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 ?

ANS:

A building code is a set of rules to regulate the construction activities across the country. The building code includes basic building requirements coupled with administrative regulations. As per definition, the building code is a set of local laws relating to how buildings should be designed or built, especially keeping in mind the safe and quality aspects of the final product.

In India, the National Building Code (NBC) was first published in 1970. The significant provisions of the Indian Building Code include

1. Structural safety of buildings
2. Accessibility for senior citizens and differently-abled citizens
3. Fire and life safety
4. Earthquake resistant design
5. Use of alternative building techniques
6. Environmentally compatible construction techniques such as the use of solar power, rainwater harvesting
7. Solid waste management

The main objective of framing building norms is to attain minimum standards of safety and general welfare and health of the inhabitants of a building. The code contains guidelines for the overall structure of a building including wall assemblies, size of rooms, foundations, floor plans, roof structures, staircase design and mechanical and electrical assemblies such as plumbing, drainage system, lighting, and fixtures standards.

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

ANS:

Group 1: For Development, Building Planning and Related Aspects

• Part 0: Integrated Approach — Prerequisite for Applying Provisions of the Code For Development, Building Planning and Related Aspects
• Part 2: Administration
• Part 4: Fire and Life Safety
• Part 5: Building Materials
• Part 10: Landscaping, Signs and Outdoor Display Structures Section 1 Landscape Planning and Design Section 2 Signs and Outdoor Display Structures

Group 2 For Structural Design and Related Aspects

• Part 0: Integrated Approach — Prerequisite for Applying Provisions of the Code
• Part 6: Structural Design

1. Section 1 Loads, Forces and Effects
2. Section 2 Soils and Foundations
3. Section 3 Timber and Bamboo 3A Timber 3B Bamboo
4. Section 4 Masonry Section 5 Concrete 5A Plain and Reinforced Concrete 5B Prestressed Concrete
5. Section 6 Steel
6. Section 7 Prefabrication, Systems Building and Mixed/Composite Construction 7A Prefabricated Concrete 7B Systems Building and Mixed/ Composite Construction

Group 3: For Construction Related Aspects including Safety

• Part 0: Integrated Approach — Prerequisite for Applying Provisions of the Code
• Part 7: Constructional Practices and Safety

Group 4: For Aspects Relating to Building Services

• Part 0: Integrated Approach — Prerequisite for Applying Provisions of the Code
• Part 8: Building Services

1. Section 1 Lighting and Ventilation
2. Section 2 Electrical and Allied Installations
3. Section 3 Air conditioning, Heating and Mechanical Ventilation
4. Section 4 Acoustics, Sound Insulation and Noise Control
5. Section 5 Installation of Lifts and Escalators

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

ANS:

The amount of planning and work required to complete a project can seem overwhelming. There may be dozens or even hundreds of tasks that need to be completed at just the right time and in just the right sequence. Project managers often find it easier to manage the full scope of a project by breaking it down into five project phases that make up the project management life cycle.Dividing your efforts into these five project management phases can help give them structure and simplify them into a series of logical and manageable steps.

1. Project Initiation

The first phase of the project management life cycle is initiation. This is where the project’s value and feasibility are measured. Project managers typically use two evaluation tools to decide whether or not to pursue a project:

• Buisness Case Document – This document justifies the need for the project, and it includes an estimate of potential financial benefits.
• Feasibility Study – This is an evaluation of the project’s goals, timeline and costs to determine if the project should be executed. It balances the requirements of the project with available resources to see if pursuing the project makes sense.

Teams abandon proposed projects that are labeled unprofitable and/or unfeasible. However, projects that pass these two tests can be assigned to a project team or designated project office.

2. Project Planning

Once the project receives the green light, project managers need a solid plan to guide their team, execute the project on time and stay within the budget. A well-written project plan gives guidance for obtaining resources, acquiring financing and procuring required materials. The project plan gives the team direction for producing quality outputs, handling risk, creating acceptance, communicating benefits to stakeholders and managing suppliers.

The project plan also prepares teams for the obstacles they might encounter over the course of the project and helps them understand the cost, scope and timeframe of the project.

3. Project Execution

This is the phase that is most commonly associated with project management. Execution is all about building deliverables that satisfy the customer. Team leaders make this happen by allocating resources and keeping team members focused on their assigned tasks.

Execution relies heavily on the planning phase. The work and efforts of the team during the execution phase are derived from the project plan.

4. Project Monitoring and Control

Monitoring and control are sometimes combined with execution because they often occur at the same time. As teams execute their project plan, they must constantly monitor their own progress.

To guarantee delivery of what was promised, teams must monitor tasks to calculate key performance indicators and track variations from allotted cost and time. This constant vigilance helps keep the project moving ahead smoothly.

5. Project Closure

Teams close a project when they deliver the finished project to the customer, communicating completion to stakeholders and releasing resources to other projects. This vital step in the project management life cycle allows the team to evaluate and document the project and move on to the next one, using previous project mistakes and successes to build stronger processes and more successful teams.

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

ANS:

Disciplines of Construction Management

1. Construction:

Managing the building of civil engineering systems from cradle to grave to include coordination between the owner, contractor and designer.

2.Finance and estimating:

Operating in the business world to include accounting, financial contracts and estimating the cost of activities.

3.Contracts and Bids:

Demonstrating strong bidding practices and effective contract administration is integral to acquiring the next job or project as a construction manager.

4.Geotechnical:

Designing foundations and earthwork systems to support soil itself and transfer loads from structures into the earth while limiting settlements.

5.Management:

Managing equipment, personnel and supplies to build more effectively, efficiently and economically.

6.Structural:

Designing systems of structural members used to support loads for a specified public function such as bridges, buildings, dams and bell towers.

7.Surveying:

Measuring physical features to include horizontal distances and elevation differences to determine property lines, lay out buildings and produce maps.

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

ANS:

All buildings, whether existing or hereafter erected shall be classified according to the use or the character of occupancy in one of the following groups:

• Group A Residential
• Group B Educational
• Group C Institutional
• Group D Assembly
• Group E Business
• Group F Mercantile
• Group G Industrial
• Group H Storage
• Group J Hazardous

Minor occupancy incidental to operations in another type of occupancy shall be considered as part of the main occupancy and shall be classified under the relevant group for the main occupancy.

a. Four unit apartments

Group A Residential &Sub-division A-4 Apartment houses (flats)

These shall include any building or structure in which living quarters are provided for three or more families, living independently of each other and with independent cooking facilities, for example, apartment houses, mansions and chawls.

b. School with capacity of 1000 students

Group B Educational Buildings

These shall include any building used for school, college, other training institutions for day-care purposes involving assembly for instruction, education or recreation for not less than 20 students.

b) Sub-division B-2 All others/training institutions — This sub-division shall include any building or a group of buildings under single management which is used for students not less than 100 in number.

c. A single unit shop.

Group F Mercantile Buildings

These shall include any building or part of a building, which is used as shops, stores, market, for display and sale of merchandise, either wholesale or retail. Mercantile buildings shall be further sub-divided as follows:

Sub-division F-1 Shops, stores, departmental stores markets with area up to 500 m2

d. Multi story Shopping complex

Group F Mercantile Buildings

These shall include any building or part of a building, which is used as shops, stores, market, for display and sale of merchandise, either wholesale or retail. Mercantile buildings shall be further sub-divided as follows:

Sub-division F-3 Underground shopping centres.

6) Distinguish the roles of Design team and Management team

ANS:

The main functions of design team constituted for the planning, designing and development, are as under:

• Formalization of design brief in consultation with the owner.
• Site investigation/survey.
• Preparation of alternative concept designs.
• Selection of a concept in consultation with and with the consent of owner.
• Sizing the system.
• Development of design, covering:
• Integration of architecture, structure and services, 2) Synthesis of requirements of each discipline, and 3) Interaction with each other and with the owner.
• Preparation of preliminary designs and drawings and obtaining owner’s approval.
• Preparation of preliminary cost estimates for approval of owner.
• Preparation of work-breakdown structure and programme for pre-construction activities.
• Assisting client to obtain approvals of the Authority.
• m) Preparation of detailed specification and PART 0 INTEGRATED APPROACH 7 construction working drawings with integration of engineering inputs of all concerned disciplines.
• n) Preparation of detailed design of each discipline for various services.
• p) Peer review/proof checking of the drawings/ designs in case of important projects, depending upon their complexity and sensitivity.
• q) Preparation of detailed cost estimate.
• r) Obtaining final approval of client. s) Preparation of bill of quantities, specifications and tender documents

The main functions of the teams constituted for Project Management/Construction Management may be, to:

• specify criteria for selection of constructors;
• specify quality control, quality audit system and safety system;
• short-list constructors;
• have pre-bid meetings with the intending constructors;
• receive and evaluate tenders;
• select constructors;
• execution and supervision;
• monitor quality, time and cost control;
• prepare/certify the completion (as-built) drawings; and
• ensure availability of operation manuals for field use.

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

ANS:

• Height Limitation

The height of all rooms for human habitation shall not be less than 2.75 m measured from the surface of the floor to the lowest point of the ceiling (bottom of slab). In the case of pitched roof, the average height of rooms shall not be less than 2.75 m. The minimum clear head room under a beam, folded plates or eaves shall be 2.4 m. In the case of air-conditioned rooms, a height of not less than 2.4 m measured from the surface of the floor to the lowest point of air-conditioning duct or the false ceiling shall be provided.

• Area Limitation

The area of habitable room shall not be less than 9.5 m2, where there is only one room with a minimum width of 2.4 m. Where there are two rooms, one of these shall not be less than 9.5 m2 and the other not less than 7.5 m2, with a minimum width of 2.1 m

• The requirements wall are given below:

1. a) Except with the special permission of the Authority, the maximum height of the compound wall shall be 1.5 m above the centre line of the front street. Compound wall up to 2.4 m height may be permitted if the top 0.9 m is of open type construction of a design to be approved by the Authority.
2. b) In the case of a corner plot, the height of the boundary wall shall be restricted to 0.75 m for a length of 10 m on the front and side of the inter-sections and the balance height of 0.75 m if required in accordance with (a) may be made up of open type construction (through railings) and of design to be approved by the Authority

• FIRE AND LIFE SAFETY

For requirements regarding fire and life safety for different occupancies, reference shall be made to Part 4 ‘Fire and Life Safety’