What is a Shear Wall? Shear wall — resists lateral loads Stiff vertical cores carry wind and seismic forces to the foundation Shear wall core Wind / seismic Typical in multi-storey RCC frames — layout from structural engineer Shear wall elevation — vertical cores resist horizontal forces from wind or earthquakes and transfer them to…
What Is an Isolated Footing foundation? Isolated footing — plan view Single column load spread through a pad footing Column / pedestal Pad extends beyond column face on all sides — size from soil bearing and load Isolated (pad) footing plan — a single column or pedestal bears on a spread footing sized for safe…
Carpet area What is the carpet area? The portion of the house or apartment that a carpet might be used to cover is the “carpet area.” In certain areas, the term “carpet area” is synonymous with “net useable area.” Simply put, “carpet area” refers to the space in your house that is eligible for placing…
What is a Combined Footing? Combined footing — plan view One concrete pad carries two adjacent columns Col 1 Col 2 Column spacing Used when isolated pads would overlap or bear near a property line Combined footing plan — two columns share one pad when separate isolated footings would interfere or overlap. A combined footing…
Introduction A pile foundation is a particular kind of deep foundation that is often used to support constructions that are subjected to significant loads. Piles are long, slender columns which are driven into the ground to a depth where they can bear the load of the structure. Pile foundations are used when the soil is…
What is Plastering Plastering — wall section Multiple coats level the surface and protect masonry Masonry / RCC Scratch / base coat Brown / finish Total thickness often 12–20 mm over two or three coats Mix ratios and coat names vary — follow site specification Plaster wall section — base coat keys to masonry; finishing…
Slump test of concrete Slump test — Abram cone Workability is checked by measuring how far fresh concrete subsides Cone lifted vertically Concrete after slump Slump (mm) Standard cone height 300 mm — target slump varies by element and mix design Slump test with Abram cone — fresh concrete is filled in three layers, rodded,…
The terms “centering” and “shuttering” are often referred to as “formwork.” The temporary structure that is used to support both vertical and horizontal surfaces during construction is referred to as “formwork.” This definition is simple enough to understand. It acts as a support structure while the concrete is drying. Fresh concrete is given form by…
Raft foundations Raft (mat) foundation — plan view A continuous slab under the full building footprint spreads column loads Used on weak soil or heavy loads where isolated footings would overlap Raft foundation plan — a monolithic slab ties all columns together and spreads load over a wide area of soil. These are used in…
What is Hydraulic Cement Hydraulic cement — sets in contact with water Unlike non-hydraulic lime, it hardens underwater and in damp cracks Water / damp surface Expanding hydraulic cement paste Crack or joint Used to seal active water leaks — follow manufacturer working time Hydraulic cement expands slightly as it sets and bonds even when…