Building Engineering

Building Team & Procedure: Architect, Engineer, Contractor/Construction Manager, Contract and documents and tender consideration, site survey and site organization.  Architectural concepts: The building envelop, effect of the environment or climatic factors.  Building components: foundation, walls, floors roof, external coverings, internal finishes, plastering, dry finishes and painting, insulation.

Building materials (with emphasis on local materials) metals, sandcrete blocks, wood and soil, adobe, soil-cement, composites (fibre reinforced materials).  Building Physics: Ident, sound and light transmission, acoustics, moisture movement.  Building services.  Water supply, electricity, drainage, plumbing, ventilation, air conditioning, lighting, communications, life safety concerns (fire, highwinds), security.  Construction techniques: Cast in situ, precast, damp proofing, termite control, passive solar concepts, mechanical plants, manual labour, computer aided design.  Building maintenance and rehabilitation: Building failures, shoring, underpinning, scaffolding, arch entering. Building Economics:  project management, cost control measures, Bill of quantities estimates, C.P.M., PERTH.