Building Construction II
Project1
Skeletal Construction (Temporary Bus Shelter)
In a group of 6 people, we are required to construct a temporary bus shelter by using recycled materials. The bus shelter should be constructed to accommodate 5-6 people with a scale of 1:5 where the maximum height of the model is 600mm and maximum base size is 400mm x 800mm.
The objectives of this project are :
1. To create an understanding of skeletal structure and its relevant structural components.
2. To understand how a skeletal structure reacts under loading.
3. To demonstrate a convincing understanding of how skeletal construction works.
4. To be able to manipulate skeletal construction to solve an oblique design problem.
This project is to produce shelter based on the understanding of skeletal construction and its joints. The shelter has to be tested to determine its strength and as a group of 6, we are required to analyze the success or failure of the respective shelter.
Through this project, we have gotten the chance to design and build a skeletal structure from scratch, develop a better understanding about the workability and load distribution of the skeletal construction. As we have already gotten the knowledge from the lectures, to practice and apply it into a real structure constructed by ourselves is definitely more beneficial. Besides, we have also learn about the characteristics of a particular materials and how the joints work in the structure to prevent structural failure of the shelter. It was definitely an eye widening experience for us to complete a shelter by our own.
For more, do read the project report for further understanding of this project.
Project2
Understanding Force In Building Construction
In a group of 3, we are required to propose a building either with tensile/membrane construction or grid shell construction and identify the structural systems used in the construction of the building of your choice. We chose grid shell structure and the building that we chosen is Weald & Downland Gridshell Open Air Museum by Buro Happold and Edward Cullinan Architects.
The objectives of this project are:
1. To create an understanding of building components used and its assembly.
2. To demonstrate good drawing skills in building details and how it reacts under loading and force.
3. To be able to manipulate the selection of materials used and ensure its buildability.
From this project, I learnt to identify different basic structural systems in construction (Gridshell construction) and also to differentiate in terms of loads and forces acting on the structural elements of the building. Besides, I learnt to recognize and apply the implications of construction in our design as well, to analyse the issues of strength, stiffness, and stability of structures including modes of structural systems, forces, stress and strain and laws of static.
