COSC 354 TEST 1- PROF Bailey

why sustainability is important

Crucial for minimizing environmental impacts, reducing resource depletion, and promoting long term ecological balance

Processes to promote sustainability

Using Eco-Friendly Materials, Energy-Efficient Practices, Waste Reduction

Promoting sustainability by being Held Accountable

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) , Green Building Council, International Living Future Institutes Living Building Challenge

levels of LEED ratings

Certified- 40 to 49, Silver- 50 to 59, Gold- 60 to 79, and Platinum- 80 to 110

7 pillars of sustainable construction

Sustainable Design , Durability, Energy Efficiency ,Waste Reduction, Indoor Air Quality, Water Conservation, Sustainable Building Materials

Sustainable design

"green design", The holistic approach from the design team to provide the intention of minimizing or circumventing negative environmental impacts

Durability

selecting materials that will last which will reduce the environmental impact over the lifespan of the building - less frequent maintenance, less frequent replacements, which decreases the net-impact

Energy Efficiency

Design strategies and techniques to minimize energy use during the planning, build, and ongoing upkeep of any building or project

Waste Reduction

minimize waste during the construction of a project, Promotes the need for recycling and using recycled materials, Pushes for the reuse of existing buildings (renovations) rather than new builds

-Note: 32% of construction materials in landfills were because of demolition of buildings.

Indoor Air Quality

Improving and Promoting indoor air-quality which in turn promotes healthy and comfortable spaces, The #1 compliant in a building is "comfort"

Water Conservation

Minimizing the use of water during the material production but also during the use of the building, EX: Low-flow water fixtures (toilets and urinals)

sustainable building materials

Using materials that have been created using renewable or recycled materials, produced with minimal waste output and those that are designed for long-term use and reusability

Integrated Design Process

holistic understanding from all parties (owner, architect, engineers, contractors) of the buildings design, construction, and operations. Helps optimize sustainability, energy efficiency, and overall project performance, not usually used because is expensive

life cycle analysis

The method to quantify the environmental impacts associated with materials and buildings.

phases of the life cycle

- Raw material extraction

- Construction

- Operation of the building (Use Stage)

- Maintenance (Use Stage)

- Demolition and Recycling

Embodied Energy

Energy used in construction and material production

Operational Energy

Energy Used in the building's lifespan

cradle to gate

Analysis which tabulates the environmental impact of the material extraction up until it leaves the factory

cradle to grave

Through each cycle the environmental impacts are tallied the sum of all of this is the Environmental Impact of that specific material

Commissioning Process

systematic process of ensuring that a building performs in accordance with the design intent, contract documents, and the owner's operational needs, confirming that the designed energy requirements, and operational efficiency is being met

design- bid-build

most common, , the contractor does not start work until the design is complete, and a bid is selected, three phases that do not overlap

pros and cons of design bid build

no collaboration between the general contractor and the design team, owner selects the low proposer - which is not always the most qualified, advantage to the owner is that there is typically a full set of documents when the design is complete, so the risk of exceeding the GMP is the contractors, synonymous with Completive Sealed Proposals, risk for the owner is that anything that is not explicitly shown on the contract documents will be an increase in the contract value to the contractor

CMAR

owner contracts with two entities, the design team and the construction manager, construction manager is brought on early in the design stage for constructability reviews

pros and cons of CMAR

- CM is brought on early for constructability review, encouraging collaboration

- CMAR may not provide the lowest overall cost, and the GMP can increase if incomplete

- Costs and fees are transparent through an open-book process

Design-Build

- Owner contracts with a single entity

- Entity may be one firm handling both design and construction, or a contractor-designer joint venture

- Selection is through an RFQ process, so fees are not known upfront

pros and cons of design build

- Contractor joins early for constructability input

- Encourages collaboration between design and construction

- Common on technical or complex projects

- Owner may not get the most competitive pricing

- Single-entity setup speeds design and improves workflow efficiency

Preconstruction Design Phases

- Planning / Programming - Schematic Design (SD) - Design Development (DD) -Construction Documents (CD)

Planning / Programming

Items usually identified in this step: Project budget, Project schedule, Site Selection and Analysis, Project Scope (General Idea of what is needed/wanted)

Schematic Design

- First step in the architect's design process

- Early phases include site analysis (e.g., geotechnical report, soil testing) and owner's list of required spaces; refined through end-user meetings to shape building form and function

- Ends with delivery of a 100% SD drawing set to the owner

Design Development

- Architect refines SD spaces with owner; selects interior/exterior materials

- Exterior look and shape are finalized; structural and MEP engineering completed

- Phase ends with a 100% DD drawing set delivered to the owner

- CMAR note: Construction Manager provides GMP at this stage

Construction Documents

- Architect issues multiple drawing iterations for owner review and CM constructability checks

- MEP systems finalized (energy calcs, arc flash studies, heating/cooling loads)

- Structural detailing completed; final sections, elevations, partition types, and schedules provided

- Phase ends with a 100% CD set to the owner and a bid set issued for subcontractor bidding

occupancy types

- Identifying occupancy types is an early step that sets the basis of design

- A building can have multiple occupancies (e.g., assembly on first floor, business on second)

- IBC outlines life-safety requirements for each occupancy type

construction types

most common type 1 and 2, Moving from Type I to Type V, the type of building goes from Non-Combustible to Combustible, Many residential units are Type V

Type I & II

exterior and interior building elements must be noncombustible materials

Type III

exterior must be noncombustible, interior must be any permitted by code

Type IV

exterior must be noncombustible, interior must be solid or laminated wood without concealed spaces

Type V

exterior and interior building elements may be any permitted by code

ASTM (American society for testing materials)

- Formerly the American Society for Testing and Materials

- Private organization that sets material and method standards across the U.S.

American National Standards Institute (ANSI)

- Private non-profit that certifies material and safety standards

- Serves as an "umbrella" organization, accrediting standards from others

- Provides voluntary guidance on product safety, conformity, and workplace safety

Construction specifications institute (CSI)

- Large organization that develops and maintains standards for construction communication and documentation

Main goals:

- Standards and publications

- Professional certifications

- Continuing education for construction professionals

MasterFormat

- Used as the baseline for construction specifications since 1963

- Expanded in 2004 from 16 divisions to 50

- Organizes building systems into sections; most specs follow this format

- Divisions 1-33 cover typical construction; 34-50 reserved for future expansion

Uniformat

- Like MasterFormat, UniFormat organizes building scopes of work into divisions

- Key difference: organizes by functional groups (systems-based)

- Primarily used in conceptual estimating for broad, system-level cost estimates

uniformat multi level groups

•A SUBSTRUCTURE •B SHELL •C INTERIORS •D SERVICES •E EQUIPMENT AND FURNISHINGS •F SPECIAL CONSTRUCTION AND DEMOLITION •G BUILDING SITEWORK •Z GENERAL

Lean construction

- BIM supports Lean Construction by reducing time, effort, and material waste

- Lean methods include:

-Just-in-Time delivery

-Prefabrication

-Goal: "Do more with less"

BIM

- 3D representation of a facility's physical and functional characteristics

- Involves creating and managing data through design, construction, and operations

geotechnical report

- Communicates site conditions and construction recommendations to design and construction teams

- Based on subsurface exploration and lab testing

- report done in planning and programming phase

- 1st thing usually done

test boring

- Method used for subsurface exploration in geotechnical reports

- Drilled to predetermined depths based on historical data, with multiple borings across the site

- Often required for building permits or before land sales to developers

Moisture Testing

Each soil sample is weighed, then dried, then weighed again

Atterberg Limits

The moisture content at which the soil changes state (Typically through determining the Plastic Limit and the Liquid Limit of the soil)

Sieve Analysis

classifies soil under the USCS (Unified Soil Classification System)

groundwater

- Groundwater - any water below ground surface

- Water Table - elevation where soil is fully saturated

- Hydrostatic Pressure - pressure exerted by standing water

- Water table level influences deep foundation design (e.g., casing requirements)

Plastic limit

the moisture content at which fine grained soil can no longer be remolded without cracking

liquid limit

the moisture content where the soil starts to behave as a liquid.

plasticity index formula

Plasticity Index = Liquid Limit - Plastic Limit (PI is an important value when determining soil types)

excavation

- needed to reach undisturbed adequately firm soils for whatever activity you are performing

- Earthwork and Excavations are one of the first items that will happen on a project site

excavation safety

When performing excavations, supports must be placed to prevent soil collapse

benching

s loping the trench sides in steps to prevent collapse, Typically a 1:1 ratio

sloping

Requires a larger area, so the soil does not slide back into the hole. This angle is called the angle of repose

shoring

Supporting the sides of an excavation with an external system. for smaller excavations a shore box (trench box) is used and moved along as work progresses, for larger excavations- Soldier beams with planking, Steel sheet piling, Precast concrete pilings, Shotcrete, Soil mixing, Slurry walls, Contiguous piers

2, 3, 4, 5, 25 rule

2 ft - Keep spoils at least 2' from excavation edge.

3 ft - Ladders must extend 3' above excavation.

4 ft - Ladder or stairs required for entry/exit.

5 ft - Protective system required (sloping, benching, shoring, trench box).

25 ft - Excavations must have engineered shoring system.

contiguous piers

Cylindrical concrete piers spaced closely enough that they form a continuous wall If the piers just touch one another, it is called a tangent wall. If they partially overlap, it is called a secant wall.

Steel Sheet Piling

Vertical sheets of steel are driven into the earth to where they overlap one another

shotcrete

In areas where the soil is stable enough to support itself temporarily, the excavation can be reinforced with pneumatically applied concrete (shotcrete), which hardens to protect the excavation and prevent erosion.

slurry wall

Before excavation begins, a steel-reinforced concrete wall is built to the full depth of the excavation, making this an expensive shoring method that is only practical when it will also serve as part of the building's foundation.

bracing

As an excavation gets deeper and a shoring system is installed, it must be braced to resist earth and water pressures, typically using crosslot bracing, rakers, or tiebacks.

Crosslot bracing

The system connects walls together with steel beams so the dirt pressure is shared and doesn't collapse the excavation, Waler beams distribute weight over a wall, ensuring that the pressure is dispersed along the entire length of the structure

rakers

Rakers are angled braces that push the pressure from the excavation wall down into a stronger, more stable area, usually resting on a temporary concrete foundation

Tie backs

anchored cables/rods that hold the wall from outside the excavation, used when the soil can hold the anchors and when rakers or cross-lot bracing would take up too much space inside the site

de watering

With any excavation, standing water must be removed from the surrounding soil to keep the site safe and reduce pressure on underground structures. This is usually done with sumps, well points, cutoff walls, or soil freezing

sump pit

The easiest and cheapest way to remove water from an excavation is with a sump pit, which is a low spot dug so water flows into it and can be pumped out from one central location

well points

lowers the water table so the excavation stays dry and stable. It works by drilling small pipes into the ground, connecting them to a header pipe, and then to a pump that runs continuously. The main drawback is that it needs constant maintenance and frequent filter checks

cutoff wall

keeps groundwater out of an excavation by creating a low-permeability wall around the site. The wall extends deep enough to reach an impermeable layer so water can't flow under it, usually near very wet areas

soil freezing

drilling vertical pipes around an excavation and circulating coolant through them to freeze the water in the soil. The frozen soil temporarily blocks groundwater, making the area dry. However, it's very expensive, energy-heavy, and usually only used in tunnels, mines, or shafts where normal dewatering methods won't work.

foundation

transfers building loads to ground, spreads weight, and anchors against forces

shallow foundation

supports buildings near the surface; simple and affordable, good for houses and smaller buildings

spread footings

wide base under a column that spreads the load to the soil

wall footing

Is a continuous strip of concrete that serves to spread the weight of a load-bearing wall across an area of soil.

mat foundation

big slab under the whole building, used when soil is weak for point loads

floating mat foundation

mat foundation balanced by excavated soil weight to reduce settlement, As a rule of thumb, removing one story of soil can balance about five to eight stories of building weight

deep foundations

carries load deep into strong soil/rock when surface soil can't support it

cassion/ drilled pier

drilling a large hole into the ground, then widening the bottom with a belling tool to form a "bell" shape. Reinforcing steel is placed inside, and the hole is filled with concrete. The bell increases the surface area at the base, which allows the pier to support more weight

Socketed Caisson

drilled straight into solid rock, The strength comes from the caisson being anchored into the rock layer rather than spreading out at the base

wooden piles

most economical type of pile foundation, but they have limitations. They can split when driven with heavy equipment, and if not treated, they can decay from moisture in the soil

steel H piles

are typically used for end-bearing piles. Steel piles are flexible because they can be spliced with additional steel (welded) to increase the length

steel pipe piles

Open-ended piles are driven to depth, cleaned out inside, and then filled with concrete, Closed-ended piles are driven and immediately filled with concrete after inspection, The drawback of closed piles is that they push soil outward, which can cause nearby ground to heave

concrete piles

prestressed, durable piles with high load capacity, resistant to decay and corrosion

pile equipment

piling hammers, which are powered by steam, compressed air, hydraulics, or diesel. The hammer lifts and drops repeatedly onto the pile to drive it into the ground. If this isn't enough, a vibratory hammer may be used to shake the pile as it's driven, making penetration easier

end bearing piles

slender pile driven to solid strata, used when surface soils are weak or too deep

friction piles

deep foundation that transfers load through friction between the pile's surface and the surrounding soil along its entire length. Instead of resting on rock or hard soil like end-bearing piles, friction piles rely on shear stresses in the soil to hold the load, making them useful when the strong layer is too deep to reach

auger cast piles

drilling into the ground with a hollow auger. As the auger is pulled out, grout is pumped through it under pressure, filling the hole with fluid grout all the way to the surface. This creates a solid pile shaft in the ground without needing driving hammers.

differences between piers and piles

- Pile foundations transfer load through friction and bearing while pier foundations transfer through bearing only

- Pile foundations are typically at a greater depth

- Piers are usually much larger in diameter

- Piles are most frequently driven, piers are drilled

Seismic Base Isolation

flexible supports that protect buildings from earthquake shaking

underpinning

the process of strengthening and stabilizing an existing foundation. It's needed when:

- The original foundation is failing or wasn't designed strong enough.

- The building's use changes and requires more load capacity.

- Additional floors are added, increasing the load.

- Nearby construction disturbs the existing foundation.

- Site conditions prevent using normal deep foundation methods for expansion

method of underpinning- mass concrete

A deepened and enlarged footing is installed beneath the existing foundation

method of underpinning- Helical Piles

Galvanized steel piles that are attached to a building's foundation, installed at intervals around the perimeter at the affected locations and screwed or driven down to competent soils to bypass the problematic soils

up-down construction

is a method used when a project has multiple basement levels and the schedule can't wait for all the substructure work to finish before starting the superstructure

foundation waterproofing

keep water out with drainage + protective coatings

foundation drainage

pulling groundwater away from the foundation, which lowers the amount of water pressing against the walls and slabs. It usually includes a drainage mat, perforated drainage pipes (like a French drain), and porous backfill materials such as gravel

drainage mat

placed against a foundation wall to guide water away. Its dimpled, egg-crate shape creates an air gap so water doesn't get trapped against the concrete. A filter fabric covers the mat, letting water pass through while blocking soil particles. The water then flows down into a perforated drain system at the bottom

perforated drainage piping

sloped pipe with holes that collects water and carries it away, protected by gravel and fabric