High-Rise Buildings.

The most prominent tall buildings are called high-rise buildings.In the last twenty years the development the of  high-rise buildings in the world has been very fast.


The reinforced concrete structure is very popular for high- rise buildings. But in recent years, steel structure has been used more and more, especially in super high-rise buildings.


Two kinds of cladding materials are being used in high-rise buildings. The one is metal curtain-wall and other is masonry wall. The masonry walls, like clay brick and concrete structural bricks, are lower in price and easy in construction. Therefore, they have been used widely, especially in high-rise residential buildings. The metal curtain-wall is usually used for office buildings.


High-rise building is defined as a building 35 meters or greater in height, which is divided at regular intervals into occupiable levels. To be considered a high-rise building a structure must be based on solid ground, and fabricated along its full height through deliberate processes.


High-rise buildings also can be classified into several functional categories based on their use. The high-rise buildings are identify into the following categories.
      *   Residential
      *   Commercial
      *   Mixed
      *   Institutional 


High-rise buildings are constructed largely because they can create a lot of real estate out of a fairly small piece of land. Because of the availability of global technology and the growing demand for real estate, skyscrapers are seen as the most fitting solution to any city that is spatially challenged and can`t comfortably house its inhabitants. And hence, may be it is rightly said that `When you compare the population in our cities with the amount of land we have, the only way to provide better living conditions is by building higher.


There are thee main forms of  high-rise buildings construction are out line below.
Non- Continuous columns with continuous beams.
Continuous multistory column and beam
Cross-wall construction

Two stage selective tendering

Two stage selective tendering

The majority of negotiated tenders, as stated above, arise from a desire to involve the builder in the design phase of a project. The Code of Procedure for Two Stage Selective Tendering describes a method which allows the negotiation of a tender with an element of competition.

First, suitable builders are selected in the same manner as for single stage selective tendering, and a list is compiled of those willing to take part in the initial competitive stage. The tender documents sent to the tendering contractors comprise outline sketches of the scheme, a summary of the client's requirements and a notional bill of quantities. The notional bill of quantities is a document containing an outline specification and provisional item descriptions and quantities.

The Code states that tenderers should be given five weeks to prepare their tender. It recommends that the tender is submitted under the same rules as for single stage selective tendering, with the same procedures for notification, errors etc.

Many design teams, however, do not use the preliminary tender based upon the notional bill as the sole method of selection. Instead they will invite each tendering builder to a meeting to discuss the builder's approach to the project. The approach will be discussed in terms of the builder's contribution to the design, the previous experience of such schemes, the personnel to work with the design team and their previous experience. The aim is to ascertain whether the builder and the design team can work well together. It is the combination of these meetings and the preliminary tenders which determines the successful builder.

An agreement will be made with the successful builder regarding the cost of the builder's input before the commencement of the design stage. The design stage is undertaken. Bills of quantities are prepared by the quantity surveyor and where possible priced at the rates in the notional bill. Those items which cannot be priced on this basis are priced by the builder and are subject to negotiation.

Finally following a successful negotiation the builder will make a formal offer to carry out the work for the sum of money negotiated, and this is formally accepted by the client. A standard form of contract is completed.

This method of tendering allows the choice of a builder who is capable and keen to contribute to the design while retaining the important element of competition.

Quantity Surveying Books

Construction Technology

 Barry's Introduction to Construction of Buildings 

DOWNLOAD

Building Construction Handbook, Eighth Edition
Roy Chudley, Roger Greeno BA(Hons.)  








  Measurement of work

Willis's Elements of Quantity Surveying

Sandra Lee, W. Trench, Andrew Willis 

DOWNLOAD

Construction Economics

Construction Economics: A New Approach

Danny Myers

Building Services

Air Conditioning: A practical introduction

David Chadderton (Paperback - Apr 10, 1998)

    
 building services engineering
Building Services Engineering
by-Taylor & Francis

Today's Construct

Burj Khalifa    ( Burj Dubai )

Burj Khalifa known as Burj Dubai, is a tallest man-made structure in this world nowadays. construction starded  on 21september 2004,withthe exterior of the structure completed on 1 October 2009. The building officially opened on 4 January 2010.

Height

Roof          -  828 m (2,717 ft)
Top floor - 621.3 m (2,038 ft)

Floor count 160 habitable floors
plus 46 maintenance levels in the spire and 2 parking levels in the basement
Floor area  - 464,511 m2 (5,000,000 sq ft)
Cost - $1.5 billion

Architect  - Adrian Smith at SOM
Structural engineer - Bill Baker at SOM
Contractor - Samsung C&T, Besix and Arabtec
Supervision Consultant Engineer & Architect of Record Hyder Consulting
Construction Project Manager Turner Construction
Planning Bauer AG and Middle East Foundations

The Burj Dubai Tower - look at the way it dwarfs normal skyscrapers!

 

 

Asphalt Road

Asphalt

It is natural by-product of distillation of crude petroleum. In fact it is a substance containing high

percentage of bitumen and some inert mineral substances. Actually bitumen is the basic constituent of asphalt.

Thus the main difference between bitumen and asphalt is as follows:

When crude petroleum is fractionally distilled in refineries the product is called "bitumen" while the

natural distilled product is known as asphalt. It is blackish-brown is colour, non- inflammable, but burns with a

smoky flame at 250°C temperature.

According to the source, asphalt can be defined as:

(a) Natural or lake asphalt (b) Rock asphalt

(a) Lake asphalt. It is a natural asphalt, found in lakes; It contains about 40 to 70% bitumen and about

30% water, lime, clay and sand etc. lake asphalt is refined by boiling it in tanks. In this process the

water evaporates, and the impurities float to the surface and are removed. It is the best material for

road construction.

(b) Rock asphalt The asphalt occurring within porous rock structure such as sand stone or lime stone is

known as rock asphalt and quarried and refined. It contains abut 20% bitumen and rest stone. 

   

Asphalt plant in operation

compaction of road 

Equipments

Asphalt-Thermo-Container