Thursday, October 31, 2013

Workshop

A few questions were raised during the workshop last week. I personally think that it definitely will help to refine the content for my dissertation and I shall give my feedback to all the questions.

  • Public acceptance in Malaysia or around the world?
I personally was thinking about both Since this contour crafting will benefit us, why not we let the construction industry around the world practice this technology and observe the acceptance of the public? And since I am a Malaysian, of course I am going to discuss about the response of the public if we are implementing this technology in Malaysia as well.

  • If target group is Malaysian, then war, natural disaster may not be relevant in Malaysia.
Yes, I am aware of that Malaysia is a fortunate country that is free from war and natural disaster. However, just because our country does not have war and natural disaster these past decades does not mean that the future is going to remain the same. It is important to take a precaution before something actually happened.
  • Is contour crafting safe for dwelling?
In my opinion, of course contour crafting is safe for dwelling. With all those automated system installed within the wall, that will greatly reduce the rate of accidents that can happen in the house.
  • Sustainability of contour crafting building?
There is no doubt that contour crafting is significantly faster than standard wood framing. By automating this part of construction process, contour crafting reduces the amount of time spent on a site thereby reducing the negative environmental impact of prolonged construction. 
  • Will it result poor population for those stay in formal, standard houses without own identity?
I doubt that because there will never be a 100% of the population to agree on something, especially on something this new. Certain people might interest with contour crafting while some are not because they have already live under the standard houses for years and they are afraid of changing the situation that they already live for years.
  •  The local culture and architecture may be lost after long term of hiring foreign worker to do all the construction works.
I would disagree on this because although there are a lot of foreign workers at the construction industry, that does not mean they own it. There still will be a site manager that controls everything on the site despite the foreign workers that do all the construction works. Therefore local culture and architecture will not be lost if the site management is under control by the site manager.
  • What benefits for Malaysia context that is free from such natural disaster?
Contour crafting will be a great benefit for those country that suffered from natural disaster because contour crafting can build a house within a day and let it be a temporary shelter or permanent shelter. Although Malaysia is free from natural disaster, there will be always an accident such as fire. That's the benefit of contour crafting that can immediately provide a temporary shelter or permanent shelter for the residents that have their house burned.

Report outline *updated*

LEARNING AGREEMENT

 I.    RESEARCH TOPIC/ISSUES
·         ISSUE  :
                                     I.        Construction industry has earned the reputation of being a highly hazardous industry.
                                    II.        Construction industry consumes more than 40% of raw materials which is such a wasting resources action, causing damage to the environment.
                                   III.        There are around 37 million uprooted people in the world are forced to flee from their homes and seek for shelter due to several reasons such as war, economic or natural disaster.
                                  IV.        Shortage of affordable housing for low-income households in urban area.
·         AIM      : To explore the digital design and fabrication technologies and to determine the acceptance of publicity towards practicing Contour crafting in construction industry.
·         OBJECTIVES    :
                                      I.        To explore a new technology in building construction.
                                     II.        To identify the benefits of practicing contour crafting in construction industry.
                                    III.        To study and verify the effectiveness of the contour crafting on buildings.
                                   IV.        To study the impact of contour crafting in the future.
·         HYPOTHESIS:
                                     I.        Due to the efficiency of Contour crafting which does not save only time and cost, but also reduce the rate of accidents in construction industry.
                                    II.        Due to the flexibility design for individual identity by using Contour crafting.

WORKING TITLE : TRADITIONAL BUILDING CONSTRUCTION METHODS VS CONTOUR CRAFTING.

II.       OUTLINE OF REPORT
·         Introduction
1.     The building construction development from ancient Mesopotamia to the late twentieth century.
2.     Technology plays an important role in the building construction regardless of building technology, CAD technology.
3.     Briefing on the issues/problems:
                  i.        Construction industry is a high hazardous industry.
                 ii.        Construction industry is wasting natural resources.
               iii.        People are forced to seek for temporary shelter due to war, economic or natural disaster.
                iv.        Low-income households in urban area.
·         Chapter 1 : Roles of Contour crafting in construction industry.
1.     Analysis of accident statistic in construction industry and find out the reasons - human carelessness, collapse of scaffolding, brick wall, etc.
2.     What is Contour crafting? How it helps in construction industry.
3.     Contour crafting will be a great solution for the problems that construction industry in Malaysia are facing - manpower, quality of productivity and time.
                  i.        Lack of manpower
Ø  less local workers are participated in construction industry, therefore need to hire workers from other country such as Indonesia, Bangladesh and Myanmar.
Ø  foreign workers have contracts cause the shortage of manpower if a project takes a longer time to complete.
Ø  workers at construction industry does not have any experience as some of them just need a job for living regardless of having any experience in that field.
                 ii.        Quality of productivity
Ø  lacked of trained manpower.
Ø  contractors lacked of skill knowledge in engineering construction.
Ø  project does not follow the scheduled time and does not have a good management.
                    i.       Project completion on time
Ø  does not follow the schedule.
Ø  cause by weather.
Ø  problem with contract workers.
4.     Contour crafting can solve the problems as it is an automated process without worrying the lack of manpower, quality of productivity and time.
5.     Contour crafting can reduce the usage of natural resources without doing all the frameworks before constructing a building - scaffolding and timber frame for houses, shop - houses.
6.     50% of global energy, 50% water, 60% materials, 80% land loss of agriculture, 60% timber products, 90% hardwoods are all directly linked with building construction while indirectly, 50% of carol reefs and 25% rain forest are being damaged due to buildings and constructions.
·         Chapter 2 : How can Contour crafting help the victims of natural disaster.
1.     Case study 1 : Sichuan earthquake 2008
Ø  4,8 million people are left homeless after the earthquake happened.
2.     Case study 2 : Tsunami 2004
Ø  10 million people are homeless.
Ø  an opinion was raised that human destruction of carol reefs may have played a role in exacerbating the destruction caused by the tsunami.
Ø  on the Surin Island chain of Thailand's coast, people may have been saved as the tsunami rushed against the carol reefs, lessening its impact.
Ø  in a way, it is relate back to Chapter 1 where building construction indirectly damaged 50% of the carol reefs. If it continues, there will be no carol reefs to help lessening the impact of tsunami if it happens again in the future.
3.     Contour crafting can offer a temporary/permanent shelter for those victims because of its "a house per day"
4.     Contour crafting is adaptable and can use in-situ materials to construct, thus eliminating the need to transport materials from long distance, saving time and costs.

·         Chapter 3 : Low-income housing in urban area.
1.     Case study : India
Ø  Understand the problems that urban area are facing - rural-urban migration, etc.
Ø  Urbanization is positive, even if it means poor population is coming in urban areas > if poor population comes in urban area, may cause urban decay due to lack of money for maintenance.
Ø  Urban decay > buildings are overcrowded, run down and deteriorating > shabby appearance, illegal or unstable structures, improper sanitation facilities.
Ø  50% population live in slums due to lack of housing, therefore they illegally created colonies of housing on open spaces in cities - do not have any civic amenities such as drinking water, sewage, electricity, etc.
Ø  To solve the slums problem, houses can be with automated plumbing, automated electrical network installation by Contour crafting nevertheless the low costs of a Contour crafted house.
Ø  Due to the rural-urban migration, demand of houses in urban area is increasing > Contour crafting's high speed construction can be a solution.

·         Conclusion
       III.        RESEARCH PLAN AND METHODOLOGY
      Primary Research
       Information and data collect through website, statistics, news.
      Secondary Research
·         Literature review of the book, Beyond Shelter-Architecture for crisis, edited by Marie J. Aquilino.
·         Literature review of the book, AM Envelope: The Potential of Additive Manufacturing for Facade Construction, by Holger Strauss.
·         Literature review of the book, Full Scale Contour Crafting Applications, by Laura Haymond.
·         Interview with specialist in Contour crafting through emailing.
         

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Report outline

Introduction
  • The building construction development from ancient Mesopotamia to the late twentieth century.
  • Technology plays an important in the building construction regardless of building technology, CAD technology.
  • Briefing on the issues/problems:

  1. Construction industry is a high hazardous industry.
  2. Construction industry is wasting natural resources.
  3. People are forced to seek for temporary shelter due to war, economic or natural disaster.
  4. Low-income households in urban area.
Chapter 1: The roles of Contour Crafting in construction industry.
  • Analysis the accident statistic in construction industry and find out the reasons - human carelessness, collapse of scaffolding, brick wall, etc.
  • Contour crafting will be a great solution for the problems that construction industry in Malaysia are facing - manpower, qualify of productivity and time.
Lack of manpower
  1. less local workers therefore need to hire workers from other country such as Indonesia, Bangladesh and Myanmar.
  2. foreign workers have contracts will cause shortage of manpower if a project takes a longer period to finish.
  3. workers at construction industry does not have any experience as some of them just need a job for living regardless of having any experience.
Quality of productivity
  1. lacked of trained manpower.
  2. contractors lacked of skill knowledge in engineering construction.
  3. project does not follow the schedule and does not have a good management.
Project completion on time
  1. does not follow the timetable.
  2. cause by weather.
  3. problem with contract workers.

  • Contour crafting can solve the problems as it is an automated process without worrying about the lack of manpower, quality of productivity and time.
  • Contour crafting can reduce the usage of natural resources without doing all the frameworks before constructing a building - scaffolding and wood for houses, shop-houses.
  • 50% of global energy, 50% water, 60% materials, 80% land loss to agriculture, 60% timber products, 90% hardwoods are all directly lined with building construction while indirectly, 50% of carol reefs and 25% rain forest are being damaged duo to buildings and construction.
Chapter 2 : How Contour crafting can help the victims of natural disaster.

Case study 1 : Sichuan earthquake 2008
  • 4,800,000 people are left homeless right after the earthquake.
Case study 2 : Tsunami 2004
  • 10,000,000 people became homeless.
  • an opinion was raised that human destruction of carol reefs may have played a role in exacerbating the destruction caused by the tsunami.
  • on the Surin Island chain of Thailand's coast, people may have been saved as the tsunami rushed against the carol reefs, lessening its impact.
  • in a way, it is relate back to chapter 1 where building construction indirectly damaged 50% of the carol reefs. If it continues, there will be no more carol reefs help lessening the impact of tsunami if it happens in the future.

  • Contour crafting can offer a temporary shelter for those victims cause of its "a house per day".
  • Contour crafting is adaptable and can use in situ construction material, thus eliminating the need to transport materials long distance, saving time and costs.
Chapter 3 : Low income housing in urban area.

*still working on this chapter. Gotta understand more on this urban area. 

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Academic Research

Define the problems
  1. Construction industry has earned the reputation of being a highly hazardous industry.
  2. Construction industry consumes more than 40% of raw materials which is such a wasting resources action, causing damage to the environment.
  3. There are around 37 million uprooted people in the world are forced to flee from their homes and seek for shelter due to several reasons such as war, economic or natural disaster.
  4. Shortage of affordable housing for low-income households in urban area.
Literature Review
  1. Accident statistic in construction industry
  2. 2 workers dead and 10 seriously injured in industrial accident at work place
  3. Three killed, one injured in construction site accident
  4. 15,419 construction site accidents in last 5 years in Malaysia.
  5. Construction and the environment
  6. Emergency housing/temporary shelter
  7. Low income housing

Aim : To determine the acceptance of publicity towards practicing Contour Crafting in the construction industry.


Hypothesis

  1. Due to the efficiency of Contour Crafting which does not save only time and cost, also reduce the rate of accidents in construction industry.
  2. Due to the flexibility design for individual identity by using Contour Crafting.