Journal of Architectural Engineering

A modified coarse network model has been developed to simulate the evacuation patterns in high-rise buildings. The model can account for high-density situations as well as recording the process of an individual's locomotion pattern. The results of simulations show that all occupants in a high-rise building are unlikely to escape in a few minutes. Provision of a refuge space such as a designated refuge floor can facilitate the evacuation process and provide a temporary “resting place” for evacuees. The effect of the width of the staircase or escape routes is examined in high-density buildings. The reaction time of occupants has also been studied and has demonstrated that in high-density buildings, there exists a threshold limit within which its effect on the overall evacuation time is not critical.

In the manufacturing sector, companies have successfully applied concurrent engineering tools, including Quality Function Deployment (QFD) to determine customers' needs for the design at its early stages of development. However, despite its success stories in other industries, QFD has been applied only sparingly in the construction industry. The design/build (D/B) contractor, who bears both design and construction responsibilities, would find the QFD methodology useful. This paper examines the awareness and applicability of QFD methodology in D/B contracts. The research looks into the benefits, relevance, and problems in the application of QFD in D/B contracts. A qualitative approach in the form of in-depth interviews with experienced contractors involved in D/B contracts was carried out. The results suggest that, generally, D/B contractors could appreciate the merits of the QFD system. However, the decisions for implementation of QFD by the contractors were subjected to the “push” and “pull” factors that may vary from one organization to another.

The goal of any engineering design is to obtain an optimal solution to the design problem. This paper examines how value engineering contributes to the process of obtaining an optimal solution to the design problem for a building project. The factors that determine a building project and its costs are listed and these factors fall into two groups; one group relates to specific engineering systems, while the other group is general in character and relates to the whole building. Value engineering is effective because its procedures give opportunities for raising design issues associated with the latter group of factors as well as for providing for peer-review of the design. A summary of other methods of optimal design—such as design for manufacture and assembly (DFMA), concurrent engineering, and total quality management—is given, and these methods are compared with value engineering. Cost minimization in building construction is discussed with examples from the writer's experience on building projects in West Africa and the Middle East.

The aim of the project reported in this paper is to determine the quality of cement used in building construction operations in a typical developing country, Bangladesh. Comparison is made to the strength required in the standard ASTM specifications. Cement is the basic binding material in concrete, and the quality of concrete is dependent upon the quality of the cement used. In developing countries such as Bangladesh, the quality of construction materials, including cement, may not conform to international standards because of poor quality control, governmental corruption, and problems associated with transportation and storage. Investigations involving cement mortar show that 26.67% of test results satisfied standard compressive strength for 3 days, 6.67% of test results satisfied standard compressive strength for 7 days, and no test results satisfied standard compressive strength for 28 days. The aforementioned data indicate that there is a distinct problem with the quality of cement in a typical developing country such as Bangladesh. The results of this study may alert contractors and engineers to concerns about the quality of cement and assist local governments to take the necessary action to control the quality of this important construction material.

This technical note discusses water penetration resistance studies on a solid interlocking block masonry system, adopting ASTM E 514-90 for the influence of the type of bedding (dry stacking, thin jointing, and mortar), surface finishes (stucco and plaster on one side or both sides), and simulated wind velocities (0, 50, and 100 km/h). Silblock masonry without a surface finish is suitable for rain protected and interior walls. Introduction of any form of mortar bedding (thin jointing or conventional) resulted in higher dampness than the dry-stacked specimens. With respect to dampness, plastered dry-stacked masonry performs better, whereas with respect to leakage, plastered thin-jointed masonry performs better.