Architecture Commons^™

An Introduction To Taking Off Building Quantities:An Irish Approach, Tony Cunningham

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The purpose of measuring building work is to establish the correct amount of work to be executed. Calculating well presented accurate quantities in a clear manner while adopting a logical approach will help to reduce errors and will save time if the measurements need to be referred to at a later date. This paper describes and demonstrates an approach to hand-written taking off procedure informed by the techniques adopted by Irish consulting quantity surveying practices. The paper also discusses the ‘direct billing’ system used inIrelandand contrasts this with the procedures demonstrated in various UK textbooks, identifying key differences between the ...

Environmental Sustainability: A Definition For Environmental Professionals, John Morelli

Journal of Environmental Sustainability

While acknowledging the need for “sustainability,” this paper summarizes the problems that have been encountered in our understanding and use of this concept. It explores the efforts of others to define the concept within the context of specific disciplinary areas and sets forth a proposal for a basic understanding of the term “environmental sustainability” as an expansion of our common perception of the nature of human activity so as to more clearly connect it with the ecological concept of interdependence and to serve as a goal for environmental managers.

The Riai Standard Form Of Contract 2017 Version:An Overview, Tony Cunningham

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The RIAI ‘Yellow’ and ‘Blue’ Forms of Contracts have been recently amended and published as the 2017 edition. This paper supersedes an earlier paper of the same title and reviews and synopsises the provisions of the 2017 RIAI ‘Yellow’ Form of Contract and identifies the principle changes that have been made to the superseded 2012 edition.

Preparing Interim Payment Valuations For Construction Works - Worked Examples And Solutions, Tony Cunningham

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The effective administration of the payment clause of a building contract is one of the most important tasks that the contract administrator and consultant quantity surveyor perform during the contract period. This study examines the principles and procedures for calculating interim payments in accordance with the terms of the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland (RIAI) ‘Yellow’ and ‘Blue’ Forms of Contract (2017) and the Public Works Contract Form - PW-CF1 (version 2.2 09/01/2017). These contract forms have recently been amended to take account of the Construction Contracts Act. The valuation principles and procedures are summarised and ...

Soft Reds And Hard Tans: Developing An Index Of Vulnerability For New Orleans Brick, Justin Lynch

Theses (Historic Preservation)

One of the challenges that architectural conservators face is how identical masonry materials can behave differently depending upon variation in composition, age, and production technology. This is especially true within the context of New Orleans brickmaking tradition, which relied upon two sources of clay to make bricks in the nineteenth century. Soft-red bricks were made using locally sourced Mississippi River clay, whereas hard tan bricks were made using mud from Lake Pontchartrain. Using multiple physical characterization techniques and performance tests, this study compares the behavior of two groups of seven nineteenth-century soft red and hard tan bricks to show that ...

Measuring Building Substructures: Solutions To ‘First Year’ Introductory Level Examination Questions, Tony Cunningham

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The measurement of substructure works to simple domestic type buildings is a logical starting point for students to commence the process of taking-off building quantities. Substructure work is typically the first class of work to be explained in textbooks dealing with both construction technology and building measurement. However, substructure work is often one of the most challenging elements to measure. In this paper, the author demonstrates the process of measuring basic substructure designs. The approach involves providing solutions to a sample of four Irish Department of Education Technological Certificate: Builders’ Quantities Intermediate Stage examinations. The intention is to demonstrate how ...

Cost Control During The Pre-Contract Stage Of A Building Project – An Introduction, Tony Cunningham

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Cost overruns are commonplace on construction projects.

One of the most important tasks carried out by quantity surveyors (QS) involves providing advice to clients and design team colleagues to enable the design to be finalised within the approved budget. This financial management process is referred to as cost control. Cost control seeks to deliver a high degree of cost certainty during the various stages of the building project in order that the project can be completed within budget. Successful projects are those which are delivered to the required quality standards, on time, and within budget. Effective cost management therefore is ...

Bombing, Tagging, Writing: An Analysis Of The Significance Of Graffiti And Street Art, Lindsay Bates

Theses (Historic Preservation)

A first look upon a well-contrived piece of graffiti or street art may inspire feelings of surprise, delight, and amusement, but the connection between graffiti and cultural heritage might be more difficult to perceive. Conventionally, graffiti was synonymous with vandalism, associated with a subculture that needed to be extinguished immediately. However, with the works of such artists as Basquiat, Keith Haring, Banksy, Steve Powers, and the like, graffiti began to be recognized as something more than crime – something with far more value, something that could reach beyond the walls of a gallery. Indeed, this subculture has since proliferated exponentially, and ...

Reconnecting The City With The Riverfront, To Revitalize The Socio-Economic Conditions Of Springfield, Ma., Sneha Rasal

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

The City of Springfield, Massachusetts is one of the largest cities in western Massachusetts, and was established on the Connecticut River for trading and as a fur-collecting post. In 18^th and early 19^th century, it experienced an industrial boom and became a regional financial center. Springfield became a major railroad center and grew to become the regional center for banking, finance, and courts. However, in mid-19^th century Springfield suffered due to the flooding of the Connecticut River and the disinvestment in industry. These resulted in an urban sprawl as people started moving away from heart of the ...

Measuring Building Perimeters And Centrelines - Worked Examples, Tony Cunningham

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Quantity surveyors are expected to be able to measure the perimeters of buildings as part of their routine practice. Building perimeter measurements are very useful in finding out the overall lengths of foundations, external walls, external wall finishes and associated items. One of the earliest difficulties faced by quantity surveying and construction management students, is mastering the technique of calculating perimeters of awkwardly shaped building plans. The student is typically required to calculate a perimeter and adjust this to derive the centrelines of various elements in the associated construction details. In this paper, the author aims to explain these processes ...