P1.

1
Select and discuss suitable construction plant and equipment for different
construction works of structural design taking into account of their efficient,
effective and economical usage for multi-storey buildings.
The term plant usually refers to machinery, equipment and apparatus used for
an industrial activity. Typically, in construction, plant refers to heavy machinery
and equipment used during construction works.
No matter the substructure works or superstructure works, transportation of
materials is a must in construction. As for the construction of multi-storey
buildings, such as a large scale, plant must be used instead of man-power in
transportation of materials. Here are some examples.
Hoist
Hoists are used on construction sites to vertically transport materials and/or
passengers. They are most commonly powered by diesel engines or electric
motors that rotate a drum around which a wire rope is wound. Hoists may also
be hydraulically powered, and may use chains as the lifting mechanism rather
than wire rope. Hoists differ from cranes in that cranes move items vertically
and horizontally. Hoists differ from lifts in that they are generally used for
industrial purposes and are not publicly accessible. Winches are typically
used to pull or drag items along level surfaces, rather than lifting them
vertically.
The output shaft of the hoist gear reduction drives a load wheel which is a
component that transmit motion to the hoist load chain. The load chain is the
lifting medium used to lift or lower the load. The load wheel can also be called
load sheave, load sprocket, pocket wheel, chain wheel, or lift wheel.
Crane
A crane is a type of machine, generally equipped with a hoist rope, wire ropes
or chains, and sheaves, that can be used both to lift and lower materials and
to move them horizontally. It is mainly used for lifting heavy things and
transporting them to other places. It uses one or more simple machines to
create mechanical advantage and thus move loads beyond the normal
capability of a human. Cranes are commonly employed in the transport
industry for the loading and unloading of freight, in the construction industry
for the movement of materials and in the manufacturing industry for the
assembling of heavy equipment.
One of the more common mistakes on construction sites is the use of too
many cranes. Often times, in order to complete a project, managers tend to
lean towards more cranes in the theory that this will enable the project to be
completed quicker. Using this theory in many cases the contractors are in fact
limiting the amount of workability each crane is able to perform, and in return
limiting the amount of lifts it is able to carry out.
p.1

This is highly inefficient, and it raises the cost of the project due to the cost of
the cranes, plus the labour needed to erect, service, operate, and dismantle
the cranes during the extent of the project. A construction site should be
engineered to have a working efficiency of the tower cranes up to 80%. This
allows each crane to have full range of motion at all times, while working at its
max radius without interference from other cranes positioned too close on
site.
Pump
Pumps transport large volumes of concrete in a short time to the required
location on site. Pipe lines typically have a diameter of 110-150 mm and are
capable of pumping for a distance of 300 meter horizontally and 30 meter
vertically. Pumps can be either trailer or lorry mounted with extendable steel
boom. The pump works hydraulically with a diesel-driven piston that forces
concrete along the pipes.
Pumping is a very efficient and reliable means of placing concrete, which
makes it a very economical method as well. Sometimes, a pump is the only
way of placing concrete in a certain location. Such as a high rise building, or
large slabs where the chutes of the concrete truck cant reach where the
concrete is needed. Other times, the ease and speed of pumping concrete
makes it the most economical method of concrete placement.
Concrete pump truck
The concrete is transported to the truck by a ready-mix concrete truck,
commonly known as a cement mixer. The large drums on the cement mixing
vehicle must be kept constantly rotating to prevent the concrete from settingup, or hardening, prematurely. Small amounts of water are added during the
mixing process as well for the same reason. Concrete pumping trucks,
therefore carry no concrete, only the pumping mechanism, and sectioned
hose lengths. Ready-mixed concrete is dumped from a cement mixer into the
bay of the truck as the pump is running, thus emptying the pumping bay of the
concrete as its dumped.
It is labour saving economically. One of the best economic benefits of these
vehicles is the ability to position closer to the desired location and accurately
pour out concrete. Compared to the truck dumping, if you buy concrete truck
with pumps you save on labour cost up to 50%.Since you can deploy your
labour resources more efficiently and get more tasks done in a day, concrete
pump trucks increase your daily production. The concrete produced from
these vehicles is placed more efficiently and the unloading time is significantly
reduced, regardless of the weather, job site condition or time of day. The
back-filling with concrete pump trucks is simple and very efficient. Your job
site will be safer and less congested, so you can certainly expect increased
overall efficiency. With the concrete being poured directly, there is no need for
re-handling nor for special mixes for improved quality. Also, excess water will
no longer be your problem.
p.2

p.3

References:
Chang, C 2016, lecture notes distributed in Technology of Complex Buildings
at BTEC HND in Construction.
Chudley, R & Greeno, R 2008, Building Construction Handbook, Elsevier,
Oxford.
The Real Estate Developers Association of Hong Kong & The Hong Kong
Construction Association 2005, Construction Site Safety Handbook, The Real
Estate Developers Association of Hong Kong & The Hong Kong Construction
Association, Hong Kong.

p.4

P1.2
Analysis the appropriate construction techniques and resources used to
ensure safe and productive operations in multi-storey building.
Multi-storey building are designed as a type of complex buildings. They are
structure of a building to provide stable support for its features and all the
people as well as objects inside and to resist the external forces of snow,
wind, earthquakes and so forth. Buildings are designed to protect its own
structure, surfaces, internal mechanical and electrical system, and other
features against water ingress, and occupants from fire. Also, they are
providing comfort, safety and other built in elements, to be operated,
maintained in a useful and economical manner. Certainly, as a complex
building, it should be flexible enough to adapt to changing uses. (Chang,
2016)
At the very beginning, it should be about the design of the multi-storey
building. For such a complex building, the followings should be considered in
order ensure safe and productive operations.
-

structure of a building should provide stable support for its features and
all the people as well as objects insides;
structure should be able to resist the external forces of snow, wind,
earthquakes;
building should be able to protect its own structure, surfaces, internal
mechanical and electrical system, and other features from water ingress;
building should protect occupants from fire;
building should provide comfort, safety and other built in elements, to be
operated, maintained in an useful and economical manner, and;
building should be flexible enough to adapt to changing uses as to ensure
productive operations in future.

p.5

In construction of multi-storey building, excavation works are inevitable in

multi-storey building construction. There are some potential risks. for
examples:
-

falling into an excavation;

being trapped by the collapse of an excavation;
being stuck by a falling thing while working in an excavation, and;
being exposed to an airborne contaminant while working in an
excavation.

Therefore, a competent person should be assigned to have the risk

assessment and control measure to prevent from the accident in order to
ensure safe operation. For examples:
-

checking the support of trench by shoring, benching, battering, etc.;

receiving written advice from a geotechnical engineer that all sides of the
trench are safe from collapse, and;
checking the means of entry into and exit from the excavation.

p.6

After the construction of structure is done, mostly bamboo scaffolding would

be erected for afterwards works. Bamboo Scaffolding is very common in Hong
Kong Construction Industry because of following reason:
-

Easy for erection or dismantling, and;

Lower price when compare with metal scaffolding

However, a lot of accident was happened in bamboo scaffolding. Therefore, in

order to have a safe operations in multi-storey building construction,
government publishes a code of practice in order to reduce the accident of
bamboo scaffolding. Detailed standards of design and construction of some
types of simple bamboo scaffold, including double-layered, truss-out and
signboard bamboo scaffolds are given in the guidelines with typical examples
for each of these types of bamboo scaffold. When the recommended
standards are not followed for the design and construction of these types of
simple bamboo scaffold or when other types of bamboo scaffold not covered
in the guidelines are used, a design engineer with a performance-based
design approach should design the bamboo scaffold.

p.7

Hoist
The landing area must be fitted with some form of guard, usually sliding gates,
and the base of the hoist, where the winch is situated, should be well guarded
to prevent injury. There must be a risk assessment undertaken prior to
hoisting, and subsequent lifting operations should be properly planned and
carried out in accordance with the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment
Regulations 1998 (LOLER).

p.8

References:
Binggeli, C 2003, Building Systems for Interior Designers, John Wiley & Sons,
Inc., New Jersey
Chang, C 2016, lecture notes distributed in Technology of Complex Buildings
at BTEC HND in Construction.
The Real Estate Developers Association of Hong Kong & The Hong Kong
Construction Association 2005, Construction Site Safety Handbook, The Real
Estate Developers Association of Hong Kong & The Hong Kong Construction
Association, Hong Kong.

p.9

P1.3
Illustrate and justify the material specifications for given external surface
cladding system in multi-storey design stages.
Cladding means a facing or architectural decoration additional to the external
walls of a building, for example, aluminum or metal cladding, polished granite
slabs or limestone cladding, marble facing and the like. According to Hong
Kong Buildings Department, cladding should comply with the performance
requirements stipulated in Regulation 39 of the Building (Construction)
Regulations in respect of material type, fixings, strength and durability.
Cladding shall be provided with sufficient permanently flexible joints
horizontally and vertically to cater for differential movement in the cladding
and in the structure to which it is attached. All external anchors, dowels and
fixings should be of stainless steel or other corrosion resistant materials. Any
metal dowels and fixings securing the cladding panels should be suitable,
permanent and adequately protected from corrosion.
In design stage, if the design includes cladding and where cladding is to be
affixed to any part of the exterior of a building, details such as the location and
material should be shown in the general building plan submitted to the
Building Authority (BA) for approval.
There are many different types of materials used in these systems including
wood, concrete, steel, and a range of PVC and composite materials. These
coverings do not form part of the load bearing structure of any building and
are typically installed with surface fastening techniques only. Cladding
systems may be installed during the initial construction of buildings or may be
retrofitted to existing structures during refurbishments or repairs. The unique,
cost-effective characteristics of these materials allow engineers and architects
to use them in the core structure of a building.
The material used in cladding systems are formulated to enhance the visual
appearance of a building while offering thermal and sound insulation in
addition to protection against the elements. The use of these materials also
prevents conditions such as ground water seepage from damaging the
structure. Cladding systems are available in an extensive range of materials,
textures, and color schemes which cater to all building designs. Although they
are typically used on the exterior, they are also available as interior finishes
for walls floors and ceilings. Commonly used cladding system materials
include precast concrete, masonry, and ceramic products, timber, steel and
alloys, plastics, and reinforced composites.
Cladding system finishes may be installed during the final stages of new
construction or installed during refurbishment of existing structures. Cladding
materials are also frequently installed as a visual and preventative solution to
effect repairs of environmental damage. These materials are typically surface
mounted and do not form an integral part of the structures load bearing
abilities. Precast concrete, masonry, and ceramic products are typically
attached to the structural surfaces of a building with mortar or adhesives.
p.10

Timber, metal, and plastic cladding elements are generally secured with
screws, nails, or bolts.
The integration of a cladding system into a building's design allows architects
and builders to use cheaper and quicker construction methods and materials
for the core structure. Aesthetic appeal and protective elements are then
added with the installation of the cladding system. The fact that most cladding
systems consist of thin veneers makes them a particularly cost effective
solution while not detracting from their functionality. This characteristic also
makes cladding system materials relatively light weight solutions which do not
tax the load bearing abilities of the structures they enhance. The followings
are some specification of different materials claddings.
Aluminum cladding has a similar range of profiles to steel but also includes a
folded weatherboard product. It is more corrosion resistant than steel.
Aluminum cladding comes in a wide variety of cold formed profiles with
varying base metal gauge and structural capacity. It has high embodied
energy. It is most appropriate in highly corrosive environments where products
with lower embodied energy have a reduced life span. The needs of
maintenance is low. Powder coated finishes generally have a life expectancy
of 15 years and, although fading is common, they rarely require repainting for
protection. Also. it is among the most waterproof cladding materials.
External tiling as cladding has been a traditional method for finishing buildings
in Hong Kong for many years. It is often favored by property developers
because it is perceived to be a comparatively low cost, low maintenance
solution for medium-high rise buildings where access for repair and
maintenance is expensive. Although quite sophisticated specification
methodologies have been developed for curtain walling and cladding the
same cannot be said for tiling systems. For the main part specifications are
fairly primitive and no international approaches are generally available. Some
standards and codes of practice exist in Europe the Americas and Japan and
there are national standards for tile quality available. Heavy reliance is placed
on the supposed specialist expertise of the applicator to get things right. The
situation is compounded by the existence of a wide range of commercial
products and the existence of different traditional practices around the world.
These factors together with the wide range of environmental conditions,
architectural styles and structural backgrounds make it difficult to arrive at a
comprehensive code of practice or design methodology which is both
sufficiently useful and authoritative. To a greater or lesser degree the material
properties of the render system are determined in-situ as work proceeds and
they are difficult to check in-situ by non-destructive means. Current Hong
Kong practice relies on the tiling workmanship to achieve the material
properties by following the manufacturers recommendations or the
specification requirements. As these remain largely unchecked the reliability
of the tiling is quite low.
In short, the nature of cladding selected for a particular building will depend on
how the building is going to be used, internal and external conditions,
aesthetic requirements and so on. The use of a high-quality, well designed
building cladding can maximize thermal performance, minimize air leakage,
p.11

and optimize natural day lighting. This can help reduce the need for
mechanical and electrical building services, and so improve energy efficiency
and lower capital and running costs.

p.12

References:
Chang, C 2016, lecture notes distributed in Technology of Complex Buildings
at BTEC HND in Construction.
Johnson, PG 2003, Performance of Exterior Building Walls, Technology &
Engineering, Phoenix, Arizona

p.13

P2.1
Describe the systems used to provide flexibility of spatial planning for this
project.
High rise office building projects typically demand a high degree of flexibility,
in terms of spatial organization, space planning and office layout.Depending
on the type of corporate organization, the type of office accommodation may
differ.Some require totally open plan layout.Some require totally separate
individual offices.Others require mixture of the two.Corporate organization will
change with time.Spatial need within different departments of the organization
will also change.Market condition, corporate strategy and technological
change can affect spatial needs in different way.During planning, design,
construction, fitout of high rise office building projects, project managers,
architects, interior designers, space planners, builders & contractors should
remember that flexibility in space planning and office layout are highly
desirable.
E&M building servicing
Partitioning systems
Suspended ceilings
Access flooring

p.14

References:
Chang, C 2016, lecture notes distributed in Technology of Complex Buildings
at BTEC HND in Construction.

p.15

P2.2
Describe how the choice of internal system layout that could impact on
building services.

p.16

References:
Chang, C 2016, lecture notes distributed in Technology of Complex Buildings
at BTEC HND in Construction.

p.17

P3.1
Discuss the construction steps and procedures for the followings in view of
efficiency, economy as well as health and safety.
i)

Atrium a linking to the existing Campus

Efficiency
Economy
Health and safety
ii)

10-storey office and lecture building in reinforced concrete structure

Efficiency
Economy
Health and safety
iii)

5-storey laboratory building in structural steelwork

Efficiency
Economy
Health and safety

p.18

References:
Chang, C 2016, lecture notes distributed in Technology of Complex Buildings
at BTEC HND in Construction.

p.19

P4.1
Discuss the key features of sustainable construction strategies.

p.20

References:
Chang, C 2016, lecture notes distributed in Technology of Complex Buildings
at BTEC HND in Construction.

p.21

P4.2
Explain how sustainable construction strategies could benefit to both modern
and traditional methods of construction.

p.22

References:
Chang, C 2016, lecture notes distributed in Technology of Complex Buildings
at BTEC HND in Construction.

p.23

P4.3
Evaluate the construction methods and spatial planning used for multi-storey
buildings in relation to sustainable construction strategies.

p.24

References:
Chang, C 2016, lecture notes distributed in Technology of Complex Buildings
at BTEC HND in Construction.

p.25

P5.1
Analysis the alteration and repair techniques used to meet the needs of future
occupiers of buildings.

p.26

References:
Chang, C 2016, lecture notes distributed in Technology of Complex Buildings
at BTEC HND in Construction.

p.27

P5.2
Evaluate the methods used to demolish structures referring to associated
documentation and compliance with legal requirements and constraints.

p.28

References:
Chang, C 2016, lecture notes distributed in Technology of Complex Buildings
at BTEC HND in Construction.

p.29

P4.3
Justify the effectiveness of the implemented changes.

p.30

References:
Chang, C 2016, lecture notes distributed in Technology of Complex Buildings
at BTEC HND in Construction.

p.31