Tutorial 1

1. What is the main function of a building?

- Shelter
- Security
- Comfort & Safety
- Easy of use and operate
- Easy to maintain
- Easy to change, renovate and add
2. Determine the factors that may affect the performance of a building.
Structural Stability - Structure to carry dead, live, wind and lateral ground loads.
Thermal Control - Indoor temperature and humidity control
Acoustic Control - Unwanted noise control
Water Exclusion - External water seepage and diversion
Mechanical Ventilation/Air-Conditioning - Indoor air circulation
Fire Safety - Escape routes in the event of an emergency
Security and access control - Entry and exit points into the building

- Thermal and acoustic performance

- Cost of construction, cost-in-use of demolition and recycling
- Space (Area & Volume as determined but the required and permitted floor area
- Quality required of the finished building for functionality and durability
- Design life and service life of the building
3. An international property owner is seeking to erect several buildings along the
east coast of Singapore. He is looking forward to build these buildings with
specific characteristics and functions:a. Building 1 - to be dismantled and rebuild for expo and exhibition

- Air supported/Shell domed/Shell vault/Suspended roof(Skeletal)/Shed frame/Grid

structure/Rigid frame

b. Building 2 to withstand high vertical loading (heavy storage) and

external loading (wind)
- Cross wall structure. Cellular structure/ Transfer of loads
c. Building 3 to provide many small office spaces
- Building frame & Suspension structure
Determine which type of building structure best suited for the above building
characteristics.

4. Explain your course of action in terms of the thermal control for each building.

- External painting (Lighter colours reflect suns infrared light away)

- Provision of sunshades/ louvres (Less heat entering into building interior)
- Wall material with insulation (Less heat entering into budding interior. For
example, solar films on glass, double glazing windows)

- Mechanical ventilation (Air-conditioning to cool the interior)

- Construction of a roof garden (Lower the interior temperature of the topmost floor)
5. Briefly describe the main responsibilities of the following role:a) Architect

- Seek relevant regulatory (Authorities) approval

- Certifying payment to contractors
- Ensure construction works are done in accordance to drawings, specifications and
schedule

- Chief coordinator amongst other consultants (Engineers/ Landscape Architects/

Quantity Surveyors) and contractors

- Prepare the building design

b) Construction team

- Carry out the necessary site investigations

- Plan and acquire the appropriate building resources
- Deploy staff and workers to carry out the building works
- Responsible to rectify defects works discovered during the Defects Liability period (12
18 months)

Building frame types

Skeletal Structure - Walls are non-load bearing, enclosing element is thin & light (Shed
frame
Solid structure - Walls are load bearing types, provide enclosure & supporting functions
Surface structure - Made of thin places or vent solid material (Shel dome/Air supported
structure

Parties in a building project

Client Team - Developer/owner ( Building owner/ Paymaster/ Main decision marker)
Design Team - Architect (Building designer / main consultant coordinator / seek
regulatory approvals to design / certify payments / check works done according to
specifications / drawings / Structural Engineer / MEP(Mechanical Electrical Plumping)
Engineer - Design the building foundation / frame and building services respectively.
Compliance team - Resident Engineer / Resident Technical Officer - to check work done
according to drawings & specifications
Construction team - Main contractor and sub-contractors - builders and installers for the
works, Site preparation works / Plan & acquire building resources / deploy staff &
workers to carry out building works / responsible to carry out rectifications works during
defects liability period.
Maintenance team - Building end-user taking over after the building project has been
completed.

Site Preparation
Desktop study - Study existing site plans/ Obtain new building plans from consultants.
Site Reconnaissance - Do general observations on site and surrounding, conduct precondition survey
Site clearance - demolish existing structures / fell shrubs & small trees / clear off top soft
soil.
Preliminary site works - boundary hoarding / perimeter drain / entrance & exit gates /
vehicle washing bay / temporary services
Soil investigation - verify the existing soil conditions on site to design for a proper
foundation system
Survey setting out / levelling - set out site countries and building line boundaries and
levels.
Site plan layout - set up site office / toilets / canteen / security post / material storage
areas

--- End of tutorial

Tutorial 2 (Group work Project group of 4-6 members)

CASE STUDY
You are tasked by ABC Construction to lead a team of specialist to undertake a
feasibility study in constructing a building to be located along Punggol River. Below
are the information:Tower
A

Level (above ground

level)

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Basement (below
ground)

---

Figure 1 shows a sectional view of tower A, B and the river.

Map 1 shows the location of the area (circled)
Layout

B
Punggol River
A

Basement

Figure 1

B
A

Map 1

1. Discuss among your team member the appropriate activities needed to be done
prior to the actual construction of the building.
Desktop Study
Site Reconnaissance
Soil Investigation
Preliminary site works (Site Hoarding/Temporary Services/Perimeter drain
construction)
Site clearance (Demolish existing structures/ fell shrubs & small trees/ clear off top
soft soil)
Survey setting out/Oblique Levelling (Set out site boundaries and building line
boundaries and levels)
Site layout (Site office/Toilet/Security Post/Mechanical/Equipment & Plant/Vehicle
washing bay/Material storage area)

2. List four possible causes of ground movement that may lead to settlement of
buildings.
Compression
of soil by the buildings loads
- Seasonal changes (Heavy rain) in volume of the soil
- Mass movement due to unstable grounds

- Grounds made unstable by adjacent excavations or dewatering.

3. Historical data shows that the location was swampy and the soil content is
unsuitable to support any tall buildings. Hence, massive clearance and
replacement of ground materials is critical for the new building.
a. Why do we need to replace the existing ground material?
- We need to place the swampy ground materials with proper earth materials in order
to have a stable ground for foundation as well as the entire structure of the building
b. What are the three benefits when doing site reconnaissance?
To
determine
the underground services such as gas pipes, high tension cables,
telephone cables and water/ waste water pipes.
- To determine the physical condition of existing surrounding buildings - also known
as pre-condition or dilapidation survey
c. Why do we need to locate underground services prior to excavation?
- This is done to avoid distraction die to incidence involving rupture of gas pipes,
termination of telephone and high tension cables. These services can be relocated for
the development of the area
--- End of Tutorial

Tutorial 3 (Case study Project group)

This construction site indicated below (figure 1) is located along
Punggol Road and intersect at Punggol Drive (Dead end). You will
need to plan the following structure and elements for this site
based on the information below:1. Site area: 60m x 50m
2. Site office (10m x 5m)
3. Canteen (15m x 10m)
4. Sanitary/Toilet area (10m x 3m)
60mm

Underground gas pipe

40mm
50mm
10mm

River
4m

Punggol
Road
U-turn
Punggol Drive

Figure 1

1. Determine the site layout as well as the entrance and exit into and out of the site.
To provide entry 1

- Vehicles may proceed and turn left from the busy main into the one-way road. This will
facilitate traffic control and reduce potential accident
To provide entry 2

- Normally not approved by authorities die to heavy vehicular traffic along main road
- Vehicle may proceed to turn into the site from the main road, Sufficient traffic signage to be
put up at least 100m from the site in order to caution motorists and other road user of
turning vehicles.
To provide exit 1

- Vehicles in the job site may utilise this exit. This dead-end road provides clear and minimum
traffic congestion. It also enhances safety level.

2. An underground gas pipe (diameter 250mm) is detected 2m below the existing

ground level. Determine your action plan and decision to be made in order not to
jeopardise the timeline of the project.

- Inform the relevant authority and submit relevant files and documents
- Application of new line/reinforce the pipeline by haunching
- To ensure safe turn on, there is a need to check for leakages of the newly replaced pipes

Tutorial 4 (Project group)

Fig 1

Fig 2

Fig 3

BCA Academy had undergone massive improvement and upgrading

on the existing campus ground. The objective is to provide a
conducive studying environment for the ever increasing students
population. However, the work progression has resulted in localised
settlement and cracks to Block B at level 2 (fig 1 to 3). Historical
data shows that the entire BCA Academy compound is soft with high
underground water level (water table).
1.

Define the primary function of a building foundation.

Dead loads
Live/superimposed load
Wind loads
Lateral ground load
To transmit all dead loads,live (Superimposed) loads, and wind loads (Lateral) from
the building to the ground loads so that excessive settlement and failure of the soil

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can be avoided. It should be able to resist some degree of ground lateral

movements.
2.

Name and briefly explain the three (3) types of load that may
impose on a building.

Dead loads
- This is the weight of all materials used to construct the building
and these loads are transferred to the surrounding ground
through the foundation.
Live or Superimposed Loads
- In addition to the dead loads, the foundation is also expected to
carry the weights of the building occupants and furniture within
the building. These loads are known as live loads.

Wind Loads
- These wind-generated loads typically exert lateral pressure and
cause uplift thrust on the structure of the building
3. Indicate your preferred type of foundation for BCA Academy
when a 5 level multi-storey carpark is to be built on the existing
carpark indicated below (figure 4). Draw the corresponding
schematic diagram of the mentioned foundation.

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Fig 4
4.

Determine the numerous warning signs that the contractor may

need to lookout in curbing the effect of settlement.

- Tilting of the building (This my lead to the building collapseng if the tilting is
excessive)
- Occurrence of cracks in the building walls or other building elements
- Damages to the building services or other parts of the buildings
- The building sinking into the ground
5.

List and draw the types of settlement that may generally occurs
to a building.

Uniform Settlement
- Equal level of sinking
Tipping Settlement
- One side of the building is sinking more than the other side.
Differential Settlement
- Equal level of sinking with cracks
Tutorial 5: Excavation Works

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1. Fill in the foundation requirements for the types of excavation

below:No

Types of

Foundation requirements (answer)

excavation
1

Trench

Strip Foundation

Pit

Pad Foundation

Reduced level

Raft Foundation

Boring with

Shored bored piles

trench pits
5

Pit excavation

Pile capes of piled foundation

0.
2. What is the primary function of earthwork support?
- Earthwork support is used to prevent the sides of the excavation
from collapsing in order to avoid endangering the lives of those
working in the trenches and pits as well as the need to constantly
clear falling earth into the tench or pit bottom
3. When excavating on loose soil condition, what type of support
is usually used? And why?
Steel sheet piles
- Its provide sufficient support to the soft soil condition. The steel sheeting is
stronger than timber support and could withstand and higher lateral pressure.
In comparison between the open and closed timbering, the close timber is
usually used.
4. An underground excavation is needed to embed cables for a cluster
of land homeowners. The desk top study revealed that the ground
condition range from firm to loose with high water table. As the
supervisor, you will need to establish the correct timber earthwork
support. Draw an appropriate type of timbering supports.

- Closed timbering (Vertical or horizontal)

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--- End of Tutorial

Foundation system
Function: to carry the buildings dead, live and wind loads and transmit
through the foundation elements down to the hard stratum / earth layer.
iT SHOULD BE ABLE TO CARRY SOME GROUND LATERAL LOADS
Foundation types
Strip foundation - carrying wall loads
Pad foundation - carrying column loads
Raft foundation - carrying column loads, usually on uneven soil conditions
Piled foundation - carrying column loads through pile caps onto piles
Settle types
Uniform settlement - even settlement without cracks
Tipping /Tilting settlement - uneven settlement, often without cracks
Differential settlement - uneven settlement with cracks

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