Jezikovni inštitut Britanskega sveta

Britanski svet je v Veliki Britaniji vodilna organizacija za sodelovanje z drugimi državami kar zadeva izobraževanje, kulturo in tehniko. Cilj te organizacije je oblikovanje dolgoročnih partnerstev po vsem svetu in izboljševanje mednarodnega sodelovanja. Britanski svet deluje v 108 državah, ena izmed njegovih dejavnosti pa je tudi organiziranje zelo kakovostnih in specializiranih tečajev angleščine. Ti potekajo v posebnih operativnih enotah Britanskega sveta, na t. i. jezikovnih inštitutih, ki jih je po svetu skupaj 102

An inclusive auditable approach to structural frame selection

The structural frame is an essential element of any large building, influencing its short and long-term performance. Studies of current practice with regards to frame choice indicate that structural frames tend to be selected based on heuristic decision-making processes dominated by subjectivity and qualitative reasoning. This paper reports on the development of a decision support framework aimed at making the process more systematic and transparent. Following a literature review and industry survey, a framework for comparing the performance of structural options against agreed criteria was developed, using two measures, Importance (I) and Performance (P), which can be used to calculate a Performance Weighted Score (PWS). This framework was then incorporated into a Virtual Reality (VR) simulator as a means of assessing ‘soft’ criteria, alongside cost and programme. The final product is a simple to use and yet highly informative tool that can be used from the earliest concept stage to objectively guide structural frame selection. It was devised to consider the full range of concrete and steel frame options and can be applied to virtually any building type. Initial feedback from industrialists collected through its application on two case studies and demonstration ‘road shows’ have revealed the tool’s capabilities for both informing the frame choice process and ensuring that the most appropriate and best value decision is made with regards to structural frame type

Structural frame selection processes: case studies of hybrid concrete construction projects

Selection of the most appropriate structural frame for a building during the conceptual design stage is crucial to the overall performance and value delivered to the client. Despite this, the decision making process is commonly characterised by subjectivity and heuristic reasoning making it difficult to map / analyse the factors underlying structural frame selection. This paper uses both live and retrospective case studies of Hybrid Concrete Construction (HCC) projects to gain an understanding of decision making for structural frames. These two case studies represent different building types: one is bespoke; and the other is a more standardised type of building. HCC comprises a combination of in-situ and precast concrete elements. Interviews with relevant members of the project teams were used as the main data collection technique. This paper explores various stakeholder views on the reasons for adopting a particular solution, and the particular challenges associated with the use of hybrid concrete. Although the small sample prevents generalisation to a wider population, the findings suggest that HCC is used for buildings where cost and time performance are not the most important criteria, but where architectural aesthetics and longer-term issues, such as sustainability prevail. Clients and architects were found to be the most influential team members in the frame selection process. Due to the increased complexity of HCC projects, team members need to be involved early and, most importantly, adopt a cooperative attitude which should be nurtured throughout the duration of the project. These findings provide useful lessons learnt and highlight the implications for practitioners using hybrid concrete structural frames in the future

Towards a decision-support tool for selecting an appropriate structural frame

The selection of the appropriate structural frame for a building during the conceptual design stage is crucial to the overall performance and value delivered to clients. Although several attempts have been made to develop IT-based decision support tools to select the structural frame, these have failed to recognise the importance of ‘soft’ performance criteria, primarily because of the complexity inherent in the selection process. In reality, structural frame selection is usually based upon heuristic decision-making dominated by subjectivity and qualitative reasoning. Following a thorough review of literature in the building performance domain, a tool that incorporates both ‘soft’ and ‘hard’ performance metrics for selecting appropriate structural frame was developed. The tool requires a systematic evaluation of the importance of each criterion and the likely performance achieved using various structural frame options. A worked example is provided to demonstrate how a project team can use this tool. This tool essentially helps to make explicit the most important issues to be considered during the selection process, which should demonstrably lead to improved performance and added value for clients