Group Assignment Construction Technology 1 (QSB

1514)

Dixon Cheong ( )

Adrian Ng ( )

Erving Tiong ( )

Jun Keat ( )

Introduction

Construction technology refers to the study of the methods and equipment used for building

structures. Construction technology allows you to learn about construction management and

acquire skills in the engineering of construction. It can also mean the sum total of processes

for product and procedural improvement in the industry of construction.

Research Location

The building that we are using as a reference is a terrace house, which is located at Kelana

Jaya near to St. Ignatius Church.

Criteria of a typical Terrace House

-1 – 2-storey building

-Kitchen

-3bedrooms

-2bathrooms

-Dining room

-Living room, fully furnished

Criteria of the Terrace House that we used as reference

-2-storey building

-5 bedrooms, all 5 rooms are air-conditioned, 3 rooms contains a ceiling fan

-3 bathrooms

-Kitchen, anti slip flooring

-Living Room with marble flooring

-Pitched roof, bright red

-Car porch

-Garden

The pictures below are pictures of terrace house

This is the front view of my house

The roof is pitched roof, including the top of the house

This is the Dining Area with marble flooring

This is the slab for the upper floor

This is the first floor ground slab, with the stairs on the left

This is the kitchen which is located at the back of the house

Foundation

The residential area that we’re doing a research on is a terrace home that is located at.

Based on research it state that normally terrace homes in Malaysia is build with a pad

footing or you can call it a pad foundation . But the situation is different now based on some

research and interview with a contractor that is living in that area. It has said that due to the

housing area was once a hill it needs to be cut down to builds the terrace houses. With that,

the condition of the soil is not good already so it is not appropriate to use pad foundation

because the soft soil can’t withstand the load of the building so we have assume that the

terrace house is using a pile foundation which is good for areas that has bad condition of

soil.

What is a pile foundation?

A pile foundation is a system of end-bearing or friction

piles, piles caps, and tie beams for transferring building

loads down to a suitable bearing stratum. A pile

foundation is counted as a deep foundation which are

employed when the soil underlying a foundation is

unstable or of inadequate bearing capacity. End bearing

piles depend principally on the bearing resistance of soil

or rock beneath their feet for support while for friction piles

depend principally on the frictional resistance of a

surrounding earth mass for support.

Example of a pile foundation

Comparison of Pile and Pad foundation

Pile Foundation Pad foundation(pad footing)

Advantages

 Pile foundations have a large

surface area on the soil which

creates friction to support the

structure. This means that they

can be used in weaker soils

They  are often driven (or

bored) right down to the

bedrock, which is a lot stronger

than the soil

 Pile foundations do not require

extensive excavation

It is better resist lateral loading

that may come from earth

pressure (at retaining walls) or

seismic activity (earthquakes)

Not much excavation or landfill activities are

required as leveling a site is not a

requirement. Hence more suitable on a

slopy site.

More suitable for building of timber framed

flooring as it is lighter than concrete which

provide fewer stress hence less chance of

failure due to puncture through earth.

Require about 1-2 working days to

complete.

Shallow form of foundation needs little

excavation

Shape can be design to accommodate tight

sites

Economic due to control of size

Cheaper compare to piles foundation

Pile Foundation Pad foundation(pad footing)

disadvantages

 for areas that are within a small

alley, workmanship difficult

because of transport factors

New usage in urban and

surrounding areas

 When used outside urban areas,

usually the volume a bit so the

price will be much more expensive.

Erection process will cause

vibration and noise so very

disturbing environment.

aren't for high structures

no basements can be build

If the ground gets wet and expands /

contracts unevenly, it always cracks.

Which lets water enter the sub-flooring,

causing mold, and causes cracks in the

rest of the structure.

Can become very large if used for high

point loads.

Limited to dealing with point loads

Comparison of Pile and Strip foundation

Pile Foundation Strip Foundation

Advantages

 Pile foundations have a large

surface area on the soil which

creates friction to support the

structure. This means that they

can be used in weaker soils

They  are often driven (or

bored) right down to the

bedrock, which is a lot stronger

than the soil

 Pile foundations do not require

extensive excavation

It is better resist lateral loading

that may come from earth

pressure (at retaining walls) or

seismic activity (earthquakes)

Commonly used in buildings with a brick

wall as the footing can spread higher stress

evenly along its reinforced footing strip.

Can be used with isolated footing to gain

the features of the two as well as to cut

cost.

Leveling of site not required but excavation

of trenches would be great.

Require about 2-3 working days to

complete.

Pile Foundation Strip foundation

disadvantages

 for areas that are within a small

alley, workmanship difficult

because of transport factors

New usage in urban and

surrounding areas

 When used outside urban areas,

usually the volume a bit so the

price will be much more expensive.

Erection process will cause

vibration and noise so very

disturbing environment.

Needs more concrete and

reinforcement steel

If compare to pad footing. Bending

moments, has to be designed

Conclusion

In conclusion, I will have to choose Pad foundation because it is normally used for housing

area and terrace houses one of the example but due to special cases only pile foundation

are used in terrace house. Pad foundation is also cheaper compare to pile foundation which

is much more expensive and the period is longer for a pile foundation to build compared

with pad foundation which only takes 1-2 days to finish the job.

Slabs

In every building must be built on a structural system known as foundation. Foundation is the

lowest and supporting layer of a building. It is a system that supports and anchors the

superstructure of the building and transmits its load directly into the earth. There are many

different types of foundations, and slabs are considered as a foundation. This is a foundation

that is flat, uniform and at ground level. The common material used to construct a slab is by

using concrete. Without this concrete slab, the house/ building would not be able to be as

stable. With the use of this concrete slab, it can prevent any greens from growing in the

building or to prevent water from entering the building by capillary action.

ONE WAY SLAB

One way slab is a slab that is supported by two beams along the long edges. The beams

also have four columns supporting it at each corner. It’s ratio of the longer to the shorter side

of the slab is more than 2. There are two beams along the long edge and no beams along

the short edge, thus the slab will just span along the shorter direction. Therefore,

reinforcements are placed in the slab to help distribute the weight evenly to the earth and

increase the possibility of the slab to fracture.

TWO WAY SLAB

Two way slab is a slab where it supported by four beams with 4 columns at every corner. It

has a ratio of lengths of the slab is less than 2. From this, the weight will be distributed to all

4 sides. It is able to carry a heavy amount of loads.

GRID SLAB

Grid slab consists of regular spaced intervals in perpendicular directions. Its advantages are

being able to carry heavy loads and it has an attractive exposed ceiling. They are generally

employed for architectural reasons for large rooms such as auditoriums, vestibules, theatre

halls, show rooms of shops where column free space is often the main requirement.

FLAT SLAB

Flat slabs are similar to the two way slabs but without beams only columns. Flat slabs are

reinforced in two or more directions. It is appropriate for most floor situations and also for

irregular column layouts, curved floor shapes, ramps. The advantages of using flat slabs are

that they have a low cost for formwork and it has an exposed flat ceiling so there is no need

for extra materials like the asbestos ceiling tiles to cover up the soffit.

Conclusion

From the house that my group has chosen happens to be a terrace house. Since we couldn’t

managed to identify the type of slab the house was built on, so we decided to do some

research on it. Unfortunately, after many researches, there was nothing that could help us

find what type of slab was used to build terraced houses. So after reading up on the various

types of slabs, from my point of view, I think that the two way slab would be appropriate for

this house. This is so because, before the terraced houses were constructed, it used to be a

hill side. In order to turn it into a residential area, the land has to be even out. After

excavating the area, the soil might be still loose. Therefore by using the two way slab, it is

able to spread the load of the building to all directions so that it won’t cause any settlement

easily.

Roofs

What is a pitched roof? A pitched roof is a roof made up of two angled pieces which meet in

the middle, with gables at either end. The pitch of both sides of the roof is generally the

same, although sometimes they may be pitched at different angles. It is also possible to

make what is known as a single pitch roof, in which the entire roof is made of one flat

segment installed at an angle. This method of construction is extremely common all over the

world; ask almost any child to draw a picture of a house, and he or she will probably sketch a

structure with a pitched roof.

The angle of the pitch varies considerably, depending on the size of the building and the size

of the segments. In some regions, people traditionally build with a very deep pitch so that

snow cannot accumulate on the roof. In other areas, the pitch may be more shallow, with the

roof angled just enough to allow water to drain from the roof. In addition to climate concerns,

people may also be concerned with the look and feel of the roof, as the angle of the pitch

can considerably change the way the house looks.

The house we are doing is a terraced house. In Malaysia, most of the houses are construct

with pitch roof mostly is because of the weather. Malaysia is a tropical country therefore

there will be a lots of rain. Pitch roof is designed so that the rain will not be stored on it as it

will caused leakage and damage to the structure.

Pitch roof members

Ridge

Act as a spine of a roof

To support the rafters so it would not fall.

Hip rafters

Frame the external angles at the intersection of roof slopes.

Valley rafters

Used at internal angles.

Extends diagonally at a 45º angle from the inside corner of intersecting wall plates to

the ridge.

Jack rafters

The shortened rafters running from hip rafters to plate & from ridge to valley rafters.

One of the pieces simulating extended rafters under the eaves.

Common rafters

Main members of a roof.

Span between a wall plate at eaves & ridge.

A rafter which extends from the plate of the roof to the ridge board at right angles to

both members, and to which roofing is attached. 

Plates

It is attached to the wall.

Divide the loads evenly over the supporting walls.

Bedded in cement mortar on top of load-bearing wall

Verge

Roof covering overhangs the gable end.

 Is the open edge of a roof that meets a gable wall.

Purlin

Horizontal roof members which give intermediate support to rafters.

It supports the loads from the roof deck.

Act as beam, reducing the span of rafters & enabling economic section to be used.

Pitch Roof Flat Roof

Advantages

Have at least two slopes that rise to meet at a peak, are constructed in such a way as to afford plenty of usable space in the loft area, can be used as a storage or an extra room.

In the process of designing the roof, any planned usage of this area can be incorporated into the plans so this type of roof offers an unmatched flexibility that a flat roof cannot.

Have much longer lifespan than a flat roof because it is built with materials that are more durable and weather resistant. The internal accommodation will be more efficiently insulated and will not suffer from the extremes of temperature that tend to afflict rooms under flat roofs. (" types of roofing," )

Provides more structure and stability, as well as excellent drainage in areas that receive large amounts of rain.

The design is for smaller structure. Consist of a horizontal base which is fixed to the ceiling joists underneath with a waterproof membrane applied on top. (Morgan , 2013)

Flat roofing is considered to be more affordable at the point of construction and involves less materials and labour than a pitched roof. Full replacement of the roof, when the time comes, can usually be completed in a single day.

Flat roofs are easier to install because of their flat structure. This saves not only money, but installation time as well.

Flat roofs are also considered low maintenance. Because there are no slopes or valleys, they are easier to clean and maintain than a pitched roof.

Flat roofs are more suitable for complex buildings or structures with various levels. (Nicole)

Comparison of Pitch and Flat Roof

Pitch Roof Flat Roof

Disadvantages

It is expensive, as the more complexdesign, additional building materials and extra man-hours cost significantly more than a flat roof. (Morgan , 2013)

Pitched roofs also place a greater burden on the foundations of the building and this may have implications for the depth of the footings.

If the roof is constructed with iron sheets, rusting problem may arise.

The larger the area that the roof is covering, the less stable it becomes.

Drainage problem occurs during winter, when snow sits until it melts. Water will stay on top of the roof which can damage the roof

The design does not suit some of the structure.

Flat roof maintenance is more demanding because every now and then rain and sun directly affecting the roof cause its life to reduce and to maintain the roof extra costs are to be beard. (Nicole)

Pitch Roof Shed Roof

Advantages

Have at least two slopes that rise to meet at a peak, are constructed in such a way as to afford plenty of usable space in the loft area, can be used as a storage or an extra room.

In the process of designing the roof, any planned usage of this area can be incorporated into the plans so this type of roof offers an unmatched flexibility that a flat roof cannot.

Have much longer lifespan than a flat roof because it is built with materials that are more durable and weather resistant. The internal accommodation will be more efficiently insulated and will not suffer from the extremes of temperature that tend to afflict rooms under flat roofs.

Provides more structure and stability, as well as excellent drainage in areas that receive large amounts of rain.

It is cheap to build. The shed style roof has the fewest components, and, therefore, it is the most inexpensive roof to build.

It is easy to construct. Shed style roofs generally rest on a beam that raises one side of the roof to a higher level. The single surface slopes gently downward to rest on the opposite side. Shed roofs may attach to other buildings with a different type of roof or may be freestanding on separate buildings. (J)

Water or snow will not be stored on the roof since it is a slope

Comparison of Pitch and Shed Roof

Pitch Roof Shed Roof

Disadvantages

It is expensive, as the more complexdesign, additional building materials and extra man-hours cost significantly more than a flat roof. (Morgan , 2013)

Pitched roofs also place a greater burden on the foundations of the building and this may have implications for the depth of the footings.

If the roof is constructed with iron sheets, rusting problem may arise.

It does not make the structure appearance. If build in housing area, it will not blend nicely with other house.

It cost is cheaper compare to pitch roof because it does not need much labour works and is easy to construct.

Shed style roofs can develop drainage problems because of the structure of the design.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I suggest that pitched roof is the better choice. Pitch roof has a good

appearance and it is suitable for housing area. Although, the labour cost is higher than flat

roof and shed roof but it can last longer compare to flat roof and shed roof. Pitch roof also

provide better drainage system and better stability to the structure because the load is

shared to whole of the structure. Flat roof is not that suitable because of the weather in

Malaysia. Shed roof is also not that suitable because the design is not that appearance.

Overall Conclusion

In conclusion, from this project, we managed to learn more about how a building is being

constructed. Besides that, we learned more new terms, structures, and so on from all the

research that we had done. We learned what we should use to improve the condition of the

building, like which type of foundation is the most suitable to prevent from ground settlement

or which slab to use to optimize the usage of the structures.

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