Comparison of Pre-engineered Steel buildings with Conventional Steel Buildings

Pre-Engineered buildings are being preferred over conventional buildings for industrial construction due to its fast construction. Following is the comparison between Pre-Engineered building and Conventional Buildings for steel structures, which shows advantages of pre-engineered buildings over conventional buildings. What are Pre-engineered Steel Buildings? Pre-engineered steel buildings are constructed using steel built up sections which are […]

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8 Types of Estimates in Construction

An estimate is predicted cost of a project which is generally prepared before the project is taken up. It is prepared in different types based on the requirement of project. It can be prepared in detailed manner by taking all items of works into consideration and sometimes it can also be prepared approximately without going […]

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Sandcrete Block Manufacturing and Testing

Sandcrete blocks and bricks are masonry units manufactured from a mixture of cement, sand and water, and it plays a crucial role in the building construction. They are largely used for load and non-load bearing walls, or for foundations. Production process and necessary tests performed on both raw materials and sandcrete blocks are discussed in […]

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Canal Linings – Types and Advantages

Canal Linings are provided in canals to resists the flow of water through its bed and sides. These can be constructed using different materials such as compacted earth, cement, concrete, plastics, boulders, bricks etc. The main advantage of canal ling is to protect the water from seepage loss. What is Canal Lining? Canal Lining is […]

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Short Column Effect in Multi-Storey Buildings

The short column effect in multi-story buildings is studied seriously as these attract most of the forces coming on the building. Special attention is required for short columns and hence recommended to avoid in building design especially for earthquake-prone areas. The effect of a short column is disastrous as they undergo brittle failure. The phenomenon […]

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Consolidation Test of Soil

Consolidation Test is used to determine the rate and magnitude of settlement in soils. The settlement values obtained by this test are due to primary consolidation only which is 90% of the total consolidation. The results of consolidation test are very much helpful in the design of foundations. Apparatus Required for Consolidation Test Consolidometer or […]

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Various Codes for Construction Material Testing

Codes and standards are living documents, continually revised and refreshed to address changing requirements and emerging technologies. Commonly, they are reviewed after certain years as part of a process of continual improvement. For example, ACI Code is being revised every three years. This article presents most common and widely used codes used for testing of […]

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Role of Gypsum in Cement and its Effects

Gypsum is a mineral and is hydrated calcium sulphate in chemical form. Gypsum plays a very important role in controlling the rate of hardening of the cement, so its is generally termed as retarding agent of cement. It is mainly used for regulating the setting time of cement and is an indispensable component. What is Gypsum […]

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Basics of Building Construction

Basics of building construction are the set of principles, processes, and events that are necessary to implement a building project. Every building construction starts from an idea and culminates to a form a structure that will serve the occupants for decades or centuries. Building construction will involve the assembly of materials in a planned and […]

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Difference between Control Joint and Expansion Joint?

Control Joint in Concrete Control joints in concrete are provided at regular interval to from a weak plane, so that cracks are formed at the joints but not in undesired places. Control joints are provided in concrete pavements, slabs, walls, floors, dams, canal linings, bridge, retaining walls etc. When concrete is placed, due to shrinkage, creep […]

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Prestressed Concrete Poles – Design and Manufacturing Methods

In the past decades, prestressed concrete poles have become famous and have replaced the traditional poles made of timber, steel or reinforced concrete. The earliest prestressed concrete poles were designed in 1933 by Freyssinet, a French engineer. Different shapes of Prestressed Concrete Poles There are different shaped cross sections of prestressed concrete poles are available […]

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Different Types of Soil – Sand, Silt, Clay and Loam

Soil can be defined in many ways. In civil engineering, soil is a naturally occurring, loose/un-cemented/weakly cemented/relatively unconsolidated mineral particles, organic or inorganic in character, lying over the bed rock which is formed by weathering of rocks. Soil is formed by different types of soil such as gravel, rock, sand, silt, clay, loam and humus. […]

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Fineness Modulus of Cement by Dry Sieving

The Fineness modulus of cement is an empirical figure obtained by adding the total percentage of the sample of an aggregate retained on each of a specified series of sieves, and dividing the sum by 100. The proportion of cement of which the grain sizes are larger than the specified mesh size is thus determined. Apparatus  90µm […]

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How to Finish hardened Concrete Surfaces?

Finishing hardened concrete surface is carried out to achieve finely finished surface. There are number of methods and equipment that have been used to finish concrete surface. These finishing dried concrete surface techniques and equipment is presented. Finishing Concrete Surface Methods Dry Grinding Finishing Method Dry grinding is performed on dry concrete surfaces. It is […]

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Shear Strength of Soil by Vane Shear Test

Vane shear test is used to determine the undrained shear strength of soils especially soft clays. This test can be done in laboratory or in the field directly on the ground. Vane shear test gives accurate results for soils of low shear strength (less than 0.3 kg/cm2). Shear Strength of Soil by Vane Shear Test […]

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21 Types of Dams in Construction

Various types of dams are constructed based on their usage. These dams are classified based on construction material used, structure and design, functions, hydraulic design and size. Classification Based on Construction Material used for a Dam Rigid Dam A dam is said to be Rigid Dam if it is constructed using rigid construction materials such […]

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15 Types of Admixtures Used in Concrete

Admixtures are defined as the material other than the aggregate, water and cement added to the concrete. The use of suitable admixture can result in the enhancement the performance of concrete.

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Expansion Joint in Concrete – Their Characteristics and Types

Expansion and contraction is found in all materials due to change in temperature. Concrete undergoes expansion when exposed to high temperature, this expansion of concrete in a confined boundary leads to cracks. To overcome this problem expansion joints are placed in concrete slabs, pavement,  buildings, bridges, sidewalks, railway tracks, piping systems, ships, and other structures. This article emphases on […]

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Contraction Joint in Concrete

What is Contraction Joint ? When concrete is placed, due to shrinkage, creep and thermal movement concrete tends to reduce in size due to which small cracks are formed in the concrete at weak zone. Contraction joints are provided in the concrete at regular interval to from a weak plane ,so that the cracks are […]

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14 Uses of Sedimentary Rocks in Civil Engineering

Uses of sedimentary rock can be found in almost all buildings and public structures. This makes it substantially important construction material in civil engineering projects. The sedimentary rock is formed by the settlement and subsequent cementation of mineral or organic particles on the floor of oceans or other collections of water. The application of sedimentary rock in civil […]

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Sandblasting Concrete Surface- Process and Advantages

Sandblasting is a fast and reliable technique employed to texture the surface of hardened concrete. The extent of blasting ranges from light cleaning to a deep cutting operation that exposes aggregates to around 2cm. This article present different aspects of sandblasting operation. Sandblasting Equipment The equipment required for blasting might change based on the specified […]

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Shotcrete- Dry and Wet Mix Process

Shotcrete or Sprayed Concrete is a type of concrete or mortar mix that is shot onto a surface at high-speed. The shotcrete process can be performed in two ways, either using a dry mix or by means of a wet mix. Hence, shotcrete can be of two types Dry Mix Shotcrete Wet Mix Shotcrete The […]

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Different Type of Building Plans

Building plan drawings are the set the drawing which consists of floor plan, site plan, cross sections, elevations, electrical, plumbing and landscape drawings for the ease of construction at site. Drawings are the medium of passing the views and concepts of an architect or designer into reality. Types of Building Plan Drawings Considering the detailing […]

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What is Slab, Beam, Column, and Footing Construction?

Clearly, buildings are composed of various structure elements such as slabs, beams, columns, and footings. Each of these structural members play certain role in a structure. This article presents various aspects of these structural members for instance their function, types of loads imposed on them, and load transfer mechanism from one member to another one. […]

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What is the Difference between Self Compacting Concrete and Normal Cement Concrete?

One of the key differences between the self compacting concrete (SCC) and normal cement concrete (NCC) is the flowability property of SCC by its on weight. Most of the differences shown by SCC is due to this variation of flowability from the normal concrete. Here the differences between SCC and normal concrete in terms of […]

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What is Steel Frame Structure Building Construction?

Steel frame is typically consisting of vertical column and horizontal beams which are riveted, bolted or welded together in a rectilinear grid. Steel beams are horizontal structural members that resist loads applied laterally to their axis. Columns are vertical structural members that transfer compressive loads. It can be used to form the skeleton of a […]

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Load Bearing Structure and Components vs. Framed Structural System

A load bearing structure has the components of a building which carries and transfers the load to the ground safely. This structure guarantee stability of the building and its performance. Commonly walls, columns, beams, foundation Understanding the structural principles of load bearing structure is the fundamentals required for the design process and bring up the […]

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Risk Management in Construction Projects

Risk management in construction industry is an important part of the project planning and management. Various risks associated with construction projects such as financial risks, environmental risks, socio-economic and construction related risks are studied and dealt in risk management. The volatility and capriciousness of the environment in the construction industry was never hidden from anyone. […]

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Types of Columns in building Construction

What is a Column in Building Construction? Column is a vertical structural member that carry loads mainly in compression. Column might transfer loads from a ceiling, floor slab, roof slab, or from a beam, to a floor or foundations. Commonly, columns also carry bending moments about one or both of the cross-section axes. In this article, […]

What is Rebar? Types of Steel Reinforcements Used in Concrete Structures

What is Rebar? Reinforcement steel bars used in the concrete to improve the tensile strength of the concrete is known as Rebar. As we all know, concrete has very good compressive strength, but is weak in tensile strength. To increase the tensile strength of the concrete reinforcement steel bars are used. Majorly steel is only […]

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Types of Beams in Construction

What is a Beam? beam is a horizontal structural element that withstand vertical loads, shear forces and bending moments. They transfer loads imposed along their length to their end points where the loads are transferred to walls, columns, foundations, etc. In this article, different types of beams used in building construction will be discussed based on their […]

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What are the different types of Brick Mortar Joints?

The brick mortar joints form the space between the bricks blocks which are filled by mortar or a grout mixture. The type of mortar joint chosen in the masonry construction will govern the overall aesthetics of the surface, if there is no plan to plaster. Different mortar joint patterns not only provide different look but […]

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Retaining Wall Types, Materials, Economy, and Applications

What is a retaining wall? Retaining wall is a structure that are designed and constructed to withstand lateral pressure of soil or hold back soil materials. The lateral pressure could be also due to earth filling, liquid pressure, sand, and other granular materials behind the retaining wall structure. There are various types of retaining wall […]

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Types of Drawings used in Building Construction

Different types of drawings is used in construction such as architectural drawings, structural, electrical, plumbing and finishing drawings. These drawings provides layout plans and details for construction of each and every part of the building. Drawings plays an important role in the construction field to convey the ideologies and perspective of the designer to the […]

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Grade Beam Construction Process

What is grade beam? Grade beams are commonly concrete beams which are designed to act as horizontal ties between footings or pile caps. They should be reinforced with continuous reinforcement that is developed within or beyond the supported column, or be anchored within the pile cap or footings, ACI 318-14. The grade beam either rests […]

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What is Gabion? Its Types, Applications, and Advantages

What is gabion? Gabion is a welded wire cage or box that filled with desired materials such as stone, concrete, sand, or soil. So, it is a partially flexible block construction used for various reasons such as slope stability and erosion protection. Sometimes, live rooting branches may be placed between the rock-filled baskets which improves […]

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What is Steel Reinforcement? Needs and Types

Steel reinforcement are steel bars that are provided in combination with plain cement concrete to make it reinforced concrete. Hence these structures form steel reinforced cement concrete structure (R.C.C). Steel reinforcement is commonly called as ‘rebars’. Need for Steel Reinforcement Plain concrete is weak in tension and strong in compression. Tensile property for concrete structures […]

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DESIGNING A FOUNDATION

Foundation Foundation is the part of structure below plinth level up to the soil. It is in direct contact of soil and transmits load of super structure to soil. Generally it is below the ground level. If some part of foundation is above ground level, it is also covered with earth filling. This portion of […]

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Cracks in Masonry Walls – Types, Causes and Repair of Cracks

Several types of cracks occur in masonry walls in a building which can be minor and insignificant, some requiring expensive repairs and in some extreme cases the only solution is total demolition of the wall. Causes of these cracks in masonry walls can be movement of building causing settlement and subsidence. Common Causes of Cracks […]

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Integral Bridges – Types, Advantages and Limitations

What is an Integral bridge? Integral bridges are constructed without any joints between spans or between span and abutments. The superstructure along with abutments acts as single structural element. Types of Integral Bridges Integrals bridges are classified into four types based on abutments types as follows: Integral Bridge with Frame Abutments Integral Bridge with Flexible […]

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Reactive Powder Concrete – Composition and Advantages

What is a Reactive Powder Concrete? Reactive powder concrete (RPC) is the ultra-high strength concrete prepared by replacing the ordinary aggregate of normal concrete with quartz powder, silica fume, steel fibers etc. RPC not only has high strength but also has high ductility. Its compressive strength ranges from 200 Mpa to 800 Mpa. Composition of […]

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Determine Water Content of Soil by Oven Dry and Pycnometer Methods

What is Water Content of Soil? The water content of soil is is the ratio of mass of water to mass of soil which is expressed in percentage. Oven Dry Method and Pycnometer Method are commonly used to determine the water content of soil in laboratory. 1. Water Content of Soil by Oven Dry Method The oven […]

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Soil Texture-Textural Classification System

What is Soil Texture? The texture of the soil is an indication of the relative content of particles of various sizes in the soil. It will indicate the percentage of sand, silt, and clay present in the soil. Soil texture will influence the ease with which the soil can be worked. The texture of the […]

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