Assignment Example on The National Construction Code

What is the main objective of NCC?

The National Construction Code main purpose is to set out the regulations that align in the erection of new buildings thus determines the function and the use of built structures(Learner Guide, n.d.).

What classes of the structure are classified within NCC as commercial low rise buildings?

Classes' 1-9 construction structures are categorized into low rise buildings which include buildings that have dwellings segregated to perform specific functions. For example, trace houses, townhouse, guest house or hotel, banks whose units are separated with a physical wall but with a wall not exceeding 2000 m2(Learner Guide, n.d.).

Describe classes 2-9 building classes as defined in NCC

Class 2: includes construction with at least two sole- occupancy divided with a separate dwelling.

Class 3: consists of a residential estate that has a common living unit for unrelated persons such as in a hotel, motel, school, or guesthouse.

Class 4: contains a unit that creates a residential room in a building whose nature is of non-residential use.

Class 5: composed of buildings for commercial and professionals use only such offices for lawyers, dentists, banks.

Class 6: includes building meant for sale and distribution of goods and services such as shops, chain stores, market showroom.

Class 7: buildings are car parks or display shops for wholesale goods.

Class 8: structures include buildings designed for public congregations (accumulate a large number of people) which includes health care facilities, a laboratory in schools, or religious centers.

Finally, class 9 includes structures designated for non-habitable purposes such as a garage, petrol station, swimming pool, and protection walls(Learner Guide, n.d.).

What are the main structural principles that align the erection/demolition of low commercial rise structures?

The following factors are considered to determine the construction or demolishment of a building. First, the loads and loadings, the stability of roofing, beams, and columns, the wind anticipation system of the structure, behavior of the structural materials of construction, and the principle formwork(Learner Guide, n.d.).

What units are used to measure structural stress and pressure?

Units used to measure structural stress and pressure is kilopascals kPa

What units are used to measure structural forces and loads?

Here unit for measurement are kilonewtons kN

What are structural Members?

Dead loads composed of plain concrete, reinforced concrete, steel, hardwood, and softwood, Life load made of people and furniture and wind load which determines materials used to design house base on direction and strength of the wind(Learner Guide, n.d.).

What are the primary loads?

Primary loads include the live and dead loads, which act permanently on the structural or structural components of the building.

What are components of dead load?

The dead load is made of plain and reinforced concrete, hard and softwood, steel, glass, and any other materials used in the erection of a building(Learner Guide, n.d.).

What are the properties of force?

Force has three major features which are the magnitude which is the strength of the power, Direction, as to which side is the force heading to and positions the part where the force acts(Learner Guide, n.d.).

What is section Modulus?

It's a geometric aspect given to a particular cross-section used to design structural beams.

What another term can refer to vertical compression member?

A column, which includes pillars, post, stanchions, and struts that help withhold loads of the roofing and the floor.

What profession can be consulted during the planning and construction process?

A geotechnical engineer, who establishes a possible construction site by analyzing the soil sample of sites. Service engineers such as electrical, hydraulic, mechanical and structural engineers can are vital in the provision of their expert knowledge. Moreover, the architects can employ land surveyors and draftspersons to explore the land and draft the structure of the building. Building and quality surveyors are essential to the clients and architects in the construction(Learner Guide, n.d.).

What materials and their related construction methods can be used to construct a low rise commercial building

Concrete slab construction to be used as floor or roofing system, Cavity construction bricks which makes part of the separation walls, Beam construction to provide mechanical support. Roofing trusses made to withhold wind loads as part of roofing systems, Concrete reinforcements in masonry construction and lightweight autoclaved concrete construction to improve air conditioning of the building(Learner Guide, n.d.).

What project documentation can be obtained and analyzed to assist in the planning and construction process?

The following documents are required; a well-documented title defining the construction block, a construction permit from relevant authorities, Engineering, surveyors and environmental impact assessment reports, project specification documents, and construction phases plan, Structural system drafts and building approval plan.

What are footings?

Footing includes structural erections made on the floor to provide extra support on the foundation in areas with troublesome soils; it can be composed of bricks or concrete.

What are the types of footing used in Low-rise Construction?

The following footing is advisable; infill slabs, waffle-raft slab, timber pile, and concrete beams, power, sub-floor framing, concrete slab floors(Learner Guide, n.d.).

What footing system may be used for commercial low rise construction?

Commercial low house building includes structures that should be designed to accumulate much living load. Thus its footing should be more stable and rigid. It can either be reinforced concrete pier and beams, bored pier and beam, mass concrete piers or driven steel crew columns(Learner Guide, n.d.).

What structural floor systems may be used in commercial low-rise constructions?

Engineered timber floors in the wet area, combined timber and steel floor, and the suspended concrete slab floors(Learner Guide, n.d.).

What is the purpose of walls system?

It's composed of vertical structures that help in the provision of structural support to the roof, installation services and lining to the interior and posterior side.

What is the wall structural system that may be used in low rise commercial buildings?

The wall system can be composed of a composite structure of tilt slab, portal frame or beam, and truss. Masonry walls made of bricks and concrete or framed walls of timbers and steel.

What wall cladding system may be used in low rise commercial structures?

Fireproofed and non-proofed autoclaved masonry walls, tilt- slab, coating the base materials, and sheeting.

What types of relevant services need to be allowed when building structural walls systems and wall cladding system?

Relevant services required include expertise in heating and cooling, applying of electrical and telecommunication network, use of knowledge from plumbers on the drainage system, erection of smoke and contaminant control system, fire detection and prevention(Learner Guide, n.d.).

What structural roof system may be used in a low rise commercial system?

A dual pitch, rafter, hip, roof, and skillion roofing can be used, where the metal trussed framing is fabricated on-site or off-site. Long-run iron sheets are used to cover the top(Learner Guide, n.d.).

What does the size of Lintel depend on?

It depends on the size of the window and the accumulation of loads being supported.

Where are flashings installed?

They are set up on residential buildings structures made of concrete flagstones.

What roof cladding systems may be used in low rise commercial buildings?

Fireproofed and non-proofed autoclaved masonry walls, tilt- slab, coated base materials, and sheeting

What are the effective communication skills can be used when consulting with others?

First, one should deploy active listening to precisely affirm to the verbal instruction. Where one fails to understand, a party should rephrase or use simple vocabularies to give directions. The architects can explore problems arising from the clients and communicate with the appropriate body and facial language. An open-ended question is crucial for effective communication whereas amicable conflict resolution mechanism can help reach win-win situation among conflicting parties.

Task 1: Demolition review and report

The Queensland municipal council has identified a chain store storey building located on a cultural heritage site of land in the southeast, Victoria, Tasmania. However, before the demolition process, the Australian Building Codes Board has to rigorously sanitize on the procedure for the destruction of the building before granting a permit to the authorities. The demolition procedure is stipulated in the Australian standards and Codes of demolition, under the structures Act and Demolition 1991: codes of demolition. In the end, the demolition process is to comply with Tasmania Work-cover (Safe Work, 2013).

Moreover, the Work Health and Safety code spell the procedure for management of the health risk associated with demolishment process to protect the health and safety workers. Since the building is currently a chain store shop for Henkel limited, the Queensland municipal council will contract the city engineers to oversee the process as a licensed body. The safety code expects the demolition contractors to erect protective walls made of iron sheets to prevent the spread of dust particles to other areas (Learner Guide, n.d.). They should also use cranes instead of explosives to regulate the operation noise and increase the materials recovered from the demolishment. Where a crane has been used, bricks, iron sheets, steel metals, light fittings, and roof tiles can be retrieved while onsite plastics, glass, and wool can be collected for recycling (Safe Work, 2013).

Task 2: Adequacy Report

The client can decide on the buildings commercial function based on the following structural components of the building in each site. The basic structural components of the commercial building are constructed as per the site's topographical conditions.

Footing system

The footing systems of the commercial buildings are supposed to according to the Australia standards of slabs and footing in the sites developed architectural plan. The plan will describe the dimensions and design required as well as the stiffening beams and steel reinforcements.

The strip footing is the simplest footing system to be erected in Site 1 made of stable sand and stones. The footing consists of edges and two pours of concrete on the ground. The structure is favorable in cost reduction since it requires little excavation and formwork, suitable for sloping land and does not need an internal beam to support the building. The strip footing can be structured as below.

Fig.1: showing the structure of a strip footing (Learner Guide, n.d.).

The steel stumps pad footings can be installed to maintain the stability to loads of the foundation compared to where timber is used as a footing material, which is quickly consumed with termites. The steel is a natural termite barrier thus saves on termite inspection cost.

In site 2, the contractors should use the stiffed raft slabs to foot the foundation of the structure. The raft slab will be made of 100mm thick concrete slab, steel reinforcement, internal and edge beams. The reinforced galvanized steel frames can be...