Chapter 1 What is Construction Technology

Objectives After reading the chapter and reviewing the materials presented the students will be able to: Define construction technology. Discuss the impacts of construction. Describe advances made in construction materials, tools, and equipment.

Contractors General contractors assume responsibility for the completion of an entire project. Subcontractors, or specialty contractors, are responsible for a part of the project. For example, a general contractor for a project may hire subcontractors to complete excavation work, plumbing, and electrical installation.

Construction Technology Defined Homes, roads, office buildings, shopping centers, schools, airports, and factories are examples of constructed structures. The ability to use acquired knowledge to build these structures is construction technology. Construction technology is defined as the knowledge needed to build constructed products.

Technology, Science, and Computers Science is the description and classification of phenomena. For example, botany is the study and classification of different types of plants. Technology is the use of acquired knowledge to do a task or job. In farming, this use of acquired knowledge is called agricultural technology. Computer is an electronic device that can process, retrieve, and store data. Knowing how to use computers to design a construction project, control a manufacturing process, or track a mailed package, is a technological knowledge. Using the scientific method, hypothesis are tested through systematic observation and carefully controlled experimentation. Using the technological method, problems are solved by evaluating various solutions, selecting the most appropriate solution, and producing a product to solve the problem.

Universal Systems Model The universal systems model describes the elements that must be brought together to create a technological system. These elements include inputs, processes, outputs, and feedback. Inputs are the resources needed to produce the desired product. Inputs can be people, capital, knowledge, materials, energy, time, and money. Processes are actions taken to convert material and other inputs into desired products. Production processes include designing, engineering, and changing the form of materials. Management processes involve planning, organizing, and controlling the work essential to produce the desired product. Outputs are products of the system. Desired products are the objects the system was created to produce. By products are created as a result of making the desired product. Undesirable products may be produced along with the desired products and often contribute to air, water, visual, and noise pollution. Feedback is information about system performance. Production processes are monitored, and feedback is provided to ensure that the processes continue to meet quality standards. Feedback is provided to trigger corrective action to the appropriate part of the production process.

Technological Systems 1. Agricultural Systems: Raise animals and grow plants. 2. Communication Systems: Disseminate information in the form of print, audio, and video messages. 3. Construction Systems: Build structures, roadways, pipelines, and other projects. 4. Energy and Power Systems: Collect and convert energy into useful power. These systems include electrical and natural gas distribution industries. 5. Manufacturing Systems: Convert materials into useful products at a centralized location. 6. Medical Systems: Maintain health and treat injuries and illnesses. 7. Transportation Systems: Move people and products.

Construction Technology’s Impact Without construction technology our present quality of life would be impossible. Daily Life: We enjoy climate controlled buildings. Safe drinking water is delivered from a water treatment plant. Water is carried away by sanitary sewers. Storm sewers carry away excess rainwater. We travel from one place to another using roads, railroads, airports and seaports. Resources: As the population of the United States continues to grow, new construction projects are created. The Economy: Construction employs many people to maintain, repair, and remodel constructed products.

History of Construction Ancient Construction: Early hut building materials included stone, snow, clay, leaves, hides, and wood. Around 300 BC, the Romans built aqueducts to carry water to the cities. The aqueducts used gravity to move water. Construction in the United States: Prior to the seventeenth century, brick layers, carpenters and other craftspeople designed houses. Starting in the seventeen hundreds, architects took over the design of houses and other buildings.

Water Chlorinating water to kill the bacteria that caused cholera, typhoid, and dysentery began in London at the beginning of the 20 th century. Cities build complex water treatment plants to remove contamination from our water.

Green Construction It is estimated that the construction industry accounts for 30 to 40% of the global energy use. Green construction includes buildings that minimize the need for energy to heat, cool, and light the building, and selecting products that are sustainable (will continue to be available in the future).

Energy and Power Wood was used for thousands of years as the main source of energy. The discovery of coal as an energy source required transportation from the source to the user. Railroads were expanded to take coal to most parts of the country. Then oil was discovered. Small pipes run between wells to larger pipes. The larger pipes take the oil to the refineries where the oil is converted to usable products such as gasoline and heating oil. Electricity from a power plant is sent to substations. From the substation it goes to homes, factories, and public buildings.

Roadways Rock and gravel were used to make the surface hard and water resistant. Bridges were built over obstacles. The first concrete street was built in Ohio in The first concrete highway was built in Arkansas in Airport runaways were built using the same methods used for roads.

Industrial Construction Industrial construction, the construction of large factory buildings, meant large scale production could be done to meet demands. Petroleum products, metals, paper, and cars are now made in large industrial complexes. These large factories drew people to the cities.

Construction Advances - Materials The earliest materials widely used for construction included dirt, trees, and stone. The development of brick making provided a durable material of uniform size and shape. Cement was developed by the Romans, and redeveloped in England. Improvements in tools made it practical to saw logs into boards. Plywood was the first panel wood to be widely used in construction. Other modern materials used in construction include structural steel, fiberglass insulation, and vinyl siding for homes.

Tools and Equipment Portable electric tools such as saws and drills improved productivity. Development of large excavating machines and cranes made highway construction much easier. Concrete ready mix trucks have replaced on site of concrete. Concrete pumps have made placing concrete much easier.

Regulation Zoning laws were enacted to control the development of land. Building codes control the quality of the building by establishing standards. In addition to building codes, there are separate codes for electrical, plumbing and heating, ventilating, and air conditioning. The purpose of building codes is to protect the health and safety of the people who use the buildings.

Manufactured Housing Manufactured housing is an outgrowth of camping trailer production. The basic reason for manufactured housing is that the house can be manufactured at less cost than a site built house. Manufactured houses are built at a central location and moved to the site. The site and foundation preparation, street and utility installation, house placement, and site completion are all part of construction technology.

Summary General contractors assume responsibility for the completion of an entire project. Subcontractors, or specialty contractors, are responsible for a part of the project. Construction technology is defined as the knowledge needed to build constructed products. Technology is the use of acquired knowledge to do a task or job. In farming, this use of acquired knowledge is called agricultural technology. Using the technological method, problems are solved by evaluating various solutions, selecting the most appropriate solution, and producing a product to solve the problem. The universal systems model describes the elements that must be brought together to create a technological system. These elements include inputs, processes, outputs, and feedback. Feedback is information about system performance. Production processes are monitored, and feedback is provided to ensure that the processes continue to meet quality standards. Feedback is provided to trigger corrective action to the appropriate part of the production process. Without construction technology our present quality of life would be impossible. We enjoy climate controlled buildings. Safe drinking water is delivered from a water treatment plant. Water is carried away by sanitary sewers. Storm sewers carry away excess rainwater. We travel from one place to another using roads, railroads, airports and seaports. Chlorinating water to kill the bacteria that caused cholera, typhoid, and dysentery began in London at the beginning of the 20 th century. Green construction includes buildings that minimize the need for energy to heat, cool, and light the building, and selecting products that are sustainable (will continue to be available in the future). Portable electric tools such as saws and drills improved productivity. Development of large excavating machines and cranes made highway construction much easier. The purpose of building codes is to protect the health and safety of the people who use the buildings.

Home Work 1.Define construction technology. 2.What is feedback? Why is it important? 3.What is green construction? 4.What is the purpose of building codes?