Some useful guidelines to work out the total loads on a column & footing

This article is about calculation of loads for column and footings design.

The following types of loads operate on a column :-

1. Self weight of the column x Number of floors
2. Self weight of beams per running meter
3. Load of walls per running meter
4. Total Load of slab (Dead load + Live load + Self weight)

The columns are also susceptible to bending moments which should be included in creating the final design. There are different types of advanced structural design software like ETABS or STAAD Pro which can be applied to design a good structure efficiently. The calculation for structural loading In professional practice is based on some fundamental assumptions.

For Columns: Self weight of Concrete is approximately 2400 kg per cubic meter that is identical to 240 kN. Self weight of Steel is approximately 8000 kg per cubic meter. Suppose a large column having size of 230 mm x 600 mm with 1% steel and 3 meters standard height, the self weight of column is approximately 1000 kg per floor, that is identical to 10 kN. So, here, the self weight of column is taken as among 10 to 15 kN per floor.

For Beams: The calculation is same as above. Suppose, each meter of beam contains dimensions of 230 mm x 450 mm exclusive of slab thickness. So, the self weight is approximately 2.5 kN per running meter.

For Walls: Density of bricks differs among 1500 to 2000 kg per cubic meter. For a 6″ thick wall with 3 meter height and 1 meter length, the load can be measured per running meter equivalent to 0.150 x 1 x 3 x 2000 = 900 kg which is equivalent to 9 kN/meter. The load per running meter can be measured for any brick type by following this method.

For autoclaved, aerated concrete blocks like Aerocon or Siporex, the weight per cubic meter should remain among 550 to 700 kg per cubic meter. If these blocks are utilized for construction, the wall loads per running meter remains as low as 4 kN/meter, that leads to cutback in construction cost.

For Slab: Suppose the thickness of the slab is 125 mm. Now, each square meter of slab contains a self weight of 0.125 x 1 x 2400 = 300 kg that is similar to 3 kN. Suppose, the finishing load is 1 kN per meter and superimposed live load is 2 kN per meter. So, the slab load should remain 6 to 7 kN per square meter.

Factor of Safety: Finally, once the calculation of the entire load on a column is completed, the factor of safety should also be taken into consideration. For IS 456:2000, the factor of safety is 1.5.

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Published By
Rajib Dey
www.constructioncost.co
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Comparison between OPC and PPC (fly ash based cement)

OPC 53 Grade Cement:OPC (Ordinary Portland Cement) belongs to the basic form of cement and it is formed with 95% cement clinkers and 5% gypsum.

Gypsum stands for an additive and it’s objective is to enhance the setting time of the cement to a executable 30 minutes or more.

OPC Cement provides high compressive strength at initial phases and at 28 days. A 53 Grade cement provides equal to 70 MPa strength across a minimum 53 MPa stated by BIS. Therefore, fly ash can also be blended (minimum 20% by weight of cement) in concrete as part replacement of cement at jobsite.

Due to this the material cost of concrete is saved significantly as well as durable properties can be maintained because of pore refinement (Less porous concrete).

If the concrete is formed in this way, the adaptability of concrete is enhanced greatly and it leads to higher strength in due course.

Recommended use for OPC 53 Grade Cement:

OPC 53 Grade cement is normally mostly suitable for Structural Concrete or Reinforced Concrete Works (like Columns, Beams, Slab etc.,).

PPC (Fly Ash Based) Cement: Alternatively, PPC (Portland Pozzolana Cement) is formed with 75 – 77% cement clinker, 20% flyash and 3-5% gypsum.

Recommended use for PPC: Flyash based cement (PPC) will be effective for brick masonry, plastering, tiling and waterproofing works. In these works, strength is not a vital factor. PPC is more beneficial as compared to OPC because PPC contains slower rate of heat of hydration.

Thus PPC is likely to less cracks & shrinkage), superior workability and finishing (because fly ash based cement are circular in shape and thinner in size).

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Published By

Rajib Dey

www.constructioncost.co

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Resist construction issues at site by making cost-effective foundation design

In order to create the design of foundations in a cost-effective manner as well as resolve practical construction issues, some factors should be taken into consideration.

Tips to create the design of the foundations in a cost-effective manner and avoid construction issues at job site.

a. Formation of the foundation should be shallow
b. Curtail construction cost of the foundation
c. Awareness of structural designer
d. Resist the application of costly and complicated formworks
e. Consistency of site investigation
f. Take decision to build up rapid or slow foundation
g. Impact of foundation construction on the ground and structures at area of the foundation
h. Disparities in foundation geometry and requisite of diverse joints
i. Effect of objectionable elements on constructed foundation

Build up the Foundation as Shallow for saving

It is recommended to make the foundation shallow as much as possible. Make the best use of the size to sufficiently support loads and resist ecological impacts. Proper care should be taken to keep the depth and width of the foundation within limit.

This measure should be mostly suitable where the foundation is built up in completely saturated soil in which issues may arise because of existence of water. The cost is increased significantly with regards to the foundation developed in dry soil condition.

Decrease Cost of Foundation Construction: This can happen with a constant modification of construction methods and costs as the frugality of design differs significantly and usable standard might be obsolete.

To get more information, go through the following article theconstructor.org

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Published By
Rajib Dey
www.constructioncost.co
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How selection of construction site is dependent on the various factors

Before starting the construction work of a residential building, the proper consideration should be given on the following factors to choose the exact site for the building.

Topography, Nature of sub-soil, Position of the ground water tablem, Facilities, Neighbourhood, Undesirable things near the site, Vegetation, Shape of the site, Availability of men and materials, Proximity to sea-shore, river or lake or the place of natural beauty

Topography: Plain Grounds : If the site is plain, the process for marking, excavation and construction becomes easier without any leveling. But the problem may arise for drainage. Besides, dull pools will be developed after a deep shower. In dry weather, outflow of septic tank develops pools and various diseases will be spread out due to mosquitoes and other insects.

Slopping Grounds : A bare at least of 1% (1 in 100)slope is essential for smooth drainage. At least 2% slope should be maintained for the drainage of lawns. Slope is easily visible, if it surpasses 5%.A ground that is properly leveled contains 0% slope but it is not perfect for construction whereas a slope among 3% and 10% is mostly recognized for constructions. Smooth erosion is possible along these slopes after a deep shower and creep (downward sliding of the subsoil)is generally occurred.

Undulating ground : After proper leveling, construction can be built up on undulating ground.

Low lying area : A low lying area is not recommended. Low lying area next to water body as a lake, reservoir, tank, river or canal may come with a nice view and arrange a superior comfort in severely chill and scorching climate.

Nature of sub-soil : If a soil contains strong bearing strength, a permanent building can be easily developed. The soil that remains underneath the ground is known as sub-soil. The soils which have gravel and sand are called dry soils. These soils cause greater temperature and less humidity.

The position of ground water table : Ground Water Table (GWT) should be located at minimum depth of 3 m underneath ground level.

Percolation : Soils percolating at 180 s/mm are correspondingly less porous and pooling of waste water is generally found in them.

Facilities : Community services like street cleaning, fire protection and utilities like gas supply, drainage line, transport system should have been easily accessible without incurring any additional cost.

To gather more details, click on the following link www.onlinecivilforum.com

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Published By

Rajib Dey

www.constructioncost.co

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Safety Measures in Construction Site

Constructions sites are the place where risks are inevitable. The workers on the job site are exposed to various dangerous situations. Even a single miss of safety term can cause severe injuries, sometimes death. So, it is important to follow the safety tools to avoid life threatening problems. The effect of simple safety policy will bring in a calm and friendly working environment for the workers.

Following a safety precaution not only protects the workers from fatal consequences but also keeps builders away from legal issues raised because of the infringement in the safety term. The content discusses the basic site safety rules that every work site must follow. They are a simple set of rules offering results rooted deep in a problem free construction environment.

• The site manager must conduct a site meeting before the construction process starts. It should be attained by the entire work force, and the possible safety problems of the job site should be discussed to solve the existing problems.

• The site manager must conduct a site meeting before the construction process starts. It should be attained by the entire work force, and the possible safety problems of the job site should be discussed to solve the existing problems.
• The workers must keep the job site tidy, keeping aside the dangerous items that cause potential risks. The demolished materials like mortar, glass, hardcore and concrete should be dumped away from the working area. If it is not possible, they should be separated using fences.

• Every worker must put on the necessary safety protections to keep themselves unaffected if the worse situation comes. You must be accompanied by hard hats, gloves, heavy boots, and protection glasses during your work.

• Using right tool and machinery also comes under the building site safety policies. The machines should be in a working condition and must be maintained in a good way.

• Working at heights is another thing that is common in the construction field. Risks are also higher for those who are working above the usual height. To avoid risk related to fall, site instructor should check ladders and scaffolding prior to the job. Safety harness is another best option to ignore the problems related to working at heights.

• Banning on alcohol consumption on the job site is the rule strictly followed by the workers.

• Workers should be informed about the health problems caused by a prolonged work in hot, cold and wet environments. They cause a range of health risks, from dehydration to sun strokes.

• Every job site keeps the First Aid materials in an organized way that can avert any kind of inconvenience.

• Every worker must have clear knowledge of what to do if an emergency strikes. The work responsibility must be divided among workers so that they can take quick action to cut down the damages.

Maintaining a proper safety protocol is one of the important things in a construction work. Every building site must follow the rules as strictly as they are mentioned in the rule book. The infringement in the safety term can bring unnecessary legal issues and halt the construction work temporarily or permanently. The risk of life is the major thing to be concerned.

To get more information, click on the following link civilengineerlink.com

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Published By
Rajib Dey
www.constructioncost.co
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Importance of Augmented Reality (AR) Technology in Construction

With the emergence of Augmented reality (AR) technology, the process for designing and constructing a building is changed significantly.

AR is the latest technology that forms a compound view of real world atmospheres, overlaying an image produced through the user’s own real world view.

If AR applications are integrated with a smart device or wearable technology, it can generate a real scale 3D model of a building or particular room combined with your environments.

AR also facilitates the construction teams and consultants to significantly enhance the understanding of design discrepancies, outstanding tasks, safety issues, imperfect works and numerous other site-related variables.

If virtual reality allows the designers to visualize the appearance of a structure on a screen, AR leverages the real world to facilitate the user to perfectly preview how all the diverse areas of a plan organized together.

So, it becomes easier to detect conflict in design before the development of actual construction. Huge time is saved and risk is minimized. Therefore, the profitability of project is increased.

All the activities associated with construction site, which range from accomplishing and appraising a defect as well as notifying everyone of a safety issue, can be recorded and carried in a real world setting.

AR not only enhances the usability of site-related data, but also facilitate a uninterrupted user interaction and collaborative efforts in real-time.

As AR and GPS technology become superior, go into a construction site every day and being guided to the location of your outstanding tasks become possible.

Construction management platforms offer a superior level of collaboration amid all project stakeholders and this type of real time control can accomplish tasks more speedily.

By linking defects management functionality with AR elements, the process for recording, allocating and handling defects will be changed significantly.

With AR, a user can formulate and allocate real time data at the time of walking around a construction site, and generate tags noticeable to other users.

One can walk into a room through smart glasses and view all of the outstanding issues associated with that room by viewing AR tags. This will significantly improve the project quality and also the consciousness of possible safety concerns.

To read the complete article, click here.

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Published By

Rajib Dey

www.constructioncost.co

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Construction Equipments and their various usages

The site managers and construction planners should have clear ideas on the features of the leading construction equipments which are extensively utilized in various construction projects. The on-site productivity mainly depends on the amount of time needed and effort which can be significantly affected by the improper selection of type and size of construction equipments.

Excavation and Loading: One family of construction machines intended for excavation is generally categorized as a crane-shovel.

The crane-shovel consists of three most important components:

• A carrier or mounting which offers mobility and stability for the machine.

• A revolving deck or turntable which includes the power and control units.

• An attachment located forepart that provides the special functions in an operation.

The crawler mounting is specifically useful for crawling over comparatively rugged surfaces at a construction site. Other types of mounting range from truck mounting and wheel mounting offering superior mobility amid job sites, but superior surfaces are needed for functioning efficiently. The revolving deck contains a cab to accommodate the person responsible for operating the mounting and/or the revolving deck. Here in figure 2, the types of front end attachments might contain a crane with hook, claim shell, dragline, backhoe, shovel and piledriver.

Typical Machines in the Crane-Shovel Family: Here a tractor contains a crawler mounting and a non-revolving cab. If an earth moving blade is connected to the forepart of a tractor, the assembly is termed as a bulldozer. If a bucket is connected to its forepart, the assembly is called as a loader or bucket loader. There exist various types of loaders which caterer to most competently deal with materials containing diverse weights and moisture contents.

Scrapers refer to multiple-units of tractor-truck and blade-bucket groups with different combinations to allow the loading and hauling of earthwork. Most important types of scrapers consist of single engine two-axle or three axle scrapers, twin-engine all-wheel-drive scrapers, elevating scrapers, and push-pull scrapers. Every type contains dissimilar characteristics of rolling resistance, maneuverability stability, and speed in operation.

For more information visit, theconstructor.org

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Published By

Rajib Dey

www.quantity-takeoff.com

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DeWalt Mobile Pro – An exclusive android based construction calculator

This is an exclusive demonstration of DeWalt Construction Calculator App. The construction app can be downloaded at free of cost. This construction calculator is compatible with all android & apple devices.

The users can tailor this construction app with other trade-specific add-ons to make a tool that can satisfy your requirements.

This useful construction tool includes the following features:

• completely functional construction calculator worth $20.

• 9 free add-on calculations worth $10, incorporated reference materials together with help, examples, illustrations and more.

• obtain unlimited supplimentary calculation in the form of add-ons that ranges from conversions, construction math, business and finance, carpentry, wiring, plumbing, masonry, concrete work, site work, HVAC, and more.

Dowload for free

• Crucial functions useful for calculating jobsite math.

• allocation of calculations and results through email in quickest possible way.

• Avail preceding calculations comfortably through recorded history.

• Easily locate all your calculations tby pursuing, filtering and generating them.

• Obtain additional resources on the construction site.

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Published By

Rajib Dey

www.quantity-takeoff.com

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Types of pile foundations and their usages

There exist three types of construction piles foundations which range from driven piles, Cast-in-situ piles and Driven and cast-in-situ piles.

Driven Pile Foundations: Driven pile foundations are formed with concrete, steel or timber. These piles have to pass through prefabrication process prior to set up at the construction site. Driven piles are known as concrete when these are created with concrete. These piles are possessed through a pile hammer.

When driven piles are consumed with the granular soils, the correspond volume of soil is dislocated. This allows shrinkage of soil all over the sides of piles as well as the compression of soil. The piles which condense the soil alongside, it is known as compaction pile. This compression of soil enhances its bearing capability.

Saturated silty soils and cohesive soils contain inferior drainage capacity. As a result, these soils are not compressed once driven piles are drilled over it. The water must be discharged for the soil chosen to be compressed. So stresses are expanded beside the piles and must be transmitted through pore water only. The outcome will be enhancing the pore water pressure and reducing the bearing capability of the soil.

Cast-in-situ Pile Foundations: Cast-in-situ piles refer to concrete pile. These piles are created with drilling holes in the ground following the necessary depth and then the hole is filled up with concrete. If required, reinforcements are also utilized in the concrete. These piles consist of small diameter correspond to drilled piers.

Cast-in-situ piles denote straight bored piles or having one or more bulbs at intervals which have to be casted. The piles having one or more bulbs are recognized as under-reamed piles.

Driven and Cast-in-situ Piles: Driven and cast-in-situ piles provide same benefits provided by both driven and cast-in-situ piles. The process for setting up a driven and cast-in-situ pile is given below :-

A steel shell of diameter of pile is driven into the ground through a mandrel placed into the shell. Once the shell is driven, the mandrel is separated and concrete is discharged in the shell.

The shell is formed with corrugated and reinforced lean sheet steel (mono-tube piles) or pipes (Armco welded pipes or common seamless pipes). These types of piles are described as the shell type piles.

To form the shell-less type, the shell is removed once the concrete is arranged. Considering both the types of piles, the bottom of the shell is locked by a conical tip that can be disconnected from the shell. A broaden bulb may be created in both types of piles by driving the concrete beyond the shell. Franki piles belong to this type. Sometimes, the shell will be remained in place and the tube is concreted. The extensive use of this type of pile can be found in piling over water.

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Published By.

Rajib Dey

www.quantity-takeoff.com

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The users & subcontractors can get help from live call support and training.

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Published By

Rajib Dey

www.quantity-takeoff.com

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