Week 8 Journal‘In Detail’

Interrogation of the detailing decisions:The detail was shown because

Composition:The internal parts of the detail are composed of plasterboard and insulation. The other materials are exposed to the outside and include glass blocks, steel lintel that is reinforced with concrete and steel bars and render.

Building Process:This detail would be constructed in two phases. The glass block walls and lintel are constructed early in the construction process as all exterior walls are erected. The lintel would be installed at a stage when the opening below has finished and the upper courses of the block wall need to be constructed. At the completion of all exterior walls, inside finishing may begin which includes installing the plasterboards and insulation.

Pros:Show the specific of the steel rods location for reinforcing. The water proofing shows the joining of the sarking and the flashing to restrict any water entering the building.

Cons:The detail is missing for the length of the lintel and its cross-reference is missing form the file.

Sustainability and Environmental Analysis:The main component of this detail is glass, which emits 0.85 kilograms of carbon per kiliogram of glass produced (Greenspec, 2013). Glass however may not contain so much embodied energy as it can be sourced locally and requires little transport to get to the building site. Glass is also highly recyclable and can be put to other use once melted and moulded.Steel is used in this detail for the lintel and its reinforcing. Steel produces 1.37kg of carbon per kg of steel produced. Steel is also quite energy intensive in its creation emmiting 20.1 MJ of energy per Kg of steel ( Greenspec, 2013), therefore its embodied energy is high, however is generally long lasting if not exposed to weather thus may be an environmentally friendly material in the long term.Steel is also 100 percent recyclable and can continually be recycled and be used in the manufacturing of new steel (Planet Ark, 2013).

Economic Implications of Decisions:

The glass blocks are not as cheap as using concrete blocks and in this section of the detail the insulation and plaster doesn’t allow light to penetrate the glass blocks thus there is no energy savings. The thermal insulation may be initially an expense however it will quickly be made up for in saving heating and cooling costs.Where and Why Things Go Wrong:The metal flashing and sarking if not installed properly will allow moisture and water to penetrate the building. If this happens there is possibility of a deteriorating structure and insulation. The connection between the two must be water tight and even the slightest gaps can have large effects if corrosion of steel occurs.

http://www.greenspec.co.uk/embodied-energy.phphttp://recyclingweek.planetark.org/documents/doc-186-steel-factsheet.pdf