Buildilng Construction for the Fire Service - Research Paper Example

Also, this paper explains that the knowledge of the building collapses greatly impacted the revision of the building codes. Building design is typically the application of the engineering and architectural knowledge in the design of buildings. Building design begins as an idea (Allen & Iano, 2004). Thus, it is the creative architect who creates or manages the over-all building design works. The practical engineer, on the other hand, implements what is on the blueprint. In the modern era, building design has been highly specialized.

Due to the multifarious demands (e.g., fire-proof structures) in building quality structures, different and specialized technical professionals are needed to get the job done. By and large, the activities and implementations of the building design greatly involve time, cost, and performance (Groak, 1992). Production time and cost, on the other hand, are to be harnessed without compromising quality result (Chan & Chan, 2002). In the designing a building, few parameters are considered: (1) the shape or structure of the building; (2) the forces inherent in the designed building; (3) processes in the assembly of materials; (4) the materials to be used; and (5) the connections from one material to another (Groak, 1992).

First, the shape of the building largely shapes the design. It is primarily concerned with the relation between the whole building and its structural members (Groak, 1992). The principle is basically drawn from mathematics; the geometrical shape of an object determines its strength or weakness. In fact, the structural shape defines the motion of forces. For instance, the geometrical shape of bi-axial symmetry and cellular spaces are advantageous to earthquake phenomenon (Groak, 1992). Furthermore, shapes either expand or shrink space like the block design (Chang & Chang, 2002).

And in times of calamity, the building’s space helps or dissipates the movement of fire within the