You are required to select a case study, consisting of an old existing low-rise housing building, with a date of construction before 1992 (30 years old), and discuss various aspects regarding the construction
Assignment Task
You are required to select a case study, consisting of an existing low-rise housing building, and discuss various aspects regarding the construction system, structural characteristics, relevant materials, signs of degradation of materials and existing pathologies
Assignment task(s) requirements:
You are required to select a case study, consisting of an old existing low-rise housing building, with a date of construction before 1992 (30 years old), and discuss various aspects regarding the construction system, structural characteristics, relevant materials, signs of degradation of materials, existing building defects, and building performance failures.
Possible buildings include detached or semi-detached houses or flat buildings up to five (5) stories and built before 1992.
You have to bear in mind that the selection of any medium-rise building or taller will not be accepted. Similarly, any non-housing building will not be accepted for this assignment.
The report will be submitted in a written format of approximately words ( excluding references and the appendix ), and it must include at least the following descriptive information:
- Address of the selected building
- Location map
- Postcode of selected building
- Photography of the main Façade (front of the building)
- Date of building
- During the preparation of your report, you will need to pay particular attention to providing:
- A clear structure (using headings and subheadings) and links throughout the report
- A clear, concise, and simple language
- Your Report should contain an introduction and a concluding paragraph.
Tips on preparing your report
- Base your research on academic sources, e.g., journal articles, books, and chapters in books.
- Make sure to reference these appropriately using Harvard-style referencing .
- The majority of your sources should be peer-reviewed journal articles. However, you may refer to other sources, such as internet sites, magazines, or newspapers, as long as you include a minimum of 3 peer-reviewed academic resources
- Communication skills are important, so proofread your work carefully before you submit it. The standard of your writing will affect your mark.
Assignment Brief
Your work will be assessed on the extent to which it demonstrates your achievement of the stated learning outcomes for this assignment (see above) and against other key criteria, as defined in the University’s institutional grading descriptors.
You are required to discuss various aspects of a selected low-rise housing building, identify the main structural characteristics, technologies used in its construction, structural systems, and structural materials, and identify signs of degradation of materials or existing building defects, or building performance failures (such as dampness, mould, corrosion, etc).
During your on-site inspection and using relevant literature you should address the following areas:
1. Investigate The construction systems
2. Identify and explain the Structural and non-structural elements
3. Identify the Technologies utilised in the building construction.
4. Identify and describe the main structural materials used in the building including photographs
5. Identification of signs of ageing and degradation of materials (including photographs) or any possible pathologies affecting structural or non-structural elements