Blog Archives

VALUE ENGINEERING JOB PLAN CONCEPT

Posted by on 26/ 11/ 15

As discussed by Wilson (see David C. Wilson, “Value Engineering Applications in Transportation,” NCHRP Synthesis 352, Transportation Research Board, 2005), the VE process may be referred to as the job plan, a defined sequence of activities that are undertaken before, during, and after a VE workshop. During the VE workshop, the VE team learns about the background issues, defines and classifies the project (or product or process) functions, identifies creative approaches to provide the functions, and then evaluates, develops, and presents the VE proposals to key decision makers. It is the focus on the functions that the project, product, or process must perform that sets VE apart from other quality-improvement or cost-reduction approaches.

The job plan consists of three work streams that...

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Sealing Systems for Environmental Protection

Posted by on 26/ 11/ 15

13.5.1 Sub-Soil Barriers

Sealing systems can be laid during construction to prevent contaminated water from moving in an undesired direction or to keep natural groundwater separate from contaminated road runoff and road construction seepage waters. In many places in which geomembrane barriers could be placed, spillage of petroleum and diesel from vehicles is a possibility. Sealing systems are used for sealing highways and embankments.

During the design of a sealing system the designer should take into account the sensitivity of the area, crossfall and alignment of the road...

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PIPING CONSIDERATIONS

Posted by on 26/ 11/ 15

There are some additional piping considerations for plumbers to observe. septic tanks are designed to handle routine sewage. They are not meant to modify chemical discharges and high volumes of water. If, as a plumber, you pipe the discharge from a sump pump into the sanitary plumbing system, which you are not supposed to do, the increased volume of water in the tank could disrupt its normal operation.

GAS CONCENTRATIONS

Подпись: been there done that Chemical drain openers used in high quantities can also destroy the natural order of a septic tank. Chemicals from photography labs are another risk plumbers should be aware of when piping drainage to a septic system. Gas concentrations in a septic tank can cause problems for plumbers. The gases collected in a septic tank have the poten­tial to explode. If you remove the top of a septic tank with a flame close by, you might be blown up. Also, breathing the gases for an extended period of time can cause health problems.

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Shimming

Posted by on 26/ 11/ 15

Shims are time-consuming to use and tend to fall out as wood shrinks. You can eliminate shims if you use the clipping technique to hold trimmers secure­ly in place (see p. 130). Clipping will also allow you to nail the jamb directly to the trimmer.

For many years, trim carpenters have been using drywall screws in place of shims. Screws work as adjustable shims. They can be driven into the bot­tom plate, for example, to hold baseboard plumb and square. You can also use screws to help level, plumb, and square cabinets as you install them.

On the rare occasion when I need a shim (as when I want to pry two boards apart), I can quickly make one by ripping a slice off the edge of a 2x.

If you set the trimmers plumb so that the rough opening is 1A in...

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Road Wastewater Treatment Options

Posted by on 26/ 11/ 15

The following figures illustrate some options for treatment systems. Figure 13.29 shows a system where little or no treatment is needed. Figures 13.30 and 13.31 show situations in which progressively more treatment is provided, while Figs. 13.32 and 13.33 show situations in which “hard” treatment solutions with settlement, reten­tion and infiltration tanks are provided in some manner. Sometimes settlement and retention tanks can be entirely fabricated from concrete, on other occasions they can be formed of excavations in soil at a location where settlement of solids onto and in the soil is acceptable as the soil has been carefully selected and prepared to prevent

Fig. 13.31 Environment with extremely high sensitivity

long distance movement of the contaminants (e. g...

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SANDING FLOORS

Posted by on 25/ 11/ 15

A quick review: Shut off all pilot lights, seal off doorways, open windows for ventilation, wear a respirator mask and ear protection, start with the least aggressive sandpaper, and lower the sander drum only when the machine is moving.

Start sanding with the drum sander. Sanding with the direction of the wood grain cuts less aggressively and minimizes scratches that must be sanded out later. However, if there are high spots that need to be sanded down or if the floor is painted, sand diagonally to the wood grain on the first pass, then with the grain on all subse­quent passes. (The diagonal angle should be 15° to 30° from the direction of the floorboards.) If you must sand the first pass diagonally, use the same grit on the second pass, as you sand with the grain...

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DO THEY HURT A SEPTIC SYSTEM?

Posted by on 25/ 11/ 15

What about garbage disposers, do they hurt a septic system? The answers offered to this question vary from yes to maybe to no. Many people, including numerous code enforcement offices, believe garbage disposers should not be used in conjunction with septic sys­tems. Other people disagree and believe that disposers have no adverse effect on a septic system.

it is possible for the waste of a disposer to make it into the distribution pipes and drain field. If this happens, the risk for clogging is elevated. An­other argument against disposers is the increased load of solids they put on a septic tank. Obviously, the amount of solid waste will depend on the fre­quency with which the disposer is used.

What is my opinion? My opinion is that disposers increase the risk of sep­tic system failure...

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Cooking Options Pit Efficiency against Cost

Posted by on 25/ 11/ 15

More efficient cooking saves energy and money directly, of course, but by keeping waste heat out of the kitchen, it also saves on air-conditioning. Although this impact might not be huge in a typical home, it can make a difference. As a rule, electric cooking appliances are more efficient than gas-fueled ones. But the relative price of natural gas versus electricity often makes natural-gas- fueled appliances a more economical choice. Gas cooktops also afford better heat control than their electric counterparts.

Because their functions are so different, it’s important to consider cooktops and ov­ens separately, even though they might be combined in a stand-alone kitchen range.

Gas Ovens Draw Electricity, Too

With ovens, rapid heat-up and cooldown aren’t as important as with cooktops, mak­i...

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Trick of the trade

Posted by on 25/ 11/ 15

When doing finish work (particularly when remodel­ing an older structure), carpenters often run up against crooked floors, walls, and ceilings. I’ve found that when things are out of plumb or level, it’s best to build parallel to that. The eye can see two lines that go away from each other much easier than it can see plumb or level. So, for example, if a win­dow opening is out of plumb and can’t be fixed, and if surrounding trim is parallel to the out-of-plumb
opening, go ahead and set the window slightly out of plumb too. This way the side of the window will at least run parallel with the opening and be pleasing to the eye. This is particularly true when placing a new window next to an existing window or door that isn’t exactly plumb...

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Style and Use Determine Efficiency

Posted by on 25/ 11/ 15

WHAT TO AVOID

Style and Use Determine EfficiencyПодпись: Frugal features. The most popular features with consumers—such as automatic defrosting and through-the- door ice and water dispensers—are not always the most energy efficient. Still, Maytag®'s Ice20® refrigerator meets Energy Star requirements and is equipped with two potentially energy-saving features: an alarm that alerts homeowners to a refrigerator door left ajar and a vacation mode that saves energy by limiting automatic defrosting when the fridge isn't opened for several days.
• Through-the-door ice and water dispensers. Both the lost insulation and the additional cooling coils in a through – the-door ice and water dispenser increase electricity consumption.

• Подпись:Automatic ice makers. Ice makers con­sume energy, though exactly how much is difficult to determine.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR

• The Energy Star label. The U. S. Environ­mental Protection Agency confers its En­ergy Star label on models that are at least 20% more energy efficient than the federal minimum. Shopping for this label is an easy way to be sure the refrigerator you choose is not an energy waster.

• Freezers on top or bottom. Side-by-side refrigerators use more energy.

• Manual defrost cycles. The most energy – efficient refrigerators and freezers

have manual defrost, although the...

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