BLAR13054 - Complex Construction

General Information

Unit Synopsis

This unit will introduce you to the procedures, principles and methods of construction used for complex projects up to "super tall" buildings (over 300m in height) and designated by the National Construction Code (NCC) as being within Building Class 2 to 9. You should have completed an intermediate construction unit to ensure adequate level of entry knowledge. Students who have successfully completed BLAR13049 should not enrol in this unit.

Details

Level Undergraduate
Unit Level 3
Credit Points 6
Student Contribution Band SCA Band 2
Fraction of Full-Time Student Load 0.125
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites

Pre-requisite: BLAR12057 Commercial Construction or BLAR11048 Construction 2.

Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).

Class Timetable View Unit Timetable
Residential School No Residential School

Unit Availabilities from Term 1 - 2025

Term 1 - 2025 Profile
Online
Term 1 - 2026 Profile
Online

Attendance Requirements

All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes - in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).

Assessment Overview

Recommended Student Time Commitment

Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.

Assessment Tasks

Assessment Task Weighting
1. Written Assessment 20%
2. Written Assessment 40%
3. Written Assessment 30%
4. Online Quiz(zes) 10%

This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of ‘pass’ in order to pass the unit. If any ‘pass/fail’ tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully (‘pass’ grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the ‘assessment task’ section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%).

Consult the University's Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades

Past Exams

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Previous Feedback

Term 1 - 2025 : The overall satisfaction for students in the last offering of this course was 100.00% (`Agree` and `Strongly Agree` responses), based on a 22.22% response rate.

Feedback, Recommendations and Responses

Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.

Source: Student
Feedback
Students enjoyed hearing the lecturer's professional opinion since they are working in the professional.
Recommendation
The connection with the real professional world will be maintained.
Action Taken
Professional insights and real-world examples were consistently integrated into the lectures and assessment discussions in Term 1, 2025.
Source: Unit Coordinator
Feedback
The poor response rate to the satisfaction survey has produced unreliable results with little actual use.
Recommendation
We will make more effort to encourage students to complete the survey, as the results are essential to improving future students' experiences.
Action Taken
To address the low response rate, students were actively encouraged to complete the satisfaction survey through in-class reminders during lectures and targeted Moodle announcements.
Source: Unit coordinator
Feedback
The assignments produced a skewed grade distribution towards a lot of HDs.
Recommendation
The assignments will be renewed to ensure alignment with the requirements of the level three study. Critical review and analysis will replace simple level-one discussion.
Action Taken
The assignments were redesigned to better align with level-three study requirements, placing greater emphasis on critical review and analysis rather than basic discussion. As a result, the 2025 grade distribution shows a more balanced spread across High Distinction, Distinction, and Credit grades, reflecting a more accurate differentiation of student performance.
Source: Self Reflection
Feedback
The number of students participating in the satisfaction survey was low, limiting the representativeness of the feedback. While the feedback received is useful, a higher response rate would provide a more comprehensive understanding of student experiences.
Recommendation
Implement additional strategies to encourage survey participation, such as in-class reminders, targeted Moodle announcements, or brief incentives, to ensure feedback is representative and can meaningfully inform future unit improvements.
Action Taken
In Progress
Source: Self Reflection Student Feedback
Feedback
Students value the inclusion of real-world examples in lectures, which help them connect theoretical concepts to professional practice and enhance engagement.
Recommendation
Maintain and expand the use of real-world examples throughout the unit, integrating case studies, industry experiences, and practical scenarios to reinforce the relevance of the material to students’ future careers.
Action Taken
In Progress
Source: Staff Feedback
Feedback
Emphasising critical thinking in assignment design, as implemented this term, encouraged students to engage more deeply with the material and helped reduce reliance on generative AI tools.
Recommendation
Continue designing assignments that require critical analysis, problem-solving, and original reasoning.
Action Taken
In Progress
Unit learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  1. Plan the temporary works, particularly scaffolding, formwork and falsework and plant selection processes used for complex or "super tall" construction.
  2. Describe the functions, materials and details of the major components. the waste management strategies used and the regulatory inspections made when constructing a complex or "super tall" project.
  3. Diagnose and plan the rectification of common building faults.
  4. Explain the issues encountered by complex or "super tall" buildings including funding, ownership, design and construction.
  5. Discuss the development and implementation of innovative building practices.

Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
Assessment Tasks Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4 5
1 - Written Assessment •
2 - Written Assessment •
3 - Written Assessment • • •
4 - Online Quiz(zes) • • • • •
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
• Introductory Level
• Intermediate Level
• Graduate Level
Graduate Attributes Learning Outcomes
1 2 3 4 5
1 - Communication • • • • •
2 - Problem Solving • • • •
3 - Critical Thinking • •
4 - Information Literacy • • • • •
5 - Team Work •
6 - Information Technology Competence • • • •
7 - Cross Cultural Competence •
8 - Ethical practice • •
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
• Introductory Level
• Intermediate Level
• Graduate Level
Assessment Tasks Graduate Attributes
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
1 - Written Assessment • • • • •
2 - Written Assessment • • • • •
3 - Written Assessment • • • • • •
4 - Online Quiz(zes) • • • • • • • •