2025 CCEA GCSE Construction and the Built Environment 0006 模擬試題連答案詳解

(a) The description — large steel arch-shaped frames spanning the full width without internal columns, spaced at intervals and braced by purlins and diagonal bracing — is characteristic of a portal frame, one of the structural forms in the specification (alongside cellular, rectangular framed concrete/steel, and modern timber framed). (b) Portal frames are widely used for other large, single-storey buildings requiring wide, unobstructed floor space, such as sports halls/leisure centres, aircraft hangars, supermarkets or large retail sheds, and agricultural buildings such as barns. (c) The steel members of a portal frame are commonly joined using bolted connections, where steel end plates welded to the ends of members are bolted together through pre-drilled holes at the main joints (such as the eaves, where the column meets the rafter, and the apex/ridge, where the two rafters meet), allowing strong, rigid connections that can be assembled on site; alternatively, members can be joined using welded connections, where sections are welded together, typically during fabrication in a factory/workshop before the frame is transported to site for erection. (d) Structural stability in a portal frame is provided partly by the frame's own rigid (moment-resisting) joints between the columns and rafters, which allow the frame to resist lateral (sideways) loads, such as wind, without needing separate internal bracing within each frame; stability along the length of the building (in the longitudinal direction) is provided by diagonal bracing members fitted between adjacent frames, working together with the roof purlins and wall cladding rails, which transfer wind and other lateral loads safely down to the ground via the bracing and foundations. (e) Both a cellular structure and a portal framed structure rely on a structural frame (a skeleton of load-bearing members, such as columns and beams) to carry the building's loads down to its foundations, rather than relying on the walls themselves to bear the load; both therefore need adequately designed foundations to transfer these loads safely into the ground. The key difference is in how internal space is organised: a cellular structure is built up from a grid of more closely and regularly spaced supporting walls or columns, naturally dividing the building into smaller cells/rooms, which suits buildings that need many separate internal spaces (such as offices, schools or hospitals); a portal frame, by contrast, achieves a single wide clear span with no internal columns at all, which suits buildings that need one large, open, unobstructed floor area (such as a warehouse or sports hall). (f) A strong evaluative answer explains that using a portal frame for this warehouse offers real advantages: it provides a wide clear span with no internal columns, maximising the flexibility and usability of the internal floor space for storage, manufacturing or similar large-scale activities where columns would be a major obstruction; portal frames are also typically fabricated off-site and can be erected relatively quickly and efficiently on site compared with some other structural forms, which can reduce construction time and cost for large single-storey buildings. However, a balanced answer should also note the disadvantages: portal frames are generally not well suited to multi-storey buildings, being most efficient for single-storey, wide-span applications; the large clear spans can require deep or heavy frame members, and reduced headroom can occur near the eaves compared with alternative designs; and portal frames may require more specialist structural design and fabrication expertise, with the frame being comparatively less straightforward to later alter or subdivide with internal walls than some other forms. By comparison, a rectangular framed structure (concrete or steel) is generally better suited to multi-storey construction using a repeated regular grid of columns and beams, but this comes at the cost of needing internal columns at regular intervals, which would obstruct the wide-open floor space this particular warehouse needs. On balance, for a single-storey building explicitly requiring a large clear span, such as this warehouse, the portal frame's advantages are likely to outweigh its drawbacks, whereas a rectangular frame would be the more appropriate choice if the building instead needed multiple storeys or smaller, more divided spaces. Final answer: (a) portal frame; (b) e.g. sports hall, aircraft hangar, retail shed, agricultural building; (c) bolted and/or welded connections; (d) rigid frame joints plus diagonal bracing (with purlins/cladding rails) for longitudinal stability; (e) both use a structural frame and need foundations, but cellular uses closely spaced supports for many small spaces while portal frame gives one wide clear span; (f) portal frame suits this warehouse well (wide clear span, efficient erection) but is less suited to multi-storey use and requires specialist design, compared with a rectangular frame's better multi-storey suitability but reduced clear span.

(a) 2 marks for correctly naming 'portal frame'. (b) 2 marks for any one valid other building type using this structural form. (c) 2 marks per correctly explained joining method (bolted; welded), up to 2 methods. Max 4. (d) 2 marks per correctly explained stability method (rigid frame joints; diagonal/wind bracing with purlins/cladding rails), up to 2 methods. Max 4. (e) 2 marks for a valid, correct similarity; 2 marks for a valid, correct difference. Max 4. (f) Levels of response, assessing quality of written communication. Level 1 (1-3 marks): basic, one-sided or generic points with limited technical vocabulary. Level 2 (4-7 marks): satisfactory coverage of both advantages and disadvantages, competent technical terms, coherent organisation. Level 3 (8-10 marks): comprehensive, balanced evaluation covering span/flexibility, erection/fabrication, suitability for building height, and a clear comparison with a rectangular framed alternative, with excellent technical vocabulary and structure; 4 of the total marks awarded for quality of written communication. Max 10. Overall max 26.

(a) Construction projects must manage several resource considerations, which the specification identifies as: the supply chain (the network of suppliers of materials, components and services); costing (budgeting and financial control); planning (scheduling and programming the work); plant, labour and materials (ensuring the right equipment, workforce and materials are available when needed); and social and environmental issues (the wider impact of the project on the local community and environment). Any four of these are acceptable. (b) Taking costing as an example: construction projects typically involve very large sums of money, so accurate costing (budgeting at the outset, and controlling costs as the project proceeds) is essential; if costs are not managed accurately, a project could run significantly over budget, potentially making it financially unviable, causing losses for the contractor, or requiring the client to find additional, unplanned funding, any of which could delay or even halt the project. Taking supply chain as a second example: construction relies on a network of suppliers providing the correct materials, components and plant at the right time; if the supply chain fails or is poorly managed (for example, a key material is delivered late, or a supplier goes out of business), this can hold up the work of trades who are waiting on that delivery, causing a knock-on delay to the whole project programme and potentially significant extra cost, since labour and plant may be standing idle while materials are awaited. Final answer: (a) any four of supply chain, costing, planning, plant/labour/materials, social and environmental issues; (b) two of these explained with a clear reason for their importance to project success, e.g. costing (avoiding budget overrun/project failure) and supply chain (avoiding delays from failed/late deliveries).

(a) 1 mark each for any four valid resource considerations. Max 4. (b) 3 marks per resource chosen (up to 2 resources): 1 mark for correctly identifying/describing the resource, 2 marks for a clear, correctly linked explanation of its importance to project success (with an example). Max 6. Overall max 10.

(a) Dwelling A, sharing one party wall on one side with its own garden and driveway on the other, is a semi-detached house. Dwelling B, single-storey with all rooms (including bedrooms) on the ground floor, is a bungalow. Dwelling C, joined to neighbours on both sides as part of a continuous row, is a terraced house (or town house). Dwelling D, a multi-storey building of several stacked, self-contained homes accessed from a shared corridor/staircase, describes apartments/flats (a high-rise or multistorey residential building). (b) Terraced houses have several further defining characteristics beyond sharing two party walls: they are typically arranged in a continuous row of similar dwellings along a street; because both sides are shared with neighbouring properties, they usually have no side garden or side access, with access instead limited to the front and rear of the property; the dwellings along a row often share a broadly uniform or repeated external design/roofline; and, because they are built close together in a row, terraced housing makes efficient use of available land, allowing a higher density of housing to be built on a given area than, for example, detached housing. Any two distinct, valid characteristics are acceptable. (c) An advantage of apartment/flat living (Dwelling D) compared with a semi-detached house (Dwelling A) is that the resident typically has lower personal maintenance responsibility, since the external structure, roof and communal areas of the building are often maintained collectively (for example by a management company), and there is usually no private garden requiring the resident's own upkeep. A disadvantage is that apartment living typically offers less privacy and greater exposure to noise, since the dwelling shares walls, floors and/or ceilings with multiple neighbouring units above, below and/or beside it, and residents typically have no private outdoor garden space of their own, unlike a semi-detached house, which offers greater privacy (with only one shared party wall) and its own private garden. Final answer: (a) A semi-detached, B bungalow, C terraced/town house, D apartments/flats; (b) any two of: arranged in a continuous row, no side garden/access, uniform design along the row, efficient/higher-density use of land; (c) advantage of D, e.g. lower personal maintenance responsibility; disadvantage of D, e.g. less privacy/more noise and no private garden.

(a) 1 mark each for the four correctly identified dwelling forms. Max 4. (b) 2 marks each for any two valid, distinct characteristics of terraced/town houses. Max 4. (c) 2 marks for a valid, clearly stated advantage of Dwelling D over Dwelling A; 2 marks for a valid, clearly stated disadvantage of Dwelling D compared with Dwelling A. Max 4. Overall max 12.

(a) The built environment is defined as the human-made physical surroundings in which people live, work and carry out activities — encompassing buildings and structures of all kinds, together with the supporting infrastructure such as roads, utilities, parks and public spaces — distinguishing it from naturally occurring (non-human-made) environments. (b) The RIBA Plan of Work (2013) sets out eight sequential stages that structure a construction project from inception to completion and beyond: Strategic Definition (stage 0), where the core project requirements and business case are established; Preparation and Brief (stage 1), where the client's detailed brief and site information are developed; Concept Design (stage 2); Developed Design (stage 3); Technical Design (stage 4); Construction (stage 5), when the building is physically built on site; Handover and Close Out (stage 6), when the completed building is handed over to the client; and In Use (stage 7), covering the building's ongoing operation after completion. (c) During the Concept Design stage, the design team takes the agreed brief from the Preparation and Brief stage and develops it into an outline design concept for the project; this includes early proposals for the building's overall form, spatial layout, and the broad approach to structure and building services, giving the client an opportunity to review and approve the overall design direction before the design team commits significant further time and resource to developing it in much greater detail in the following stages. (d) The Strategic Definition and Preparation and Brief stages are foundational, since it is at this point that the client's core requirements, budget, business case and relevant site information are gathered and agreed; if these early stages are rushed, incomplete, or contain misunderstandings between the client and design team, this can result in later design stages being built on a flawed or incomplete foundation, meaning the resulting design may not actually meet the client's real needs. Correcting such a fundamental problem becomes progressively more expensive and disruptive the later it is discovered — a misunderstanding identified during Concept Design might only require redrawing some sketches, but the same misunderstanding discovered during the Construction stage could require demolishing and rebuilding completed work, at very significant extra cost and delay. Getting the brief right at the outset therefore reduces the risk of this kind of expensive, disruptive rework later in the project, and helps ensure that the finished building genuinely meets its intended purpose. Final answer: (a) the human-made surroundings for human activity, including buildings and supporting infrastructure; (b) Strategic Definition, Preparation and Brief, Concept Design, Developed Design, Technical Design, Construction, Handover and Close Out, In Use; (c) developing an outline design concept from the brief, for client review/approval; (d) getting these early stages right avoids costly, disruptive rework once construction has started, helping ensure the finished building meets the client's real needs.

(a) 2 marks for a correct, complete definition (1 mark for a partial/basic definition). Max 2. (b) 1 mark for each of the eight stages correctly named AND in the correct sequential position; no credit for a correct stage in the wrong position. Max 8. (c) 2 marks for a correct, clear explanation of the Concept Design stage. Max 2. (d) 3 marks for a well-developed evaluative explanation referencing the increasing cost/disruption of correcting errors at later stages; 1-2 marks for a more basic/partial explanation. Max 3. Overall max 15.

(a)(i) The architect is responsible for designing the building: producing detailed drawings and specifications that satisfy the client's brief, relevant building regulations and planning requirements, and (often) coordinating the input of other members of the design team, such as engineers, to ensure the design is delivered as a coherent whole. (ii) The quantity surveyor is responsible for the financial management of a construction project: preparing accurate cost estimates during design, measuring and valuing work as it is completed on site (to support interim payments), and helping to control the overall project budget, so that the client and contractor have accurate, up-to-date information on project costs throughout. (b) Beyond bricklaying, domestic construction relies on a range of craft occupations: a joiner makes and fits wooden components such as doors, window frames, staircases and fitted units; an electrician installs, tests and certifies the electrical wiring and systems within the building; a plumber installs and maintains the water supply, drainage and heating pipework; a plasterer applies plaster finishes to internal walls and ceilings; and a tiler fixes wall and floor tiles. Any two distinct, valid craft occupations (other than bricklayer), each with a correct, brief description of their main work, are acceptable. Final answer: (a)(i) architect designs the building and produces drawings/specifications meeting the brief and regulations; (ii) quantity surveyor manages/controls project costs; (b) any two valid craft occupations (e.g. joiner, electrician, plumber, plasterer, tiler) with a correct brief description of their work.

(a)(i) 2 marks for a correct, clear description of the architect's role. (ii) 2 marks for a correct, clear description of the quantity surveyor's role. Max 4. (b) 2 marks per craft occupation named (other than bricklayer) with a correct, brief description of the main work carried out, up to 2 occupations. Max 4. Overall max 8.

(a) Following the standard colour/shape coding used for safety signs: (i) a red circular border with a diagonal red line and white background is a prohibition sign. (ii) a blue circular background with a white symbol is a mandatory sign. (iii) a yellow triangular background with a black border and symbol is a warning sign. (iv) a green rectangular/square background with a white symbol is a safe condition sign. (b) Each category conveys a distinct type of message: prohibition signs (red circle/diagonal line) indicate an action that must NOT be carried out — something forbidden, such as no smoking or no unauthorised access; mandatory signs (blue circle) indicate an action that MUST be carried out, such as wearing specified personal protective equipment (PPE) in a particular area; warning signs (yellow triangle) indicate a hazard or danger present, alerting people to take care, such as a risk of falling from height, or overhead loads; and safe condition signs (green rectangle/square) indicate safe routes, locations or facilities, such as emergency exits, first aid points or assembly points. (c) A standardised colour and shape system for safety signs is important because it allows anyone present on a construction site, whether a regular employee, a new starter, a visitor, or someone who does not share a first language with other workers, to immediately and correctly interpret the meaning of a sign purely from its shape and colour (and pictogram), without needing site-specific training in a unique set of symbols; this consistency across different sites and companies reduces the risk of a sign being misread, misunderstood or simply ignored because it looks unfamiliar, which in a hazardous construction environment could directly lead to accidents, injury or worse. Final answer: (a) (i) prohibition, (ii) mandatory, (iii) warning, (iv) safe condition; (b) prohibition = forbidden action; mandatory = required action; warning = hazard present; safe condition = safe route/location; (c) standardisation ensures signs are universally and immediately understood by everyone on site, reducing the risk of accidents from misunderstood or unfamiliar signage.

(a) 1 mark each for the four correctly identified sign categories. Max 4. (b) 1 mark each for the four correctly stated meanings, matched to the correct category. Max 4. (c) 1 mark for a valid, correct explanation of the importance of standardisation. Max 1. Overall max 9.