Failure of Shallow Foundation & Preventive Measures The major causes of foundation failures are as follow Unequal settlement of sub soil Unequal settlement of masonry Presence of expansive soil below foundation Presence of mature trees Seasonal changes 1. Unequal Settlement of Sub Soil This is one of the most important reasons for foundation failure. Unequal … Read more
Field Measurements for Volume Computations Measurements for volume are nothing more than applying basic distance and elevation measurements to determine the locations and elevations of points where the volume is to be determined. It usually is not practical to take the time to collect data everywhere there is a slight change in elevation. Therefore, it … Read more
Durability of Building Foundation A foundation is that part of the structure which is in direct contact with ground. Therefore foundations are subjected to attack by chemicals present in soil, water and by mechanical abrasion and erosion. The extent of deterioration depends on the concentration of chemicals, the level of and fluctuations in the ground … Read more
Black Cotton Soil Black cotton soil has a tendency to shrink and swell excessively. When these type of soil come in contact with water, they swell and when becomes dry, it shrinks. This alternate process of swelling and shrinking results in the differential settlement of foundation which in turn causes cracks in building. The cracks … Read more
Deciding the right depth of foundation for a building structure is an important step in the process of building design. Information given in this post will help you decide the proper depth of foundation for a building. After reading this post you will be able to answer the following questions. What is a foundation? What … Read more
Quality Requirement of Fly Ash Bricks 1. General Quality Bricks shall be free from cracks and flaws and nodules of free lime. Bricks shall have smooth rectangular faces with sharp corners Bricks shall be uniform in colour The proportion of soil and fly ash shall be as per IS-2117-1991. Fly ash used to manufacture of … Read more
Types of Stairs A stair is a series of steps arranged in such a manner as to connect different floors of a building. Stairs are designed to provide as easy and quick access to different floors. A staircase is an enclosure which contains the complete stairway. Generally stairs are of following types Straight stairs Quarter … Read more
Scaffolding When temporary structures are provided to support platform for workmen, structural material and appliances required during construction at raised height (normally more than 1.5 m) it is called scaffolding. Applications of Scaffolds Scaffolding is necessary in following situations. To support the working platforms where masons can stand and carry on their duties such as … Read more
HOLLOW CONCRETE BLOCK MASONRY Concrete blocks having core void area larger than 25% of the gross area is termed as hollow concrete blocks. These blocks are manufactured in different shapes and sizes as shown in the following figure. Some of the standard sizes of hollow concrete blocks are as follow. Standard size hollow concrete block … Read more
Values of Safe Bearing Capacity The safe bearing capacity of soil should be determined on the basis of soil test data or by performing some field test such as Standard penetration test or Plate load test etc. However, in the absence of soil test data, the values of safe bearing capacity (S.B.C) as given in … Read more