Units
Facade Engineering
Unit code: ENB477
Credit points: 12
Information about fees and unit costs
The unit provides the basic knowledge and skills required by facade engineers and designers. It introduces you to new materials such as aluminium, composite aluminium panels, natural stone, structural silicone adhesive and one of the more unique and challenging structural materials - glass. It then presents the required knowledge and skills for thermal and weather performance analyses and structural design of typical aluminium framed and glazed facades. The unit will provide a basic understanding of selection, analysis and design of innovative and large span facades and glass structures. Fabrication and construction are integral aspects in the selection and design of facades, so an insight into fabrication and construction methods are presented along with an understanding of their collaboration in design.
Availability
| Semester | Available |
|---|---|
| 2013 Semester 2 | Yes |
Sample subject outline - Semester 2 2013
Note: Subject outlines often change before the semester begins. Below is a sample outline.
Rationale
The cost of facades is about 15 to 20% of the total cost of buildings and hence there is a demand for facade experts in the building industry. This unit builds on the structural, material and construction units of previous semesters and provides the required knowledge, understanding and skills for the students who wish to pursue a career in facade engineering or to simply gain a good understanding of the functions and design considerations of facades that are paramount to being successful in other collaborative professions such as structural engineering, mechanical engineering, architecture and/or construction. In this unit you will apply the knowledge and skills gained to a realistic project involving the design of facades in a real-life, high-rise building. The project work will involve determination of loads, design of glass, aluminium and steel structures and may also include some thermal modelling/design. There will be a special emphasis on the interdependency between fabrication, construction, design, functionality and aesthetics of a facade.
Aims
The aim of this unit is to help you learn the basics of Facade Engineering with special emphasis on selection, analysis and design of facades including an understanding of the integral considerations of fabrication, construction, functionality and aesthetics in facade design.
Objectives
On completion of this unit, you should/should be able to:
- Be aware of the glass or metal membrane supported by aluminium framing of typical facade structures to ensure that a complete load path exists for all loads and their combinations, to satisfy thermal performance, weather resistance, strength and serviceability requirements of the design codes and legislation.
- Execute the design sequence of assessment of thermal loadings, structural loadings or restraints; preliminary selection of glass types and thicknesses, sizing of members; idealisation and analysis; checking of assumptions with analysis and detail; determine member and connection sizes and details.
- Determine the detailing of components and connections to suit construction of a particular high-rise building facade.
- Gain an appreciation of the collaboration required for design (structural, weather resistance, functionality and aesthetics) with fabrication and construction through photos and videos of facade installation/problems and visiting an integrated facade manufacturing facility (aluminium extruding & finishing; glass furnacing, laminating, coating and insulated glass unit manufacture; curtain wall panel assembly and full scale testing laboratory).
- Sketch components and assemblies based on the design solutions and appreciate how weather resistance, thermal performance, design, fabrication and construction interrelate.
Content
Introduction to facades: Facade engineering history; Functions of a facade; Types of facades, Selection of appropriate facade type; Interface with other professions; Role of contracts/specifications/drawings
Facade performance requirements to Australian Standards & legislation including: thermal performance, water penetration, air infiltration, Serviceability Limit State wind load deflections, Ultimate Limit State ¿proof¿ wind load, maintenance live loads, soft body impact, cyclone debris impact, etc.
Glass, Energy and Sunshading Devices: Glass types; Understanding solar radiation and control; Sunshade device types and selection; Legislation; Glass performance and trends.
Wind Load Determination: Internal, external and local pressures on facades
Glass as a Structural Element: Design of cantilevered and two side supported glass, three & four side supported glass using AS 1288, ASTM, CSB &/or PREN formulae or FEA modelling; Serviceability and Ultimate Strength Limit State Design of Glass; Structural silicone design.
Improvements to Monolithic Glass: Laminated glass & its design; Insulated Glass Units (IGU) & their design; Glass balustrade design; Overhead glass & glass floor design; Glass fin design
Manufacturing: Factory tours of G James' fully integrated facade manufacturing facilities (aluminium sections & glass, Curtain wall manufacture & prototype testing)
Aluminium Design: Typical facade aluminium & joint detailing; AS1664 and its applications to facade design; Aluminium transom and mullion member design, local effects & their screw fixings; design of curtain wall panel fixing.
Design of Sunshades and Spandrels: Loads and Structural design of sunshades and spandrels
Installation and Construction
Case Studies: A selection of real-life examples
Innovative/Large Span Facades and Glass Structures
Approaches to Teaching and Learning
The unit will use lecture/discussion forum of 2 to 3 hour duration followed by a 1 to 2 hour design studio session facilitated by experts in the fields of facade engineering (QUT and Facade Industry staff). Excellent resource materials and web-based study materials and E-mail communications will be used to enhance student learning. Students will learn the required knowledge and skills by undertaking a complete analysis and design of a facade in a high-rise building as a member of a group. They will be assisted by various staff members who will act as tutors/consultants/assessors during the design studio sessions.
Learning Approaches will cover the following:
Project based, Self-learning, Individual learning, Team based learning, Experiential learning, Reflective
Assessment
The assessment for this unit follows the assessment policy stated in Section 5.1.1
The assessment will comprise formative assessment (to help you understand how you are progressing in this unit) and summative assessment (to grade your work against expected learning outcomes).Feedback on your assessments will be given to you by your lecturer and tutors during lecture and design studio classes, and via email and Blackboard.
Assessment name:
Problem Solving Task
Description:
Problem Solving Exercises
An exercise to solve problems of limited scope using appropriate rules or techniques.
Relates to objectives:
1 to 3
Weight:
25%
Internal or external:
Internal
Group or individual:
Individual
Due date:
Week 8
Assessment name:
Report and Presentation
Description:
Group Report and Presentation
Load Evaluation, Analysis and Design of a Facade and Construction Details.
Relates to objectives:
1 to 5
Weight:
40%
Internal or external:
Internal
Group or individual:
Group
Due date:
During Weeks 1-13
Assessment name:
Examination (written)
Description:
Final Examination
To ensure that you have sufficient opportunity to demonstrate the widest range of your knowledge, understanding and skill development, the final examination is comprised of a mixture of problem solving questions and short answer-questions.
Relates to objectives:
1 to 5
Weight:
35%
Internal or external:
Internal
Group or individual:
Individual
Due date:
Examination period
Academic Honesty
QUT is committed to maintaining high academic standards to protect the value of its qualifications. To assist you in assuring the academic integrity of your assessment you are encouraged to make use of the support materials and services available to help you consider and check your assessment items. Important information about the university's approach to academic integrity of assessment is on your unit Blackboard site.
A breach of academic integrity is regarded as Student Misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties.
Resource materials
Relevant and useful resource materials will be made available via Blackboard. Details of specific design handbooks will be advised at the commencement of this unit.
Risk assessment statement
You will be informed of any requirements pertaining to a safe workplace. In lectures, tutorials and such, the information will include location of fire exits and meeting points in case of fire; in any laboratory practicals, you will be advised of requirements of safe and responsible behaviour and you will be required to wear appropriate protective items (e.g. steel capped shoes); on any field trips or site visits, you will progress through a safety induction session and where necessary obtain a safety induction card. If you do not follow legitimate instructions or endanger the safety of others or do not act in accordance with the requirements of the Workplace Health and Safety Act, you will be required to leave the session/site. You will be responsible for your own health and safety, and that of other members of the community as a responsible citizen, should they elect in their own time to conduct any site visits related to the project.
Disclaimer - Offer of some units is subject to viability, and information in these Unit Outlines is subject to change prior to commencement of semester.
Last modified: 23-Nov-2012
