Project Element:
The project element of the module will require the student to design services for a building as per an issued project design brief. Typically this design should include building fabric analysis, selection of engineering solutions, design of the building engineering services and the production of detailed construction designs and drawings to a professional standard. The student will demonstrate an ability to apply technical knowledge gained to ensure that the minimum amount of energy is used in meeting these design needs for the engineering services.
Dissertation Element:
The dissertation element of the module will require the student to select a focused topic related to the discipline on which they will carry out investigations in a structured way and produce a report on this work as per an issued dissertation brief. Typically this investigation can be related to the building on the associated project element and the results thereof may be accounted for within the design of engineering services for the project.
Project Element:
The project element for this module is a major piece of design work and is seen as the means of drawing together the many aspects of engineering services and the thermal aspects of building design covered throughout the programme. It also affords the student an opportunity to focus on the building as a whole and the integration of the engineering systems into the fabric in an aesthetic manner. The project affords the student an opportunity to investigate and if justified integrate energy efficient systems and emerging and renewable technologies into the completed work. The emphasis throughout the project is on design quality, detailed investigation and professional presentation rather than on the scale or quantity of the areas treated. The typical size of the project will have a building internal area of approximately 1,500 to 1,800m2. It is also not envisaged that time would be spent on multiple repeat calculations of the same type, or repeats of the same layouts when such time could be spent in improving the design quality. The following stages are envisaged in the design sequence:
a) Comply will all requirements in the issued project brief.
b) Produce a project time management plan.
c) Research, report and present on a specialised topic for the Dissertation.
d) Establish all internal and external design conditions for both winter & summer.
e) Calculate and show compliance of fabric to current building regulations.
f) Calculate analysis, validate and report on the room and building loads.
g) Calculate the required flow rates for the heating, cooling, fresh air & exchange rate needs.
h) Describe and sketch the basic scheme in schematic form.
i) Layout the building engineering systems on floor plans, locating the plant, main runs, branches and final run-outs.
j) Select and sizes all building engineering systems.
k) Design, size, select, report and draught the on the floor layouts, schematics and sectional details of all the building engineering systems.
The student must keep and update a project log of the work completed on a weekly basis.
The initial stage of the project involves a dissertation to be investigated. It is envisaged that this work will be completed by the end of semester 1 and integrated into the final design of the project.
Dissertation Element:
Instruction will be given, by the tutor, to the student, in the form of a sample dissertation, search tools and methods, introducing the topic and literature, formulating methodology, presenting calculations and results, discussing results, and formulating conclusions.
Dissertation topics should be well focused, approved in advance, and with a defined and manageable scope of work. Dissertation topics should be relevant to the design building in the associated project element. Dissertation topics may also be in the form of approved “desk studies” or based on previously acquired data – such as from a BMS system. All topics must clearly demonstrate sufficient scope for individual input and this must also be identifiable in the final product. Where topics are based on analysis by software packages they need to justify the outcomes as credible results. All dissertations must be technical and numerate and have an engineering content and address the principles or laws underlying the topic.
Generally there is no requirement for absolute novelty in the topic chosen although this may occur in some conclusions. The important aspect is that the work contained in the dissertation should be as a result of the students own efforts and where data or statements are taken from the work of others they are so acknowledged using an appropriate referencing scheme. The following chapters are envisaged in the resulting dissertation:
a) Introduction
b) Methodology
c) Technology
d) Case Studies
e) Calculations
f) Discussion
g) Conclusions
h) References
i) Appendices.
Completed dissertations will be subject to a plagiarism check upon submission to the virtual learning environment (VLE).
The students use the learning outcomes from the modules covered in all three years to research and design the M&E services for a modern building.
The module is delivered for the design project element over two semesters and for the dissertation element over one semester, this is achieved by meeting each student for 30 minutes per week per semester.
| Module Content & Assessment | |
|---|---|
| Assessment Breakdown | % |
| Other Assessment(s) | 100 |