Reference no: EM133168993

N5E03 Science and Materials

Learning Outcome 1: Review health and safety regulations and legislation associated with the storage, handling and use of materials on a construction site.

Assignment Brief 1: Scenario

You have recently been employed as a civil engineering technician by a local contractor. The company has recently appointed a new Managing Director who has decided to focus on improving the company's awareness of health and safety practices.

Recently there have been a number of accidents and dangerous occurrences relating to site activities involving storage, handling and use of materials. To ensure all the staff are aware of the importance of health and safety associated with the storage, handling and use of materials on site the Managing Director has asked you to prepare a PowerPoint Presentation (with a set of notes) on how to improve health and safety by sourcing relevant legislation and identifying risks associated with material storage, handling and their use. The PowerPoint Presentation should consist of three parts:

Part 1 - Regulations associated with the storage, handling and use of materials on site (such as HASAWA, CDM regulations, COSHH, PUWER, Manual Handling, PPE etc)

Part 2 - Risk Assessments and Method Statements (RAMS) how they can be used to manage risk associated with hazardous materials and activities

Part 3 - Finally, using the information from part 1 and 2 select a particular site activity the company is regularly involved in and explain the legislation that applies and highlight how to plan and manage the activity safely.

Learning Outcome 2: Discuss the environmental and sustainability factors which impact on and influence the material choices for a construction project

Learning Outcome 3: Present material choices for a given building using performance properties, experimental data, sustainability and environmental consideration

Assignment Brief 2:

Scenario
You have recently been employed as a civil engineering technician by a local contractor. The company has recently appointed a new Managing Director. As well as improving the health and safety record of the company the MD believes that future success will depend on ensuring the work and materials used are environmentally friendly and sustainable.

Tasks
To highlight the importance of this the MD has requested that you produce a report.

Section 1
Select a suitable construction material and investigate its environmental impact over its full lifecycle. Consider its embodied energy and explain the benefits of environmental product declarations and certification (BREEAM, LEED etc). Finally, produce a waste management plan for a project which involves a range of different waste materials.

Section 2
Investigate construction material performance properties, behaviour and consider their use.
(a) Material Testing
(1) highlight the mechanism, rationale and the British Standard guidance for the following ‘fresh' concrete
tests;
• Taking a sample
• The slump test
• The flow test
• The degree of compactibility test
• The process of making test cubes

(2) The following test results have been submitted from recent concrete cube tests (N/ mm2) at 28 days with required strength of 35 N/mm2
Based on this data provide the following information;
• Mean and standard deviation of the samples respectively.
• Interpretation of results using graphs (e.g. normal distribution curve etc.)

(3) A tensile test was carried out on a specific material.

The Loadings have been recorded on an excel document however it is incomplete.
Complete the required calculations and enter your results in an excel spread sheet and plot the load/extension graph.
Using your results identify or determine: (Appendix 1)

• The elastic and plastic region
• The yield stress
• The ultimate or maximum stress
• The Modulus of elasticity of the material (Young's Modulus)

(4) Calculate the density of the supplied samples of materials based on measurement and weight. Record all your results.
Compare your results with researched published density information. (NOTE tutor to supply range of material samples)

(b) Materials used for the construction and refurbishment of projects within our industry can be categorised as follows:
• Metals and Alloys e.g. iron, steel, zinc, copper, brass, aluminium, lead etc.
• Timber and Timber products e.g. timber, plywood, MDF, particle board etc.
• Clay Products e.g. bricks, tiles etc.
• Cements and Concrete e.g. OPC, RHPC, SRPC, concrete etc.
• Plastics and other artificial materials
• Coatings and finishes e.g. paints, clear finishes, wood treatments

From the categories select two (2) materials.

The materials selected must be from different categories.
For each of the materials selected, describe the properties and identify where and why they could be used within a construction project.

(c) All building structures have to carry loads. What is important is how the structure will react to various types of load acting on different parts of the structure. Initially the strength of a building should allow it to carry loads without failure of the construction.

1. Define the various types of loads that a structure must resist.

When a member is loaded it is subjected to the following forces / effects.

2. Briefly describe, with the aid of sketches, how timber, steel and concrete are affected by the application of your identified loads/forces on a structure.

Learning Outcome 4 Evaluate the performance of a given building in respect of its human comfort requirements.

Assignment Brief 3:

Scenario
You have recently been employed as a civil engineering technician by a local contractor. The company has recently appointed a new Managing Director. The MD is keen to improve the performance of the structures the company are designing and building and asked to carry out an investigation of the factors which influence human comfort and the thermal performance of the buildings.

Tasks

The submission comprises two related items:

Section 1 - Discuss the basic factors that affect human comfort and identify materials within in a building which can assist with achieving comfortable conditions for the inhabitants of the building.

Section 2 - Human Comfort Calculations
Human comfort factors are essential in buildings in which we occupy, therefore calculate the following to either establish values or achieve compliance;

Calculate the ‘U' value for the cavity wall shown and given performance criteria;

Values of Thermal conductivity are in W/mK;

Lightweight Plaster        -          0.18

Aerated Concrete block                 -      0.11

Insulation Board -         0.025

Brickwork                      -          0.77

Standard Thermal Resistances in m² K/W;

Internal surface             -          0.12

External surface            -          0.06

Cavity                            -          0.18

Wall Specification:

External Brick     102.5mm

Air Gap                            35mm

Concrete Block                   100mm

Lightweight          12mm Plaster

Using the information calculated, and using the information below, calculate the following;

(i) Fabric heat loss

(ii) Ventilation heat loss

(iii) Total heat loss in kilowatts

U-values
Floor 0.55
Roof 0.4
Windows 2.4
Door 1.65
Walls as calculated

A workshop with 175 watt low pressure sodium vapour lamp at 3 metres above floor.
The Sodium vapour lamp efficacy is 142.8 lumens per watt Calculate illuminance directly below and 4 m to the side of lamp

This same workshop has just taken delivery of a new milling machine. It is intended that it will operate alongside another milling machine. Concern has been raised as to what impact the new machine will have on current sound levels.
Current Machine 80dB New Machine 77dB
To ensure compliance you are to calculate the combined sound levels.