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Major positive and negative impacts of structural systems on society and the environment

• Positive impacts of structural systems

• Negative impacts of structural systems

• Impacts made by structural systems on the environment

• Impacts made by structural systems on society

• Expected and unexpected consequences

• Impacts on either land, water, air and space

_____________________________________________________________

The impacts of structural systems are all around us from the moment we wake up. Houses and apartments provide shelter. Offices and factories are the workplaces for many people. Sports centers and playgrounds and parks provide recreational outlets. Medical centers and hospitals give us medical care. Streets and highways provide the conduit to enable many of us to travel. Whether we are working, resting or playing all these activities involve the use of a structural system of one form or another.

This objective (5.01) builds on Objective 1.01 to investigate the major impacts (positive and negative) of structural systems on society and the environment as well as the expected and unexpected consequences. Also to be considered are the trade-offs to determine if the structural system is for the best. One can also notice the effects of structural systems immediately as well as long term sometimes taking years to notice the effects of structural systems.

For example, as cities began to develop, many tended to radiate out in an unplanned fashion. Consequently the larger cities began to develop building codes to establish some sense of order and management within the community. The Chicago fire of 1871 spread rapidly throughout the city, since homes were built very close together. The fire resulted in many building codes being established to help prevent similar catastrophes occurring in the future. However as the city developed, giving rise to the skyscraper in the early 20th. Century flooding became a problem because malls, parking lots and highways covered the soil that was normally used to drain the rains.

When investigating a structural systems impact analysis, students can either undertake this as a stand-alone activity or it may be embedded within the context of a larger project they are studying. Several different ways of conducting the report can be undertaken but whatever method is taken, it should cover the following steps:

• Identify the structural system

• Characterize the impacts

• Investigate the positive (desirable) and negative (undesirable) features (planned and unplanned)

• Recommendations

• Conclusions

It is important to remember that structural systems can be used on land, water, air and space and involves the use of several inter-acting parts to meet a service requirement. Thus just the investigation of, say a building or structure is insufficient since unless it includes the several human and material systems that are also part of that structure. This can be viewed within a systems analysis of input-process-output and feedback. When investigating the impacts (changes) of this system there can be negative and positive effects as well as expected and unexpected effects. For example structures provide us with shelter from the weather and allow us to live in a range of different climates. However as these structures become grouped together as towns and cities they may also develop challenges like pollution and sprawl. It is hoped that as students investigate the impacts of structural systems in a systematic way they will be able to evaluate the range of impacts such a system may have on society and the environment. Note also that a structure is a single unit such as a building, tower or monument. A structural system also includes the many subsystems that support the main system such as water, heat and light.

When considering society this involves the individual and communities, when considering the environment this involves the surroundings including the land and space occupied by these individuals and communities as well as the whole system of plants and animals often termed the ‘natural environment’. Sometimes the investigation into the impact of structural systems will uncover issues that are controversial and become hard to

establish what is ‘right’ and ‘wrong’. However the investigation should be able to establish the main impacts, in a manner that is clearly reasoned and evidenced. Environmental conditions vary enormously depending on a multitude of factors that must be considered when being investigated.

The seven resources for structural systems also may need to be considered when investigating these impacts on society and the environment. These resources are People, Information, Materials, Tools and Equipment, Energy, Capital and Time.

The following table is used to illustrate the impacts of structural systems.

Structural systems taxonomy of impacts

|Areas Impacted |Issues |Example |

|Society |Road transportation |Increase in roads to enable travel by car |

| | |Urban renewal in downtown areas |

| |Urban renewal | |

|Environmental |Pollution |Can increase pollution (air, noise, chemical etc) |

| | |Reduction in ‘green space’ |

| | |Depletion of resources |

| |Green Space |Natural habitats of plants and wildlife |

| |Resources | |

| |Habitat | |

|Cultural |Residents like space |Residents want space |

|Economic |Costs |Is it affordable |

| |Jobs |Creation of jobs |

| | |Lcal economic need |

|Political |Building Codes |Community needs v property owner’s rights. |

| |Publicly funded projects |Increase in taxes or a bond |

| | |Zoning laws |

|Ethical |Is it right/wrong |People want jobs |

Structural systems include but are not limited to:

Residential

• Houses (single/multifamily)

• Apartments/Condominiums

• Mobile Homes/Manufactured Housing

Commercial

• Banks

• Factories

• Business/Government

Industrial

• Factories

• Foundries

Public Works/Civil Engineering

• Sewage

• Power plant

• Hydro-electric

• Bridges

• Tunnels

• Roads

• Dams

Structural System Impact Assessment on Society and Environment

Instructions: Assess a structural system in the following areas, highlighting major impacts. Use additional paper if necessary. Note that there are cultural, economic and political impacts of structural systems (along with social and environmental). These need to be assessed depending on their respective importance under ‘other’ below.

Use the form on the following page.

Student Name:___________________________________

Structural System: ________________________________ Date of Assessment: ___________

Date(s) of use: _____________ Location(s) of use: __________________

Purpose of the Structural System: _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

1. Known Positive Effects

a. Social: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

b. Environmental: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

c. Other: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. Known Negative Effects

a. Social: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

b. Environmental: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

c. Other: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. Unexpected Positive Effects

a. Social: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

b. Environmental: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

c. Other: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. Unexpected Negative Effects

a. Social: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

b. Environmental: ____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

c. Other: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5. Do you think the structural system has more positive or negative impacts? Explain your answer.

______________________________________________________

______________________________________________________

6. Do you believe the structural system should have been constructed? Explain your answer.

______________________________________________________

______________________________________________________

7. What recommendations would you make to lessen the negative effects of the structural system? Be specific. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

8. What conclusion(s) can you make? Be specific.

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

Evaluation

Evaluation is based on the following criteria:

Known Positive Effects 0-20 points

(Social, environment and other)

Known Negative Effects 0-20 points

(Social, environment and other)

Unexpected Positive Effects 0-20 points

(Social, environment and other)

Unexpected Negative Effects 0-20 points

(Social, environment and other)

Recommendations and Conclusion(s) 0-20 points

Resources

RWDI Impacts of skyscrapers

http//html/archeng/pro/highrises.asp

Architecture week, Engineers explain WTC Collapse



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