School of Civil and Structural Engineering - Steve Goodhew ENBS321 Project 2 2002 version

Updated: Friday, October 18, 2002

BSc Construction Management & the Environment

Construction Management Project 2 (ENBS 321): Information Technology Report.

1. Objectives.
Persons undertaking this assignment will:

Promote an in-depth investigation of various pieces of software.
Demonstrate competence in the research and presentation of potential solutions to professional and/or technical problems.
Gain a knowledge and skill level to allow valid interpretation of software output.

2. Assignment Title.
Information Technology Report.

3. Assignment Description.
You are required to work on a ‘broadly’ individual basis using the provided template or a template of your own that conforms to the same format as the provided template.

Throughout the second half of the Autumn Semester you will research the background to the issues highlighted by this brief, present them in a clear manner using an appropriate template and apply them to the site that you have been allocated.

4. Assignment tasks.

To provide a series of appropriate spot levels and distance measurements that will be placed upon an accurate site plan. This plan needs to indicate all relevant features including the footprint of the proposed building. If you'd like to get a rough idea of how the new buildings might fit their respective sites click here for Site A or here for Site B.
To produce an elemental cost plan for the proposed project.
To evaluate different possible sources of finance for the project.
To analyse the issues that should be considered at the feasibility stage to provide good performance from the building with regard to low life cycle costs.
To establish a workable environmental and health and safety policy to be used in connection with the sourcing of materials, plant and operatives used or working at the site.

5. Description of the Site.

Site A.
Site A is situated to the west of the Reynolds building, occupying the highest ground, overlooking the station roundabout and opposite to the YMCA.

The new building is to be four storeys high including a basement. From the storey above ground level, a walkway will connect this building to the Reynolds building.

Site B.
Site B is situated to the west of the Babbage building, occupying the highest ground, overlooking the North Cross roundabout and adjacent to Portland Villas.

This new building will also be four storeys high including a basement. Each floor is to occupy a smaller footprint as the building increases in height, resembling a right angled triangle whose hypotenuse is stepped.

The buildings on both sites are to be built using a structural frame with cladding appropriate to the use and emphasis of each project.

Click here to look at a plan of the site; click here to view some photographs and Virtual Reality (VR) views of the site.

6. Referencing and Bibliography.
At the end of your IT report you are expected to present a list of references for those items that you have directly sourced and a bibliography containing a listing of any texts, WebPages, journals and conference proceedings that have influenced your output.

7. Report Presentation.
Once you have carried out your investigation you will need to place short eye-catching visual and written pieces explaining the results of your research and deliberations upon you template. These outputs need to allow a reader to quickly and efficiently gain access to your ‘story’, whilst still allowing the completed IT report to fit and be operated from a single 1.44MB floppy disc. Any ‘innovative’ IT elements should be professional and tasteful and not detract from your overall message. (notice the watermark Plymouth University logo and Guggenheim logos are subtle and not overpowering).

8. Latest Submission Date.
The disc then needs to be handed in by the time and date shown on the project brief document to the school office.

9. Weighting.
70% of coursework element in the first Semester ( IT Project 70% and ‘Pressure’ Project, week 1 and week 2, 30%)

10. Marking Criteria

Interpretation and use of soft ware (The scope of the task/tasks tackled, efficiency of use): 20%.
Site plan, levels and measurements: 20%.
Sources of finance and elemental cost plan: 25%.
Lifecycle costs; Environmental and Health and Safety policies: 25%.
Overall standard of research, quality of sources and clear use of an approved referencing system: 10%.

Total: 100%

PLEASE NOTE:

The difficulties and complexities involved in utilising different elements of software will be taken into account within the assessment process.

The use of IT HAS to take into account the glitches/incompatibilities and general ‘gremlins’ that seem to disrupt even the best planned assignment/presentation. CHECK then DOUBLE CHECK ..... EVERYTHING!

Back to previous page.