Professional Liability of the Construction Professional as an Expert Witness in the Spanish Legal Framework

Inside COBRA 2011 RICS International Research Conference, the present paper is linked to analyze the liability of the construction professional in his practice as a expert witness in the Spanish legal framework. In a large number of legal procedures related to the building it is necessary the intervention of the expert witness to report on the subject of litigation, and to give an opinion about possible causes and solutions. This field is increasingly importantly for the practice of construction professional that requires an important specialization. The expert provides his knowledge to the judge in the matter he is dealing with (construction, planning, assessment, legal, ...), providing arguments or reasons as the base for his case and acting as part of the evidence. Although the importance of expert intervention in the judicial process, the responsibilities arising from their activity is a slightly studied field. Therefore, the study has as purpose to think about the regulation of professional activities raising different aims. The first is to define the action of the construction professional-expert witness and the need for expert evidence, establishing the legal implications of this professional activity. The different types of responsibilities (the civil, criminal and administrative) have been established as well as the economic, penal or disciplinary damages that can be derived from the expert report

Process of Expropriation of Buildings for the Construction of the New Dock of the Port of Cartagena (Spain) in the 18th Century

The need of the Bourbon monarchy to build a Naval Base in the Bay of Cartagena (Spain) during the eighteenth century, implied performing various actions on the environment which allowed the construction of the new dock. One of the priority actions was the transformation of the watershed of the streams that flowed into Mandaraches´s sea. For this reason, a dike was designed and constructed in the northern part of the city. The design of this great work, which was designed as a fortification of the city, was subject to considerable uncertainties. Its proximity to the city involved the demolition of several buildings in the San Roque´s neighborhood. The greater or lesser number of affected buildings and the value of the just indemnification for the expropriation of them, become decisive factors to determine if the work was viable for the Royal Estate or not.

Micropiling a damaged bridge in construction in the motorway M-410 in Madrid (Spain)

The new highway M-410 in Madrid was constructed in the year 2007. This motorway near to Parla city crosses the road from Madrid to Toledo. To solve this crossing it was needed to constructed three bridges, the central with two spans over de existing motorway and the other two with one span at each side of the previous one. All the bridges where with deep foundations with piles of 1,00 m diameter separated 1,25 m.

Rehabilitation of two bridges in construction in the motorway M-410 in Madrid (Spain)

Rehabilitation of two bridges in construction in the motorway M-410 in Madrid (Spain)

Earth Architecture and Construction in the colonial archaeological site of Piura la Vieja, La Matanza (Piura, Perú)

Ponencia en el congreso internacional RESTAPIA 2012 que recoge los resultados de los trabajos de investigación realizados en el yacimiento arqueológico colonial de Piura la Vieja, La Matanza (Piura, Perú).

The construction of sexpartite vaults in Europe

Sexpartite vaults constitute one of the most interesting chapters in European Gothic architecture. Originally, the use of the square cross-ribbed vault was limited to relatively small spaces, but when the need arose to cover spaces of considerable size, a new vault with very peculiar characteristics appeared. This new vault was a cross-ribbed vault that was reinforced in the centre by a rib that was parallel to the transverse ribs which effectively divided the vault in half. This configuration breaks the side arch into two fragments, creating a pair of windows on each side. The volumetrics of these vaults is extremely complex and the difficulties involved in their construction perhaps explain why they were abandoned in favour of the simple cross ribbed vault, now with rectangular sections. The existence of the sexpartite vault barely lasted more than fifty years, from the end of the XII century and the beginning of the XIII. Towards the end of the 19th century Viollet-le-Duc gave a succinct explanation of this type of vault. A. Choisy also, later, devotes some pages to the French sexpartite vault; since then, the subject has only been broached in a few references in later studies on Gothic architecture. However, despite its short period of existence, the sexpartite vault spread throughout Europe and was used to build important vaulting. Viollet-le-Duc's sexpartite vault could be considered to be the prototype of them all, while it is true that the studies that we have conducted so far lead us to affirm that there is a wide variety of vaults, with different volumetric spaces and different construction strategies. Therefore, we believe that this chapter of international Gothic deserves further study applying the knowledge and resources that are available today. This paper has been written to explore the most significant European sexpartite vaults. New measurement technology has led to a revolution in research into the history of construction, allowing studies to be conducted that were hitherto impossible. Thorough data collection using total station and photogrammetry has enabled us to identify the stereotomy of the voussoirs, tas-de-charges and keystones, as well as the bonding of the surfaces of the severies. A comparison of the construction techniques employed in the different vaults studied reveals common construction features and aspects that are specific to each country. Thus we are able to establish the relationship between sexpartite vaults in different European countries and their influence on each other.

Construction of 17-19th century domes in the province of Alicante (Spain): the case of San Juan Bautista in Cox

From the late seventeenth to early nineteenth centuries, many religious temples have been built in the province of Alicante (south east of Spain) with brick domes as their main characteristic feature. Often, the limited data available about these remarkable constructions make rehabilitation interventions become into real research projects, with a high value for their historic conservation over time. The aim of this paper is to show a detailed refurbishment analysis of a religious temple built in 1778, showing the need of preservation of historic buildings as a part of the architectural heritage by establishing a common pattern of materials, geometry and constructive systems, specifically in their domes. In most cases, there was not an architectural project for the construction, that is why the analysis of any documentary and archival sources available is essential to find different ways to proceed on the use and maintenance of these religious buildings.

3D teaching: the ideal complement for professionals in design and construction

Today, the requirement of professional skills to university students is constantly increasing in our society. In our opinion, the content offered in official degrees need to be nourished with different variables, enriching their global professional knowledge in a parallel way; that is why, in recent years, there is a great multiplicity of complementary courses at university. One of the most socially demanded technical requirements within the architectural, design or engineering field is the management of 3D drawing software, becoming an indispensable reality in these sectors. Thus, this specific training becomes essential over two-dimension traditional design, because the inclusion of great possibilities of spatial development that go beyond conventional orthographic projections (plans, sections or elevations), allowing modelling and rotation of the selected items from multiple angles and perspectives. Therefore, this paper analyzes the teaching methodology of a complementary course for those technicians in the construction industry interested in computer-aided design, using modelling (SketchupMake) and rendering programs (Kerkythea). The course is developed from the technician point of view, by learning computer management and its application to professional development from a more general to a more specific view through practical examples. The proposed methodology is based on the development of real examples in different professional environments such as rehabilitation, new constructions, opening projects or architectural design. This multidisciplinary contribution improves criticism of students in different areas, encouraging new learning strategies and the independent development of three-dimensional solutions. Thus, the practical implementation of new situations, even suggested by the students themselves, ensures active participation, saving time during the design process and the increase of effectiveness when generating elements which may be represented, moved or virtually tested. In conclusion, this teaching-learning methodology improves the skills and competencies of students to face the growing professional demands of society. After finishing the course, technicians not only improved their expertise in the field of drawing but they also enhanced their capacity for spatial vision; both essential qualities in these sectors that can be applied to their professional development with great success.

Controversy between curriculum design and curriculum development of online "highly specialized" education in the field of construction

Nowadays, on a global level, the Higher Education System has a complex and broad horizon of curricular tools to use in the teaching and learning process. In addition to these new educational instruments, full of possibilities, we face specific socio-economic conditions that affect in a significantly way the Curriculum Development in certain knowledge areas (areas traditionally built on a methodology based on a physical presence of students in the classroom). Some areas such as Restoration, Rehabilitation or Construction Pathologies, and the construction sector in general, require very defined and particular knowledge that only a small number of experts claim as specialized training. All these aspects condition the teaching methodology performed in a physical classroom at a university campus (the only option used until recent years) and made us consider the integration of online teaching in these areas too. The present work shows the teaching methodology used for the development of two online courses, where we offer distance learning for "highly specialized" formation in the Edification area (an area where traditionally there was only classroom training). At the beginning, both courses were designed by classroom training, but got a really small number of applications due to the specialized topic proposed. Later, we proposed a "Curriculum Redesign" of the contents, offering an online modality, which implied a significant demand both within and outside the university area. A notable feature of this educational experience is the great spectrum opened for attendees of both courses in the online version. This situation improved significantly the "Curriculum Development" for the student and implied an interesting new proposal on the offered contents and materials (what would have been really difficult to get in a face to face classroom). In conclusion, the absence of certain types of specialized contents in the academic university curricula makes essential to raise new methodologies to save the gap in this area through additional training courses as those analyzed in this paper. Thus, our experience opens a debate on the appropriateness of implementing online training in relation to the face to face training in constructive content subjects and, especially, presents a new scheme, not without controversy, for the curriculum design.

Construction of Structures I in Moodle: a new teaching methodology in the Degree of Building Engineer

The subject of Construction of Structures I studies, from a constructive point of view and taking into account current legislation, reinforced concrete structures used in buildings, through the acquisition of knowledge and construction criteria required in the profession of a Technical Architect. The contents acquired in this course are essential for further professional development of technicians and are closely related to many of the subjects taught in the same or other courses of the Degree in Technical Architecture at the University of Alicante. The aim of this paper is to present, analyze and discuss the development of a new methodology proposed in the mentioned subject, as it supposed an important change in the traditional way of teaching Construction and Structures I. In order to incorporate new teaching tools in 2013-2014, the course has been implemented by using a Moodle software tool to promote blended learning with online exercises. Our Moodle community allows collaborative work within an open-source platform where teachers and students share a new and personalized learning environment. Students are easily used to the interface and the platform, value the constant connection with teachers or other fellows and completely agree with the possibility of making questions or share documents 24 hours a day. The proposed methodology consists of lectures and practical classes. In the lectures, the basics of each topic are discussed; class attendance, daily study and conducting scheduled exercises are indispensable. Practical classes allow to consolidate the knowledge gained in theory classes by solving professional exercises and actual construction problems related to structures, that shall be compulsorily delivered online. So, after the correction of the teacher and the subsequent feedback of students, practical exercises ensure lifelong learning of the student, who can download any kind of material at any time (constructive details, practical exercises and even corrected exams). Regarding the general evaluation system, goals achievement is assessed on an ongoing basis (65% of the final mark) along the course through written and graphic evidences in person and online, as well as a individual development of a workbook. In all cases, the acquisition of skills, the ability to synthesize, the capacity of logical and critical thinking are assessed. The other 35 % of the mark is evaluated by a complementary graphic exam. Participation in the computing platform is essential and the student is required to do and present, at least 90% of the practices proposed. Those who do not comply with the practices in each specific date could not be assessed continuously and may only choose the final exam. In conclusion, the subject of Construction of Structures I is essential in the development of the regulated profession of Technical Architect as they are considered, among other professional profiles, as specialists in construction of building structures. The use of a new communication platform and online teaching allows the acquisition of knowledge and constructive approaches in a continuous way, with a more direct and personal monitoring by the teacher that has been highly appreciated by almost 100% of the students. Ultimately, it is important to say that the use of Moodle in this subject is a very interesting tool, which was really well welcome by students in one of the densest and important subjects of the Degree of Technical Architecture.

The Impact of BIM on the Distribution of Cost and Return on Investment in UK Construction Projects

It has been widely documented that when Building Information Modelling (BIM) is used, there is a shift in effort to the design phase. Little investigation into the impact of this shift in effort has been done and how it impacts on costs. It can be difficult to justify the increased expenditure on BIM in a market that is heavily driven by costs. There are currently studies attempting to quantify the return on investment (ROI) for BIM for which these returns can be seen to balance out the shift in efforts and costs to the design phase. The studies however quantify the ROI based on the individual stakeholder’s investment without consideration for the impact that the use of BIM from their project partners may have on their own profitability. In this study, a questionnaire investigated opinions and experience of construction professionals, representing clients, consultants, designers and contractors, to determine fluctuations in costs by their magnitude and when they occur. These factors were examined more closely by interviewing senior members representing each of the stakeholder categories and comparing their experience in using BIM within environments where their project partners were also using BIM and when they were not. This determined the differences in how the use and the investment in BIM impacts on others and how costs are redistributed. This redistribution is not just through time but also between stakeholders and categories of costs. Some of these cost fluctuations and how the cost of BIM is currently financed are also highlighted in several case studies. The results show that the current distribution of costs set for traditional 2D delivery is hindering the potential success of BIM. There is also evidence that stakeholders who don’t use BIM may benefit financially from the BIM use of others and that collaborative BIM is significantly different to the use of ‘lonely’ BIM in terms of benefits and profitability.

The incorporation of construction and demolition wastes as recycled mixed aggregates in non-structural concrete precast pieces

Concern for the environment has lately heightened awareness about the need for recycling in the construction industry. However, some standards, such as the Spanish standard, only accept the recycling of aggregates derived from concrete, which limits the extensive use of construction and demolition waste, which are produced in much bigger volumes. The aim of this work was to explore the possibility of using recycled mixed aggregates (RMA) in the preparation of precast non-structural concretes. To that end different percentages of natural aggregate were replaced by RMA in non-structural elements (25, 50, 75 and 100%). Contents of cement, water, and the dosages commonly used by companies were unchanged by the introduction of RMA. The characterization of the prepared elements has been done using the specific tests for each type of non-structural element (terrazzo for indoor use, hollow tiles, kerbstones and paving blocks): compression and flexural strength, water absorption, dimensional tolerances, abrasion and slipping resistance. The paving blocks, kerbstones, and hollow tiles prepared were tested for 360 days. The stability of the tested properties confirmed the possibility of using these wastes on an industrial scale satisfying the standard requirements. However, the surface of terrazzo with RMA is not as good as that prepared with natural aggregate.

Handing Down and Adaption: The Construction of the Material World of Health Care Technology in Spain (1855-1955)

This historical study uses qualitative methods to analyze and describe the components of the material world of nursing care in Spain between 1855 and 1955 based on the analysis of eight nurse training manuals. A total of 360 objects and 45 procedures were recorded. Manual analysis was carried out concurrently with data collection based on the Grounded Theory approach. Findings show that the material world of health care was composed of objects that were handed down by the medical profession to health care professionals and adapted objects, improvised mainly out of everyday household items. While the handing down of medical tools and instruments could be said to be a theoretical and technical achievement, it is not clear whether it was also a scientific accomplishment. The improvisation of objects out of everyday household items promoted by the manuals highlights the artisan-like and ingenious nature of nursing practice, which should be explored further in future studies to provide a greater understanding and promote the recognition of these objects as a health care technology.

Low-cost cottage construction in America: a study based on the housing collection in the Harvard social museum

by Winthrop A. Hamlin.