ARCH1162 Structures and Construction 1 - 2024

Assignment

PREAMBLE As future architects it is critical that you not only understand how to construct your designs but consider how the structure and construction can contribute to what you are trying to achieve. An understanding of timber and masonry construction is a central aim of this course as is being aware of the limitations of structure.

To successfully carry out this project you will need to observe actual buildings being built or already built, make use of the various texts referred to in handouts and lectures; ask questions of yourselves, fellow students and tutors as you work. It will be important that you consider the different possibilities that standard solutions offer and amend the solutions while not compromising the pragmatic reasoning  behind the standard solutions.

The project brief requires the design of a timber or timber and masonry structure. The main primary and secondary structure of you scheme is to be developed to a level that explains how it could be built.

BRIEF In ARCH 1101 – Architectural Design Studio 1 you have designed a Fishing Club and Life

Saving Tower at Gordons Bay. (If not discuss with your tutor to make alternate arrangements). During this course you are going to develop and change the design through a series of exercises exploring the construction of the floors, wall and roof in timber or timber and masonry.

The idea is that as the design changes you make the design not only feasible to build but more   interesting. You are to use your new understanding of structures and construction to explore the aesthetic and pragmatic potentials of timber and masonry construction.

APROXIMATE SIZES  Surf Life Saving Tower 20m2, Fishing Club 30m2 and Bathing Facilities  25m2. The Life Saving Tower is for up to three people who are to have uninterrupted views across the   bay. The Fishing Club requires some storage, two work benches and a place for members to catch up.

The Bathing Facilities are to be provided as required and may be largely outside. SITE The site for your building is Gordons Bay. 

PRESENTATION REQUIREMENTS For the assignment there are four components: The Logbook, Construction, Stability and Span Tables.

Logbook

1. Your logbook is a record of what you have been doing both in the tutorials and as self-study. Keep a

record of all the work you have done in the tutorials, any reflections you have on the lectures/ tutorials

(not lecture notes though) and any self study. Try and explain why, what and how things are done. This is an opportunity for you to show us how engaged you are.

Construction

2. You are to produce a 3D computer model of all the main structural elements used in your design. This  can be done in sketch up or any other computer program you like. All structural elements must be shown including the following if used: footings, masonry including cavity, bearers, joists, studs, noggins, top plate, bottom plate, posts, rafters, beams, battens and stair structure.

Stability

3. Consider the lateral stability of your Gordon’s Bay building. Look at wind actions from two directions in plan and think about the way your structure resists actions that tend to turn rectangular panels into parallelograms. Employ one or several of the three stable rectangle methods (diagonal bracing, ridged frame. action or shear wall) over all levels from roof to foundation to achieve stability against wind from either direction.

Consider the connections of your building’s components and idealise the joints. Show this in a system diagram including the forces. Using two-dimensional and/or three-dimensional sketches, demonstrate in separate drawings viable load paths from each point of application of each of the two lateral loads at the top of the building to a footing at the ground. In separate system diagrams Also show the action effect diagram of key structural elements under the two loads.

An example how this looks for part of a small building is provided below as a guide. It shows a picture of the building, a simple 3D sketch with bracing, two system diagrams in elevations showing the load path  and a plan indicating the direction of the forces. You also need to provide a separate sketch with the action effect diagram of your own design.

4. Span tables

Even though all your designs are unique and probably don’t strictly comply with the limitations of AS1684 it is useful to understand span tables and the consequence of your design choices on beam sizes. You are to work out a typical floor joist size and rafter for your design. You may choose any grade of timber.

Use the tables in Acceptable Standards of Construction. Ensure you also check the notes under the span tables.

Submission

1 Submit all of the above in one pdf file less than 20Mb

2. Logbook - Include a scanned copy of your logbook as part of the pdf file

3. Construction - Include three views of your 3D computer model indicating the parts as outlined in point one above.

4. Stability – Provide:

- a system diagram either in 3d or two 2d sketches showing the proposed loads.

- separate load path diagrams including the load and system diagram for each load.

- seperate action effect diagrams for each load

5. Span tables – Show the span tables selected to size your floor joists and rafters. Indicate on the table how you came to select the size required.

For the Floor joists note the roof load width, joist spacing, roof type and whether the floor joist is continuous or a single span.

For the rafters note if a single or continuous span, rafter spacing, if you have any overhang and what roof mass you used.

Add notes under both about limitations and assumptions plus how you addressed any of the notes on the span table.

The submission is to be made via the link on Moodle.

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

        Logbook – engagement with course, exploration, and development of knowledge

        Contribution of construction to design – Is the construction making it interesting?

        Correctness, accuracy and completeness of the construction

        Correct sizing using span table

        Logical bracing, system diagram, load path and action effect diagrams

PROJECT WEIGHTING

The project carries 35% of overall course assessment.