BAMBOOOOOO
- Giant bamboos are the largest member of the grass family
- The stem is usually hollow and forms a column rather than tapering towards the top.
- Bamboo jd one of the FASTEST GROWING PLANTS IN THE WORLD.
- In addition to being used as a food source, bamboo is also used as a building material.
- Bamboo has a HIGH COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH.
- Used for scaffolding.
- A series of hollow bamboo poles are used to transport water in this irrigation system.
Why buildings collapses
1. The foundations are too weak. Foundations can cost half the price of the building. Two things shoild be considered when designing the foundations, the type of soil and the weight of the building.
2. The wrong building materials are used, or are used in the wrong quantities. Poor qualities of materials are used because they are cheap.
3. Workers make mistakes. Components of the building are not assembled correctly and / or materials are not prepared correctly. e.g. sand and cement are not mixed in the correct ratios to make concrete of sufficient strength
4. The load is heavier than expected. This maybe because the function of the building changes.
5. The strength of the building is not tested. At various key points in its construction, a building should be tested to ensure that it is as strong as the specifications require sometimes this testing is not carried out either to save time ot money.
Chinese culture
- Wealthy individuals would live in houses with roofs made of tiles.
- Powerful individuals would live in buildings with red glazed tiles, which were expensive to make.
- Dougong, which literally means cap and block is a unique structural element of interlocking wooden brackets, one of the most important elements in traditional Chinese architecture.
- The joins are held together without the use of glue or nails. This allows the joints to move and flex, a property that is important in withstanding the shock of an earthquake.
GEOMETERY (link to mathematics)
- When an architect designs a building, the design is partly functional and partly aesthetic.
- geometry and trigonometry are used when designing a building
- fibonacci sequence can be seen in the way that the sunflower seeds are arranged.
(link to chemistry)
- geometry js the structure of diamond. diamond is one form of pure carbon.
Sustainability (link to environmental engineering)
- can nature and the built environment coexist?
- organising principle for sustainability is sustainable development which includes the four interconnected domians : ecology, economics, politics, cultural
- in general terms, sustainability is the endurance of systems and processes.
- Ways of living more sustainably can take many forms
// solar panels //
> Solar panels fitted to the roof of a building can generate electricity, reducing the building's carbon footprint.
// green roofs //
> grass insulates the roof from direct sunlight.
> evaporation of water cools the building.
> soil absorbs rainwater, reducing flood.
> aesthetically pleasing
// vertical garden //
> this vertical garden insulates the building, absorbing carbon dioxide.
- Much of the output of the construction industry comprises buildings and structures that subsequently consume vast quantities of energy.
- super trees at gardens by the bay may fulfill many functions. they are vertical gardens, they collect rainwater, they generate electricity from solar cells and the function of air intake system.
(link to history)
- MBS has the world's longest cantilevered building, overhanging the three towers by 67m.
- undisturbed rainfores
- a kampong on pulau ubin
- colonial architecture e.g. Fullerton hotel
- shop houses painted in vivid colours
>> Singapore's development from kampongs to HDB estates and beyond is a clear sign of its development since independence, 50 years ago.
>> These changes do not only reflect Singapore's economic and social development, but also showcasing the developing in technology, science and engineering that have taken place over the past 50 years.
