Yesterday we visited two constructions sites on the campus of Virginia Tech. The first one visited was the new basketball facility on Washington Street, and the second was New Residence Hall West between Cochrane Hall, Harper Hall, and Student Services. We were split into teams of two for the purpose of finding the similarities and differences of the construction practices and processes between the two buildings.
There are quite a few commonalities between the two buildings, the main one being that the two buildings' exteriors are both being constructed in such a way as to represent Virginia Tech as well as continue the aesthetic theme of all of the other buildings on campus. Both buildings are being constructed out of precast concrete and Hokie stone, with the basketball facility being mostly precast and the residence hall being almost completely Hokie stone. While both sites are using high powered machinery such as cranes, forklifts, boom lifts, etc. in the building process, both sites had more immobilized equipment just sitting around the site than they needed at the time.
The site layout for the residence hall seemed to be very unorganized compared to the basketball facility. They had equipment and materials laying all over the ground of the site, and nothing seemed to have a set place. Parking was also very unorganized there, with cars scattered at all different places across the site. The basketball facility, on the other hand, was well organized, with storage of materials in one area and parking spots all in another area.
Both jobsites seem to be getting to the later stages of their work, with the majority of work taking place on the interior of the buildings. It seemed as though both sites were still using temporary power as their power source. However, there was still a decent amount of work that needed to be completed on the exterior of the buildings as well as landscaping. It appeared that the exterior of the building was nearly completed on the basketball facility, but the residence hall still had scaffolding covering one entire long side. There were workers on the scaffolding shaping Hokie stone with chisels and then putting it up on the walls. They also had workers on the ground cutting the stone with a wet table saw.
While there were some differences in the stages of construction and the overall construction processes, both buildings seemed to have the appearance and quality of what we have come to expect from buildings at Virginia Tech.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Virginia Tech's Industry Day
Today, I attended Industry Day, hosted by the Young Alumni Committee of Virginia Tech, located on the walkway between the University Bookstore and Squires Student Center. Several companies were represented at the event, including Permatile, Kiewit, Virtexco, Spectra Integrated Systems, American Infrastructure, and a couple others. Each of the companies brought with them either demonstrations of something their company specializes in or samples of their latest products.
The first company I visited when I arrived to Industry Day was Permatile, a company that specializes in precast concrete and concrete pipe systems. Permatile's representative was Bill Canter, who designs and sells precast concrete wall systems. While concrete wall systems aren't the main aspect of Permatile's business, he was excited to show a sample of their unique wall design. What makes Permatile's wall systems different from others is the styrofoam and metal studs built into the precast walls. The wall was only a few inches thick, with concrete "studs" two ft on center. The styrofoam and metal studs are placed vertically at the ends of these concrete "studs." The sample piece of wall is pictured below. You can see the white styrofoam with the metal studs facing outward, as well as the space where the insulation is placed.
Kiewit brought a 70-ton crane and allowed the students to operate it right outside of the library. I got lucky, because while I was talking to the company's crane and equipment superintendent, there were no other people around, so I got the opportunity to operate the crane longer than most other people that I saw before and after me. This was probably the most interesting aspect of my time at Industry Day. I learned not only how to operate the crane from the inside, but also how the boom and block worked, along with how the lifting cables work. The more cables their are, the more load that can be supported and precision is improved when placing pieces that are lifted. Below is a picture of the crane brought by Kiewit and a picture of me sitting in the crane learning to operate it.
The next company I visited was Virtexco, a general contracting company out of Norfolk, Virginia. I talked to one of their Project Engineers, Mike. He told me that he is currently working on a project that is so large that the Project Manager and he have to stay on-site at all times. His primary job is to ensure that all of the work runs smoothly throughout the day (which is similar to the Superintendent's job), as well as filling out RFI's and many other day to day tasks that the Project Manager assigns him.
Mike and another former Tech graduate had built a sample wall assembly to demonstrate some of the work that general contracting companies have to deal with. The assembly was framed out of metal studs, with ductwork running above the ceiling grid. Also above the ceiling grid were the copper supply and return water lines, cast iron waste pipes that turned and run down the metal studs. Hanging from the ceiling grid was a vent for the air conditioning to flow through as well as a light fixture. It was really exciting to see the wall assembly, especially considering that it was built just for Industry Day and that I spent all of last summer working with a mechanical contractor, so I had just recently dealt with that sort of construction. An outside and an inside view of the assembly are pictured below.
The final company I visited today was Spectra Integrated Systems, which sells robotic total stations. These total stations electronically do surveying for new construction sites as well as existing ones. Spectra specializes in selling Trimble total stations. Andy Donovan represented Spectra during Industry Day. His job involves selling the total stations as well as training clients or buyers on how to use them. These robotic total stations have many applications, such as transferring information gathered automatically to computers or the internet as needed. Trimble also creates products that can be connected to excavators or bulldozers for the purpose of grading out land to a certain level. The images below are of one of the Trimble robotic total stations that Spectra brought with them to demonstrate.
While visiting Industry Day, there were several things that stood out more than others. The first of these was getting the opportunity to operate a 70-ton crane. Even though it was just for a few minutes, getting the chance to control such a powerful piece of equipment was a rush. Since I'm already in Building Construction, I feel like this wasn't so much geared towards getting my attention so much as grabbing the attention of non engineering or construction oriented students. I think it was a really good way of trying to get those students to be open to changing their major to something involving construction. Another thing I really liked was learning about the robotic total station. Since I hope to be a project manager some day, I enjoyed having the opportunity to learn about the new developments to a technology that I will definitely be working with. Overall, I feel like Industry Day was a really good idea, grabbing the attention of not only Building Construction students, but a very diverse group of students that otherwise would never have been introduced to this in their careers.
The first company I visited when I arrived to Industry Day was Permatile, a company that specializes in precast concrete and concrete pipe systems. Permatile's representative was Bill Canter, who designs and sells precast concrete wall systems. While concrete wall systems aren't the main aspect of Permatile's business, he was excited to show a sample of their unique wall design. What makes Permatile's wall systems different from others is the styrofoam and metal studs built into the precast walls. The wall was only a few inches thick, with concrete "studs" two ft on center. The styrofoam and metal studs are placed vertically at the ends of these concrete "studs." The sample piece of wall is pictured below. You can see the white styrofoam with the metal studs facing outward, as well as the space where the insulation is placed.
Kiewit brought a 70-ton crane and allowed the students to operate it right outside of the library. I got lucky, because while I was talking to the company's crane and equipment superintendent, there were no other people around, so I got the opportunity to operate the crane longer than most other people that I saw before and after me. This was probably the most interesting aspect of my time at Industry Day. I learned not only how to operate the crane from the inside, but also how the boom and block worked, along with how the lifting cables work. The more cables their are, the more load that can be supported and precision is improved when placing pieces that are lifted. Below is a picture of the crane brought by Kiewit and a picture of me sitting in the crane learning to operate it.
The next company I visited was Virtexco, a general contracting company out of Norfolk, Virginia. I talked to one of their Project Engineers, Mike. He told me that he is currently working on a project that is so large that the Project Manager and he have to stay on-site at all times. His primary job is to ensure that all of the work runs smoothly throughout the day (which is similar to the Superintendent's job), as well as filling out RFI's and many other day to day tasks that the Project Manager assigns him.
Mike and another former Tech graduate had built a sample wall assembly to demonstrate some of the work that general contracting companies have to deal with. The assembly was framed out of metal studs, with ductwork running above the ceiling grid. Also above the ceiling grid were the copper supply and return water lines, cast iron waste pipes that turned and run down the metal studs. Hanging from the ceiling grid was a vent for the air conditioning to flow through as well as a light fixture. It was really exciting to see the wall assembly, especially considering that it was built just for Industry Day and that I spent all of last summer working with a mechanical contractor, so I had just recently dealt with that sort of construction. An outside and an inside view of the assembly are pictured below.
The final company I visited today was Spectra Integrated Systems, which sells robotic total stations. These total stations electronically do surveying for new construction sites as well as existing ones. Spectra specializes in selling Trimble total stations. Andy Donovan represented Spectra during Industry Day. His job involves selling the total stations as well as training clients or buyers on how to use them. These robotic total stations have many applications, such as transferring information gathered automatically to computers or the internet as needed. Trimble also creates products that can be connected to excavators or bulldozers for the purpose of grading out land to a certain level. The images below are of one of the Trimble robotic total stations that Spectra brought with them to demonstrate.
While visiting Industry Day, there were several things that stood out more than others. The first of these was getting the opportunity to operate a 70-ton crane. Even though it was just for a few minutes, getting the chance to control such a powerful piece of equipment was a rush. Since I'm already in Building Construction, I feel like this wasn't so much geared towards getting my attention so much as grabbing the attention of non engineering or construction oriented students. I think it was a really good way of trying to get those students to be open to changing their major to something involving construction. Another thing I really liked was learning about the robotic total station. Since I hope to be a project manager some day, I enjoyed having the opportunity to learn about the new developments to a technology that I will definitely be working with. Overall, I feel like Industry Day was a really good idea, grabbing the attention of not only Building Construction students, but a very diverse group of students that otherwise would never have been introduced to this in their careers.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
BC Sketches
Recently we were given the task of completing a set of sketches related to construction. These sketches were completed in Bishop Favrao Hall, or BFH, on the campus of Virginia Tech as well as in my apartment near Virginia Tech's Lane Stadium.
This first sketch is the mock-up wall assembly in front of Bishop Favrao Hall. It was assembled to ensure that the rest of the building would look the way the architects, engineers, and owners had expected. This assembly is made up of insulation, weather stripping, precast concrete, concrete masonry units (CMU's), mortar, and most importantly, Hokie Stone.
This is a sketch of the stairwell plan view of the staircases from landing to landing of Bishop Favrao Hall. The stairwells are made up of railings, railing mounts, metal stair siding, stair noses, and concrete.
This is a section view of the stairs located in BFH. It has all of the same materials as the picture above it, but this view lets you see a more detailed view of the stairwell. Here, the shapes of the metal stair siding and the concrete fill can be more easily seen. Also, the steps' tread pan can be seen from this view.
The above sketch is an example of the beams located in BFH. They are made of structural steel, and can be seen in the ceilings of all different areas of the building.
This sketch is from the third floor of BFH. It is from the bottom of the steel deck of the ceiling to the bottom of the drip pan. The drip pan's purpose is to catch water that drips from condensation formed by the air ducts suspended by cable supports directly above it.
The final sketch in this series is of my bedroom in my apartment. As far as the construction aspect of my room, it has one horizontally sliding window, a closet, and a door leading to a hallway. The exterior walls of my apartment are made up of wood studs, insulation, drywall, and vinyl siding. The interior walls of my apartment are basically the same, with the doorway having a 2x4 header.
This first sketch is the mock-up wall assembly in front of Bishop Favrao Hall. It was assembled to ensure that the rest of the building would look the way the architects, engineers, and owners had expected. This assembly is made up of insulation, weather stripping, precast concrete, concrete masonry units (CMU's), mortar, and most importantly, Hokie Stone.
This is a sketch of the stairwell plan view of the staircases from landing to landing of Bishop Favrao Hall. The stairwells are made up of railings, railing mounts, metal stair siding, stair noses, and concrete.
This is a section view of the stairs located in BFH. It has all of the same materials as the picture above it, but this view lets you see a more detailed view of the stairwell. Here, the shapes of the metal stair siding and the concrete fill can be more easily seen. Also, the steps' tread pan can be seen from this view.
The above sketch is an example of the beams located in BFH. They are made of structural steel, and can be seen in the ceilings of all different areas of the building.
This sketch is from the third floor of BFH. It is from the bottom of the steel deck of the ceiling to the bottom of the drip pan. The drip pan's purpose is to catch water that drips from condensation formed by the air ducts suspended by cable supports directly above it.
The final sketch in this series is of my bedroom in my apartment. As far as the construction aspect of my room, it has one horizontally sliding window, a closet, and a door leading to a hallway. The exterior walls of my apartment are made up of wood studs, insulation, drywall, and vinyl siding. The interior walls of my apartment are basically the same, with the doorway having a 2x4 header.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
VT R&D Foundation Estimating Spreadsheets
In class, we were given the assignment of taking off the Virginia Tech Research and Development Foundation's concrete foundation. Take-offs are completed by calculating the amount of each of the materials that are involved in the construction of a building. In this case, that would be the amount of materials in the concrete foundation system. After doing the take-off, we were given the task of using RS Means to assign unit costs and assembly costs to this take-off. The following spreadsheets are the results of my analysis of the building plans and of my searching through RS Means for materials.
Unit Cost Estimate
This spreadsheet shows the unit costs for the materials, equipment, and labor of the VT R&D Foundation's concrete system. For each aspect of the building to be included, the spreadsheet shows the crew to be used and how much work that crew can produce in a day. The amount of the material is given, along with the unit (such as Linear Feet, Cubic Yards, Each, etc.) the material is sold in. These factors, along with the given prices for material, labor, and equipment, are used to calculate total prices for each material. Overhead and profit are also given in the table. The total prices for the items with and without overhead and profit, as well as the final price for the building, is given at the bottom of the spreadsheet.
Assembly Cost Estimate
This spreadsheet shows the assembly costs of the R&D building. This is a much simpler spreadsheet to follow because it is not made up of single materials, but instead it is made up of different parts of the building, such as the entire slab on grade or footing systems. The assembly cost estimate is made up of material and installation costs, which is different from the unit cost estimate.
Unit Cost Estimate
This spreadsheet shows the unit costs for the materials, equipment, and labor of the VT R&D Foundation's concrete system. For each aspect of the building to be included, the spreadsheet shows the crew to be used and how much work that crew can produce in a day. The amount of the material is given, along with the unit (such as Linear Feet, Cubic Yards, Each, etc.) the material is sold in. These factors, along with the given prices for material, labor, and equipment, are used to calculate total prices for each material. Overhead and profit are also given in the table. The total prices for the items with and without overhead and profit, as well as the final price for the building, is given at the bottom of the spreadsheet.Assembly Cost Estimate
This spreadsheet shows the assembly costs of the R&D building. This is a much simpler spreadsheet to follow because it is not made up of single materials, but instead it is made up of different parts of the building, such as the entire slab on grade or footing systems. The assembly cost estimate is made up of material and installation costs, which is different from the unit cost estimate.
Construction Site Visit #1
The following pictures are of construction and work being performed on New Residence Hall West on the campus of Virginia Tech, located between Cochrane Hall, Harper Hall, and Student Services. It will be opened to students living on campus at the beginning of the 2009-2010 school year.
On this day, the majority of the work being performed involved cutting and shaping Hokie Stone, caulking gaps between windows and the exterior walls, and filling the gaps between the Hokie Stone with mortar.
Picture 1
Picture 1 shows the side of the building where the mortar is being filled in. It can be seen on the second level of scaffolding from the top. Buckets of mortar are lifted up by a crane (not pictured) and placed on the scaffolding for workers to use.
Picture 2
Picture 2 shows a man on a Genie telescopic boom lift caulking a gap between a window and the exterior wall. Since the man is at an elevated position, he must wear a safety harness, which is connected to the lift, to protect himself from a fall.
Picture 3
Picture 4
Pictures 3 and 4 above are of two men working with Hokie Stone. It can be seen in the Picture 3 that the man moving the stone is not wearing a hard hat or safety glasses, but has at least remembered his ear protection. The other man is measuring the stone to make sure he chips it to an acceptable size. In Picture 4, Hokie Stone being cut with a stone cutting table saw and then being chipped to size with a chisel and hammer.
On this day, the majority of the work being performed involved cutting and shaping Hokie Stone, caulking gaps between windows and the exterior walls, and filling the gaps between the Hokie Stone with mortar.
Picture 1
Picture 2
Picture 3
Picture 4Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Wall Assembly - Brick on Stud Wall
http://www.henry.com/fileadmin/images/building_systems/BES/air_and_vapor/non_permeable/BuildingSystems-NonVapor_07.gifMaterials included:
Gypsum Board
Vapor Barrier
Metal Studs
Insulation
Brick
Mortar
Flashing
Primer
Friday, January 30, 2009
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