Blog Archives

The dawn of the 14th century, from the era of abbeys to the era of cities, and the rebirth of central power

Posted by on 26/ 11/ 15

We have seen that the role of the abbeys, and in particular the Cistercians, was quite important in the conquest of new agricultural lands in the 12th and 13th centuries. However an assessment of the social success of these monk-hydraulicians is not as clear as it might be. Unless supported by a powerful lord or by royal authority, the villagers and peasants are not in a position of strength vis-a-vis the abbeys, especially since the

abbeys are themselves favored by the local lords. Often the villagers are chased off by monks who want to develop their land; yet these lands, once developed and intended to serve a single order, almost always engender numerous conflicts with other occupants, whether they be lay or monastic.

The turn of the 13th to the 14th century sees a strengthening role o...

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STEP 2 SELECT AND INSTALL THE FINISH FLOORING

Posted by on 26/ 11/ 15

Things are looking good. The house is painted; the doors, cabinets, and countertops have been installed; and all your faucets and light switches are working. But one major transformation remains—the finish flooring.

Installing finish flooring is one of the last jobs to do or have done, and for good reason. Now that you’re down to the detail work, fewer workers will be coming through the house, so there is less chance that the flooring will be damaged. There are many options, even for affordable homes, so this is a great opportunity to make choices that express your personal style.

Know the pros and cons of carpeting

Carpeting is not my first choice for a floor covering. In general, inexpensive carpeting

Подпись: Engineered-wood flooring is easy to install. Plied construction, tongue- and-groove joints, and a factory-applied finish make engineered-wood flooring easy to install and very durable. Different plank widths and a wide range of wood species are available. [Photo by Scott Phillips, courtesy Fine Homebuilding magazine © The Taunton Press, Inc.]

doesn’t last long, so it tends to be a significant part of the waste stream...

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MCS: What is It?

Posted by on 26/ 11/ 15

Multiple Chemical Sensitivity

Multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS), often re­ferred to as environmental illness, is an im­mune and nervous system disorder involving severe reactions to many everyday chemicals and products. For some people MCS occurs with dramatic onset, precipitated by a major chemical exposure or industrial accident. But for most people the condition develops gradu­ally as the result of the cumulative exposures of daily life.

The symptoms of MCS are diverse and unique to each person and can involve any or­gan of the body. Symptoms range from mild to disabling and can sometimes be life threat­ening...

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Shielding Electric Fields Emitted from Refrigerators

Posted by on 26/ 11/ 15

Because refrigerators generate large electric fields, they should be given a dedicated circuit and the wiring should be shielded with one of the recommended metal conduits in order to block the fields. In addition, the metal refrig­erator cabinet should be bonded to the elec­trical ground. Since the compressor motor and defroster will still produce high magnetic fields, the home should be designed with the refrigerator at least 12 feet away from living and sleeping areas.

Gasketed Electrical Boxes

As discussed in the section on air barriers in Division 7, electrical boxes must be sealed in order to make an exterior wall airtight. You may have experienced the flow of air coming through an outlet on a cold day if the boxes are not installed in an airtight manner...

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Maintenance

Posted by on 26/ 11/ 15

It is of great importance that the draining system is working properly, hence regular checks (e. g. Fig 13.44) and maintenance are required. Every drainage system should be designed to ensure that inspection and maintenance operations are possible and accessible. Usually, the cleaning of the drainage system should be done at the end of the summer, but inspections could be intensified in periods of high precipitation. However, at least every 5 years it is fundamental that there is a proper inspection of every part of the drainage system.

The problems that practitioners encounter are manifold. In the WATMOVE ques­tionnaire survey (see www. watmove. org) the following issues were mentioned:

• The drainage system becomes clogged with fine materials,

• Crushed pipes,

• Poor outlet conditio...

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Install the interior-door hardware

Posted by on 26/ 11/ 15

Подпись:

Подпись: Bath fixtures can be mounted on a 1x4 and then screwed securely into wall studs. [Photo by Don Charles Blom]
Install the interior-door hardware

Interior-door handles and locks are installed in essentially the same manner as those used on exterior doors. Most interior doors just require a handle and a latch, or what is commonly known as a passage-door lockset. However, for bedroom and bathroom doors you may want a privacy lock—an interior lockset that locks when you push or turn a button.

Подпись: Vinyl flooring offers beauty, durability, and easy main-tenance. 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 Home-building magazine © The Taunton Press, Inc.]Install the interior-door hardwareInstall the bathroom hardware and fixtures

One of your primary concerns when install­ing fixtures in a bathroom is to make sure they won’t come loose in a month or two. A toilet – paper holder, for example, should be screwed into solid wood and not into drywall alone. This is why we installed backing in the bathroom walls when we framed the walls (see Chapter 4)...

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Ofnoco

Posted by on 26/ 11/ 15

The exterior of the Ofnoco resem­bles the Tarleton and the Lusby. The inside is a blank slate with space to create a tiny home of your own.

Square feet: 36

House width: 6’ House length: 6%’ Road Height: 6’-5”

Dry Weight: 950 lbs

Ceiling height: 4’-3” – sizes are approximate

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TWO WAYS TO FRAME A SOFFIT

Posted by on 26/ 11/ 15

TWO WAYS TO FRAME A SOFFITTWO WAYS TO FRAME A SOFFIT

plywood, or siding boards to the width of the overhang and nail it to the look­outs running up the gable end. Fit the stock tight to the barge rafter, but don’t worry if it fits loosely against the wall, because this joint can be covered by sid­ing and trim. Use 6d galvanized nails or screws, because they won’t go through the sleepers and into the roof covering.

Installing exterior trim

Trim makes a house look neat and invit­ing. It helps give a house its distinctive look. Use good, straight, kiln-dried stock and install it with care so that it will last a long time with little maintenance.

This book deals with just a few of the basic trim options. To begin, I often use 1x cedar or pine for corner boards,

Подпись: At the corners, I often nail a 1x3 on one side and install a 1x4 on the opposite side so that it laps the 1x3. Once lapped, both trim pieces look like a 1x4. (Photo by Roe A. Osborn.)
around windows, and where the siding meets the frieze blocks...

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Testing Plan

Posted by on 26/ 11/ 15

The tests to be performed on site, or in parts of the project, are defined in the testing plan. To verify the characteristics and behaviour of the materials to be used, samples must be taken and tests performed as specified in the contract specifications. These specifications typically define the type and frequency of the tests as illustrated in Table 13.4. The codes used are listed at the end of the Table.

Table 13.4

Tests on soils, rock and aggregates

Embankment materials – Soils

Test code

Number of tests

Periodicity and quantity

PSD, LL, PL, COM, Seq, Cr, PEAA

1 ofeach

For each excavation and/or at each 25 000 m3 excavated, or every time there is an alteration in soil nature.

w, Pd

3 of each

For profile in each layer

Embankment materials – Rock/S...

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Construction and Maintenance of Drainage Systems

Posted by on 26/ 11/ 15

13.7.1 Construction

When construction commences it is necessary to be responsive to the geological and geotechnical conditions encountered and not to adhere to those assumed at the de­sign stage. Therefore the in-situ conditions should be carefully inspected throughout the construction process. Also, care should be taken that the construction activities do not have a deleterious effect on drainage.

The planned drainage systems for a project can only be finalized during the work’s execution, when the local geotechnical conditions are fully understood. Thus, it is important that an adequate specification is produced for the anticipated
type of drainage system and for suitable materials, so that the implementation teams are able to deliver the best solutions.

The many phases which constitut...

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