[2024] You are part of a design team for a small building contractor tasked with assessing a residential house construction project, your focus will be to look at construction methods and materials – Fast, Quality and Affordable Assignment Expert

You are part of a design team for a small building contractor tasked with assessing a residential house construction project, your focus will be to look at construction methods and materials

If you have any questions about this assessment, please contact your Module Team using the Assignment forum in the relevant ‘Assessment preparation’ week on the VLE.

Scenario

You are part of a design team for a small building contractor tasked with assessing a residential house construction project, your focus will be to look at construction methods and materials

Your client is an individual who is looking for a high level of sustainable technologies to be incorporated in their project, to achieve low embodied energy, high levels of insulation and good airtightness, energy efficiency, low maintenance and a long service period.

The project consists of detached house to be built on soft clay, which is classed as a high shrinkable clay soil, the building is not expected to exceed 30kN/m. Although, soil type has been established, please state your assumed local climate conditions as this will influence your assessment of methods and materials.

Task

Your assessment will take the form of a technical report and will be aimed at a client with some basic knowledge of standard construction methods. The technical report should contain an introduction, some titled sections for discussion topics with illustrations, tables for comparison and conclusions.

a. For each of the four primary elements (listed below), pick two methods of construction (including the materials) that would be the most sustainable in the long term, compare and contrast these and recommend one:

• Foundation type
• Structural ground floor
• Structural external walls
• Roof structure.

Note, there will be a number of construction methods that can be used for each element, however, you need to look at and compare two methods which you deem to be the most suitable and then choose one which you want to recommend.

For each element, focus on methods and materials that are appropriate for your country (local climatic conditions). Clearly describe the technology, and provide justification for your recommended choice, explaining how it satisfies key performance criteria and why it is best suited to local circumstances.

b. Outline which building services system would give the best balance between energy efficiency, running costs and carbon dioxide emissions. Your discussion should focus on one specific item, from the following:

• Cooling and ventilation systems; or

• Space heating systems; or

• Hot water systems.

c. Provide at least one illustration with annotation for each of the following five drawings (sketches) of the report. These illustrations should be in the appropriate discussion topic of your technical report and include (as a minimum):

• a composite sketch or suitable illustration (with annotations) of the foundation; and
• a composite sketch or suitable illustration (with annotations) of the ground floor with footings and Damp Proof Course (DPC) and Damp Proof Membrane (DPM); and
• a composite sketch or suitable illustration (with annotations) of the exterior structural wall; and
• a composite sketch or suitable illustration (with annotations) of the roof with eaves (fascia and soffit) and wall plate detail; and
• a schematic diagram related to the building services outlined.

d. Provide a brief ‘Conclusions’ section that highlights the common themes you have used throughout the technical report, linking these themes to each element discussed.

Sustainability and construction efficiency (economy and quality assurance) should be common themes throughout the technical report.

Additional guidance

• Please include type and position of insulation used within sketches or diagrams, with the exception of the building services schematic. The sketches and diagrams can be hand drawings, CAD drawings or modified existing drawing(s) from a credible source.
• Whether using original drawings or existing drawings, all must be appropriately annotated by yourself with a reference underneath the drawing.
• Please avoid the use of appendices and include all relevant items and sketches within appropriate sections of the report.

Reference list

You should include a reference list with a minimum of eight separate, relevant and appropriate sources that you have written about and cited within your work.

A bibliography of uncited sources is not required.

Additional information

Further information to support you with this assignment is available within the study materials for this module on the UCEM VLE.

It is recommended that you engage with the Assignment briefing webinar and Assignment forum, as the module team may signpost relevant learning activities and also answer any questions you may have.

Marking guidance for this assessment

This guidance is designed to help you to do as well as possible in your assessment by explaining how the person marking your work will be judging it.

Your work will be assessed in relation to the requirements set out in the assessment criteria marking guide shown below and the grading guidance section below.

It is recommended that you read both of these sections before starting your assessment to learn what will help you to achieve the highest marks. Before submitting your assessment you should review it to check you have produced what is required to achieve the highest marks.

When you receive your feedback from your tutor you should be able to see where you gained marks and, where relevant, recommendations about how to improve your performance going forward.

Grading guidance

This grading guidance section explains in more detail what a submission for this assessment

should include in order to achieve a mark at the threshold, good and excellent standards.

Threshold

You will have submitted a sufficiently organised technical report with a recognisable format and structure. Your report will sufficiently address the primary aims of the task, making adequate technical choices for each building envelope element and the sustainable building services, but will display limited explanation of concepts, a lack of detailed or limited support for recommendations. Your supporting drawings, sketches and diagrams will appropriately reflect the choices made in the written description, with adequate technical understanding of their application. Citation and referencing will be evident, with execution that satisfies the learning outcomes for the assessment.

Good

You will have met and exceeded the criteria for Threshold, with a competent technical report format that is organised and easy to follow. Your report will demonstrate more reasonable understanding of technical choices for each building envelope element and the sustainable building services, with competent support for recommendations, but somewhat inconsistent or generic in response.

Citation and referencing will demonstrate clear and competent use following The UCEM Guide to Referencing and Citation with reasonable application of source material used to address the learning outcomes for the assessment.

Excellent

You will have met and exceeded the criteria for Good and provided a sophisticated technical report that is highly organised and presented with effectiveness and clarity. Your technical report will display perceptive technical choices for building envelope elements and the sustainable building services. Support for findings and recommendations will be rigorous, with effective links to the specific geographical area or region and sustainable building principles. Your source attribution will consistently and effectively follow The UCEM Guide to Referencing and Citation and demonstrate comprehensive application of source materials to inform your work.

Word count and overwriting

Exceeding the stated word count by 10% or more may limit the marks allocated for communication (see the assessment criteria marking guide).

The following table outlines the inclusions and exclusions in the word count of the most common features of assessed pieces of work. Not all these features may be relevant to your assignment; please refer to the assignment task for confirmation of which features are required.

The total number of words used must be stated on the first page of your assessment.

Avoiding academic misconduct (Academic integrity)

Academic misconduct is a serious offence. Types of misconduct include, but are not limited to: plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, or contracting a third party to write your assessment. It is important that your assessment shows academic integrity. You must ensure that you reference sources you have used and check the originality of your work before submission. Please see the ‘Assessment preparation’ week for more information on academic misconduct, including guidance on how to avoid academic misconduct, how to check your work, and how UCEM checks all submitted assessment for academic misconduct.

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