Concrete for long have been specified by nominal mixes (mixes of fixed proportions which ensure adequate strength) and were arbitrarily applied with little regard to the required strength of concrete with water added to ensure workability. But for mixes of desired strength the three variable factors to be considered are: Water cement ratio and consistency … Read more
Vibrators are commonly used as a way of compacting concrete on site. In case of vibration, compacting gets effected by reduction in internal friction between various particles of concrete due to oscillation of particles which results in a dense and compact mass of concrete. Vibrations can either be Produced in the interior of the concrete … Read more
For economic consideration, the depth at which the foundation is located (i.e. Df) is kept as small as possible. Typically it is in the range of 0.5 to 1.5 m below the ground surface for buildings that do not have a basement. For those building having a basement, Df can be 3.5 m or more. … Read more
Foundations are the mainstay of house construction as the stability and the performance of the structure above is dependent on it. The main design parameters for consideration in this respect are the depth and width of the foundation. Whereas depth of foundation is a function of the ‘Safe Bearing Capacity’ (SBC) of soil at a … Read more
Site selection has an important bearing on planning and designing of buildings. Generally, therefore, an architect has either to make a choice of suitable site or to plan his building structure to suit the available site. Factors to Consider During Selection of Building Site Natural defects of a site will involve considerable expenditure on construction … Read more
Types of Doors Based on Material of Manufacture There are large varieties of doors and windows which can either be manufactured or are available in the market for ready fixing. Based on the material of manufacture, some of their types along with their main feature, advantages and disadvantages are given here to facilitate easy selection … Read more
Types of Flooring Tiles Flooring Tiles in India have over the years gained popularity over the cemented and concrete flooring Tiles are available in different patterns, designs and utility options. Usually they are costlier than the cement concrete flooring and its cost depends upon the type of tile being used. Various types of flooring tiles … Read more
A pile is a slender, structural member installed in the ground to transfer the structural loads to soils at some significant depth below the base of the structure. Structural loads include axial loads, lateral loads, and moments. Another term commonly used in practice for pile foundations is deep foundations. Structures that cannot be supported economically … Read more
Types of Bearing Capacity Failures A bearing capacity failure is defined as a foundation failure that occurs when the shear stresses in the soil exceed the shear strength of the soil. Bearing capacity failures of foundations can be grouped into three categories, as follows: 1. General Shear Failure As shown in Fig-1, a general shear … Read more
Walls are built to partition living area into different parts. They impart privacy and protection against temperature, rain and theft. Depending upon their functions, Walls may be classified into the following two primary classes Load bearing walls Partition walls. 1. Load Bearing Walls If beams and columns are not used, load from roof and floors … Read more