Appendix 1 Approximate un-factored (SLS) weights of some

typical building materials (kg/m2)

ROOFS Concrete roof tiles or natural slates (including all battens) 30-70

(kg/m2 of plan) Bituminous roofing felt 5

12.5-25 mm thick softwood boards (for shorter spans) 5-10

12.5-25 mm thick plywood sheet (for shorter spans) 10-20

Light softwood timber trusses @ 600 mm c/c 10-15

25-37.5 mm thick hardwood boards (for longer spans) 16-32

25-37.5 mm thick plywood sheet (for longer spans) 18-36

Heavy timber trusses @ larger spacings 15-25

Insulation 5

Profiled steel roof cladding 5-10

Steel roof purlins 5-10

Steel roof beams 5-10

Steel roof trusses 10-15

FLOORS Carpet or tiles 5

(kg/m2 of plan) 25 mm thick sand/cement screed 60

25 mm thick chipboard 15

Other special floor systems 30-40

Softwood timber joists @ 400 mm c/c 5-15

Steel floor beams 10-20

Solid reinforced concrete slab (per 100 mm thick) 250

CEILINGS 13mm thick plasterboard & coating 20

(kg/m2 of plan) Other special ceiling systems 15-25

WALLS 102.5 mm thick clay facing brick 220

(kg/m2 of elevation) 100 mm thick normal concrete block 240

100 mm thick lightweight concrete block 130

Plaster coat (each) 20

4-8 mm thick glass 10-20

Profiled steel wall sheeting (cladding) 5-10

Steel wall sheeting rails (purlins) 5-10

See also EC extracts booklet & online trade catalogues for more data.
 Appendix 2 Light steel roof & wall systems

Many light steel-framed buildings have their external skin created by a system of thin
profiled steel cladding (or sheeting) usually supported by an underlying system of thin
profiled steel purlins (or sheeting-rails) spanning (often continuously) onto the main steel
frame trusses, beams or columns.

The organisation, layout and design of this cladding & purlin system is typically an iterative
process of selecting various trial purlin spacing options to suit the desired main frame
geometric layout and then choosing a purlin section size to withstand the resulting loads (eg
snow + sheeting + insulation + services). (Wind pressures or suctions can also be highly
significant in cladding & purlin design but can be ignored in this design project.)

Cladding
Cladding is generally of a trapezoidal profile, supplied in sheets of around 1m width and in
various profiles, depths and gauge thicknesses (and colours). Cladding can be provided as
bare sheet or with bonded insulation, in an open or closed sandwich form. As an example, a
fairly shallow 32mm deep profile over say a 2m span (between purlins) might be able to carry
an ultimate roof gravity load of around 1.3kN/m2 for a gauge thickness of around 0.5mm up
to around 3.2kN/m2 for a gauge thickness of around 1mm. If this same section was used over
a longer 2.5m span, these loads might typically drop to around 0.9kN/m2 to 2.0kN/m2.

Purlins

Purlins are usually of a distorted C or Z type profile and come in a variety of depths, widths
and gauge thicknesses. As an example, a fairly small 145mm deep x 65mm wide purlin over
say a 4.5m span (between main structural members) might be able to carry an ultimate roof
gravity load of around 10kN for a gauge thickness of around 1mm up to around 20kN for a
gauge thickness of around 2mm. If this same section was used over a longer 5.5m span, these
loads might typically drop to around 7kN to 14kN.

Design Data
It is intended that you access online data from manufacturers of cladding & purlin systems.
However, when doing so, be very alert to the following:

 Quoted loads may be nominal (un-factored) (SLS) or ultimate (factored) (ULS);

 It would normally be expected that all load must be only UDL (no point loads);
 It would normally be expected that there is continuity over at least three supports;
 Quoted loads might be strength-controlled or deflection-controlled;
 Quoted loads may or may not include the component self-weight.

Clearly you must acknowledge the source of any such data and must include all relevant
data & tables as an appendix to your report.
 Appendix 3 Checking design calculations

In the professional design office almost all design calculations (especially those which have
safety implications) are checked for correctness. The level of check carried out depends on
the importance and the technical difficulty involved in the project. For example, for a minor
straightforward piece of design, the check might be undertaken by an engineer working in the
same section as the designer, while for a more important and/or technically demanding
project (eg a bridge) the check might be carried out by an engineer from a different section,
or even by a group of engineers from another consulting company. These checks represent
varying levels of independence from the designer.

There are also different levels of check relating to how detailed is the checking involved:

Overall checking

 Perusal of the designer’s calculation pack

 ‘Ball-park’ values checks, but not involving detailed line-by-line arithmetic checks
 Checking that loadings are appropriate and that psfs have been correctly applied
 Checking that any analysis involved is appropriate and has yielded credible values
 Checking that credible values have been correctly substituted into appropriate design
equations and that subsequent design output is again credible

Fully detailed checks

 The designer’s calculation pack is checked line-by-line for both correctly applied
parameters & values, as well as arithmetic accuracy

It should be noted that in checking & agreeing a set of design calculations, all checkers are
effectively taking on some responsibility for the correctness of the design.

CVE 2371 checking

For this project, checking should be carried out as the design is progressed. It is open to
design teams to decide what checks are appropriate for the group’s design. It should be noted
that as well as providing confidence that a design outcome is correct, doing some checking is
also beneficial in educational terms as it allows all individuals some experience in a design
process in which they may have had little or no personal involvement.

To aid checking, it is important that design calculations be set out logically and clearly and
should include all intermediate steps of ‘working’.

It is expected that each team member will carry out a check in at least one area in which
he/she has had little or no detailed design involvement.
 Appendix 4 Information on oral presentations

CVE 2371 presentations

All SDP2 presentations are to be delivered via PowerPoint on Zoom.

State of mind
Every speaker suffers from “nerves” before a spoken presentation and the only way to
overcome this is through careful preparation. Try to relax and be confident. Every good
presentation is well prepared and rehearsed. Remember: preparation; planning; practise!

Notes
Avoid reading verbatim from a written “script”. Perhaps use your PowerPoint slides as an
aide-memoire with some brief relevant fill-in notes to hand. You could use cue-cards with
headings but beware of dropping them!

Timing
Be aware of the time you have been allowed and do not over-run - you may simply be
stopped! Rehearse the talk and note the running times.

Pace
The answer to insufficient presentation time is not to try and say everything quicker! It may
be that you should try to say less. The pace should be comfortable for both you and your
audience.

Style
Do not talk too rigidly - try to appear relaxed and comfortable. Use your voice and hands for
emphasis.

Group dynamics
Group presentations need careful co-ordination. Try to ensure all speakers are given roughly
equal time to speak. Do not jump between speakers to often - it leads to a fragmented
presentation. It may be worthwhile to identify one individual as the “master-of-ceremonies”
to introduce the project, link the other speakers and to summarise at the end.

Answering questions
Providing you “know your stuff” there should be little to worry you! Agree who is to answer
any given question and then do so clearly and concisely. Ensure all team members get an
opportunity to answer.
 Appendix 5 Final report
The final report is to be a single submission from each group comprising the report, Revit
drawings and design calculations. This is required by 4pm Friday week 3.

Drawing
Remember that in construction it is the drawings, not the calculations, which communicate
what requires to be built to the contractor. Refer to information given in SD lectures.
Include any freehand sketches alomng with the Revit drawings. The drawings should contain
the following information:

General arrangements (GAs)

Plans (at foundation level; ground floor; and all other floor & roof levels); sufficient cross-
sections defining the geometry & dimensions related to a grid. When organising your
drawings, bear in mind the normal construction sequence, which is from the bottom up.

Construction & fabrication details

Should include, and normally at a larger scale than above, typical details of each type of
structural member employed: e.g. roof truss or beam, column, floor beam, concrete slab,
timber decking, wall, foundation pad or strip, whichever are included in your design.

Calculations
Overall organisation
The calculations should have indexing, sectioning, page numbering, cross referencing,
initialling of “designer” & “checker, key location plans and be neatly hand written. In
particular, to allow calculations to be read and understood independently of the drawings,
they must contain frequent clear diagrams.

Conceptual Design
Include all relevant sketches (edited or re-drawn) which should be and fully and clearly
explained, along with full discussions & conclusions leading to your preferred final option.

Detailed Design
All the main structural framing elements and connections, from roof down to foundations, set
out on A3 Revit drawings comprising: location of each element; loading; analysis; design;
summary.

Environmental & Construction Strategies

Include clear statements of original thoughts and intentions and demonstrate how these were
met in the final design, along with any suggestions for further improvements or changes.