Pack 4

Construction
technology and
design

Scenario 4.1
Activity 1 4.2
 4.1 Scenario
Pack 4 Construction technology and design

A developer has bought part of the rear gardens to several houses plus one
house. The intention is to demolish the house to provide vehicular access to the
proposed development. A trial pit has been dug by hand to the west of the site
near to the railway embankment. The proposed development will comprise
four two-storey semi-detached three bedroom houses and six four-bedroom
detached houses. The ground is mainly on a 1 in 8 hill running down to the
railway line.
A trial pit excavated in March showed topsoil 200 mm thick over firm clay.
At 1.80 m there is sandy ballast. The water table is 1.00 m below ground level.
On the existing land are several large fruit trees.

House to be N
demolished

Railway line

Figure 4.1

4.2 Activity 1

Group tasks
Using the book Building in the 21st Century, Chapters 4–10, read the sections
on types of foundation, walls and openings, and floor and stairs. As you are
reading consider and discuss the scenario against the following issues:
Discuss the following issues:
1 Good neighbour policy. If you were the developer what would you do?
2 Site security and set up. Bear in mind the site will be isolated from the
road and all access will be over the site of an old house. (Hint: think about
the existing services.)

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 Pack 4 Construction technology and design
3 What type and sized plant will be used? Consider access.
4 What will happen to the spoil? Many local authorities restrict the amount
that can be removed from site. Will that have a bearing on the foundation
choice?

Individual tasks
If you are working as an individual student, you must present evidence to
match the grading criteria for the National Award and National Certificate
in Construction units. For copyright reasons the exact criteria have not been
included; however, the following tasks should allow assessment to be achieved.
You will find Chapters 4, 5, 6 and 12 useful.

1 Look at the soil report and comment about the possible design issues for
the foundations. In particular consider the following:
r The depth of the water table
r The type of soil, is it friable (easily falls apart), cohesive (sticks to-
gether), fibrous (peaty type soils), and so on.
r How much spoil will be removed from the site
r Will there be a need for ground support?
2 Draw a section through the foundation showing the substrate and the
height of the water table.
3 Write a short summary stating the reasons for choosing the particular
form of foundation and the reasons why the other types would not be
suitable.
4 Show how the incline of the site has been overcome with an elevational
detail of the foundation.
5 The outer skin of the structures will be face brickwork: detail the elevation
below damp proof course (dpc) level to the top of the foundation. Include
the relative height of the finished ground level as a labelled dashed line.
6 Write a specification for all the substructure works.
7 Looking at the ground floor detail, select two types of suitable floor de-
signs that comply with the current Building Regulations. (Hint: consider
structural stability, thermal insulation, resistance to the passage of mois-
ture, ventilation of the void, and resistance to plant growth below the
floor. Remember the site is on an incline of 1 in 8. It would be impractical
to level the site off.)
8 The external walls up to dpc level are to be brick and block cavity construc-
tion with a semi-engineering facing brick outer leaf and dense concrete
block inner leaf. Above dpc level the inner leaf blockwork changes to
low density aircrete with a conductivity value of 0.11 W/mK. The wall
is finished with 12.5 mm plasterboard on dabs internally. Calculate the
thickness of aircrete block required to achieve a U value of 0.25 W/m2 K
over the entire wall.
9 To reduce the thickness of the aircrete inner leaf block, full thickness cavity
insulation could be used. Calculate the thickness of insulation required
if the blockwork is 125 mm thick and lambda value of the insulation

Pack 4 Construction technology and design 3

 is 0.037 W/mK. You might find the following website interesting and
Pack 4 Construction technology and design

helpful: http://www.rockwool.co.uk/sw47799.asp
10 Specify suitable mortars for up to dpc level and above dpc level. Also
specify where masonry reinforcement should be used.
11 Select, specify and draw a section through suitable lintels for above door
and window openings.
12 Using the same wall design described in task 8 show a section through at
the ground floor wall junction down to the top of the foundation (joists
spanning onto the wall). Ensure the detail complies with the current
Building Regulations for air pressures.
13 Using the same wall design described in task 8 show a section through
at the first floor wall junction (joists spanning onto the wall). Ensure the
detail complies with the current Building Regulations for air pressures.
14 As an alternative to the ‘section through’ detail for task 12, show another
method of joist support that also complies with the current Building Reg-
ulations for air pressures.

4 Pack 4 Construction technology and design