BPM113: Construction Technology Assignment on Building Evaluation

Introduction:

Good engineering or technical solutions are those which have been tried and tested effective in real life. In this assignment, the students are required to look one step (or two steps) deeper at their most frequented buildings, gaining insights that go beyond what meets the eye.

The building chosen should be one which the student visit frequently and are able to access extensively. The students are encouraged to study the physical existence of the building and from there make their own assessment, other than regurgitating online search results.

The project specific write up should address the following questions:

Question 1

(a) Prepare a general introduction of the building being studied. The introduction should be brief (limited to 200 words, ideally) and covers key information such as the building’s location, land area, gross floor area, type of use (zoning), allowable loadings at various parts, roof and façade types. (7 marks)

(b) Identify THREE (3) existing (if none observed, potential future) defects / shortcomings of the building. Support the findings with photos and elaborate the defects’ current development, potential root causes and rectification measures. (15 marks)

(c) Identify and describe THREE (3) features (if none observed, potentially can be added) which enhance the building’s sustainability. The write up should be concise and limited to 200 words per feature. (21 marks)

(d) The categorization between structural, architectural and sustainability aspects of a building can be confusing at times. But it becomes less so if we study the individual elements. You are to identify and describe SIX (6) common elements present in the building. At least four of the six elements identified should be structural. The write up should clarify their functions and their category (or categories). (24 marks)

(e) Suppose the owner has plans to modify the building by expanding it horizontally (eg, adding wings to main building) and you are asked to give advice on its feasibility. The write up should include a general description of work process (from planning stage till completion) for the modification planned. The student is to identify THREE (3) challenges of such modification work may face and discuss possible measures to overcome them (or, rational to abandon the plan, if there is no possible overcoming measures). (18 marks)