Blog Archives

Design to Traffic/Resistance to Fatigue

Posted by on 26/ 11/ 15

Fatigue design is made using either methods based on Odemark’s formula or on analytical calculation methods (e. g. a multi-layer linear elastic design program). In both, the seasonal variation can only be considered by choosing the material proper­ties for each (especially the unbound) layer so as to represent weighted mean values for the whole year. The “worst” thawing and moist period of the year (the so-called spring bearing capacity period) has a very large influence on the mean value us­ing this weighting approach. Calculations are also made using a single temperature (+20 °C).

A.2.3 Rutting

The obligatory use of winter tyres (most of them studded) during four to five months each winter causes most of the rutting in Finnish medium and high volume roads...

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Wood and plastic laminate floorings are very durable

Posted by on 26/ 11/ 15

When my family moved into our present home, the living room floor was covered with an ancient yellow shag carpet. There were things growing in that carpet that even our dog didn’t like. I replaced the carpeting with a nice, prefinished floor made from bamboo. The cost for the floor, not counting my labor, was less than the cost for a decent carpet.

We have a couple of area rugs that can be taken outside and given a good shaking now and then.

PREFINISHED WOOD FLOORING. In the old

Подпись: VINYL FLOORING OFFERS BEAUTY, DURABILITY, AND EASY MAINTENANCE. Available in roll or tile form, vinyl flooring offers all three advantages, making it a wise choice for kitchens. [Photo by Reese Hamilton, courtesy Fine Homebuilding magazine, ® The Taunton Press, Inc.] days, wood flooring was installed “in the raw,” one tongue-and-groove strip at a time. Then it was sanded and finished. T he sanding process covered everything with fine sawdust, and the oil-varnish finish filled the air with unpleasant (and often hazardous) fumes...

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BUSINESS/MARKETING

Posted by on 26/ 11/ 15

An important means of achieving affordable housing is by running an efficient business. Good business planning, organization, and control are essential to keeping costs as low as possible.

Because affordable housing construc­tion may require regulatory changes and relief from the community, it becomes very important that resultant
cost reductions are not offset by business and job site inefficiencies.

Production planning and control combine, in the best possible way, the resources available. This will assure that management, money, manpower, machines, materials, and marketing are integrated in the best way possible to produce affordable housing when the market wants it.

Подпись: PlanningHitting the right market at the right time, with the right product, can save thousands of dollars in carrying costs on la...

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INSTALLING PADDING

Posted by on 26/ 11/ 15

Padding, which is usually 6 ft. wide, should run perpendicular to the carpet to prevent padding and carpet seams from lining up. If the padding has a slippery side, face it up so carpet can slide over it as you position it. Once you’ve rough-cut the padding, carefully position the pieces so they butt to each other. Do not overlap padding sec­tions, which could create a raised welt under the carpet; likewise, padding should not overlap tack­less strips. Trim the padding so it butts to the edge of the strips. Then use duct tape, or some­thing as strong, to tape the padding seams together so they can’t drift.

If there’s a plywood subfloor, staple the padding every 6 in. around the perimeter of the

Подпись: Tackless strips come in 4-ft. lengths, with nails suitable for the substrate. This strip has short, case-hardened masonry nails for attaching strips to a concrete slab. Wear goggles driving such nails down.
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Подпись: When installing padding over a concrete floor (which is somewhat slippery) tape the padding edges to the edges of tackless strips to keep the padding from riding up onto the strips. Tape just the edges of the strips, so the tack points remain exposed.

You may wonder why strips with dozens of tack points sticking up are called...

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STEP 4 PREPARE FOR THE WORST

Posted by on 26/ 11/ 15

Earthquakes, tornadoes, and hurricanes don’t come our way very often, but their brute force can be devastating—even fatal—if we’re not prepared. Look at what Katrina did to Louisiana and Mississippi. Disasters don’t just strike “other people.” Sometimes they happen to us.

I remember inspecting a house in California after the 6.8 Northridge earthquake. The house hadn’t collapsed, but the hot-water heater had been thrown 20 ft. out into the street. Other heavy appliances were scattered throughout the house. A good HVAC contractor knows which measures are required for securing equipment in areas where the risk of natural disasters is higher than normal. Steel strapping and other hold­down hardware are available at most home cen­ters...

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Multiobjective stochastic waste-load allocation

Posted by on 26/ 11/ 15

The WLA problem, by nature, is a multiobjective problem involving several conflicting objectives. The treatment-equity constraint (Eq. 8.59c) is incorpo­rated for the purpose of fairness. Without it, any attempt to maximize waste discharge (or to minimize treatment cost) could result in allocating large quan­tities ofwaste to the upstream users, whereas the downstream discharges could be required to treat their effluent at levels of maximum possible efficiency. This is especially true for slow-moving streams. Several articles have discussed the importance of equity considerations in WLA problems (Gross, 1965; Loucks et al., 1967; Miller and Gill, 1976; Brill et al., 1976).

In general, as the requirement for an equity measure (or fairness) is raised, the total waste discharge to the strea...

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Thermostats

Posted by on 26/ 11/ 15

■ BY SEAN GROOM

I

nstead of turning down the thermostat on the way to bed and again on the way out the door, you can cut home-heating costs and count on a reliable, comfortable temperature with one of today’s program­mable thermostats. Basic models ($30 and up) store different settings for weekdays and weekends. More advanced models ($90 and up) store a different program for each day of the week.

Minimize Operating Time to Save Money

Whether a thermostat is manual or program­mable, your savings result from the setback, or the reduction in temperature from the typical occupied setting. Studies by the U. S...

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Rough Terrain Forklift Safety

Posted by on 26/ 11/ 15

To operate a forklift, you need to be certified. To obtain certification, you need to be trained and actually operate a forklift. The points below are intended as a refresher for those who are already certified, and as an introduction to those intending to be certified.

• It is the weight of the forklift and the position of the tires that keep a forklift from turning over. There is an imaginary triangle between the front two tires and the space between the back two tires. This is called the stability triangle. The center of gravity for the forklift lies within this triangle. As the forks with weight extend out, the center of gravity moves. If the center of gravity goes outside the stability triangle, the forklift will tip...

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Installing baseboard

Posted by on 26/ 11/ 15

Baseboard hides the joint between the drywall and the floor, so most finish floors are installed before the baseboard. On carpeted floors, baseboard can be installed ahead of time, but hold it up about У2 in. so the carpet can tuck underneath.

Baseboard comes in many different styles, ranging from simple flat stock of various widths to milled trim to built-up baseboards composed of two or more pieces (see the drawing above). It’s best to buy long lengths so there will be fewer joints. Start installation on long
walls first, opposite the door, cutting a piece square on each end to fit from wall to wall. Work from this piece toward the door, making the final cut a square one against the casing...

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STEP 3 GET TO KNOW ELECTRICAL AND MECHANICAL SYSTEMS

Posted by on 26/ 11/ 15

Houses are a lot like automobiles. Both work well if they’re cared for and maintained. In order to maintain your car, you need to know simple things, such as where and how to add oil or brake fluid, how to put air in the tires, and how to check the radiator. Sure, you could have

STEP 3 GET TO KNOW ELECTRICAL AND MECHANICAL SYSTEMS

a mechanic take care of this routine mainte­nance, but it can quickly get expensive—and besides, it’s satisfying to understand the basics of your daily transportation. The same goes for a house. There’s no need to call a plumber every time you have a leaky faucet or an electrician every time a circuit breaker needs to be reset. Now that you’ve finished building an affordable house, you can maintain it affordably with a little basic know-how.

Do electrical checks

For safety’s sake, one of the firs...

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