Construction Tech - Farfetched

Question 1

What is includeed in Approved Document B?

Answer 1

Fire Safety

2 Volumes - Dwellings and other buldings

Means of escape, prevention of fire spreading, fire alarms / requirement for sprinklers

Question 2

What are the different types of surveys you can conduct?

Answer 2

For offices - existing services
For basebuild - ground conditions
For existing building - asbestos

Question 3

What are strip out works?

Answer 3

Removal of non-structural elements

(if you turned the building upside down, all the elements that would fall to the ground)

Question 4

Name some different foundations

Answer 4

Raft, pad, strip and piled

Question 5

How do you measure ductwork?

Answer 5

1. Determine type of ductwork
2. Measure linear meter
3. Identify any elbows, T-sections, and take-offs

Question 6

What is CLT?

Answer 6

Cross laminated timber - engineered wooden panels which have layers of timber grains orienting at 90 degrees

Question 7

What are the benefits of CLT?

Answer 7

Sustainable
High strength to weight ratio
Can be aesthetically pleasing

Question 8

What are the drawbacks of CLT?

Answer 8

Moisture sensitivity
Risk of fire
High capital costs (capex)
Requires specialist labour

Question 9

What are underfloor air displacement systems? (UFAD)

Answer 9

Use an underfloor plenum (pool of air) beneath a raised access floor to provide conditioned air through floor diffusers directly to the occupied zone.

Question 10

How are UFAD’s used?

Answer 10

1. Air pooled below RAF
2. Cool air rises through diffusers
3. Warmth from people/equipment helps air to rise and to be released as contaminated air

Question 11

What are benefits to UFADs?

Answer 11

Improves ceiling heights (unobstructed)
Better indoor air quality
Reduced energy consumption (no requirement for fans) OPEX cost saving - cheaper to run

Question 12

What are drawbacks to UFADs?

Answer 12

New and unfamiliar technologies - requires specialist trades
Higher CAPEX costs
Poor design can lead to spillages/leaks which are hard to clean
Poor design can lead to discomfort such as cold feet - complex maintenance of plenum

Question 13

What are some different types of pile walls?

Answer 13

Sheet, contingious, sheet

Question 14

What is a continguous pile

Answer 14

Series of bored piles only leaving a very small gap in between (not watertight)

Question 15

What is a secant pile?

Answer 15

Interlocking bored piles

Question 16

What are sheet piles?

Answer 16

Sections of material (typically steel) commonly used to create retaining walls or excavation support

Question 17

Can you explain what tieing in is?

Answer 17

Relates to capping beams and pile caps where structures are tied together

1. Once piles are completed, rebar is exposed
2. Rebar for capping beam/pile cap is tied into each other
3. Formwork is added for capping beam and then concrete is poured

Question 18

What is a capping beam?

Answer 18

A structure laid on top of the pile wall to provide continuity and help distribute loads

Question 19

How are piles constructed?

Answer 19

Driven (displacement) - pile driver hammers pile into the ground

Bored (replacement) - soil removed to pour pile in situ

Question 20

What is a Continuous Helical Displacement Pile (CHD)?

Answer 20

Driven pile which is cast in-situ by screwing down a pile driver and spislacing soil laterally

Question 21

What is a Continuous Flight Auger Pile (CFA)?

Answer 21

Bored pile which is simultaneously being cast-in situ

Question 22

What is the cost of a pile?

Answer 22

Depends on the length and width of the pile - can be c. £1500 per pile

Question 23

What is underpinning?

Answer 23

Process of stregntherning existing foundation by introducing additional support measures

Question 24

What is the ‘hit and miss’ approach?

Answer 24

Refers to underpinning

Excavating a foundation in bays to support every 1m or so rather than 1 whole trench

Question 25

What is the traditional underpinning technique?

Answer 25

Excavate in sections by excavating section to new level, supporting with formwork or temporary works and then pouring concrete

Question 26

How does top-down construction work?

Answer 26

Substructure works progress simultaneously with superstructure 1. Ground slab cast with access hatch 2. Basement excvated 3. Secant piles constructed to perimeter or basement 4. B1 slab formed as superstructure works continue

Question 27

What are the pros and cons of top-down construction?

Answer 27

Pros - quicker programme, reduces time-related prelim costs Cons - challenging, requires more planning as there are more risks

Question 28

What are the different basement grades?

Answer 28

Grade 1 - Basic Utility (car parks) Grade 2 - Improved Utility (retail storage) Grade 3 - Habitable Space (office/residential) Grade 4 - Special Areas (document archives)

Question 29

What are some different ways of waterproofing a basement?

Answer 29

Structural protection - using the structure of the basement as waterproofing Barrier Protection (tanking) - creating a seal to protect walls from penetration Drained Cavity System - water penetration to fall into void former between internal and external wall and then pumped away

Question 30

What are hydrophilic water stops?

Answer 30

Sealing materials, which when water tries to leak through, expand to create a permanent watertight barrier

Question 31

What do building regulations state about tanking?

Answer 31

Tanking is to be applied to all new build structures below ground

Question 32

What is approved document relates to basement waterproofing?

Answer 32

Approved Document C - Site Preparation and Resistance to Contaminants and Moisture

Question 33

What are the different types of tanking?

Answer 33

Tanking is a type of sealant Tanking membranes - sheet fixed to brickwork Coating - painted onto brickwork or render

Question 34

What is a resin injection?

Answer 34

Structural repair technique which injects an epoxy into cracks within concrete, masonry to restore structural integrity or protect from leaks

Question 35

What is a sump pump?

Answer 35

Small pump installed in a sump pit to pump water away from a building

Question 36

What is slip form construction?

Answer 36

Method of constructing concrete stuctures by pouring concrete into MOVING FORMWORK that rises vertically at a rate fast enough to allow the concrete to set

Question 37

What is jump form construction?

Answer 37

Process which allows concrete to cure in formwork before jumping up (using hydraulic jacks) to the next level to repeat the process Typically used for lift chafts and cores in high rise buildings

Question 38

How is the depth of a pile determined?

Answer 38

Depends on the ground conditions and load-bearing requirements If the pile goes into soft (clay) or hard rock

Question 39

In a secant wall, are both female and male piles reinforced?

Answer 39

No, only male piles have reinforcement to allow them to overlap female piles

Question 40

How is a floor of a building built?

Answer 40

For a steel frame: Metal decking is propped between the frame which acts like formwork Reinforcement is them placed in position Concrete is then poured on top

Question 41

How is steel measured?

Answer 41

Measured in tonnes Density (kg/m) x length (m) = weight of the steel Weight is divided by 1000 = kg to tonnes

Question 42

What is the cost of a pile?

Answer 42

Depends on the type of pile Secant pile - c. £40k per pile

Question 43

What are some latest innovations in construction?

Answer 43

3D printing AI

Question 44

What are the different levels of BIM?

Answer 44

Level 0 - No collaboration Level 1 - Partial BIM integration. Limited collaboration Level 2 - Project teams share 3D models Level 3 - Full collaboration, real-time sharing and updates

Question 45

When is a cavity drainage system used?

Answer 45

High water table - typical in London When there is plant in the basement - used as a form of protection for waterproofing