Introduction to National Building Code and Steps in a Construction project

AIM:

Introduction to National Building Code and Steps in a Construction project

INTRODUCTION

The National Building Code (NBC) is a document that provides guidelines for construction of structures – residential, mercantile, 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. In this article, we are going to talk about the NBC guidelines for residential buildings. These standardised codes were first published in 1970 and revised later in 1983. The latest revision was in 2005.

National Building Code of India covers the detailed guidelines for construction, maintenance and fire safety of the structures. National Building Code of India is published by Bureau of Indian Standards and it is recommendatory document. Guidelines were issued to the States to incorporate the recommendations of National Building Code into their local building bylaws making the recommendations of National Building Code of India as mandatory requirement. This office has also issued advisories on 18th April, 2017 to all the State Governments to incorporate and implement the latest National Building Code of India 2016 Part – IV “Fire & Life Safety” in their building bye-laws.

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

Building codes or standards is widely reffered and used by state/local bodies regulating development and building construction activities, Govenment construction departments and agencies, private constructio agencies/builders/developers, building professionals and consutants, academic and reasearch 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 sustanability, asset and facility management etc.

Building codes 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, space planning, aesthetics, heating and mechanical ventilations, sound insulation and noice 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 wells as the public.

The designers constantly 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 appropriate 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 buildings 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.

Managing a project is no easy feat, no matter what the scale and scope are. From planning the

The 5 basic phases in the project management process are:

Project Initiation

Project Planning

Project Execution

Project Monitoring and Controlling

Project Closing

Project Initiation

The Project initiation phase is the first stage of turning an abstract idea into a meaningful goal. In this stage, we need to develop a business case and define the project on a broad level. In order to do that, you have to determine the need for the project and create a project charter.

The project charter is an important document consisting of details like the project constraints, goals, appointment of the project manager, budget, expected timeline, etc.

Once we have the project goals and project scope, identify key project stakeholders–the people who are to be involved in the project. Create a stakeholder register with the roles, designation, communication requirements, and influence.

While a clear goal of the project is established in this phase, a project charter does not contain any technical details that happen in the planning stage.

Project 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 achievable within the time frame. Smaller goals should have high potential for success.

Steps for planning phase:

Creating a project plan: identify the project timeline, tasks to be performed and possible constraints.

Creating workflow diagrams: Visualise the processes 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 how much to spend on projects to get maximum return on investment.

Gathering resources: build your functional team from internal and external pool while making sure thateveryone 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 thrugh 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

Project Execution

Project execution is the phase where project-related processes are implemented, tasks are assigned, and resources allocated. The method also involves building deliverables and satisfying customer requirements. Project managers or team leaders accomplish the task through resource allocation and by keeping the team members focused.

The team involved will start creating project deliverables and seek to achieve project goals and objectives as outlined in the project plan. This phase determines whether our project will succeed or not. The success of a project mainly depends on the project execution phase. The final project, deliverable also takes shape during the project execution phase.

There are a lot of essential things that are taken care of during the execution phase

Reporting Progress of a Project

During the project execution phase, it is essential to get regular project updates as it provides the required information and even identifies the issues.

Hold Regular Meetings

Before you kick-off a project meeting, be clear about the agenda and make team members aware of what the meeting is all about well in advance. If communication is timely and straightforward, the productivity of ongoing projects and those that are in the pipeline will not get affected.

Manage Problems

Problems within the project are bound to occur. Issues such as time management, quality management, and a weakening in the team’s morale can hinder the success of a project. So make sure all problems are solved in the beginning.

Project Monitoring and Control

The project monitoring and control phase is all about measuring the performance of the project and tracking progress. It is implemented during the execution phase. The main goal of this phase is to check whether everything aligns with the project management plan especially concerning financial parameters and timelines.

It is the responsibility of the project manager to make necessary adjustments related to resource allocation and ensure that everything is on track. To aid this, a project manager may conduct review meetings and get regular performance reports.

Monitoring project activity after the project execution phase will allow the project manager to take corrective actions. Meanwhile, considering the quality of work will also help to make the necessary improvements. Keeping an eye on the budget will help to avoid unnecessary expenses resources.

Project Closure

With much time and effort invested in the project planning, it is often forgotten that the final phase of the Project Management life cycle phases is equally important.

The project closure phase represents the final phase of the Project Management life cycle, which is also known as the “follow-up” phase. Around this time, the final product is ready for delivery. Here the main focus of the project manager and the team should be on product release and product delivery. In this stage, all the activities related to the project are wrapped up. The closure phase is not necessarily after a successful completion phase alone. Sometimes a project may have to be closed due to project failure.

Upon project completion and timely delivery to clients, it is the role of the project manager to highlight strengths, list the takeaways of the project, identify the ambiguities and suggest how they could be rectified for future projects. Taking time to recognize the strengths and weaknesses will help to handle projects with more dedication; this, in turn, builds the project manager’s credibility.

Once the product is handed to the customers, the documentation is finalized, the project team is disbanded, and the project is closed.

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

The Design Disciplines branch outlines how building design and construction professionals practice in the whole building design process. This process requires all disciplines to coordinate, interact, and integrate issues throughout the life cycle of the project, to achieve a holistic solution with multiple benefits.

A discussion of each Design Discipline's professional services, legal definition, roles and responsibilities in the integrated design process, and related resources are presented. Design professionals are encouraged to review other Design Discipline pages to better understand their roles and responsibilities so that all will be able to work together more effectively, identify gaps and omissions, and resolve issues in an integrated manner.

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

1. a) Architect

1. b) Civil engineer

1. c) Structural engineer

1. d) Electrical engineer

1. e) Plumbing engineer

1. f) Fire protection engineer

1. g) HVAC engineer

1. h) Environment specialist

1. i) Town planner

1. j) Urban designer

1. k) Lamdscape architect

1. l) Security system specialist

1. m) Interior designer

1. n) Quantity surveyor

0) Project/constructon manager

1. p) Other subject specialists

5) How are buildings classified ? Place the following buildings under each category

1. Four unit apartments
2. School with capacity of 1000 students
3. A single unit shop.
4. Multi story Shopping complex
5. Steel machine factory

According to the National Building Code of India – NBC [SP: 7-2005), buildings are classified based on occupancy as follows :

1. Residential buildings
2. Educational buildings
3. Assembly buildings
4. Institutional buildings
5. Mercantile buildings
6. Business buildings
7. Storage buildings
8. Industrial buildings
9. Hazardous buildings

1.Residential Buildings :

These are the buildings in which sleeping accommodation is provided for normal residential purposes with or without cooking or dining or both facilities.

It includes,

Private dwelling houses

apartment houses (flats)

bungalows

School and college dormitories

Hostels

Hotels

Military barracks, e

2.Educational Buildings

These hall include any building used for school, college or day-carepurposes involving assembly for instruction, education or recreation

3.Assembly buildings

These shall include any building or part thereof where a group of people gather for recreation, amuse- ment, social, religious, political, civil, travel and similar purposes.

For example,

Theatres

Cinema halls

Assembly halls

Exhibition halls

Auditoriums

Gymnasiums

Skating rings

Marriage halls

Museums

Places of worship Club rooms

Dance halls

Railway stations

Bus stations

Airports etc.

4.Institutional buildings

These shall include any building or part thereof which is used for purposes such as medical or other treatment or care of persons suffering from physical or mental illness or disease, care of infants, convalescents of aged persons and for penal or correctional detention in which the liberty of the inmates is re- stricted. Institutional buildings ordinarily provide sleeping accommodation for the occupants.

It includes.

Hospitals

Nursing homes

Sanatoria

Mental Hospitals

Jails, Prisons

Orphanges, etc

5.Mercantile buildings

These shall include any building or a part of a building which is used as shops, stores, market, for display and sale of merchandise, either wholesale or retail.

6.Business buildings

These shall include any building or part of a building which is used fortransaction of business, for the keeping of accounts and records for similar purposes.

The principal function of these buildings is transaction of public business and the keeping of books and records.

For example,

Court houses

City halls

Town halls

Libraries

Officies

Banks, etc.

7.Storage buildings

These shall include any building or part of a building primarily used for the storage or sheltering of goods, wares or merchandise.

For example,

Warehouses

Transit sheds

Freight depots

Garages

Hangers

Grain elevators

Stables etc.

8.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 example,

Assembly plants

Power plants

Refineries Mills

Gas plants

Industries, etc.

Dairies

9.Hazardous buildings

These shall include any building or part of a building which is used for the storage, handling, manufacture or processing of highly combustible explosive materials or products which are liable to burn with extreme rapidity or which may produce poisonous fumes or explosions.

These shall also include buildings used for storage, handling, manufacturing or processing which In- valve highly corrosive, toxic or noxious alkalies, acids or other liquids or chemicals producing flame, fumes and explosive etc.

a)Four unit apartments - Group A: Residential building.

b)School with capacity of 1000 students - Group B: Educational building.

e)A single unit shop - Group E: Merchantile building.

d)Multi story Shopping complex - Group E: Merchantile.

e)Steel machine factory - Group H: Industrial building.

6) Distinguish the roles of Design team and Management team

(All data taken from SP7 section 4.1 and 4.2 page 6)

DESIGN TEAM:

In building projects various aspects like form; space planning; aesthetics; fire and life safety; structural adequacy; plumbing services; lighting and natural ventilation; electrical and allied installations; air conditioning, heating and mechanical ventilation; acoustics, sound insulation and noise control; installation of lifts and escalators; building automation; data and voice communication; other utility services installations; landscape planning and design; urban planning; etc need to be kept in view right at the concept stage.

The project requiring such multidisciplinary inputs need a co-ordinated approach among the professionals for proper integration of various design inputs. For this, and to take care of the

complexities of multi-disciplinary requirements, a design team of professionals from required disciplines shall be constituted at the appropriate stage. Here, it is desirable that the multi-disciplinary integration is initiated right from the concept stage. The team shall finalize the plan.

The composition of the team shall depend on the nature and magnitude of the project. Design is an evolutionary and participatory process, where participation of owner constitutes a very

important input at all stages, and the same shall be ensured by the design team.

To ensure proper implementation of the design, the design team, may be associated during the construction/ execution stage.

MANAGEMENT TEAM:

The objective of project management or construction management is primarily to achieve accomplishment of project in accordance with the designs and specifications 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 project management and for construction management depending upon the complexities of the project. However, for smaller projects these teams may be combined.

The teams shall be responsible for day-to-day execution, supervision, quality control, etc and shall ensure inter-disciplinary co-ordination during 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 the design team may also be included in the project management team and/or associated actively during the project execution stage.

It is important that leaders and members of project management/construction management teams, depending on the size and complexity of the project, are carefully selected considering their qualification, experience and expertise in these fields.

7) Refer to NBC, Identify the modeling requirements for the project ( from week 4).

1. Height Limitations
2. Area Limitations
3. Room sizing
4. Wall height
5. Thickness based on fire life and safety
6. Passageway requirements

1. a) Height limitations:

(NBC 2005;Clause C-2.5)

The height of the building shall not exceed 15m.

Notes:

* For buildings upto the height of 15m, there is no need to provide lifts.

* Housing for the low income group shall preferably be upto a maximum of two storeys.

* Buildings for height beyond 15m in height should be resorted to in exceptional circumstances and it should be governed by provisions laid down in this code.

The height of the building in my model is 6.4m which is less than 15m. Hence, it follows NBC guidelines.

1. b) Area limitations:

According to NBC 2005, the the minimum plot size with ground coverage not exceeding 75%, shall not be less than 40m² in small and medium town and not less than 30m² in metropolitan cities. Plot size below 30m² and not less than 15m² may be permitted in case of cluster planning.

In my model the number of rooms in the building is 4 and the total area of the rooms is 157m², which is greater than the value specified in the code. Hence the building is safe.

1. d) Wall height:

According to NBC 2005;Clause F-3.4, the minimum height of rooms and spaces should be :

2. a) Habitable room - 2.75m.

2. b) Kitchen - 2.6m

2. c) Bath/ Water closet - 2.2m.

2. d) Corridors - 2.1m

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

In my model al the walls have a height of 3m which is greater than the minimum wall in the code. Hence it is satisfied

1. e) Thickness based on fire and life safety:

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

In my model the wall thckness is 200mm (8") which is geater than the specified value in the NBC code book. Hence, model is safe.

1. f) Passageway requirements:

Every building or plot shal abut on private/public means of access like streets/ roads duly formed.

The residential plots shall abut on a public means of access like street/road. Plots which do not abut on a street/road shall abut/front on a means of access.

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

My building designed from challenge 1 to challenge 4 follows all the guidelines as per the NBC and was shown in question 7 itself. The only thing which remains is the staircase to access the first floor.

To provide the stair open the revit file from last week. the ground floor layout is as shown

Now select the stair option from the architectural tab and then select the L shaped winder staircase from the modify or create stair as shown.

Now cretae th stair at appropriate place as necessary ib the dining area and the dining table was adjusted accordingly.

To create an access to stair in the first floor shaft opening is provided as shown

The shaft opening is now provided as shown in the figure

RESULT:

The 3D ground floor and first floor view of the staircase now created is as follows