Properties of Mortar Properties of mortar which are sought for use in masonry are: workability, water retentivity, rate of stiffening, strength, resistance to rain penetration and durability. These properties have been discussed below explaining their effect on masonry. Choice of masonry mortar is governed by several considerations such as Type of masonry unit and its … Read more
TYPES OF LOADS External loads on a structure may be classified in several different ways. In one classification, they may be considered as static or dynamic. Static loads are forces that are applied slowly and then remain nearly constant. One example is the weight, or dead load, of a floor or roof system. Dynamic loads … Read more
Why Beam-Column Joints are Special In RC buildings, portions of columns that are common to beams at their intersections are called beam-column joints (Figure 1). Since their constituent materials have limited strengths, the joints have limited force carrying capacity. When forces larger than these are applied during earthquakes, joints are severely damaged. Repairing damaged joints … Read more
PLASTERING Applying mortar coats on the surfaces of walls, columns, ceiling etc. to get smooth finish is termed as plastering. Mortar used for plastering may be lime mortar, cement mortar or lime-cement mortar. Lime mortar used shall have fat lime to sand ratio of 1 : 3 or 1 : 4. If hydraulic lime is … Read more
THE COMMON TYPES OF PLASTIC Different types of plastics that are used in construction industry are described below. 1. Polyethylene Plastic (PE) Polyethylene plastic is made from the polymerized vinyl monomers. Monomer is a kind of simple compound, which can be polymerized to become macromolecular compound. Three ways are used to polymerize the monomer: high-pressure … Read more
SCAFFOLDS AND LADDERS 1. General provisions Where work cannot safely be done on or from the ground or from part of a building or other permanent structure, a safe and suitable scaffold should be provided and maintained or other equally safe and suitable provision should be made. Scaffolds should be provided with safe means of … Read more
SUITABILITY OF WATER FOR CONCRETE MIXING OBJECTIVE To assess suitability of water for use in concrete mix. Equipment Measuring cylinder Cube moulds Trowel Tamping rod Vibrating table Testing machine Procedure Analyse water for its chemical compositions as per IS 3025-1964 and compare these with permissible limits given in IS: 456-2000. In case water does not … Read more
Earth Excavation Checklist The following checklist should be used as a guide for better quality control over earth excavation. (1) Prior to the start of excavation operations, take photographs of the construction area, make sure that sufficient cross—sections are taken, and continue to take progress photographs during construction. (2) Review the log of borings to … Read more
FACTORS AFFECTING CHOICE OF CONCRETE FOR A STRUCTURE The choice of whether a structure should be built of concrete, steel, masonry, or timber depends on the availability of materials and on a number of value decisions. 1. Economy Frequently, the foremost consideration is the overall cost of the structure. This is, of course, a function … Read more
Portland Pozzolana Cement 1. Pozzolana Pozzolana is a volcanic powder found in Italy near Vesuvius A pozzolanic material is essentially a siliceous or aluminous material which possess no cementitious properties. But it has the property when it combined with lime to produce a stable pozzolana compound it has definite cementitious properties. In the presence of … Read more