Introduction to National Building Code and Steps in a Construction project
1) Building codes and standards provided by NBC are important as it helps to provide sturctural integrity, safe structures, proper accessbility, proper ventilation requirements and sustainable choices for our model. Following these codes ensure protection of buildings, occupants, properties inside. These codes ensure proper, error free designing in Revit and thereby casuing less real time errors in and during construction. Revit offers several options whereby we can improve the efficiency of the building by providing the right standards (including materials, topographic/landscape stability, height restrictions, fire and safety requirements etc). These codes help create a consistency between different projects and helps decrease the risk factor for engineers designing to provide minimum requirements for safe design and construction. Providing all these standards in Revit model is one of the major positives for structural engineersa and others as they can make sure of the project stability and other constraints before the construction process.
2) National bulding codes specifies several groups that has to be used in while designing in Revit. The groups involved are:
Group 1 - For development, building and planning related aspects. This consists of Several parts where,
Part 0 is an intergrated approach for applying the provisional codes.
Part 2 is administration
Part 3 is the developments of control rules and general building requirements.
Part 4 is Fire and life safety.
Part 5 is building materials.
And Part 10 is ladscaping, signs, outdoor etc.
Group 2 - For structural design and related aspects, which again contains part 0, and then part 6 - that mainly focuses on structural design on the building ( oads forces, materials etc).
Group 3 - For construction related aspects including safety. ( Part 0 and part 7 - contructional practices and safety)
Group 4 - For aspects related to building services that contains part 0 and 8 (sections for lighting and ventilation, HVAC, noise control and sound insulation, installing lifts and escalators)
Group 5 - For aspects realting to plumbing services including solid waste management.
3) Major steps for project cycle are -
1. Location/siting - Real time locations will be given and thereby will give us a better idea of our model space.
2. Conceptualization and planning
3. Deisgning and detailing
4. Construction/ Execution
5. Maintainence and Repair
4) Different disciplines involved in a construction process are
Architectural - In architectural the addition of architectural walls, floors, curtain grid system and other several other components for aesthetic views as well can be added to the project.
Structural - This discipline consists of addition of slabs and colomns, providing trusses and reinforcement, and other several other components to help increase structural stability.
Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing - It involves adding of electrical wiring, fixtures, HVAC - giving proper ventilation and air conditioning to the building, proper plumbing to washrooms and installation of several systems is also an integral part of Revit. Providing enough lighting in rooms, lifts and other equipments and control of noise and heat transfer is also taken care of in these disciplines.
5)
a. Four unit apartments - Residential
b. School with capacity of 1000 students - Educational
c. A single unit shop - Business
d. Multi story Shopping complex - Comercial building
e. Steel machine factory - Industrial, merchnatile business
6) DESIGN TEAM -
A design teams consists of a group of professionals for proper integration and for executing the necessary requirements from the beginning to the final stage. Design of a project is a complicated and crucial process where the members area part of the construction and execution stages. Designing of carious elements that provide structural safety and strength (plumbing fixture, electrical wirings, lighting, ventilation systems, HVAC, lifts, stairs, lifts etc) is handled by the design teams. The team has to ensure proper codes and saftey norms are followed while designing as it is important for long life of the buildings. Site investigation, survey, preparing alternate designs, cost estimations, preliminary design and specifications are all part of some important functions of a deign team.
MANAGEMENT TEAM -
The members of a management team try to achieve the required goals and objective of the project in accordance with design standards in the stipulated time and cost requirements. Teams are arranged according to different project situations for those who can handle accordingly. Their target is to enhance the quality of the project, from day to day stages of the work, and also ensures cordination of the different disciplines in the construction stage. Design team members also join the project management team during execution stage.
7) Height limitations - According to NBS - the maximum height shall not exceed 1.5 times the width of road abutting plus the front open space. The height for all rooms for human habitation shall not be less than 2.75m meausred from surface to the floor to the lowest point of the ceiling. In case of Air conditioning rooms, a height of not less than 2.4m measured from the surface of the floor to the lowest point of Air conditioning. These requirements vary for educational and industrial buildings.
Area limitations - the limitation of area and height of diff occupancy classes and types of construction shall be achieved by specifying in terms of Floor Area Ratio - That includes the occupancy class, type of contruction, width of street and several other factors.
Room Sizing - The area of a habitable room shall be not less than 9.5m2 where there is only one room with a minimum width of 2.4m. When there are 2 rooms one of these shall not be less than 9.5m2 and the other not less that 7.5m2, with a minimum width of 2.1m.
Wall height - Wall height of rooms shall not be less than 2.75m.
Thickness based on fire life and safety - The area of the floor within the inside perimeter of the outside walls of the floor of the building under consideration with no deductions
for corridors and passage ways, stairs, closets, thickness
of interior walls, columns, lifts and building shafts or
other features.
Passageway requirements - Passageways shall be of width not less than the aggregaterequired width of exit doorways leading from them in the direction of travel to the exterior. When stairwarsdischarge through corridors and passageways shall not be less than 2.4m.
8) My model space is measured in feet and inches, which are reasonable values indicated for walls, thickness. Height of building can be reduced for by some feet and thickness of floor too. Thickness based on fire and safety are reasonable as it would be safe. Wall height should not be less than 2.75m.