Every construction project is different, every site is a adoption of construction industrialization and the use

singular prototype, construction works are located in of prefabrication of components in building

different places, and involve the constant movement construction.
of personnel and machinery. In addition, the weather
It is defined as a construction technique in which
and other factors can prevent the application of
previous experience effectively. components are manufactured in a controlled
environments (on or off site), transported, positioned
The term ‘advanced construction technology’ covers and assembled into a structure with minimal
a wide range of modern techniques and practices additional site work.
that encompass the latest developments in materials
Modern methods of construction in he industry
technology, building design procedures, structural
include the industrialized process which the
analysis and design, quantity surveying, facilities
components are conceived, planned fabricated,
management and services, and management
studies. transported and erected on site. MMC balanced the
combination of the software and hardware factors.
Incorporating advanced construction technology into
The software factors include system design which
practice can increase levels of quality, efficiency,
studies the requirements of end user, market
safety, sustainability, and value for money. However,
analysis, development of standardized components,
there is often a conflict between traditional industry
establishment of manufacturing and assembly
methods and innovative new practices, and this is
layout and process, allocation of resources and
often blamed for the relatively slow rate of
materials and definition of a building designer
technology transfer within the industry.
framework.
The adoption of advanced construction technology
The software factors provide a pre-requisite to the
requires an appropriate design, commitment from
creation of the conductive environments for MMC to
the whole project team, suitable procurement
expand.
strategies, good quality control, appropriate training
and careful commissioning. The hardware factors are categorized into 4 major
groups:
Advanced construction technologies are commonly
described as including (amongst many other) • Blockwork system
advanced forms of: • Frame and beam system
• Offsite manufacturing/ prefabrication and • Panel system
preassembly • Volumetric system
• Building Research and Development These systems vary in effect, the distinctions of
• Building Information Modelling (BIM) which include modular, framed, panelized and
• Various cladding systems volumetric variants.
• Computer Aided Design and Manufacturing
(CAD/CAM) For instance, framed systems present load bearing
• Modular Construction construction and is closed by panels. Panelized
• 3D Printing and Materials systems are produces in a factory and assembled
on-site to produce a three-dimensional structure.
• Site Investigations and
Surveying/Substructure works The construction method of using conventional
• Temporary works (Temfacil) bricks has been revolutionized by the development
• Smart Technology/ Robotics/ GPS controlled and usage of interlocking concrete masonry units
equipment (CMU), lightweight concrete blocks and insulated
concrete formwork (ICF).
MODERN METHODS OF CONSTRUCTION
TRANSITION IN STRUCTURAL TECHNOLOGIES
Presently, modern methods of construction (MMC)
are applied more for its performance improvement in • Masonry Structure
terms of economic, environmental and social • Reinforced Concrete Structure
aspects of construction. These represent the • Steel Structure
ARCH 463- BUILDING TECHNOLOGY 5 1
 • Air-Inflated Membrane Structure was considered a daring engineering feat at the
• Wooden Structure (Glued laminated wood) time.
• Cable Structure
STEEL STRUCTURES
MASONRY STRUCTURE
Steel offers much better compression and tension
People have traditionally built their homes with than concrete and enables lighter construction.
natural materials found nearby. In ancient Egypt, Modern steel structures use three-dimensional
Mesopotamia, and Greece, it was easy to get stones structural framework, so they can be larger than
and bricks. These materials resist compression but reinforced concrete counterpart.
do not resist tension.
AIR-INFLATED MEMBRANE STRUCTURE
To make the largest structure possible, builders used
Air-supported construction derives from the balloon
compression to create arches that could form
principle to shape a building. The air pressure inside
domes. The first dome was the 14th century BC
the structure exceeds the external air pressure to
Treasury of Atreus. Domes progressed through the
support the roof.
Roman Pantheon, the Byzantine Hagia Sophia, and
the Florence Cathedral of the Renaissance. The CABLE STRUCTURES
domes in all structures use canopies and are
religious symbols. Cables stretch well and are light, so they are useful
in large structures. Cables can be crisscrossed and
WOODEN STRUCTURES combined with surface materials to achieve light and
large structures. Also being referred to as a tensile
The Japanese have long used wood for housing and
membrane structure, this construction is most often
historical structures, but not for large buildings. This
used as a roof, as they can economically and
changed with the development of wood composites-
attractively span large distances.
thin, pressed sheets-combined with joints and steel
frames, and glued laminated timber, also Cable or tensile structures may also be used as
abbreviated glulam, is a type of structural complete buildings, with a few common applications
engineered wood product constituted layers of being sport facilities, warehousing and storage
dimensional lumber bonded together with durable, buildings, and exhibition venues.
moisture resistant structural adhesives. Wood
imparts a natural, human warmth that steel and
concrete lack. This attribute probably hastened
wood technology development.
REINFORCED CONCRETE STRUCTURES
Reinforced concrete construction is a balanced
design because it matches concrete, which resists
compression, with steel, which counteracts tension.
Many different types of structures and components
of structures can be built using reinforced concrete
including slabs, walls, beams, columns, foundations,
frames and more. This construction is very suitable
for free-shape design.
If a curved construction, such as a dome, is fully
shaped its surface is dynamically strong, like an
eggshell, which is thin yet strong. The Ingalls
Building, built in 1903 in Cincinnati, Ohio, is the
world’s first reinforced concrete skyscraper. The 16-
story building was designed by the Cincinnati
architectural firm Elzner & Anderson. The building

ARCH 463- BUILDING TECHNOLOGY 5 2

 1. PRECAST CONSTRUCTION more economic than conventional
- Refers to concrete members formed or construction when the building is vertically
molded in a factory or plant, then delivered uniform, such as for hotels, apartment
and assembled at the jobsite. buildings, and dormitories, and where the
slab design are repetitive.
APPLICATIONS:
- After the erection of precast columns, each
• Structural framework elements such as floor slab is cast on the ground, one on top of
columns, beams, and girders (usually the other; after curing, the topmost slab is
prestressed) hoisted slowly (1 inch per minute) by
• Flooring and roofing units hydraulic jacks located at the top of each
• Wall panels, gutters, mouldings (use of GRC- column
glass fiber reinforced concrete
4. PRESTRESSING
ADVANTAGES: - Refers to the method of compressing
concrete members so that they do not deflect
• Mass production of standardized and
when in position, and both upper and lower
repetitive units
sections of the members remain in
• Less labor cost due to mechanized compression
production
• Use of unskilled labor TENDONS
• Less construction time
- High-strength cables of twisted strands
• Better quality control and higher strength of (made with odd-numbers 3,5, or 7 wires)
concrete
• Construction free form effects of weather DRAPING
conditions
- Cambered or upward curved tendon position
to improve effectiveness (retards creep or
2. TILT-UP, TILT-SLAB OR TILT-WALL
slack-loosening)
- Is a type of building and a construction
technique using concrete. After the custom- TWO TYPES OF PRESTRESSING:
precast concrete has cured, the elements are
“tilted” to the vertical position with a crane 1. PRE-TENSIONING OR BONDED
and braced into position until the remaining PRESTRESSING
building structural components (roofs, - Steel tendons are placed in empty concrete
intermediate floors and wall) are secured forms and stretched, before concrete is
placed about the tendons are cured; the
ADVANTAGES: tendons are bonded to the concrete and
upon their release, part of the tension is
• Reduction of formworks
transferred to the concrete as compression.
• Simplified placement and reinforcement if 2. POST-TENSIONING OR UNBONDED
concrete PRESTRESSING
• Permits ground level installation of - Loose tendons in tubing or sheathing
components, such as window frames embedded in cured concrete are stretched,
or tendons greased to prevent adhesion to
3. LIFT SLAB CONSTRUCTION the concrete during curing. Tension is applied
- Also called as Youtz-Slick Method to the tendons and anchorage at their ends
- Is a method of constructing concrete is installed; cement grout is finally forced
buildings by casting the floor or roof slab on around them for improved bonding and
top of the previous slab and then raising corrosion protection.
(jacking) the slab up with hydraulic jack
- Being cheaper and faster does not need OTHER METHODS INCLUDE:
forms & shores as it is needed for cast-in-
3. VOLUMETRIC EXPANSION
place slabs. Lift slab construction can be

ARCH 463- BUILDING TECHNOLOGY 5 3

 - Made with a special type of cement in a non-metal, is an essential constituent of
concrete that expands to create the steel.
prestressing force to the cables embedded - Alloy steels have a wide range of special
with the concrete properties, such as hardness, toughness,
4. THERMAL PRESTRESSING corrosion resistance, conductivity, and
- A method of prestressing that stretches the ductility
cable first with heat coming from electric
EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT CHEMICAL
current, after which concrete is added in the
CONSTITUENTS IN STEEL:
mould. Later on, the cable contracts as it
cools, producing the prestress force • CARBON AND MANGANESE
(tension). • Higher tensile and yield strength but have
DEFINITIONS: low ductility and difficult to weld
• SULFUR AND PHOSPHORUS
• WIRES • Brittleness and affect the ability to weld as
- Prestressing wire is a single unit made of well as fatigue or flexibility strength
steel • CHROMIUM AND NICKEL
• STRANDS • High temperature and corrosion resistance
- Two, three, or seven wires are twisted to form • COPPER
a prestressing strand • Improved resistance to corrosion. The slight
• TENDON changes in the chemical composition result
- A group of strands or wires are twisted to in various types of steel. One type of steel is
form a prestressing tendon being used as structural members like
• CABLE angles, tubing, sheets, pipes, reinforcement
- A group of tendons form a prestressing cable bars, etc.
• BAR
• A tendon can be made up od a single steel ADVANTAGES OF STEEL FRAMING IN
bar. Its diameter is much larger that of a wire. BUILDING CONSTRUCTION:

• More strength and greater degree of

STEEL durability and capability of supporting more
weight; 100 times stronger than concrete in
- Is one of the materials used for any kind of resisting tension and 10 times stronger than
steel construction; it is formed with a specific concrete in resisting compression
shape. • Framework can be designed to span long
- These steel materials are made of certain distances without intervening support; longer
standards of chemical composition to attain spans create large unobstructed areas by
strength requirements eliminating the need for columns or bearing
- Also known as refined iron, is an alloy or iron partitions, which provides flexibility in the
and carbon. The special properties can be design and location of interior partitions
imparted to iron by adding a small • Environment-friendly- material is
percentage of manganese, sulfur, copper, manufactures from a recyclable and an
phosphorus, chrome and nickel, therefore undepleted natural resource and offers a
variety of steel can be produced. better substitute for wood or timber
- Is processed in steel rolling mills and is
graded according to its carbon content GENERAL TYPES OF STEEL:

ALLOY • MILD OR LOW STEEL

- Nearly pure iron having low carbon content,
- Refers to a metallic substance composed of used in the manufacture of boilers, tanks and
two or more elements, as either a compound enamelware
or a solution. The components of alloy are • BILLET OR RAIL STEEL
ordinarily themselves metals, though carbon,

ARCH 463- BUILDING TECHNOLOGY 5 4

 - Made of scraps from railroad tracks that has - Used as wall studs, rafter beams and purlins
superior compression resistance o American Standard Channels: sizes
• STAINLESS STEEL C3 through C15
- Basically an alloy of iron and about 10% o Miscellaneous Channels: sizes MC6
chromium which imparts a remarkable through MC18
resistance of the metal to corrosion and heat • ANGLES
• STRUCTURAL STEEL o Equal Leg Angles: sizes 2”x2”
- Steel rolled and extruded in a variety of through 8”x8”
shapes and fabricated for use as load- o Unequal Leg Angles: sizes 2 ½” x 2”
bearing sections through 9/4”
- Has varied applications in the construction • STRUCTURAL TUBING/TUBES
industry. It is generally used in designing and o Square: sizes 1 ½” x 1 ½” through
building industrial places 30”x30”
- Has a high strength/weight ratio that makes o Rectangular: sizes 2 ½” x 1 ½”
it excellent to use in the construction of through 30”x24”
enormous structures such as building, • STRUCTURAL PIPE/LALLY COLUMNS
warehouses, bridges, factories etc. - Sometimes concrete-filled for added strength
o Gage: standards (S), extra strong (X),
Steel frames, beams, columns, bars, girders, plates
double extra strong (XX)
and many others are created by structural steel
o Sizes 3” through 12” (inside
fabricators which are used in the construction
diametes)
industry. Every year, about 25% of structural steels
• STRUCTURAL TEES
are used in the construction of buildings.
o WT Shapes: sizes WT2 through
TYPES OF STRUCTURAL STEEL: WT22
o MT Shapes: sizes MT2.5 through
• CARBON STEEL MT6
• Contains carbon and manganese as the o ST Shapes: sizes ST1.5 though ST12
main alloys and is the basic structural steel; • PLATES
the most economical but has the lowest yield - Used for cold-formed/ bended sections such
point (AISC ASTM designation A36) as lipped channels
• HIGH STRENGTH, LOW-ALLOY STEEL • BARS
(HSLA) - Used for ironwork and as concrete
• Offers reduction in weight and has twice reinforcement
corrosion resistance of A36; not o Flat bar
recommended for welding. o Square bar
• WEATHERING STEEL o Round bar (plain/deformed)
• Intended for exteriors; its brown coating (a
kind of oxidation) protects it from further
corrosion, has four times resistance of A36
• HEAT-TREATED STEEL
• Strength is developed by quenching and
tempering; only available in plate sections
STRUCTURAL STEEL PROFILES OR
SECTION SHAPES:

• FLANGED SECTION AS BEAMS OR

COLUMNS (wide-flanged and I-sections)
o W Shapes: sizes W4 through W44
o S Shapes: sizes S3 through S24
o M Shapes: sizes M5 through M12
• CHANNELS
ARCH 463- BUILDING TECHNOLOGY 5 5
STEEL CONSTRUCTION FABRICATION
Site Equipments in Steel Fabrication
Shop and field erection or assembly of steel
framework is done with the use of crawler cranes
(which operate from ground level) for low structures,
and tower cranes (which move up at floor levels as
the work in construction progresses) for
exceptionally tall structures. 2. RIVET (PLAIN) – produces a bearing-type
METHODS OF CONNECTING STRUCTURAL connection.
STEEL MEMBERS: · Button head
1. Use of fasteners · Flat/chipped head
· Pan head
2. Welding · Countersunk head
FASTENERS – inserted through holes made
between steel sections, done by
1. PUNCHING – if thickness of section is equal
to fastener diameter plus 1/8”, and
2. DRILLING – if thickness is greater than the
criterion set in punching - Note that holes are
usually 1/16” larger than the fastener
FASTENER TERMINOLOGY:
diameter
§ BOLT – a metal pin with a head at one end with a
shank or stem threaded at the other end on which a
nut is screwed.
§ NUT – a short metal block having a central hole
which is threaded to receive the threaded end of the
stem of a bolt.
§ WASHER – a flat, thin metal ring used as a bearing
surface under the head and/or nut of a bolt; used to
assure tightness, relieve friction, improve stress
distribution, and to span large clearance holes.
§ Rivet – a malleable pin with a head at one end and
a plain shank; used to join two metal sections by
inserting it through a hole made between each
section, deforming the other end of the shank to form
a second head; holes can also be reamed to create
flushed rivet heads (countersunk).
TYPES OF FASTENER:
Fastener Arrangement and Placement
1. BOLT (THREADED) – produces a friction
type connection. § Gage line – the line parallel with the length of a
member wherein the fasteners are placed.
· High-strength or interference bolts
· Machine bolts or hex-head bolts § Gage – the normal distance between two gage
lines or between a gage line and an adjacent edge
of a member; minimum is 3x plate thickness and 12x
maximum but not more than 15 cms.

ARCH 463- BUILDING TECHNOLOGY 5 6

§ Pitch – the center to center distance between Acetylene is a gaseous chemical compound of two
adjacent fasteners, whether they fall on the same or elements namely, carbon and hydrogen.
different gage lines, and measured parallel to the
Pressure regulator refers a valve that mechanically
direction of these lines. Minimum pitch is 3x fastener
cuts off the flow of gas at a certain pressure to allow
diameter but not more than 6x.
high-pressure cylinder tanks to be reduced to safe
MODES OF FASTENER FAILURE and/or usable pressure levels.
1. Shear Failure Welding hose is usually a double-hose design,
2. Bearing Failure meaning that there are two hoses joined together
3. Tension Failure along their length. They are also color-coded;
4. Edge-tearing Failure oxygen is green, and the fuel/acetylene hose is red.
Failures by tension in the net sections and by tearing 2. ARC WELDING
out at the edges are prevented by providing ample the one generally used in building
material between the fastener holes (increasing the construction, wherein an electric arc is
pitch) and a sufficient edge/gage distance. Shearing formed between an electrode (welding rod)
and bearing failures are avoided by providing a and the two pieces that are to be joined. The
sufficient number of fasteners to keep stresses intense heat partially melts these
within allowable limits. components resulting to fusion of the
connection.
Welding – the process of uniting metals by heating
them to suitable temperatures, melting the parts Shielding gas (gaseous cloud or flux) and slag
together and allowing them to cool, causing fusion. are the two substances in arc welding process that
This may be done usually with or without the protect the weld from atmospheric corrosion when
application of filler metal and/or pressure. the weld is applied.
ADVANTAGES OF USING WELDS IN BUILDING Weld Joints
CONSTRUCTION:
When two members are to be joined, the ends may
1. The procedure produces minimal noise; or may not be worked upon in preparation for
welding.
2. Connections are made fixed, continuous
and more rigid resulting to better moment In general, there are three WELD JOINT
resistance, such that beams simply deflect CLASSIFICATIONS:
1/5 the amount compared to free-end or
fastened connections; also, the joints are • butt joints
50% stronger than the connected members. • tee joints (variant is corner joint), and
• lap joints (variant is edge joint)
3. Its simplicity in design and also its repair –
one member maybe attached directly to The selection of the type of weld to use depends on
another without the use of additional the magnitude of the load requirement, the manner
materials which is necessary in fastener in which it is applied, and the cost of preparation and
connections; holes made through such execution, which allows a number of variations.
connections are also not required. WELDING may be done from one or both sides of
TYPES OF WELDING PROCESSES USED IN the connection.
STRUCTURAL FABRICATION: Also, one method of connecting overlapping plates
1. GAS WELDING makes use of welds that fill or line the edges of holes
coalescence is produced by a mixture of two made in one of the two plates, known as PLUG
or more gases; example is the combination AND/OR SLOT WELDS. These are weld joints
of oxygen and acetylene to create wherein a hole or slot receives weld metal that
combustion capable of melting as well as penetrates the other component section.
fusing metal components together. TYPES OF WELD

ARCH 463- BUILDING TECHNOLOGY 5 7

The weld most commonly used for structural steel in below the reference line, this means that such weld
building construction is the fillet weld. It is is located on the near or visible side;
approximately triangular in cross - section and is
formed between the two intersecting surfaces and/or
edges of the joined members.
Other weld profiles include the square or bead weld
(for flat end -to -end connections with or without a
gap otherwise known as a root opening), bevel and
vee welds (for edges that are mitered), and u -
groove and j -groove welds (for edges that are
gouged or grooved to receive more weld material).
These various types of welds can also be applied in
both shop and field fabrications, and can be done
continuously on a joint (full-weld) for fixed or final
connections, or intermittently on certain sections or
portions of work (spot-weld) especially if the
connection is temporary.
if it is indicated above the line, the weld is found on
SYMBOLS FOR WELDS the far or opposite side; if the symbol is indicated
In making detailed drawings of welded connections above as well as below the reference line, this
of structural elements, standard symbols are used. means that the weld is applied on both sides.
This set of markings is referred to as the bent -arrow
weld symbol.

In addition to the type of weld, other information to

be conveyed includes size, location, finishes, etc.
Take note however, that these items must read in
that order from left to right along the horizontal
reference line; neither line orientation nor location of
the pointing arrow alter this rule.

Other things that should be observed include the

location of the vertical line of the weld symbols to be
always at left. For any basic weld symbol indicated
ARCH 463- BUILDING TECHNOLOGY 5 8