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Index

Week Page Topic Week Page Topic

1,3 3 Materials

1 6 Load Paths

1 6 Compression and Tension

1 7 ACTIVITY 1

2 10 Structural joints

2 10 Construction Systems

2 11 Structural Systems

2 11 Environmentally sustainable design and selecting materials

2 12 ACTIVITY 2

14 Glossary

15 References

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WEEK 1 – MATERIALS (ENVS10003, 2014a)

Materials are chosen for a number of reasons. These can include:

Strength – Steel vs Timber

Stiffness – Flexible vs Ridged

Shape – Dimensions (mono, bi tri)

Material Behaviours – Isotropic, anisotropic

Economy + Sustainability – cost

WEEK 3- BRICK There is a wide variety of colour to bricks because it is a natural material. Its fabrication methods have changed over time. Initially they were handmade, then they were machine moulded and now they are extruded and wire cut. (ENVS10003, 2014h) The durability of a brick when it is exposed to weathering is referred to as Brick grade (Ching 12.06)

Properties

Hardness – Medium to high as a metallic object can scratch it

Fragility – A trowel can break a brick - Medium

Ductility – Very Low

Flexibility/Plasticity – Very Low

Porosity – Medium to low

Density – Medium – 2 to 2.5 times more dense than water

Conductivity – Poor

Durable – Very

Reusability – High

Cost – Generally cost effective but labour can be an issue

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Concrete Blocks (ENVS10003, 2014j) Two hands are needed while clay bricks usually need one as they weigh around 11 kilograms each. They also have holes that allow for reinforcements such as steel to be also used. They are made with cement, sand, gravel and water through a process of mixing, moulding and curing.

Properties

Hardness – Medium to high as a metallic object can scratch it

Fragility – A trowel can break a brick - Medium

Ductility – Very Low

Flexibility/Plasticity – Very Low

Porosity – Medium – sealed to reduce absorption.

Density – Medium – 2 to 2.5 times more dense than water

Conductivity – Poor

Durable – Very

Reusability – Medium

Sustainability – Waste and recycled products

Cost – Generally cost effective but labour can be an issue

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Stone (ENVS10003, 2014i) Igneous – Rocks formed when molten rock cools – Usually used in footings – Example = Granite Sedimentary – Rocks formed from accumulated particles subjected to moderate pressure – Prone to damage – Carved and shaped easily. Metamorphic – Igneous or sedimentary rocks that have been subjected to pressure, high temperature or chemical processes. Types Monolithic – Are difficult to move because of their size. One example is Stone Henge. Ashlar – Big rocks that are carved into smaller modular elements. One example is part of the Great Wall of China. Rubble – Used as it is found.

Properties

Hardness – Igneous then metamorphic then sedimentary

Fragility – Geometry dependant

Ductility – Most are low

Flexibility/Plasticity – Most are ridged. Thus very low.

Porosity – Pumice = Very, while Granite = Not

Density – Dependant on stone type

Conductivity – Generally Poor

Durable – Extremely

Reusability – Very High

Sustainability – Transport and energy it the main factor

Cost – Labour and scarcity increase cost

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Week 1 – Load Paths (ENVS10003, 2014b)

Force leaves structure in easiest way. Last reaction force is

going down because the structure wants to go down to

remain upright.

Compression and tension (Lamb, Robert, and Michael

Morrissey, 2000)

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Week 1 - Activity

Initially, a square base with a brickwork pattern was used. A small enclosure was used so that the arch would be easier to close off.

A corbelling pattern was used to make the structure appear decorative.

A running brick pattern was then put on top in an effort to make the corbelling sections more stable and for the structure to gradually close at the top.

Early on issues began to appear. The side closest in this image was moving in faster than the other side and the corners were not developing into strong parts of the structure.

As the structure increased in height, different laying techniques were used to close the structure at the top.

The five bricks under the hand were intended to strengthen the back section of the structure and attempt to stop the walls from collapsing

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A front on view of the structure. From this perspective the walls are not straight which also caused the problem of the walls wanting to fall inwards.

The arch was weighted down on one side to ensure that it would be able to join to the other side. This was a structurally week design because any force applied on to any brick near the arch would cause it to fail.

The top structure failed, causing the arch to fall. To develop a strong structure and have an archway, the entry should have been knocked out instead of being built in.

Similar to the other tower, the arch in this construction was built was it grew taller. This structure is both artistic and strong because of the bonds and how a load would be distributed.

This tower was the best out of all of the ones from within the tute because the arch knocked out. By doing this, the tower was able to develop both a strong base and an arch that would be able to distribute a load successfully.

This image shows that the top of the structure is even and the walls are relatively straight. Even though some parts of the corners were not perfect, as the structure was sound, it was able to hold the load that was applied to it in one of the following images.

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Week 2 Structural joints (ENVS10003, 2014e) There are three basic types of joints. The roller joint, pin joint and fixed joint.

Roller Joint

The simplest joint with loads only transferred in one direction.

Pin Joint Very common in the

construction industry and are found in a truss system.

Fixed Joint

Complicated to calculate because bending can occur at the joint if one member experiences a heavy load.

Week 2 Construction Systems

The construction process involves numerous systems that have their own requirements and complexities. In a building these systems are the Enclosure system, Structural system and service system.

Enclosure system: Is the shell of the building (Ching 2.03). An example of this is the façade of a building or a roof. If it was removed the building would remain standing and structurally sound. Structural System: Is designed and constructed to enable it to be able to support and transmit loads. (Ching 2.03) Service System (or Mechanical System): Provides services such as gas, water and sewage to a building. (Ching 2.03)

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Week 2 Structural Systems (ENVS10003, 2014d)

A structure can be classified as a solid, surface, skeletal, membrane or hybrid structure.

System description

A SOLID STRUCTURE uses compression as the main structural action.

A SURFACE STRUCTURE is

A SKELETAL STRUCTURE is a very efficient way of transferring loads to the ground.

A MEMBRANE STRUCTURE is useful when large areas need to be covered at a cheaper price

A HYBRID STRUCTURE is a mixture of a variety of the ones mentioned above. Uses an ETFE membrane.

Before construction takes place a number of aspects need to be considered. These include performance requirements, aesthetic qualities, economic

efficiencies and environmental impacts. (ENVS10003, 2014c)

Week 2 Environmentally Sustainable Design (ESD) and Selecting materials (ENVS10003, 2014k)

Put simply, the building becomes a filter to the environment.

ESD intends to reduce the impact of a construction on the environment. It can include using local materials, using materials efficiently, solar energy, wind

energy, insulation, thermal mass, night air purging, cross ventilation and smart sun design.

Life Cycle of materials

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Week 2 – Activity - Frame

The aim of this activity was to understand the nature and behaviour of frame construction and how loads are transferred in frame structures.

This was done through using tape and a single piece of Balsa wood cut long ways into strips.

Construction

Initially, a quick plan was drawn up. This involved how the base would look and efficiently use the resources. Cutting the strips up even more caused some small materials (top of image) to be wasted.

As the tower grew taller deformities and bending began to occur. As demonstrated in the lecture, braces were used to make the structure become less malleable.

After testing a variety of options a triangular base was chosen to avoid the possibility of unevenness as the structure grew.

The structure became top heavy so legs had to be used.

Tape was used to hold the spire upright using tension to keep it from falling at hitting the roof.

One of the earliest issues encountered was the weakness of the wood in its thin state. As the tap was being used, some beams needed to be repaired before construction could continue.

Support braces were used to stop the sides of the structure from contorting.

The final structure.

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Destruction

As a force is applied the columns are bending. While the areas with supports remain relatively unaffected.

With even more force applied, the supportive leg is also bending and moving out of the correct position.

If more materials were available, additional supports could have been used. Cross bracing could also have made a big difference.

With a force applied on a different angle the structure fails. The tape joins remain strong but the long columns break under pressure.

Supporting leg could have been made thicker or had additional legs on either side. If it was buried into the ground or taped to the floor, it would have failed in the centre like most of the other long columns.

In hindsight, the spire should have been removed and the materials used to strengthen the structure or to allow a different shape to exist. For example a three levelled square that slowly goes inward.

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Glossary

Load path: Masonry: Building with various natural or manufactured products (brick, stone, etc) usually with mortar as a bonding agent. (Ching 12.06) Compression: Reaction Force: Point load: Beam: Members designed to transfer loads across to supporting elements. (Ching 2.15) Structural joint: Stability: Able to carry vertical loads and withstand lateral winds and seismic forces from any direction. (Ching 2.22) Tension: Frame: A beam supported by two columns. (Ching 2.17) Bracing: Diagonal members that stabilize a structure. (Ching 2.22) Column: Structural members designed to support loads applied to its ends. (Ching 2.13) Moment: Strip footing: The continuous spread footing’s of foundation walls. (Ching 2.09) Retaining wall: Wall that holds back earth on the uphill side of a grad change (Ching 1.31) Slab on ground: Pad footing (Isolated Footings): Helps spread a point load over a wider area of ground (Ching 3.08) Substructure:

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References

Ching, Francis D.K. (2008). Building construction illustrated (4th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons Inc.

Lamb, Robert, and Michael Morrissey. (01 April 2000) How Bridges Work. Retrieved from www.HowStuffWorks.com

http://science.howstuffworks.com/engineering/civil/bridge.htm

ENVS10003. (2014a) W01 m1 Introduction to Materials [Video] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4CJ8o_lJbg&feature=youtu.be

ENVS10003. (2014b) W01 s1 Load Path Diagrams [Video] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y__V15j3IX4&feature=youtu.be

ENVS10003. (2014c) W02 c1 Construction Systems [Video] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zTarEeGXOo&feature=youtu.be

ENVS10003. (2014d) W02 s1 Structural Systems [Video] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l--JtPpI8uw&feature=youtu.be

ENVS10003. (2014e) W02 s2 Structural Joints [Video] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxRdY0jSoJo&feature=youtu.be

ENVS10003. (2014f) W03_m1 INTRODUCTION TO MASS CONSTRUCTION [Video] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Au2upE9JN8&feature=youtu.be

ENVS10003. (2014g) W03_m2 INTRODUCTION TO MASONRY [Video] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DC8Hv8AKQ8A&feature=youtu.be

ENVS10003. (2014h) W03_m3 BRICKS [Video] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lYlQhkMYmE&feature=youtu.be

ENVS10003. (2014i) W03_m4 STONE [Video] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Vn5_dk4RtQ&feature=youtu.be

ENVS10003. (2014j) W03_m5 CONCRRETE BLOCKS [Video] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geJv5wZQtRQ&feature=youtu.be

ENVS10003. (2014k) ESD and Selecting Materials [Video] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luxirHHxjIY&feature=youtu.be