WEEK 1 – INTRODUCTION TO CONSTRUCTION

This week’s activity was primarily focused on the force of compression. To experiment with this force, towers were to be made out of timber blocks with the following limitations/challenges:

The tower was to be built as high as possible without collapsing. The number of timber blocks used was to be kept to a minimum. The tower had to be able to house a small plastic dog inside. This plastic dog was to be

placed inside AFTER the structure was finished. As part of the deconstruction process, timber blocks were to be removed from parts of the

structure without allowing it to fall. To address each of the limitations and challenges the tower had to have the following:

Sloping walls (To minimise usage of timber blocks) Gaps between block placement (To minimise usage of timber blocks and to allow blocks to

be removed at the end of the construction process) Accurate spacing between blocks (To prevent collapse) A wide opening (To accommodate the plastic dog)

STRUCTURE PLANNING:

Since the room floor acted as the base of the structure, the construction of the wall commenced immediately using the block placement planned earlier. It was decided that a gap large enough to fit the plastic dog would be on the side of the tower rather than the top to avoid the risk of knocking the tower over when placing the plastic dog inside. At first, the tower walls were constructed without a slope to make the lower portion as sturdy as possible. When the tower reached an approximate height of 20-30cm, the structure was made to slope in a fraction; about 1mm each level. This was done in an effort to reduce the number of blocks used. Unfortunately it was later observed that the slope strategy in fact did not reduce the number of blocks used. Furthermore, whilst constructing the tower it was found that the gaps between blocks towards the ends of the wall had to be closer together otherwise it was not possible to continue building the tower.

Adequate spacing between the placement of blocks to minimise block usage. If the spacing was too big, the blocks would fall through and if the spacing was too small then more blocks would have to be used. Also if the spacing was too small it would be harder to remove blocks later on.

No slopes currently in structure in order to create a stable lower wall.

Sloping initially put in place to reduce blocks used but as shown, there is no comparable difference to if it had non-sloping walls.

As the building got higher and the walls became more slanted, it was acknowledged that if the walls

were to continue to be built in the same manner, eventually the top of it would collapse due to the

gravitational force acting on it. Thus, it was decided that the building would start to slant the other

way to balance out the gravitational forces. Towards the end of the tutorial session, height became

the primary objective and since the tower seemed stable at the time, a vertically straight column of

blocks was added to address the challenge given at the beginning (Tower to be built as high as

possible without collapsing). As with all the other timber blocks, this vertical column is classified as a

live load (a load that is movable and typically acts downwards). In this structure, the vertical column

acts as the point load (A concentrated weight on a structural member).

Walls form a wave-like pattern to balance out the gravitational forces and prevent the tower from collapsing.

Live load: Forces

are acting

downw ards and

the load is able

to be removed.

Stable

Unstable

Once the tower was completed the plastic dog was placed inside easily. As for removing the blocks, it sounded like a difficult task but in fact was simple. At first, the blocks were removed carefully one by one and the structure did not collapse. To take it further, a person suggested taking ‘chunks’ of blocks out at a time and to the amazement of the surrounding people, the tower was still standing. This is due to the compression forces throughout the tower holding all the blocks together as if it were the work of masonry (Units such as bricks bound together to form a building).

Compression forces between blocks above and below keep the structure sturdy.

The blocks hanging out work on the same principle as the blocks at the edge of the walls previously addressed.

Key Terms: Load Path – The direction in which each consecutive load will pass through connected members. Masonry – Building blocks bounded together by mortar to form a structure. Compression – A flattening force. Reaction Force – A force that acts in the opposite direction to the action force. Point Load – A concentrated load on a structural member. Beam – A horizontal structural support member. Sources: FREE STANDING WALLS. Brick Development Association. (n.d.) Retrieved from http://www.brick.org.uk/resources/brick-industry/freestanding-walls/

Sticky tape made the balsa wood ‘column’ more rigid than if PVA glue was to be used.

Square base allows 4 balsa wood columns in each corner which will maximise the stability of the tower further up.

WEEK 2 – STRUCTURAL LOADS AND FORCES

This week’s activity was primarily focused on the structural frame of buildings. To analyse the nature and behaviour of frame construction as well as the structural joint, towers were to be made from balsa wood with the following limitations/challenges:

The tower was to be built high enough to reach the ceiling. There was a limited supply of balsa wood.

To save time, it was decided that a solid base would be made to hold long upright pieces of balsa wood acting as the columns of the tower. The base could be treated as a brace to the structure. Throughout the construction process uses of glue compared to masking tape were also taken into account. Once the tower was completed, the stresses of the building would be tested by attempting to make it collapse. STRUCTURE PLANNING:

Once the base and columns of the tower were placed together, a problem arose. Due to the length of the balsa wood column, the brace created earlier was not high enough to support it. Also, as the PVA glue was not strong enough to cement the column to the base, the columns would either fall inward or outward. With the time remaining it was decided that the tower would now form the shape of a pyramid and more balsa wood would be attached the top with sticky tape. It is evident from this experience that structural joints formed with sticky tape were much more firm than other parts that utilised PVA glue. Adding more bracing would have also allowed the balsa wood ‘columns’ to stand upright.

Bracing was not strong enough to hold the balsa wood in a vertical position and thus caused the ‘columns’ to tilt inwards or outwards (We decided to tilt it inwards for the purposes of adding more balsa wood on top).

Point Load

Load Path

The structural joints at the base, being mounted together by PVA glue meant that the tower collapsed immediately. The balsa wood ‘columns’ popped out of the ‘pockets’ in the bracing when pressure was applied to the top. The components on structures held by sticky tape did not break; instead they deformed through bending. However, as more and more pressure was applied from the top of the structure, the tower gave in and the structural joints broke because the material could not handle the load and stress applied.

‘Pockets’

Structural joints

bounded by sticky

tape allow more

stress to be

applied before

collapsing

compared to if PVA

glue was used.

Compression and tension forces

No deformation present as the bracing made this section of the tower rigid.

Key Terms: Structural Joint – Junction where building elements meet (no static load applied).2 Stability – The quality/ability of something to stay firmly fixed. Tension – A tight stretching force. Frame – Different structural members pieced together to form the support and shape. Bracing – Strengthening parts of structures with diagonal supporting member(s). Column – A rigid vertical support.

WEEK 3 – FOOTINGS AND FOUNDATIONS

During this week’s tutorial, we went on a tour of the University of Melbourne to identify the various structural systems and materials that we had learnt during the past few weeks. This tour allowed us to touch and see the physical aspects of structures that we had simply seen on paper and screen and thus, we were able to gain a deeper understanding of these parts. The areas we visited include:

- Lot 6 Café - Underground Car Park + South Lawn - Arts West Student Centre - Stairs on West end of Union House - North Court Union House - Beaurepaire Centre Pool - Oval Pavilion (under construction) - New Melbourne School of Design (under construction) - Old Geology South Lecture Theatre Entry Structure - Frank Tate Pavilion

LOT 6 CAFÉ:

Expansion joints are

utilised to allow

expansion and

contraction within the

wall due to

weathering/temperature

without cracking.

Perpend

Bed joint

Column

Despite the length of

the I-Beam that is

unsupported, the

flanges of it reduce

bending whilst the

webs prevent shearing.

Stretcher

OUTSIDE SIDNEY MYER ASIA CENTRE:

Beam used to

support roof

Structural

member acts as

column to

direct the load

from the beam

to the ground.

Strip footing

made of

concrete and

reinforced steel

supports load

of wall.

Timber beams

are used to

support the

timber decking

and load from

above.

OLD GEOLOGY SOUTH ENTRY:

Aluminium windows frames

The windows at the Old

Geology South Entrance are

fixed windows which consist

of frames and stationary

sashes.

Choice of aluminium frames

here could be due to the low

cost, light weight and

corrosion resistant feature.

MELBOURNE SCHOOL OF DESIGN:

Several columns can be

seen that support the

structure above and direct

loads to the ground

Small Cantilever

This section of the

structure work in

the same way as a

cantilever

Beams used to

support

‘cantilever’ section

of the building

Bracing strengthens

the beams and

assists them with

resisting

compression and

tension forces.

BEAUREPAIRE CENTRE POOL:

Although raked mortar

joints are aesthetically

pleasing, it makes bricks

more prone to damage

and water/moisture can

become stuck between

the bricks.

Mortar joints are

recessed (Raked joints).

Strip Footing

supports load of

wall and beam

Aluminium

windows frames

Oval Pavilion:

Cantilever

Aluminium windows

framesTimber door frames

ARTS WEST STUDENT CENTRE:

Column supporting beam

and structural members

above.

Beams used as part of

the design.Bracing used as part of

the design.

Key Terms: Moment – The tendency to make an object or a point rotate. Retaining Wall – A wall that resists pressure from soil and groundwater. Pad Footing – Type of footing that spreads a point load/vertical load over a wider area of ground (Also called Isolated Footing). Strip Footing – Type of footing (sometimes with reinforced steel) that spreads walls or a series of columns in a linear manner. Slab on ground – Concrete slab surface. Substructure – The foundation of the building which supports the superstructure. Bibliography: BORAL. (n.d.). Bricks and Pavers Technical Manual. Retrieved from http://www.boral.com.au/Images/common/clay_bricks_pavers/pdfs/1_209.pdf Old Virginia Brick (n.d.). Weatherproofing. Retrieved from http://www.oldvirginiabrick.com/technical/weatherproofing.html

WEEK 4 – FLOOR SYSTEMS AND HORIZONTAL ELEMENTS

Key Terms: Joist – Horizontal member that helps support the floor or ceiling. Steel Decking – Self-supporting flooring or roofing units consisting of steel. Span – The distance between 2 structural points. Girder – Iron or steel support beam Concrete Plank – Precast slab of concrete used in construction of floors of multi-level buildings. Spacing – The distance between repeating series of similar elements.

WEEK 5 – COLUMNS, GRIDS AND WALL SYSTEMS This week’s tutorial proved to be a more hands on task and it tested our understanding how different structural members worked. Each group was assgned a certain section of the Oval Pavilion to build to a smaller scale using balsa wood. To do this, we had to utilise the plans, sections details etc. in the Oval Pavilion construction documentation set in order to correctly resize the structure as well as have the right structural features so that it would hold.

Key Terms: Stud – The vertical framing member of a building’s wall. Nogging – Horizontal bracing members between wall studs or floor joists that make the wall or floor frame more rigid. Lintel – Horizontal structural member across top of door or window which supports weight of structure. Axial Load – A load that acts along the vertical axis of a member (straight down the middle). Buckling – Bending Seasoned Timber – Timber that is dried out which makes it more rigid/stable.

WEEK 6 – SPANNING AND ENCLOSING SPACE During this week’s tutorial, we had to listen to the Full Size presentations of other sites whilst taking note of details relevant to what we have been studying. The sites that were being presented include Kensington, Brunswick and Brunswick East.

Key Terms: Rafter – A sloping beam that supports the roof. Purlin – Horizontal member in roof that supports load from roof deck. Cantilever – A structure or structural member that is only supported at one end. Portal frame – Structures primarily made out of steel or steel-reinforced precast concrete where the columns and rafters are connected by moment-resisting connections (resistant to bending). Eave – Part of roof that overhangs wall of building. Alloy – A combination of 2 or more metals. Soffit – Underside of a structural component such as an eave. Top chord – Top beams in a truss.

WEEK 7 – DETAILING STRATEGIES 1

Key Terms: Drip – A strategy used to break surface tension by direction water away from underside of surface in window sills etc. Vapour Barrier – Material used to prevent steam from getting through walls. Gutter – The trough found under eaves that drain water from the roof. Parapet – A low protective wall at the edge of roof or an extension of it. Down Pipe – A pipe that caries rainwater from roof to a drain in the ground. Flashing – Impervious material that prevents passage of water into structure. Insulation – Material that reduces transfer of heat, electricity and sound. Sealant – Material used for sealing something to make it airtight or watertight.

WEEK 8 – STRATEGIES FOR OPENINGS

Key Terms: Windows Sash – Framed part of window that holds glass in place (Commonly: Part of window that moves). Deflection – Perpendicular distance a member deviates from its true course under transverse loading. Moment of Inertia – Geometric property that shows how the cross-sectional area of structural member is distributed and does not reflect physical properties of material. Door Furniture – Hand items affixed to a door (e.g. locks, handles etc.). Stress – A force that causes the structural member to bend and deform. Shear Force – A Force that causes structural members to deform in a sliding or skewing manner.

WEEK 9 – DETAILING STRATEGIES

Key Terms: Sandwich Panel – Type of flat panel that consists of 2 aluminium sheets bonded to a non-aluminium core (laminar material). Bending – Causing to curve/deform into an angular shape. Skirting – Covers joints between wall and floor. Composite Beam – Beams made of more than one material. Cornice – Decorative feature round the ceiling/wall of a room.

WEEK 10 – WHEN THINGS GO WRONG

Key Terms: Shear wall – Structural system composed of braced panels to resist lateral loads acting on structure. Soft Storey – Buildings that have openings wear a shear wall should be in place. Braced Frame – Structural frame designed to resist wind and earthquake (dynamic) loads Lifecycle – The extraction and processing of materials, manufacturing, recycling, final disposal etc. Defect – Flaw. Fascia – Flat piece of material covering ends of rafters or other fittings. Corrosion – Gradual destruction of material due to chemical reaction with environment. IEQ – Indoor Environmental Quality.

CONSTRUCTION WORKSHOP