FABRIC STRUCTURES Fabric structures are not new: People have constructed tents since the earliest days of human civilization. During the last several decades, however, new, durable fabrics and computerized methods for Þ nding form and forces have helped to create a new construction type: a permanent, rigid, stable fabric structure that will last for 20 … Read more
Communication is of critical importance in construction. Poor communication is the root cause of many problems in the industry. Poor communication can impact safety, production, quality, cost, schedule, and all other aspects of a job. Thus, it is important to work to continuously improve communication skills, both oral and written. This chapter will begin by … Read more
INTRODUCTION The supervisor, and the function and domain of construction supervision, can be defined in a number of different ways. Company policy and company organizational plan certainly will influence the definition within a construction company. Collective bargaining agreements frequently contain their own elements of definition. A variety of different management references likewise contain various … Read more
Standard wide-ß angle beams are suitable for the range of structural spans normally encountered in of ces, schools, hospitals, apartment buildings hotels, retail stores, warehouses, and other buildings in which columns may be brought to earth at intervals without obstructing the activities that take place within. For many other types of buildings non athletic buildings, … Read more
Building Þ res are not hot enough to melt steel, but are often able to weaken it sufÞ ciently to cause structural failure (Figures 11.68 and 11.69). For this reason, building codes generally limit the use of exposed steel framing to buildings of one to Þ ve stories, where escape in case of Þ re … Read more
A steel building frame begins as a rough sketch on the drafting board of an architect or engineer. As the build ing design process progresses, the sketch evolves through many stages of drawings and calculations to become a Þ nished set of structural drawings. These show accurate column loca tions, the shapes and sizes … Read more
Connection Details of Steel Framing Most steel frame connections use angles, plates, or tees as transitional elements between the members being connected. A simple bolted beam-to column-ß angle connection requires two angles and a number of bolts (Figures 11.24 11.27). The angles are cut to length, and the holes are made in all the components … Read more
Steel Steel is any of a range of alloys of iron that contain less than 2 percent carbon. Ordinary structural steel, called mild steel, contains less than three tenths of 1 percent carbon, plus traces of beneficial elements such as manganese and silicon, and of detrimental impurities such as phosphorus, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen. In … Read more
Steel, strong and stiff, is a material of slender towers and soaring spans. Precise and predictable, light in proportion to its strength, it is also well suited to rapid construction, highly repetitive building frames, and architectural details that satisfy the eye with a clean, precise elegance. Among the metals, it is uniquely plentiful and inexpensive. … Read more
Improving Collaboration Among Team Members The design and construction industr y continues to evolve, testing innovative organizational structures and project deliver y methods in which designers, builders, and owners assume less adversarial and less compartmentalized roles. Such approaches share characteristics such as: • Contractual relationships and working arrangements that foster collaboration between project members … Read more