Introduction to National Building Code and Steps in a Construction project

INTRODUCTION TO NATIONAL BUILDING CODE AND STEPS IN A CONSTRUCTION PROJECT

1.Why are building codes or standards essential for the modeling/ efficiency of drawings in Revit ?

The National Building Code is a document that provides guidelines for construction of structures like residential, merchantile, institutional, educational, commercial, assembly, storage spaces or even hazardous buildings. It is important to follow these guidelines that are meant to protect the overall health of the construction and ensure the health and safety of the public and the residents. These standardised codes were first published in 1970 and revised later in 1983. The latest revision was in 2005.

This code is widely referred and used by state/local bodies regulating development and building construction activities. Government construction departments and agencies, private construction agencies/builders/developers, building professionals and consultants, academic and research institutions and building material and technology suppliers throughout the country. The code mainly contains administrative regulations, development control rules and general building requirements. Fire safety requirements, stipulations regarding materials, structural design and construction, building and plumbing services, landscape development, signs and outdoor display structures, guidelines for sustainability, asset and facility management etc.,

Building code and standards are essential for the modelling/efficiency of drawing in revit:

• These codes enables us to model a structure with atmost safety as it covers all the aspects that ensure the safety of a building like fire and life safety, structural adequacy, lighting and natural ventilations, sound insulation and noise control and other utility service requirements.
• These code provide a set of standards that are uniform to all structures, hence it guides the modelling process.
• These codes protect the overall health of construction as well as the public.
• The designers constanly refer these building codes for modelling which enhances their knowledge in this field.
• It enables to combine the modern construction methods with the standard conventional standards.
• These standards also helps the government agencies to approve the plans as it becomes the law of particular jurisdiction when formally enacted by approprate government or authority.

Hence, it is necessary to follow the codes for designing a model using revit.

2.From the National Building Code list the groups that will be essential to you when you begin modeling in Autodesk Revit.

According to National Building code the buidlings are classified based on Occupancy as follows,

Group A - Residential buildings

Group B - Educational buildings

Group C - Assembly buildings

Group D - Institutional buildings

Group E - Mercantile buildings

Group F - Business buildings

Group G - Storage buildings

Group H - Industrial buildings

Group J - Hazardous buildings

3.List the five major steps that occur in project cycle . The steps should include from conceptualization of project to maintenance and final stage.

Major steps in a project cycle are,

1.Intiation:

In this stage, it is necessary to figure out the objective of the project, determine whether the project os feasible and identify the major deliverable for the project.

Following steps involved in the initiation stage:

• Undertaking a feasibility study: Identify the primary problem that the project will solve and whether the project will deliver the solution to that problem.
• Identifying scope: Define the product or service to provide.
• Identifying project stakeholders: Figure out whom the projects to provides will affect and what their needs may be.
• Developing a statement of work: Document the project's objective, scope and deliverables that is identified previously as a working agrrement between the project owner and those working on the project.

2.Planning:

Once the project is approved to move forward based on the business case, statement of work or project initiation document, the next phase is planning.

During this phase the large project is broken down into smaller tasks, build your team and prepare a schedule for the completion of assignments. Create smaller goals within the larger projects. Making sure each is achievables with in the time frame. Smaller goals should have high potential for success.

Following steps involved in the planning stage

• Creating a project plan: Identify the project timeline, taks to be performed and possible constraints.
• Creating workflow diagrams: VIsualise the process to make sure that team members clearly understands their role in a project.
• Estimating budget and creating a financial plan: Use cost estimates to determine howmuch to spend on projects to get maximum return on investment.
• Gathering resources: Build your functional team from internal and external pool while making sure that everyone has necessary tools to complete their tasks.
• Anticipating risks and potential quality roadblocks: Identify issues that may cause your project to stall while planning to mitigate through those risks and maintain projects quality and timeline.
• Holding a project kickoff meeting: Bring team onboard and outline the project so that they can quickly get to work.

3.Execution:

This phase turns plan into action, the project managers job is to keep work on track, organize team members, manage timelines and make sure that work is done according to original plan.

Following steps involved in the execution,

• Creating tasks and organizing workflows: Assign granular aspects of project to the appropriate team members, making sure team members are not overworked.
• Briefing team members on task: Explain tasks to team members, providing necessary guidance, organising process related to training, if required.
• Communicating with team members, clients and upper management: Provide update to project stakeholders at all levels.
• Monitoring quality of work: Ensuring team members are meeting their time and quality goals for the tasks.
• Managing budget: Monitor spending and keeping the project on track interms of assets and resources.

4.Closure:

Once the team has completed work on a project, closure phase starts. In closure phase, you provide final deliverables, release project resources and determine the success of the project.

Following steps are involved in the closure phase,

• Analyzing project performance: Determine whether project goals were met and the initial problem solved using prepared checklist.
• Analyzing team performance: Evalutae how team members performed, including whether they met their goals along with timelines and quality of work.
• Documenting project closure: Make sure that all aspects of the projects are completed with no loose ends remaining and providing reports to key stakeholders.
• Conducting post implementation reviews: Conduct a final analysis of the project, taking into account lessons learned for similar projects in the future.
• Accounting for used and unused budget: Allocate remaining resources for future projects.

4.Give examples of different disciplines involved in construction of a project

There are multiple disciplines involved in a construction projects are,

• Construction: Managing the building of civil engineering systems from beginning to end and to include coordination between the owner, contractor and designer.
• Finance and Estimating: Operating in the business world to include accounting, finanncial contracts and estimating the costs of activities.
• Contracts and Bid: Demonstrating strong bidding practices and effective contract administration is integral to acquiring the next job or project as a construction manager.
• Geotechnical: Designing foundations and earthwork systems to support soil itself and transfer loads from structures into the earth while limiting settlements.
• Managements: Managing equipments, personnel and supplies to build more effectively, efficiently and economically.
• Surveying: Measuring physical features to include horizontal distances and elevation difference to determine property lines, layout buildings and poduce maps.

Inorder to carry out the project appropriate multi disciplinary teams needed to be constituted which may comprise of:

1. Architect
2. Civil Engineer
3. Structural Engineer
4. Electrical Engineer
5. Plumbing Engineer
6. Fire protection Engineer
7. HVAC Engineer
8. Environmental Specialist
9. Town Planner
10. Urban Designer
11. Landscape Architect
12. Security system specialist
13. Interior Designer
14. Quantity Surveyor
15. Project/Construction manager
16. Other subject specialists.

5) How are buildings classified ? Place the following buildings under each category
a. Four unit apartments
b. School with capacity of 1000 students
c. A single unit shop.
d. Multi story Shopping complex
e. Steel machine factory

According to National Building Code the buildings are classified based on Occupancy as follows:

• Group A: Residential Building
  • These are the buildings in which sleeping accomodation is provided for normal residential purposes with or without cooking or dining or both facilities. It incluedes:
    
    • Private dwelling houses
    • Apartment houses
    • Bunglows
    • School and college doritories
    • Hostels
    • Hotels
    • Military barracks, etc.,

• Group B: Educational Building
  • These hall include any building used for school, college or daycare purposes involving assembly for instruction, education or recreaion.

• Group C: Assembly Building
  • These shall include any building or part there of where a group of people gather for recreation, amusement, social, religous, political, civil, travel and similar purposes.

• Group D: Institutional Building
  
  • These shall include any building or part thereof which is used for purposes such as medical or other treatment or careof persons suffering from physical or mental illness or disease, care of infants, convalascents of aged persons and for penal or correctional detention in which the liberty of the inmates is restricted. Institutional buildings ordinarily provides sleeping accomodation for the occupaants. It includes,
    
    • Hospitals
    • Nursing homes
    • Sanatoria
    • Mental hospitals
    • Jails, Prisons
    • Orphanages.
• Group E: Mercantile Building
  • These shall include any building or part thereof which is used as shops, stores, market for display and sale of marchantise, either wholesale or retail.
• Group F: Business Building
  • These shall include any building or part thereof which is used for transporation of business, for the keeping of accounts and records for similar purposes. The principle function of these buildings is transaction of public business and keeping of books and records.
  • Eg.,
    • Court houses
    • City halls
    • Libraries
    • Offices
    • Banks, etc.,
• Group G: Storage Buildings
  • These shall include any building or part thereof which is used for the storage or sheltering of goods, ware houses or merchntise
  • For Ex.,
    • Warehouses
    • Transit sheds
    • Freight depots
    • Garages
    • Hangers
    • Grain elevators
    • Stables, etc.,
• Group H: Industrial Buildings
  • These shall include any building or part of a building or structure in which products or materials of all kinds and properties are fabricated, assembled or processed.
  • For Ex.,
    • Assembly plants
    • Power plants
    • Refineries mills
    • Gas plants
    • Industries
    • Diaries
• Group J: Hazardous Buildings
  
  • These shall include any building or part thereof which is used for storage, handling, manufacturing or processing of highly combustible explosive materials of products which are liable to burn with extreme rapidity or which may produce poisonous fumes or explosions.

• A) Four unit apartments - Group A: Residential Buildings
• B) School with capacity of 1000 students - Group B: Educational Buildings
• C) A single unit shop - Group E: Mercantile buildings
• D) Multi storey shopping complex - Group E: Mercantile buildings
• E) Steel machine factory - Group H: Industrial buildings

6) Distinguish the roles of Design team and Management team

Design Team:

• In building projects various aspects like form: Space planning, Aestehetics, Fire and life safety, structural adequacy, Plumbing service, Lighting and natural ventilation,electrical and allied installations, Air conditioning, heating and mechanical ventilations, acoustic, sound insulation and noise control, installations of lifts and escalators, building automation, data and voice communications and other utility services installation, landscape planning and design, urban planning etc needs to be kept in view right at the concept stage.
• The project requiring such multi-disciplinary inputs need a coordinated approach among the professionals for proper integration of various design inputs. For this, to take care of the complexities of multidisciplinary requiremenrs, a design team of professionals from required disciplines shall be constituted at the appropriate stage. It is desirable that the multi disciplinary integration is initiated right from the concpet stage. The team shall finalise the plan
• The Composition of team shall depend on the nature and magnitude of the project design is an evolutionary and participatory process, where participation of owner constitute a very important input at all stages and the same shall be ensured by design team.
• To ensure proper implementation of the design, the design team maybe associated during the construction/execution stage. (NBC 2005: Clause 4.1)

Management Team

• The objective of the project management is primarily to achieve accomplishment of project in accordance with the designs and specification in a stipulated time and cost framework, with a degree of assurance prior to commencement and satisfaction on accomplishment.
• For Large projects, separate teams of experienced professionals from the required disciplines may be constituted for protect management and for construction management depending on the complexities of project.
• These teams shall be responsible for day to day execution, supervision, quality controk etc., and shall ensure inter-disciplinary coordination dusring the construction stage.
• The team shall be responsible to achieve satisfactory completion of the project with regard to cost, time and quality. Some members of design team may also be included in this team.
• It is important that the leaders and members of this team, depending on the size and complexity of the project are carefully selected considering their qualification, experience and expertise in these fields. (NBC 2005: Clause 4.2).

7) Refer to NBC, Identify the modeling requirements for the project ( from week 4).
a. Height Limitations
b. Area Limitations
c. Room sizing
d. Wall height
e. Thickness based on fire life and safety
f. Passageway requirements

A.Height Limitations:

• The height of the building shall not exceed 15m
• The minimum height of the beasement should be 2.5 meters and the maximum height 4.5 meters.
• The ceiling height should be a minimum of 0.9 meters nd a maximum of 1.2 meters above the road surface.
• The height between the loft and ceiling should not be less than 1.75 meters.
• The height limitation of the building shall not exceed 15m
• Housing for the low - A income group shall preferably be upto a maximum of two stories
• Lifts shall be provided in buildings more than six stories or 20 m in height. Installation of lifts shall be carried out in conformity with the "Lift Act" and rules thereunder, wherever they are in force.

B.Area Limitations:

• According to NBC 2005, the minimum plot size with ground coverage not exceeding 75%, shall not be less than 40 Sq.m in small and medium towns and not less than 30 Sq.m in metropolitan cities.
• Plot size below 30 Sq.m and not less than 15 Sq.m may be permitted in case of cluster planning.

Floor Area Ratio or Floor Space Index or Total build up area = Total site area - All open spaces area

F.A.R = Sum of all floors area / Plot area

Floor Area = Built up area - Area of wall thickness

The local authority or the secondary authority is responsive for governing the value of F.A.R., which is different for different zones and types of buildings in the locality. The F.S.I. can be utilized for checking the density of the population. E.g., If the plot area is 1200 Sq.Ft and if the allowable F.S.I is 0.8, then the maximum built up area allowed for the plkot is 960 Sq.Ft. As per the National Building Code 2016 for clear understanding, the build up area versus plot area is as follows,

The area of my model is 900 Sq.Ft, 75% of the area is 675 Sq.Ft > 40 Sq.m , Hence OK.

C.Room Sizing:

Every dwelling unit provided should have at least two habitable rooms, even if the one-room house is provided initially it should be capable of adding a new second room in the future. however, in case single room tenements are required to be provided where future additions are not possible, the car[et area of a multipurpose single room should be at least 12.5 Sq.m. Such one-room dwelling units with a 12.5 Sq.m carpet area of habitable space are permitted only in case of onsite rehabilitations of slum dwellers. In a house of two rooms, the first room shall not be less than 9.0 Sq.m with a minimum width of 2.5 M and the second room shall not be less than 6.5 Sq.m with a minimum width of 2.1 m provided the total area of both the rooms is not less than 15.5 Sq.m. In Incremental housing, the bigger room shall always be the first room.

My model rooms

• Bedroom 1 - 20' X 10' = 200 Sq.Ft > 12.5 sq.m
• Bedroom 2 - 10' X 15' = 150 Sq.Ft > 12.5 sq.m
• Kitchen - 10' X 10'
• Bath - 10' X 8'3"

Hence OK.

D. Wall height

According to NBC 2005, Cl F-3.4, The minimum height of rooms and spaces should be,

• Habitable room - 2.75 m
• Kitchen - 2.6 m
• Bath/water closet - 2.2 m
• Corridors - 2.1 m

In the case of the sloping roof, the average height of the roofs for habitable rooms shall be 2.75 m and minimum height at 2.1 m

All the walls in my model are 3m height > 2.75 m, Hence OK.

E.Thickness based on Fire life and safety

The thickness of masonry walls is given by Table 2 of the fire and life safety section of NBC 2005,

In the model thickness of the main wall is 9" and inner wall is 4.5" for Brick concrete NBC vlue, Hence OK.

F.Passageway requirements

• The approach to the buildings from road/street/internal means of access shall be through the paved pathway of a width not less than 1.5m, provded its length is not more than 30m.
• In the case of special housing schemes for the low-income group and economically weaker section of society developed up to two storeyed row/cluster housing scheme, the pedestrian pathway width shall be 3 m. The pedestrian oathway shall not serve more than 8 plots on each side of the pathway. The length of the pathway shall be not more than 50 m.
• The length of tha main means of access shall be determined by the distance from the fartherest plot to the public street. Thelength of the subsidary accessway shall be measured from the point of its origin to the next wider road on which it meets.
• In existing built up area in the case of plots facing street/ means of access less than 4.5 m in width , the plot boundary shall be shifted to be away by 2.25 m from the central line of the street/ means of accessway to give rise to a new street/means of accessway of 4.5 m width.

For my model, Approach Road is 6'6" > 1.5 M , Hence OK.

8) We have identified requirements for modeling from question 7, Use these numbers from code book and verify the numbers used in modeling the unit from week 2 to week 4. If the numbers are not reasonable, use the numbers obtained from the code book to create a revision of the mode.

This model resembles the actual modeling requirements for Project 1 of course work

A.Height limitations

The height of my model in project 1 is 24' < 15 m, Hence OK.

B.Area limitations

The area of my model is 900 Sq.Ft, 75% is 675 Sq.ft > 40 Sq.m. Hence OK.

C.Room Sizing

My model rooms

• Bedroom 1 - 20' X 10' = 200 Sq.Ft > 12.5 sq.m
• Bedroom 2 - 10' X 15' = 150 Sq.Ft > 12.5 sq.m

Hence OK.

D.Wall height

All the walls in my model are 3m height > 2.75 m, Hence OK.

E.Thickness based on Fire life and safety

In the model thickness of the main wall is 9" and inner wall is 4.5" for Brick concrete NBC vlue, Hence OK.

F.Passageway requirements.

For my model, Approach Road is 6'6" > 1.5 M , Hence OK.