The Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction



ASSESSMENT BRIEF AND CRITERIA

BCPM0067 Technology Studies

Assessment Brief
One written coursework paper (100%)
The course work consists of two parts: reflection on learning of the module and research on
sustainability in the built environment.
In Part I, you must answer three out of the five questions. Each question counts for 10 marks.
The recommended word count for Part I is 500 - 1,000 words. For Part II, you need to write
an essay that investigates recent development of sustainable building materials. The
recommended word count for Part II is 2,000 - 2,500 words.
Part I: Questions
1. Excavation
Describe the construction process of the diaphragm walls in steps. In what conditions should
this be considered as an option for underground construction? Compare the advantages and
disadvantages of the use of diaphragm walls.
2. Foundation
What is the difference between end-bearing piles and friction piles and when to used them?
Please describe the construction process of both piles in steps.
3. Truss
Find all the zero-force members in the following truss and explain the steps. Name the
members in the format: ab, bc, cd, etc.

4. Concrete
What are the reasons for introducing the prestressed concrete? Why can it improve the
performance of concrete?
5. Scheduling
A building has 61 floors. Each floor requires five trade jobs. The work dependency is given in
the following diagram. Productivity rates of the jobs are given in the table. Draw the Line of
Balance chart at month 16.

Activity A B C D E
Production rate (floors/month) 3 5 5 3 1
Number of crews 9 30 10 9 2

Part II: Essay
Identify recent development of one sustainable building material based on a literature
review. Explain the features and the use of these materials. Here is the suggested structure
of the essay:
1. Introduction
a. A general introduction to the material and how it is used in the construction
industry
b. Outline the importance of sustainable practice involving the material selected
2. The traditional approach

3. The features and current application

4. Conclusions and future prospects

Link to module learning outcomes
LO1, LO2, LO3

Format structure
Font size 12
Font style Calibri
Single line
Harvard referencing style
No need for a cover page
Separate Part I and II

Marking Criteria
Understanding (25%) Knowledge (25%) Analysis (25%) Writing (25%)
Understanding of
relevant issues
Empirical knowledge
and use of examples
Reflection and thought
Presentation &
references
Inadequate
General
misunderstanding of
the issues under
discussion.
Empirics absent or
irrelevant/inaccurate.
No evidence to support
claims made.
Erroneous analysis.
Misunderstanding of
the basic core of the
taught materials. No
conceptual material.
Poorly formatted or
inappropriate visuals
Fair
Reasonable
understanding of the
issues & their broader
implications.
Some empirical material
but limited in quality &
not always effectively
used to support claims.
Reasonable
reproduction of ideas
from taught materials.
Rudimentary definition
& use of concepts.
Formatting, visuals, &
referencing
occasionally distract
from argument.
Good
Sound understanding
of issues, with insights
into broader
implications.
Significant amount of
quality empirical
material, used to
support most claims.
Evidence of student’s
own analysis. Concepts
defined & used
Formatting, visuals, &
referencing rarely
detract from
argument.
systematically &
effectively.
Excellent
Thorough
understanding of
issues with some
sophisticated insights.
Impressive, highly
relevant & detailed
empirical material used
to evidence most
claims.
Evidence of innovative
analysis. Concepts
deftly defined & used
with some sense of
theoretical context.
Formatting, visuals, &
referencing are
impeccable.
Outstanding
Striking understanding
of complexities &
significance of issues.
Claims supported by
impressive, detailed,
distinctive empirics.
Some reflexivity on
data.
Impressive thought,
insights & analysis.
Concepts deftly
defined & accurately
used with a strong
sense of context.
Formatting, visuals, &
referencing actively
contribute to
argument.

Penalties
- Over-length or under-length of 10% will receive 5 points penalty

- Over-length penalty cannot take the student’s mark below ‘Pass Mark’

- In the case the coursework that is submitted is over-length and is also late, the greater
of any penalties will apply.

Word Count/Length
Word limit: 3000 words with 10% leeway
Type of content Counts towards the word limit
Table of contents No
Reference list or bibliography at the end No
Cover page No
Diagrams, annotated pictures, figures and any
other visuals
No
Appendices No
Abstract No
Acknowledgements No
Footnotes No
Tables in the main text Yes
In-text citations Yes

Assessment Support
Assessment clinic in the last teaching week
1-2-1 virtual meet ups per request
Q&A via email.
Submission Details
Uploaded to Moodle by 3PM on Thursday 21st April 2022.
File to be uploaded via Moodle in Word or PDF format.
Word limit: 3000 words (see the brief for exclusion).