2014_Contructing_Environments_Journal_699137

W01M1: Introduction to Materials

- Strength : e.g. Steel > timber

- Stiffness

- Shape : mono-dimensional/bi-dimensional/tri-dimensional

- Behaviours : isotropic or anisotropic

- Economy : price + availability

- Sustainability

W01S1: Load Path Diagram

Applied load: Dead load + Live load

Load path diagram shows how a load is transferred down to the ground.

- Loads take the most direct routes

to the ground

- They go in both directions

- For every force there is a reaction

force to keep the structure stable.

- Reaction forces are equal but

opposite direction to the applied

load.

W01: “Walking the Constructed City” –Dr Margaret Grose

Melbourne

-Bluestone/Basalt cobblepaths formed from

volcanoes in Victoria.

-Dark colouring of the city due to

dominance of basalt.

-Wheel ruts from 19th century cartwheels.

‘Bubble marks’ from lava flow.

-St. Paul’s Cathedral: basalt foundation but

mostly sandstone.

-Interchange between clean and rough

bluestones showing a change in road level

over time.

Sydney

-Abundance of sandstone structures due to high

numbers of sandstone quarries.

-Light colouring of the city due to sandstones.

Perth

-Clay, bricks and limestone.

Week 1

W01: Tutorial

Universal Column: Universal Beam:

Two types of mass construction:

Small module Large Module

-uses mud/clay (adobe, bricks, concrete blocks) -uses mostly precast concrete

-alignment of bricks makes bonds and allows for creating shapes and patterns.

**

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*: http://www.stegbar.com.au/~/media/Images/Stegbar/about%20windows%20and%20doors/brick_std.gif

**: http://www.recoore.com/hardware/images/detailed/1/Concrete_Block-02137484473251f2773c06bdf.jpg

Bricks

-made off-site through baking clay in

moulds

-pressed brick: variations in colour due to

spread of heat

-extruded bricks: wire cut bricks, more

uniform in shape and colour

-slow process in making and requires

expensive labour for laying

-length is 10mm more than double the

width to allow for mortar.

Concrete Blocks

-precast

-quicker in manufacture and laying

-can be manufactured at the same time

along with other processes

-harder to make shapes and patterns in

buildings

Scales

1:1000 – used to pin point location on maps

1:500 – ditto

1:100 – plans, elevation, section

1:50

1:20> – construction details

W01: Ching Reading

Static Loads

Applied slowly to a structure until it reaches its peek unit without fluctuating rapidly in

magnitude and position.

Live loads compromise any moving or moveable loads on a structure.

E.g.: occupancy loads, snow loads, rain loads, impact loads

Dynamic Loads

Applied suddenly to a structure, often with rapid changes in magnitude and point of

application.

Wind load:

- May cause long, thin structures or membrane structures to flutter.

- Requires measure to prevent sliding, uplifting and overturning

Earthquake load (due to seismic force)

Forces

A force is any influence that produces a change in the shape or movement of a body. It is

considered a vector quantity possessing both magnitude and direction.

Collinear forces occur along a straight line and the vector sum is the sum of magnitudes.

Concurrent forces have lines of action intersecting at a common point, the vector sum is

equivalent to the application of the vectors of the several forces.

Non-concurrent forces have lines of action that do note intersect at a common point, the

vector sum of which is a single force that would cause the same translation and rotation of a

body as the set of original forces.

To the side is a photograph of the model my

group pieced together in week 1 studio. It is a

mass construction building model aimed to

extend vertically as tall as possible. It is based

on the concept of modern skyscrapers with a

larger, solid base to lower the centre of gravity

allowing for the tower on top to extend tall.

Two types of material are used in making this

model, rectangular MDF blocks and rectangular

bricks. The bricks are used in higher levels of

the base to apply compression onto the lighter

blocks below and keep them in place.

http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/130124160413-skyscraper-hotels-baiyoke-bangkok-horizontal-gallery.jpg

This is a photo of

Bayoke Sky Hotel in

Bangkok, Thailand.

The shape of our

structure greatly

resembles this

modern skyscraper

where the base is

strongly reinforced

for the tower to

stand tall.

Week 1 Studio Activity

The upper layers of the

structure is built with a

3x3 block alignment facing

different directions so that

the blocks create a bond in

between and the path of

load is not simply going

directly downwards.

The above sketch shows the main load

path of the tower into the ground. The

blocks along the middle of the building are

essential in the transfer of load while the

blocks unmarked are the ones that do

little to support the structure and, as later

proven, can be removed without causing

the structure to collapse.

Week 1 Studio Activity

The two photos above are examples of work done by other groups. Both models have a similar difference to my

group’s tower being that the general shape of is circular. These structures have thinner walls surrounding the

space as opposed to thicker walls as my group employed. While this limits the ability for the structure to sustain

great height, it certainly allows for making shapes and patterns. (curved walls)

Week 1 Studio Activity

W02S1: Structural Systems

Solid Systems Surface Systems Skeletal Systems

-compression -‘shell’ structure -frame structure

Membrane Systems Hybrid Systems

-covers large areas cheaply and efficiently

-less used in built structures

W02: Structural Joints

Roller Joints – only resist vertical forces

Pin Joints – can resist horizontal and vertical forces

Fixed Joints – resist horizontal, vertical and rotational forces.

W02: “Column and Wall, Point and Plane” – Dr Alex Selenitsch

Column and wall

Point and plane – starts with a point, then becoming a line, the line further extending into a

plane, the plane folding and bending to become a volume.

Differences: column and wall have a clear demonstration of structure and construction while

in point and plane it is sometimes unsure what is structure or simply spatial division.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wik

ipedia/commons/d/de/Al-

Azhar_Mosque,_Cairo,_Egypt8.j

pg

Week 2

W02: Tutorial

(Material) Concrete = cement + water + fine aggregate + course aggregate

Compared to: Mortar = cement + water + fine aggregate

Base metal – aluminium/bauxite

Non-base metal – alloys (e.g. bronze = copper+zinc)

W02: Ching Reading

Structural System

Superstructure: vertical extension of a building above the foundation

Columns, beams, and loadbearing walls support floor and roof structures.

Substructures: underlying structure forming the foundation of a building.

Enclosure System

Roof and exterior walls shelter interior spaces from inclement weather and control moisture,

heat and air flow.

Dampen noise and provide security and privacy.

Doors provide physical access.

Windows provide access to light, air and views.

Interior walls and partitions subdivide the interior of the building into spatial units.

Mechanical Systems

Water supply, sewage disposal and electrical systems.

Heating, ventilating and air-conditioning systems.

Vertical transport systems.

Fire-fighting systems.

Waste disposal and recycling systems.

FACTORS

Performance Requirements

Aesthetic Qualities

Regulatory Constraints

Economic Considerations

Environmental Impact

Construction Practices

Week 2 Studio Activity

This week’s studio activity requires us to build a structure out of thin,

long balsa strips. The objective was to build a stable tower as high as

possible within the given resources. My group’s plan was to create a

triangular prism-shaped tower that extends vertically upwards. The

photos (left) show the process in the making of this structure. By first

creating an equilateral triangular base, vertical columns are added to

each of the edges which connect to a second triangular plane and so

forth. The building of this tower employs the frame system learned in

the E-learning materials in week 2. As the tower’s body is mainly hollow,

diagonal bearings are included to help resist external forces as

discussed in the previous week. In this context, the main problem is the

wind force (disregarding possible occurrence of collusions) which might

cause the structure to collapse.

Activity Overview

Single bracings are placed in different

directions at each side due to limited

resources. As a result, in each section, one

edge gets the most support; one edge

receives medium support while the last

gets least support. This pattern rotates for

each of the four sections so that each side

would receive some extent of support

against wind forces. It is proven at the end

that this method works well as the

structure is able to withstand light forces

acting from each direction.

Week 2 Studio Activity

This is a frame structure

made out of balsa strips

connected together by

tape. The area size of the

tower is uniform vertically

through the body of the

structure, only decreasing

to a tip point at the very

top. The equilateral

triangular shape of the

tower helps place the

centre of in the middle of

the horizontal plane so

that all sides are equally

resistant to overturning

forces. Due to the

structure bring hollow

within the frame, bracings

are included on each side

to help withstand forces.

Structure Overview

The width of each side is half the height

of the section. The diagonal bracing is

slightly longer than the height.

At each of

the four

sections that

made up the

main body of

the tower,

bracings are

placed in

different

directions.

After the main body of the tower is done,

a final addition to the top of the structure

is a pyramid tip with a long vertical pole

extending out to reinforce the height.