Building Structures and Civil Engineering

Building and Structure Definitions

• A structure is any man-made construction, such as a bridge or dam
• A building is a closed structure with a roof and walls, and it includes the foundation, plinth, walls, floors, roofs, chimneys, plumbing, and fixed platforms.
• Buildings are categorized as residential, commercial, or industrial, each serving unique purposes and having distinct features
• The basic components of any building structure are the foundation, floors, and walls, which support, protect, and enclose the structure.

Parties Involved in a Construction Project

• The three main parties are the owner/client, the management team, and the contractor
• The client provides funds for professional services, materials, labor, and expenses and handles project management.
• The client manages the project, ensures completion on time and within budget, and ensures the project is carried out safely.
• The client communicates project needs, participates in planning, provides leadership, and ensures business goals are met.
• The client manages stakeholders by acting as the point of contact, facilitating meetings, and reviewing changes.
• The client also ensures pre-contractual due diligence is completed before undertaking large projects
• The management team includes the architect, quantity surveyor, clerk of works, and Engineer, representing the client, while the site agent represents the contractor.

The Architect

• Architects are qualified professionals responsible for the overall design and construction of buildings, combining creativity, function, and design expertise
• Architects design buildings, including construction details and blueprints
• Architects collaborate with clients to understand needs and present plans for feedback
• Architects facilitate communication during construction among clients, builders, and other parties
• Architects ensure building safety and compliance with laws and review change orders
• Architects work with engineers, contractors, and other professionals to ensure smooth project execution on time
• Architects perform feasibility studies and options appraisals
• Architects provide preliminary estimates for construction time and cost.

The Engineer

• Engineers apply their training to use natural resources for society's sustainable benefit without environmental degradation
• Civil engineers create and maintain society's physical framework, from roads to water systems

Civil Engineer Roles and Responsibilities

• Civil engineers manage infrastructure projects, including timelines, budgets, and resource allocation
• Civil engineers coordinate teams of engineers, architects, and contractors to complete projects on time and within budget
• Civil engineers ensure regulatory compliance with local, state, and federal regulations and obtain necessary permits.
• Civil engineers design infrastructure, including structural design, water resource management, transportation planning, and environmental engineering.
• Civil engineers with structural design expertise design safe and stable buildings, bridges, and dams that withstand environmental forces.
• Civil engineers oversee the construction process to ensure adherence to design specifications and safety standards
• Civil engineers manage resources, organize workflow, and coordinate with technicians and contractors until project completion
• Civil engineers ensure construction projects meet quality standards and implement safety protocols to protect workers and the public
• Civil engineers address unforeseen challenges and make adjustments to keep projects on track
• Civil engineers maintain and rehabilitate infrastructure, schedule inspections, and oversee repairs
• Civil engineers research and develop innovative solutions to improve existing building infrastructure
• Civil engineers explore new materials and construction techniques and stay updated on technologies like BIM and CAD
• Civil engineers prepare project specifications, drawings, and technical documents and conduct site investigations to determine project feasibility.
• Civil engineers specify materials for construction and ensure timely delivery
• Civil engineers incorporate sustainable practices into projects and design green infrastructure

Sustainability Practices

• Green infrastructure minimizes environmental impact through green roofs, solar energy, and permeable pavements.
• Waste reduction minimizes waste generation during construction and operation
• Rainwater harvesting designs and procures capabilities

Communication and Collaboration by Civil Engineers

• Civil engineers effectively communicate with stakeholders, including clients, government agencies, contractors, and the public
• Civil engineers communicate project plans and progress through presentations and reports and negotiate contracts with contractors and suppliers.

Clerk of Works Responsibilities

• A clerk of works is a site inspector or construction inspector who ensures construction meets quality, safety, and health standards and represents the client
• The responsibilities include inspecting work to meet specifications, monitoring progress, identifying defects, verifying materials, advising on health and safety, and reporting progress

Quantity Surveyor Responsibilities

• Quantity surveyors (QSs) manage project costs from design to completion and are cost consultants and managers
• Responsibilities include estimating costs for materials, labor, and timeframes
• Responsibilities include creating budgets, preparing tender packages and contracts, project planning, risk management and ensuring quality
• Quantity surveyors produce tax depreciation schedules and replacement cost estimations for insurance and resolve disputes.

Site Agent Role

• The site agent manages the construction site to ensure projects are delivered on time
• Responsibilities include overseeing activities, monitoring quality, ensuring safety, managing costs, facilitating communication, preparing reports, and project planning.

The Contractor

• The contractor is responsible for planning, leading, executing, supervising, and inspecting building construction projects from start to finish
• Contractors plan activities, supervise workers, ensure code compliance, and hire subcontractors for specialized tasks like HVAC

Specific Roles and Duties of a Building Contractor

• Building contractors are responsible for project planning and should have a master schedule that describes all activities with time distribution and planned budget that is to be met by the contractors
• The first duty of a building contractor should be creating a project plan to deliver it on time
• Responsibilities include planning all crucial project development, determining construction equipment and material requirements and procurement

Other Responsibilities of Building Contractors

• Project Management, which is that of completing the project on time, and this involves many construction management activities:
• • Ensuring funds are available to keep the project moving
• • Purchasing materials with enough anticipation for them to reach the site when needed
• • Purchasing or renting the construction equipment required for the project
• • Interviewing and hiring subcontractors to complete specialized work
• • Creating progress reports to justify intermediate payments.
• Project tracking is fundamental to complete the work according to contract specifications and schedules
• Building Contractors Also should possess; Quality control, use of cost-effective construction methods, a constant supply of materials, and construction site safety
• Contractors must guarantee health and safety in the construction site, by implementing adequate procedures and raising awareness among workers
• Contractors must acquire permits and licenses and follow local building codes and handle any emergencies

Main Contractors/ Subcontractors

• Main contractors, also known as general contractors, are the leader that oversees the entire project smoothly and efficiently
• Main contractors collaborate with stakeholders tp develop a comprehensive plan and manage resources
• Main contractors hire and supervises subcontractors to ensure project completion
• Procure materials and ensures materials meet quality and comply with safety regulations and have safety protocols

Sub contractor Specialities

• Subcontractors are hired to carry out project tasks but are independent
• excel in trades or fields, like plumbing, electrical work, carpentry, or roofing and brings specialized skills
• Sub contractors are paid on completion rather than wages making them temporary to the construction project team

Collaboration and Interdependence

• The main contractor ensures effective communication, integrates the skills of various subcontractors and manages/ensures regulations

Project Documents - Architectural Drawings

• Detailed info given about a building using a sketch, plan, diagram that enables architects to create planning stages
• Architecture drawings help owners to understand how a building will look like and functions, provides information and instructions for the construction crew

Types of Architecture Drawings

• A site plan provides an aerial view of the building and its surrounding property and how the structure is positioned concerning the property boundaries
• Floor plan drawings show a structures internal layout
• Cross-section drawings are 2-dimensional drawings that show the structure insides
• Elevation drawings are created outside the building with the back, front and building from the sides
• Finishing Drawings, show detail views of the finishes to give information regarding type of floor coverings, moldings, textures, colors
• Landscape drawings similar to site plan show more detail to hardscapes and greenery

Asbuilt and Excavation Drawings

• Asbuilt drawings are revised drawings/differences between originals
• excavation drawings provide detailed information regarding various soil removals

The Categories of Drawings

• Location drawings combine floor plans,elavtions and cross-sections and architectural plans
• Design drawings that show aesthetics and overall flow
• Architectural drawings: scales

2.2 Structural Drawings

• Engineers specialize in structural drawings which focusses on the strength and stability of a building,s framework
• Structural drawings ensure building of the project or structure is safe hence communication tools for engineers and builders
• Structural drawings consist of foundations, framing details and wall sections
• The most common type of structural drawings is the Tile, Notes, Symbols

Elements of Structural Drawings

• Foundation and Footing Plans, these drawings provide details about the base of structure on size, type and location
• Framing plans depict the layout and design structural framework
• Column and beam layouts detials the placement, size and the materials used
• steel connection details where member meet and connect, whether by bolting or welding
• Cross-sectional views show the same way the vertical plane cut

Process of Creating Structural Drawings

• Conducting site analysis
• site visits: fist hand/gathering on data and location
• soil tasting :bearing the capacity design
• data collection: information codes etc
• Preliminary sketches, conceptual design with brainstorming ideas
• Coordination with Architectural and MEP and finalising and detailing of drawing by using software

Review and Revision

• Ensuring drawling are correct
• Peer review where other engineers or specialities review drawling with improvements
• Code compliance of checking design is here to local budding and safety

Bidding Documents

• Bidding documents provide potential bidders with information to prepare bids from a Procuring entity

Examples of Documents

• approved budget
• terms of references
• form of bids
• conditions of contacts

Preliminaries

• Site clearance: preparation of a construction site: shrubs, vegetation, rocks, debris etc
• leveling and preparing the ground involving tools and techniques
• the reasons for site clearance may include enhancing the usability of the land, increased safety and prevention of hazardous substances

Methods for Clearance

• a few methods include Grubbing, burning, hand clearing
• The process of analyzing soil samples to determine the soil's physical and mechanical properties

Soil Testing

• the essential steps for oil investigation
• the site and test is the most important to identify possible sources of contamination, and the layout in general

A site Hutment

• known as labor hutments, it's designed to be safe and meets standard
• the benefits include being cost effective, energy efficient durable and is weather resistant

3.4 Setting out

• the process of transffering a building design dimension for construction with multiple surveys

Steps for Planning of Building

• The first step is site planning where you plan the location of the building
• Tranfserring dimension based on the grounds, estbalishing a baseline of reference points, checking corners
• Marking the foundation before excavation begins

Excavation

• of foundation trenches in the processes of creating a trench and cavity
• Important steps in that excavation. It should be safe without disturbing service
• important types; Top soil, earth excavation, rock excavation

Substructure

• part, design is correctly to conduct soil analysis

Shallow foundations

• suitable For light weight structure that include isolated spring
• footings Wall footings

Deep foundation

• Unlike shallow and located at the surface, deep foundations are located exceed five times deeper. Such as pile, pier and caisson for the main structures
• Consider test, bearing

Structures

• can be made from timber, steel, or concrete

5.2Types of walls:

• Load Bearing Wall. it carries loads imposed on it and the types include Precast Concrete wall, retaining wall etc
• Non-load bearing wall. types include; Hollow, concrete and brick wall

5.3 Wall Finishes:

• there are many types including Tile. wallpaper, wood panneling, Cladding, laminte etc

Floor Finishes

• the final layer applied to floor and enhanced. The finish comes variety of materials each has there one advantages

6.2.2 Types of floor finishes:

• Epoxy finish concrete resistant to scratch, Terrazzo composite used in commercial spaces, ceramic durable
• floor Hard wood versatile, durable as name its made
• the disadvantages is its slippery, expensive, and is regular

Roof

• roofs are complex structures that provide shade and shelter while providing insulation to a home

7.1 Types of Roofs:

• Flat roofs: used on commercial buildings, are cost effective but not as effective in drainage so has shorter lifespan
• Pitched, some roofs are slope that measure the vertical
• Double-Pitched : Economical, easy to build, and creates good area and water drainage
• Double Hip-roofs, allows airflow, great aerodynamics etc

Roofs (Cont.)

• Mansard: which roofs both steeper
• Butterfly: one is the most unconventional and larger light

Ceilings

• Flat: common, install lighting
• Drop: ceiling, conceal pipes, etc
• Tray: make more of the atmosphere
• Cathedral: lots of space

Rain Water Goods

• are components such as gutters, down-pipes and brackets that prevent water from entering buildings

Domestic Drainage

• drains and prevents water from entering buildings creating and causing damage
• Surface drainage, where water flows through ground
• Subsurface , removes exess water
• French Drains features perferated pipes

Explore the roles and responsibilities within building construction projects. Understand building components, client roles, and civil engineering's involvement in design, supervision, and maintenance. Learn about quality control, safety assurance, and research & development in civil engineering.