Construction Lesson

Introduction

Humans have been building structures since recorded time. Although we have grown in our knowledge we still use many of the ancient practices for building structures.

The methods and procedures involved in designing and making structures are identified as construction. From the houses we live in to the malls we shop in, a construction engineer was involved with building that structure. Construction engineers collaborate with architects, contractors, construction companies, and other businesses to design and create buildings and other structures. In all the stages of construction, from the preparing, to the design, to the overseeing of the construction, the construction engineer has a hand in a building project from start to finish.

Explore

Buildings provide a variety of functions. Each are designed and built uniquely for the application.

Structures are most often designed to be permanent with intention to last a long time. However, all structures will eventually wear out or become abandoned. The Roman Colosseum is an example of a structure that was built strong and maintained for use throughout centuries, and is now carefully preserved for historical purposes.

Other structures are built with less expensive materials since they are temporary. Examples include scaffolding, cofferdams (used in bridge/pier construction), and poured concrete forms to enable a larger construction project.

Structures are built for shelter and used for work and living. This includes homes, offices, schools, government buildings, places of worship, factories and other workplace environments. Other structures are built to support transportation infrastructures such as bridges, railways, pipeline structural support, docks and piers, and airplane terminals and hangers. Some structures are built for entertainment and recreation. Examples are football stadiums, concert halls, and amusement parks.

Fundamentally, structures are part of a much larger system supporting society's needs.

View the following presentation to learn about the processes and history of construction.

Click on the following to know required elements for construction of a building or transportation infrastructure.

How are the plans for a structure communicated to others involved in the construction project? Continue with the following presentation to learn how to use scale factor to create a floor plan.

Challenge

Take Away

How do very tall and thin skyscrapers remain stable when hit by strong winds?

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Taipei_101...

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Taipei_101...

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