Constructing   Environment  

Week   7   studio   journal  

Jianpeng   Deng,   657598  

This   week,   the   e-­‐learning   section   mainly   focuses   on   the   new   materials   for  

construction.  First  of  all,  ETFE  is  one  of  the  new  materials  which  is  the  cushions  

are  manufactured   from  multiple   layers   of   ETFE,   is   a  modified   co-­‐polymer;   An  

example  is  the  swimming  cube  in  Beijing  and  its  very  outer  structure  is  made  of  

cushions  with  triple  layers,  that  as  a  part  of  the  cushions  inflects,  it  comes  apart  

and   allows   the   light   to   come   in.   ETFE   is   originally   developed   for   the   space  

industry  and   it   is  unique  because   it  does  not  degrade  under  ultraviolet   light  or  

atmospheric   pollution.   Cross   Laminated   Timber   (CLT),   which   is   another   new  

material,  is  an  industrially  prefabricated  timber  panel  of  superior  strength.  CLT’s  

structural   performance   is   comparable   with   pre-­‐cast   concrete   and   it   uses   a  

formaldehyde-­‐free  polyurethane  structured  adhesive,  which  helps  to  make  CLT  

more   environmentally   friendly;  moreover,   lightweight   is   another   advantage   of  

this   material.   On   the   other   hand,   we   are   also   introduced   a   process   called  

refabrication,   an  example  of  which   is  bamboo   flooring  and  cork   insulation;   the  

similarity   between   them   is   that   the   manufacturing   process   is   long   and  

time-­‐consuming,  but  the  materials  are  very  of  use  in  construction.    

 

Besides,  the  topic  for  this  week  is  roof  systems;  we  are  introduced  in  detail  about  

the  key  concepts  of  roofs,  for  instance,  there  are  three  types  of  flat  roofs,  frame,  

concrete  and  hybrid,  it  is  very  important  to  know  that  all  of  them  require  water  

proof,  otherwise  if  there  is  too  much  rainwater  on  the  roof,  it  will  turn  out  water  

leakage.  Apart  from  the  big  pictures  of  roof  systems,  we  are  also  introduced  the  

small  details  of  them,  such  as,  gutter,  flashing  and  purlin.  For  example,  gutter  is  

commonly  made  of  metal  positioned  below  along  the  eave  of  roofs,  the  purpose  

of   which   is   to   collect   and   divert   water   from   a   roof.   Picture   1   is   shown   in   the  

following  page  that  is  the  paper  generally  covers  the  topic  of  roof  systems.  

                                                      Picture  1  

 

The  in-­‐class  activity  for  this  week  is  an  on  site  visit  at  the  

building  that  is  still  under  construction.  It  is  an  apartment  

building  with   9   storeys   and   55   apartments,   and   75%  of  

which   has   been   completed.   Image   1   on   the   right   is   the  

building.  It  is  introduced  that  the  building  is  mostly  made  

of  concrete,  but  steel  is  mostly  used  for  the  top  floor.    

 

In   Image  2  shown  below,  we  can  see   that  masonries  are  

used   to   build   the   inner   walls,   and   the   masonries   are  

hollow   inside  maybe  because   it  can   leave  space   for  steel  

and  concrete  to  reinforce  walls.  Also,  there  is  an  opening  

framed  with   timbers   in  between  the  wall,  which   is  most   likely   to  put  a  door   in  

the   future.   The   opening   is  

necessary    

 

 

 

 

 

                  Image  1  

                                                Image  2  

On   the   ceilings   in   every   floor,   there   are  

main  components  attached  with   it,   such  as  

water   pipe   and   electric   wires.   Image   3   on  

the   right,   shows   how   and   where   the  

systems   are   being   located.   Some   pipes   are  

made  of  copper  to  transfer  gas  and  water  to  

every  storey  from  bottom  to  the  top.  On  the  

other   hand,   sewerage   pipes   direct   wastes  

from   the   top   down   to   the   underground  

sewerage  system.  

 

 

In  the  following  images,  here  we  come  to  one  of  the  rooms.  

                  Image  4                               Image  5                               Image  6  

Of   all   these   three   images,  we   can   see   that   the   room   is   decorated   by   a   layer   of  

plastic  board  on  ceiling  as  well  as  the  inner  wall.  In  Image  4,  we  can  clearly  see  

through   the   opening   on   the   ceiling,   there   is   an   access   panel   and   some   service  

components  that  have  been  mentioned  above.  In  Image  5,  the  fire  sprinkler  head  

is  installed  on  the  ceiling,  and  this  is  to  meet  the  fire  rating  90/90/90.  In  Image  6,  

the  wall   that  we   can   see  wires   go   through,   there   is   also   fire   rated  wall   system  

about  the  wall.  

Image  3  

In   Image   7,   we   see   that   the   window  

doorframe   is   made   of   aluminum   and  

galvanized   steel,   as   this   metal   is  

advantageous   in   several   aspects,   such   as  

lightweight,   corrosion   resistance,   ductility  

and   recyclability.  Besides,   the  window  door  

is   sealed   with   rubber,   in   order   to   prevent  

rainwater  from  leaking  into  the  apartment.  

 

 

 

Image   8   is   taken   in   a   stairway  

where  we  can  see  there  are  sheet  

steels   underneath   the   concrete  

stair;   it   is  said  to  be  the  concrete  

formwork   that   hold   the   shape  

and  when  the  concrete  dries  out,  

the  sheets  will  be  removed.  

 

The   image   on   the   left   shows   the   floor   system   as  

well  as  the  ceiling.  It  is  rather  to  be  a  two-­‐way  slab  

that   there   are   reinforcing   steels   in   between   the  

concretes;   also,   they   are   precast   concrete   that  

pieces  of   concrete  plate  are   ‘glued’   to  become   the  

floors.  

Moreover,   there   is   steel   structure   built   below   the  

floor   system,   where   the   gap   in   between   will   be  

placed   pipes   and   wires;   and   the   ceiling   will   be  

made   by   attaching   plastic   board   underneath   the  

steel  structure  in  order  to  make  it  look  better.  

 

Image  7  

Image  8  

Image  9  

The   image   on   the   right   is  

taken  in  the  ninth  floor  of  

the  building,  which  is  also  

the   very   top   floor   of   it.  

The   structure   here   has  

very   big   differences   from  

the   other   floors,   in   terms  

of  the  materials  used.  Steel  framing  is  clearly  seen  in  the  image,  they  are  painted  

in  yellow  because   it  helps  protect   the   steel   from  corrosion.  Moreover,   the   roof  

system   is   rather   to   be   double   span,   that   there   are   thick   steel   joists   placed  

horizontally  below  the  steel  channels;  also,   it   is  said   that   the  span   for   the  steel  

joists   is  12  meters.  To  be  more  specific,   it   is  galvanized  steel  roof  that  refers  to  

the  fabrication  about  the  roof.  More  images  are  shown  below  about  this  floor.  

       

In  Image  12,  there  we  see  diagonal  steel  strap  bracing  welded  to  studs  and  

runners,  and  the  secure  strap  connection  to  stud  and  runner  with  a  steel  gusset  

welds.  The  purpose  of  this  is  an  extra  support  for  the  roof  structure.  Also,  we  also  

see  access  panels  that  connect  to  kitchens,  bathroom  etc.,  as  well  as  downpipe  

vents,  sewerage  and  the  water  pipes  for  water  service.    

 

 

Image  10  

Image  11  

Image  12  

The  Image  13  &  14  show  that  

the  surface  of  the  very  top  

roof  system,  it  is  said  to  be  

the  plain  plate  form  that  has  

2  degrees  sloping,  so  that  it  

could  catch  more  rainwater.  

In  order  to  prevent  the  

corrosion  from  the  metal  

sheets,  they  are  already  

coated  and  also  more  

protection  works  are  done,  

for  example,  there  are  three  

gutters  in  different  locations  

to  direct  the  water  down  to  

the  ground  sewerage,  so  it  

means  there  are  different  output  to  distribute  rainwater;  it  is  connected  to  the  

white  box  shown  in  Image  15,  the  hole  of  which  is  extra  access  when  too  much  

water  in  the  gutters.  Moreover,  flashing  is  also  another  work  to  protect  steel  

sheet  from  corrosion.  

 

                                                                  Image  15  

 

 

 

 

 

Image  13  

Image  14  

This   is   one   of   the  

apartments  that  locates  in  

the   eighth   floor,   here   we  

see   the   concrete   column  

near  the  guide,  this  is  one  

of   the   column   that  

support   the   floor   system  

above.   Moreover,   there  

are   the   stocks   of   the  wall  materials   that   are   up   to   the   standard   of   fire   rating.  

Walls  will   be   built   on  where   the   yellow   steel   frame   structures   are,   so   that   the  

boundaries  will  be  clearly  settled  and  also  to  prevent  noise  from  one  apartment  

to  another.  

 

In   this   image   on   the  

left,   there   are   roof  

trusses   that   support  

the  roof   in  some  ways,  

divert   the   force   to   the  

walls  nearby.  

 

 

Image   18   shows   there   is   a   timber   placed   in   the   gap   of  

steel  doorframe,  it  is  acting  as  a  joint  as  well  as  a  kind  of  

reinforcement  to  hold  the  opening  firmly.    

Image  16  

Image  17  

Image  18