The main objective of thermal insulation of heat insulation of a building is to conserve a constant heat or temperature inside building, irrespective of temperature changes outside. Methods of Heat Insulation or Thermal Insulation The heat in a building structure is mainly transmitted through the roofs, exposed walls and exposed wall openings, such as windows, … Read more
White Washing of Wall Surface The complete process of white washing can be carried out under the following operations. Preparation of white wash Preparation of surface Application of white wash Step-1 [Preparation of White Wash] The white wash is prepared from fresh burnt shell lime or pure stone lime mixed with water. Shell lime is … Read more
Improving Earthquake Resistance of Small Buildings The earthquake resistance of small buildings may be increased by taking some precautions and measures in site selections, building planning and constructions as explained below: 1. Site Selection The building constructions should be avoided on (a) Near unstable embankments (b) On sloping ground with columns of different heights (c) … Read more
Presentation of Geotechnical Investigation Report Upon completion of the geotechnical investigation and analysis, the information and findings must be compiled in a standard report format. The report serves as the permanent record of all geotechnical data known to be pertinent to the project and is referred to throughout the design, construction, and service life of … Read more
Repair of Potholes Potholes are the most frequent type of failure found in bituminous wearing surfaces. Potholes may be caused by defective drainage, frost action in the base, settlement of the base, or heavy traffic. A small pothole may be’ surrounded by a large area that is progressively failing. A pothole may be repaired with … Read more
Determination of Organic Matter in Soil Purpose: This test is performed to determine the organic content of soils. The organic content is the ratio, expressed as a percentage, of the mass of organic matter in a given mass of soil to the mass of the dry soil solids. Standard Reference: ASTM D 2974 – Standard … Read more
Relative Density or Density Index Test of Sand Purpose: This lab is performed to determine the relative density of cohesionless, free-draining soils using a vibrating table. The relative density of a soil is the ratio, expressed as a percentage, of the difference between the maximum index void ratio and the field void ratio of a … Read more
Density Test of Soil Purpose: This lab is performed to determine the in-place density of undisturbed soil obtained by pushing or drilling a thin-walled cylinder. The bulk density is the ratio of mass of moist soil to the volume of the soil sample, and the dry density is the ratio of the mass of the … Read more
How to Classify Soil Visually on site? Purpose: Visually classify the soils. Standard Reference: ASTM D 2488 – Standard Practice for Description and Identification of Soils (Visual – Manual Procedure) Significance: The first step in any geotechnical engineering project is to identify and describe the subsoil condition. For example, as soon as a ground is … Read more
Unconfined Compressive Strength Test of Soil Purpose The primary purpose of this test is to determine the unconfined compressive strength, which is then used to calculate the unconsolidated undrained shear strength of the clay under unconfined conditions. According to the ASTM standard, the unconfined compressive strength (qu) is defined as the compressive stress at which … Read more