Log Book

Yazid Hussein

699202

Week 1 studio session activity report:

The first session of the semester for constructing environments started with a quiz on

introductory topics discussed in the first lecture. Mass structures were introduced as

structures that have a purpose of carrying a lot of weight like apartment buildings carrying

static load (dead load) and live load (moving load). A diagram was drawn on the board

illustrating how loads are transferred with in a building, if a load is located in the centre of

the object (beam for e.g.) the load will be transferred along the beam all the way to the

ground, which elicits an opposite and equal reaction force explained by Newtons third law

“For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction”. The class got divided into three

groups of five, and got asked to build the highest tower possible using wooden blocks. The

tower had to sustain its static load without the use of any exterior objects to help attach the

wooden blocks to each other. An objected was provided by the class tutor that had to enter

the tower through two openings one on the bottom floor and one in the middle of the

tower. The group took an unusual approach in the construction of this mass building. Mass

constructions transfer these loads predominantly by using compression concrete is a great

compressor. However, since wooden blocks were used, a ‘Jenga’ approach was chosen for

this building. The base of the tower was a square base with 10 horizontal blocks on each of

the four sides; gaps were left in between every block in order to widen the tower and hence

transfer the load in a way that would reduce the lateral force as the structure increased in

height, or so it was hypothesised. As the tower got taller it started moving slightly at the

top. It was observed that the four sides did not stay in a straight line and had different

widths which really decreased its ability to resist lateral forces and as a result broke apart at

knee height (around 60cm).

Draft sketch of the wooden block structure

using a ‘Jenga’ design from a 3D perspective

2D view of the tower with 10 blocks on

each side of the square base

Week 2 studio session activity report:

In this week’s studio session the quiz revised force distribution, materials, and construction

systems and processes. There are many important components in the built environment

some require certain building criteria such as strong, skeletal, surface membrane or hybrid.

It can be argued that a skeletal system is the most used and effective system in construction,

it has a great way of transferring loads; it uses a frame system which gives it a nice looking

display. What defines a building is not just the construction system used but rather the

enclosure, structural, and service systems that are all combined to form a structure. The

class discussed how doors and windows qualify as an enclosure system as it is not part of

the structural system and are a matter of personal comfort, opening and closing windows

with comparison to walls that cannot be moved as they are a part of a structural system. In

the same groups as the previous studio session a frame construction was built. 20 long

pieces of cut balsa wood were used with the help of PVA glue and tape to help stick the

pieces of balsa wood together. With structural loads and load distribution in mind a square

design with diagonal bracing was adopted as seen in the sketches and pictures.

Measurements such as the height and width of the balsa wood were recorded in order to

find out the dimensions of the tower. Two 20cm pieces of balsa wood were used for width

and height to give extra support and a 28cm (20 ) diagonal in a ‘Z’ shape to divide the

load and produce a steady and sturdy structure. Due to time constraints the tower only

went up to around 70cm, but had a strong base which resulted in an evenly distributed load.

For the deconstruction process the balsa wood was cut with scissors one side at a time to

see when the tower would collapse starting with the diagonal bracing all the way to the 2

diagonal pieces at the base, which is when the structure dissembled.

First stage of construction PVA glue

used to stick the Balsa wood together

Process of bracing and reinforcing the structure

Deconstruction stage to test when the tower

fails

The drafting and calculation sketches after

measuring balsa wood, calculations of width

height and diagonal bracing

The highest stage of tower

construction approx 70cm

Week 1 E-learning and Reading module Knowledge Map:

Week 2 E-learning and Reading module and lecture Knowledge Map

Week 1 Glossary:

Load path: A path that forces take as they distribute through to the foundation of the

structure

Masonary: Building built with a mason, stone, brick/clay and concrete

Compression: Action of pushing the material from each side

hence shortening it

Reaction Force: Newton’s thrid law “For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction”

meaning that the ground will result in an equal and opposite force as the beam transferring

the load to the ground

Point Load: Specific local load in a structure

Beam: A long, durable timber or metal piece used in

construction e.g. roof

Week 2 Glossary:

Structural Joint: When 2 pieces of material (e.g. wood, metal) are joint together physcially

Stability: Being balanced by gravity from all sides and has the ability to sustain its own

weight (Dead load) and possibly a moving load (Live load)

Tension: Stretching an object by pulling it away

from each side

Frame: A building technique involving vertical

and structural members e.g. skyscrapers use bracing for more stability by undergoing

tension

Bracing:Material that holds 2 parts of the structure together usually placed diagonally, its

under tension and distributes the load more effieciently

Coloumn: A long and sturdy supporting pillar usually under compression

References:

Francis D.K. Ching, 2008, Building Construction Illustrated, 4th Edition, John Wiley & Sons, 20/3/2014

https://app.lms.unimelb.edu.au/bbcswebdav/courses/ENVS10003_2014_SM1/WEEK%2001

/CHING_chapter02.pdf

Photographs: Yazid Hussein, 14/3/2014

Pre tensed steel

rods help

distributing the

load and

withstand larger

forces

Concrete is

good under

compression

Week 3 Studio Session Activity

This week’s studio session consisted of a tour around campus. 10 buildings were visited and

analysed with regards to the structural systems and elements, materials, exposure and

joints used.

Lot 6:

This building consisted of a basic frame structure with the main use of steel and

concrete. The concrete was used for load bearing walls whereas; the steel was

used as framing around doors and openings. This suggests that the forces that

the building undergoes are mainly compression forces due to the properties of

concrete and its ability to undergo great compressive forces. The building makes

good use of flashing as it doesn’t allow water to enter the building. The exposure

of the building to sunlight and rain might affect the cladding and sheets but no

sign of any tearing was visible.

Underground car park & South Lawn:

The car park used an unusual tree looking support columns that distributed the

load in a more efficient way than normal concrete columns. There was also a

resemblance with the physical structure of a tree as this was taken into

consideration due to south lawn being on top the trees were not removed and the

car park was built underground.

Arts west Student Centre:

The main system employed in this building was a standard concrete

structure with a brick veneer wall and out the front a truss system

made of refined timber and copper was seen with extra diagonal

bracing to enhance the transfer of loads. A cantilever was formed at

the end of the truss system possibly to get rid of water as there was

a slight slope.

Stairs on west end of Union House:

The stairs at the west end of union house were held up by

tension in the cables and used a steel stair stringer that

transferred the load from stairs into cables into the main

beam that connected to a brick wall. Given that steel is an

excellent material under tension it is ideal to use. The stair

steps were also made of steel as it’s a very strong and durable

material.

North Court Union House:

This used a membrane system with a curved cone shape that was

connected by cables that work under tension. The curved design makes

use of water capturing and is all transferred into sewage systems

underground this is seen where all the cables meet.

Beaurepaire Centre Pool:

The main elements found here was a frame construction with a concrete slab

base which is cheaper than steel construction. This suggested a lightweight

building system was used.

Oval Pavilion (north side of oval):

This is a masonry solid construction with a timber roof and use of timber column

and panelling. The clock is also made of timber with a coat of paint over it. A few

fixed joints could be seen in this building.

New Melbourne School of Design under construction from various sides:

This new building is a typical frame construction with a skeletal structure

supporting the facade that was transported to site. Diagonal bracing is seen on

the slab frame, with silver metal holding the ceiling up. Precast concrete is used

for vertical walls whereas horizontal is in situ. The truss system under

construction allows for expansion and provides more support.

Old Geology South Lecture Theatre Entry Structure:

The structure is a steel frame construction. The load bearing walls are made of

brick veneer a truss seen in this area as well. The entrance is quite small and

curved with the cantilever hanging off to allow water to drip.

Frank Tate Pavilion (west of Sidney Myer Asia Centre):

Some of the main elements of this building are its roof cladding and copper

walls with use of a timber strip. The floor slab is carried by using a steel frame,

with the footings present alongside the main timber beams and columns.

Lecture content:

2012 Olympic Park Development

Clear the land (moving soil) is expensive

Underground power cables hard to get onto island

Use materials wisely, that can be reused

8 times less carbon than Beijing Olympics

All bolted rather than welded

Fabric membrane surface used

Peter macinative film (Pool)

Week 4 Studio Session Activity

During this week’s studio session the main focus was on construction drawings, structural

drawings, and architectural drawings. The Old pavilion was used as an example to illustrate

these examples. The title block contains information about the architect, the client, the level,

scale etc. A very important aspect of a plan is the legend, which explains what different

symbols mean on a map. A to D on a map marks the vertical direction whereas from left to

right shows the horizontal direction. There are many different plan types such as elevation

plans, cross-section plans. Elevation plans are meant to show the height of the building at a

certain scale and help visualise how tall the building will look like and its surroundings

whereas, a Cross-section plan shows the building cut in half and this shows what the

building will look like from inside and the spaces that will be occupied. In the Oval Pavilion

plan windows use the letter W and doors the letter D this is just a way to simplify and to

represent it on a map in an easier way. Floor levels and room numbers are shown by placing

a decimal point after the floor level example 3.03 means level 3 room 3.

Lecture content:

The main message was the differences between architects, engineers and project managers.

Project managers talked about the project, the amount of money and that’s an issue and

that they communicate idea from architect and engineer. Architect plan the design and use

of space whereas, engineers do the calculations and test the structure.

Week 5 Studio Session Activity

This week’s studio was linked to week 4 studio and understanding drawings. With this

information in mind each group was allocated a section of the Oval Pavilion and were

requested to make a model interpreting different materials and floors. The Foundations and

footings were modelled based on the scale from the plans. Black foam core board was used

for the footings and as pre cast concrete walls, white cardboard was used as walls for the

ground floor and grey cardboard was used for the concrete slab. Diagonal bracing on the

ground floor was represented also with black foam core board. The walls of the ground floor

were double the thickness due to measurements shown on plan. The concrete slab is an

efficient material to be used due to its durability and ability to sustain loads and distribute

loads. Bracing is an essential element in construction as it provides the load distribution and

prevents buckling of walls due to failure. The main problem with concrete is that it is not

environmentally friendly as it is a high emitter of carbon dioxide but cannot be replaced due

to its excellent qualities.

Lecture content:

Precast concrete stairs

Metal roofing

Cantilever built stick by stick

Galvanised steel section

The building consisted of:

Basement

Pre cast concrete walls and columns

Pre cast concrete facade (South Australia- best precast concrete)

Suspended slabs and beams

Structural steel cantilevers

Hanging studio

Y shaped stairs

Triple glazed glass

Week 6 Studio Session Activity

Continuing on from week 5 this studio a model presentation of the detailing of an element

of the oval pavilion was done. The group I worked in were assigned foundations and

footings and the model can be seen below. Unfortunately no other models from other

groups were brought so no comparisons could be made. Some details were discussed about

current the second assignment submission and the rules and regulations on site visits. The

current stage of construction was still at its beginning starting with foundations and footings

and focusing on reinforcing using steel cages and steel beams in concrete. Some of the

details of the model made:

Truss spans more than beam

Plates usually square shape

Grids located along 4 edges of slab

Grid structural reference for slab design

Week 7 (No studio session)

Week 8 Studio Session Activity

This studio session focused on drawings from the oval pavilion and representing them in a

different scale from a 1:10 to a 1:1 the detail from the drawings given were seen in the oval

Pavilion site visit. An hour was spent on finding the detail in the drawings and what to focus

on when going to the site visit.

Going to the oval pavilion helped visualise the site better, although it was hard to see the

exact detail due to the gutter box covering the view and so a very small part could actually

be seen from the site visit. However, it was interesting to note the importance of scale and

how representation changes from drawings to the actual building.

When the class got back from the site visit, measurements were taken of the original 1:10

drawings and were multiplied by 10 to get a 1:1 scaled drawing. The class pinned up and

presented what was worked on so far and the detail could be seen in a much easier way due

to the larger scale, this enables us to see the different materials and functions that such

details have on a building.

Week 9 Studio Session Activity

This studio session the group met at the site (485 Spencer St) at 12:15 and commenced site

visit at 12:45 with all safety equipment needed such as safety hat, safety glasses, and steel

cap boots and florescent safety vest. The site manger started the tour of the building from

the basement it was a 2 level basement there is 1-1.5 metres between floors he stated that

all vertical elements were precast and all horizontal elements were in situ. He mentioned

that water proofing the building was the biggest issue and that there was a difference in

progression between different floors and that the 2nd floor was a week and a half behind the

1st one.

All horizontal floors used a method of post tension from the ground floor to level 6. The

steel beam is stretched by up to 50 mm on the first attempt then a further 15-20 on the

second attempt. The pre stressed reinforcement saves around $100,000 from the overall

project and since conserving money and resources was a main issue this helped reduce

costs greatly. This system made sure that beams don’t move at all and

that they are well secured. Once the steel cables are

inserted, concrete is poured through and is let to dry

an set. A mark is made with yellow pain to see where

the steel reached and won’t let it move back in that

direction.

A packer joint system is implemented and the car stacker system is used

in this building as it’s a more efficient way of stacking cars from different

levels. This project is set to cost $3.1 million and it is going to be a

residential complex.

According to the site manager the architect visits the site approximately once a week and

highlighted some issues in construction of this building like the alignment of the pipes to

lower levels according to plans but was not seen as a problem.

The roof is going to be built at a 1 degree angle to allow water to slide off and so that not

water can enter through openings and to break up wind blow and direction so that it

doesn’t cause and dampness or moisture.

This step is used

to stop water

from flowing

outside the

apartment

Precast

concrete

walls

This makes

sure

pressure

remains on

bearers

Fixed joints

used on site

Rubber material

covering holes

to stop water

from entering

Week 10 Studio Session Activity

This studio session the drawings from week 6 were pinned up again, viewed and compared

by the class. This showed the different details of the oval pavilion from different sections

such as footings and foundations to roof detailing. The 1:1 model was then turned into a 3d

view by extending lines at 35-45 degrees in either direction.

Once the class pinned up and presented, another visit to the oval pavilion enabled a greater

visual understanding and allowed to see the difference between connecting the physical

appearance of the building to the drawings before making the 1:1 drawing and after making

it, to see if there are any differences or similarities between the two.

Many things can go wrong in buildings due to cracks, leaks and gaps which allow water,

moisture and termites in and can potentially ruin a building exterior and interior. Some

measures can be taken such as the inclusion of eaves and flashing that stop water from

entering and the use of different materials can stop termites from entering as they tend to

cause problems when building is made of wood. Some coating of toxic material can deal

with termites or use of material that covers spaces efficiently.

Construction Workshop (Week 4)

The construction workshop consisted of a 2 hour session introduction to tools and equipment

that are going to be used to make a load bearing model implementing some of the ideas from

lectures and learning modules. The first 30 minutes consisted of a safety induction

introduction which explained the various safety precautions and measures to be taken in the

workshop and the correct way of handling tools. An hour was allocated for model making in

pairs, where a design is sketched and measurements are taken before the model is

constructed. The sketch below shows the design idea, similar to the Pantheon in Greece the

design aimed to incorporate both compression and tension where plywood which is a

material good under compression was placed in the middle used as load bearing columns and

Pinewood was used at the top and bottom as it is good in tension.

Materials used:

Saw

Measuring Square

Measuring Tape

Drill

Plywood (7)

Pinewood (2)

Load taken

before fracture Model constructed

Equipment used

Other groups’ model

Weakness around knot

under tension

Model in the load

tester

Model made

Glossary:

Moment: connections that are able to hold their original angle under loading

Retaining wall: Wall designed and constructed to resist lateral pressure of the soil being

retained

Pad Footing: A thick slab-type foundation used to support a structure or a piece of

equipment.

Strip footing: Number of columns in a row supported in low height

Slab on ground: foundation slab is laid directly on the ground without a basement

Substructure: Supporting structure

Joist: a length of timber or steel supporting part of the structure of a building, typically

arranged in parallel series to support a floor or ceiling

Steel decking: Type of steel membrane to support roof

Span: Length of beam

Girder: a large iron or steel beam or compound structure used for building bridges and the framework of large buildings

Concrete plank: A hollow-core or solid, flat beam used for floor or roof decking. Concrete

planks are usually precast and prestressed.

Spacing: Space between bearers

Stud: Upright timber piece where plasterboards are found

Nogging: Brick work in timber frame

Lintel: a horizontal support of timber, stone, concrete, or steel across the top of a door or window.

Axial Load: load from roof to foundations

Buckling: Failure under compression usually longer structure rather than wider

Season timber: Timber dried and has stable moisture content

Rafter: Beam forming internal framework of a roof

Purlin: a horizontal beam along the length of a roof, resting on principals and supporting the common rafters or boards

Cantilever: An overhanging beam used to transfer loads

Portal frame: a rigid structural frame consisting essentially of two uprights connected at the top by a third member.

Eave: The part that meets the overhanging part of building

Alloy: metal made by combining 2 or more metallic elements

Soffit: underside of arch, balcony or overhanging eaves

Top chord: truss structure compromising one or more triangular units with straight

members

Drip: water falling

Gutter: Section beneath roof to carry rainwater

Parapet: a low protective wall along the edge of a roof

Down pipe: a pipe to carry rainwater from a roof to a drain or to ground level

Flashing: strip of metal used to stop water from penetrating junction of roof and other

surface

Insulation: covering section with material

Sealant: Material use to cover something to keep it tight

Window sash: frame work that holds panes of windows in window frame

Deflection: degree of displacement under load

Moment of inertia: tendency to keep moving in direction of acceleration

Door furniture: handles, lock and other fixtures on door

Stress: pressure and tension exerted on material

Shear force: forces pushing one part of body in one direction and other part in another

direction

Sandwich panel: panel that consists of 2 aluminium sheets bonded to non aluminium core

Bending: force something into curve or angle

Skirting: wooden board running along interior wall

Composite beam: steel beam with concrete decking causing steel and concrete to act

together

Shadow line joint: uniform spacing ruled by shadows used to measure

Cornice: a moulding around the wall of a room just below the ceiling

Shear wall: wall composed of braced panels that effect lateral load acting on the structure

Soft storey: multi storey building with openings placed where shear wall is usually placed

Braced frame: structural system designed to resist lateral forces they work in tension and

compression similar to truss

Lifecycle: amount material can remain functioning properly

Defut: Standard construction

Fascia: a board or flat piece of material covering end of rafters

Corrosion: damage caused to metals by oxidisation

IEQ: indoor environmental quality eg. thermal comfort

References:

Francis D.K. Ching, 2008, Building Construction Illustrated, 4th Edition, John Wiley & Sons, 20/3/2014

https://app.lms.unimelb.edu.au/bbcswebdav/courses/ENVS10003_2014_SM1/WEEK%2001

/CHING_chapter02.pdf

All e-learning modules: Constructing environments sem 1 2014, The university of Melbourne

Photographs: Yazid Hussein, 14/3/2014- 14/05/2014