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Comprehensive Guide to Building Engineering and AutoCAD Fundamentals

Course Overview and Learning Goals

The course aims to develop a comprehensive understanding of building components and their functions, emphasizing the purpose behind each part such as walls, floors, and roofs. It introduces core concepts including building shell requirements, fire safety regulations, and moisture insulation fundamentals. For a deeper understanding, see Understanding Building Functions: Safety, Comfort, and Environmental Interaction.

Course Evaluation Structure

  • 60% from the exam (held December 4th, on campus)
  • 20% from practice works (two assignments)
  • 20% from CAD exercises (minimum 3 mandatory exercises out of 5 offered)

Students must complete all mandatory assessments, with optional exercises available for grade improvement.

AutoCAD Training and Exercises

Practical CAD skills are developed through lectures coupled with hands-on tasks. Students learn to produce, modify, and print scaled building plans. Instructional videos support independent exercises, enabling flexible learning. For guidance on designing components like piping within CAD, refer to Designing Flexible Pipes in Creo Parametric: A Step-by-Step Guide.

Presentation and Practice Work

  • Presentation: Students deliver a 10-minute presentation on building practices from their home country, discussing wall types, fire safety, moisture and sound insulation.
  • Practice Work: Individual task to design a preliminary building plan using AutoCAD, selecting materials, heating, and ventilation systems with justifications for these choices to simulate real-life architectural decision-making.

Usage of Online Platform and Materials

Materials including lecture slides, videos, building codes (notably Finnish regulations), and additional reading resources are provided via the course Moodle platform. Virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) access enables remote use of specialized architectural software.

Core Building Engineering Concepts Covered

Building Parts and Functions

  • Roof: Combination of rooftop cladding and insulation designed for weather resistance.
  • Outer Walls: Serve as protective jackets against external elements, incorporating facade, insulation, and structural elements.
  • Intermediate Floors and Walls: Define internal spaces and support multi-story layouts.
  • Foundation Components: Sills and footings protect structural parts from moisture and transfer loads.

Foundations and Soil Interaction

  • Waterproofing measures counteract soil moisture and capillary action.
  • Two main foundation types discussed:
    • Continuous Footing: Runs along building walls, suitable for single-family homes.
    • Pile Footing: Uses deep piles to reach load-bearing soil, common in poor soil conditions and larger buildings.
  • Emphasis on sustainable construction by minimizing material use and maximizing durability.

Floor Types

  • Ground-based Floors: Ground-contact floors utilize layered insulation, drainage, and vapor barriers to prevent moisture ingress.
  • Ventilated Floors: Raised floors with subfloor ventilation prevent decay in timber and other sensitive materials.

Health and Safety Considerations

Summary

This course integrates theoretical knowledge and practical skills in building engineering and architectural CAD design. It prepares students to understand building components, design basics, safety and sustainability considerations, and proficiently use AutoCAD tools for effective architectural planning and presentation.

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