Defects in Brickwork The followings are some of the common defects in brickwork that are found at construction site. The bricks used were of substandard quality compared to the quality specified in the contract. No tests were carried out to find out the efflorescence level and water absorption in the bricks The bricks were not … Read more
Characteristics of Good Mortar The chief properties of hardened mortar are strength, development of good bond with building units, resistance to weathering and those of green mortar mixes are mobility, placability and water retention. In addition, the mortar should be cheap and durable and should not affect the durability of building units in contact. The … Read more
Telltale Signs for Choosing Right Concrete Cutting Contractor for Your Construction Project Most construction projects witness the need for concrete cutting and drilling for various purposes. And thus, it is essential for every size of a contractor, or a construction business, to have a good understanding of concrete cutting and how it can benefit your … Read more
Some Issues in the Usage of Fe- 500 or Higher Grade TMT Steel Bars in Residential Buildings Some contractors report a tendency among few design Engineers to specify Fe-500 or higher grade steel in residential buildings citing its high strength. Customers are advised that if they use Fe 500 or higher grade steel in building … Read more
Types of Backfill Materials Different types of backfill materials are used in construction industry. Backfill materials that are commonly used are described below with their engineering properties. 1. Coarse-grained soils Coarse-grained soils include gravelly and sandy soils and range from clayey sands (SC) through the well-graded gravels of gravel-sand mixtures (GW) with little or no … Read more
Quality Control for Brickwork Bricks should be soaked in water for at least one hour before use for brickwork in cement and lime mortars. The bricks should be sufficiently soaked before use but not excessively so. The absence of bubbling when the soaked brick is immersed in water is the test for through soaking. Also … Read more
Root Pile Construction Root piles are very small diameter piles (generally 60 mm to 135 mm). Length of the root piles generally vary within 4 m to 30 m. The concept of root pile was first introduced by an Italian engineer named F. Lizzi. His primary concern behind root pile development was to do underpinning … Read more
Construction of Low Cost Brick Walkway The primary aim for construction of a walkway is to provide easy access within a garden, awn or yard. Because in rainy season, water collected on the ground surface makes it sloppy or muddy. This causes difficulty in easy access. To avoid this we can build an inexpensive brick … Read more
Repair of Cracks in Reinforced Concrete Beams & Columns The primary cause of corrosion of steel in concrete is due to carbonation or due to chloride. Corrosion is electro-chemical process which results in formation of rust. The volume of rust formed due to steel corrosion is more than the volume of original steel. This increase … Read more
Scaffolding Scaffolding is a temporary rigid structure made of still, bamboo or timber. The primary aim of constructing a scaffold is to create a platform on which mason can work at different heights. Scaffolds also help to lift materials for the immediate uses at different heights. Common Types of Scaffolding The following 4 types of … Read more