Blog Archives

Choosing a Foundation

Posted by on 13/ 11/ 15

 

FOUNDATION TYPES VARY by

region. When deciding which type of foundation to use, consider the cost, climate, and local preferences. The three major foundation types are discussed below.

 

rough or finished floor for the first level of the building. This explains why slab foundations are less expen­sive than other types. Because con­crete has poor insulativc qualities, slab foundations are often insulated with rigid foam. Plumbing waste lines are typically cast into the slab, so thev must be carefulIv laid out

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and installed first. Plumbing supply – lines and tubes for radiant floor heat­ing can also be cast into a slab.

Types of Slab Foundations

Concrete slabs can be poured inside stem walls that bear on conventional footings...

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COMMONSENSE SAFETY

Posted by on 13/ 11/ 15

► Stay off the roof unless you have a compelling reason to be on it. Besides being hazardous to you, walking on a roof can damage roofing materials.

► If you must work on a roof, have a second person within earshot in case you fall or need occasional help.

► Don’t venture up when the roof is wet or near freezing or extremely warm. When wet, most roofing materials are slippery. Cold asphalt shingles are brittle; warm asphalt can stretch and tear. Always wear shoes with soft nonslip soles.

► Position ladder feet securely away from the building about one-quarter of the ladder’s extended length. Never lean sideways from a ladder. If you can’t reach something while keeping your hips within ladder sides, move the ladder.

► When installing a roof, use scaffolding with a safety rail...

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Techniques VENTING A CRAWL-SPACE FOUNDATION—OR NOT

Posted by on 13/ 11/ 15

  Techniques VENTING A CRAWL-SPACE FOUNDATION—OR NOT

of the building. For appearance’s sake, most builders try to leave vents off the front of the building.

If you need to install crawl-space vents, there are several ways to do so. Some factory-made vents are designed for installation in openings formed in

 

Techniques VENTING A CRAWL-SPACE FOUNDATION—OR NOT

 

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Artificial Slag Aggregates

Posted by on 13/ 11/ 15

Slags of different sorts may be used in SMA mixtures, providing they meet suit­able requirements. For example, in Europe these can be determined in the National

Application Documents for the EN 13043 standard; examples were presented in Table 5.2 (for more information, see Chapter 14). When considering the possibility of using slag in an asphalt mixture, one should remember the following specific properties for these aggregates:

• The density could sometimes be substantially different from that of crushed rock aggregates and can be variable; when designing an SMA mixture using the weight method, differences can manifest themselves in differing volume relations between mixture components.

• The binder content should be determined carefully; a higher density of an aggregate mix usually br...

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RECLAIMED ASPHALT

Posted by on 13/ 11/ 15

Generally, most regulations do not recommend using reclaimed asphalt or simply do not allow recycling old asphalt layers into SMA. However, some good test results do exist for SMA mixtures with reclaimed asphalt (Perez et al., 2004).

The requirements for reclaimed asphalt to be used for SMA according to the EN 13108-5 standard are discussed in Chapter 14.

5.2 OTHER MATERIALS

5.5.1 Natural Asphalt

Some results of the use of natural asphalt as an additive to road binder manufac­tured in a refinery are cited in relevant literature (Hausler and Arand, undated; Radenberg, 1997). Natural asphalt is usually added to increase resistance to perma­nent deformation.

The requirements for natural asphalts have also been cited in the EN 13108-4 standard, Annex B.

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Roofs

Posted by on 13/ 11/ 15

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A roof is a building’s most important layer of defense against water, wind, and sun. Properly constructed and maintained, a roof deflects rain and snowmelt, and routes them away from other house surfaces. Historically, roof materials have included straw, clay tile, wood, and slate. Although many of these materials are still used, most roofs installed today are asphalt-based composites.

If roofs consisted simply of two sloping planes, covering them would be easy. But today’s roofs have protruding vent pipes, chimneys, sky­lights, dormers, and the like—all potentially water dams and channels that need to be flashed to guide water around them...

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Aesthetics

Posted by on 13/ 11/ 15

Today’s market suggests that, for many of us, the perceived prestige of enor­mity takes precedence over design and even structural integrity when choos – sing a home. It seems that even a shoddy status symbol, with its expansive vinyl walls and snap-on plastic window grills, can somehow connote distinc­tion. The finer qualities of design have become as difficult to market as they are to achieve, so they are being replaced by highly-prized square footage.

Подпись: A house in Bodega, CA Just as something is typically appre­ciated as good or beautiful when it is deemed necessary, it will be con­demned as ugly or evil when it is considered pointless. Under the right circumstances, murder becomes hero­ism and trash turns into treasure...

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Pedestrian Facilities

Posted by on 13/ 11/ 15

When pedestrian facilities are to be constructed or reconstructed as part of project plans, the facilities should be designed to accommodate the disabled. Guidance in design of pedestrian facilities with access for the disabled is available (Ref. 11).

Walks. Walks should be provided in urban areas where pedestrian traffic currently exists or is planned in the future. Walks may be provided in rural areas where they will have sufficient use in relation to cost and safety. Walks are usually made of concrete, although asphalt or gravel may be used under special circumstances. Concrete walks are usually 4 in (100 mm) thick. At drive locations, the thickness is increased to 6 in (150 mm), or the drive thickness, whichever is greater...

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Going Beyond the Call of Duty

Posted by on 13/ 11/ 15

Подпись: [Photo : Anna Carter]

KEN AND MICHELLE AMDAHL moved into their Habitat house just before Christmas of 1997. Since then, they’ve both contributed countless volunteer hours to many other Habitat projects in Winneshiek County, Iowa. That in itself isn’t so unusual, but the Amdahls aren’t your average volun­teers or Habitat homeowners.

Ken, though developmentally dis­abled, not only built the retaining walls for his own house, which is situ­ated on a steeply sloped lot, but he also designed and built the retaining walls for several other Habitat proj­ects in his neighborhood, as well as for projects with other affiliates. A tireless and meticulous worker, Ken also serves as a member of his chap­
ter’s construction committee and participates in other aspects of the affiliates activities.

Not to be outdone b...

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