
Dissect building design and construction by breaking complex projects into bite sized pieces across 40 lessons and seven blocks, from site utilities to mechanical electrical plumbing and fire protection.
Explore active fire protection by detailing wet and dry pipe sprinkler systems, standpipes, fire department connections, and pumps under NFPA guidance for safe building design.
Explore the fire alarm and life-safety system, detailing input devices (smoke, beam, thermal detectors, flow switches), the main panel, outputs (horns, strobes, door releases), and installation and testing essentials.
Explore temporary and permanent conveyance in tall building construction, including construction hoists, passenger and freight elevators, hydraulic and traction systems, shafts, machine rooms, escalators, moving walkways, and safety interlocks.
conduct mep trim, pre-functional testing, startup and testing, then commissioning to verify systems before turnover; a commissioning agent provides independent verification to ensure a smooth handover.
Close out the project by finishing the punch list and securing a certificate of occupancy. Achieve final completion to enable turnover to the owner and begin post-occupancy warranties.
Review the building's major materials and systems—from site utilities to structure and enclosure—and understand the construction sequence and why it matters.
No matter which role you have in a building construction project, it is vital that you understand the "guts" of a building in order to make a positive impact. For contractors, engineers, architects, real estate developers and facilities managers, it takes years or even decades to learn the materials and systems in a building. The typical source of this education is on-the-job because this material is not taught in schools. Young professionals spend an extraordinary amount of time trying to understand the complexities of a modern building. Every project is different and the materials and systems can change drastically from one building to the next. Time can be better spent by adding value to projects instead of learning terminology and construction sequencing. The lessons in the course have been developed to boil down years of on-the-job training into high-impact, bite-sized classes.