the slab because they create “void”, which uses less concrete and reduces the cost of labor
waffle pod slabs
this reduce wastage and have lower embodied energy than typical concrete slab
waffle pod slabs
these, combined with loadbearing brickwork to floor level, can reduce excavation
detached strip footings
these can support masonry walls, reduce excavation and site impact, and make for faster construction. cost varies with application but these systems are generally more expensive than strip footings
engineered steel pile systems
