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Posted by on 11/ 11/ 15

Site, Design, Permits, and Preparation

Building a house is a long journey, and one of the most important characteris­tics you can possess is optimism. In this context, I often think about President Jimmy Carter, who has done so much to promote the work of Habitat for Humanity. Over the years, he and his wife Rosalynn have helped build nearly 3,000 houses in the sincere belief that decent housing can be made available to every human being. As you take your first steps toward building a house, remember Mr. Carter’s optimistic attitude, and make it your own.

The homebuilding process can be intimidating, especially if you haven’t been through a house construction project from start to finish. This book is here to help you...

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PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION

Posted by on 11/ 11/ 15

The Highway Engineering Handbook has been developed by knowledgeable engineers to serve as a comprehensive reference source for those involved in highway design. This handbook is broad in scope, presenting information on topics ranging from environmental issues to value engineering, from the design of culverts, lighting, and noise walls to the design of safety systems, retaining walls, and bridges. In addition, such fundamental subjects as location and pavement design are fully discussed.

This volume should be useful to a wide range of personnel involved in highway design and construction, including consulting engineers; engineers employed by departments of transportation in federal, state, and local governments; those involved with turnpike authorities; and engineering educators...

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INTRODUCTION TO FRAMING

Posted by on 11/ 11/ 15

I’m a framing contractor. I’ve spent most of my career as a lead framer, directing my framing crews and training workers to become framers. In my teaching, I found that much of the information I needed was not available in a good book, so I wrote one, Framing & Rough Carpentry. As I started spending more of my time training and working with lead framers, I again looked for a good, easy-to-understand reference. I didn’t find what I needed, so I wrote another book, Advanced Framing Methods, that provides all the information a framer needs to move up to the next level-becoming a lead framer...

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WOOD SHINGLES AND SHAKES

Posted by on 11/ 11/ 15

Shingle wear will almost always be greater on a south-facing roof because that side gets the most sun. If shingle ends are cupping and splitting, plan to reroof soon.

Mossy shingles or shakes are common in wet climates and on shady roof sections. Although moss-covered shingles can be relatively sound, the condition will induce rot because moss retains water.

If the house is in a fire-risk area, insurers may refuse to give a policy on a wood-shingle or wood-shake roof. In this case, replace it with noncombustible roofing.

SLATE SHINGLES

Do not attempt to walk on slate roofs. Even when dry, they’re slippery. They’re also brittle and so break easily.

Off-color areas may indicate replacement shingles for those that suffered damage from a tree branch...

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ASPHALT SHINGLES

Posted by on 11/ 11/ 15

If the granular surface of asphalt shingles is worn and if shingles are cupped and dog-eared, it’s time for a new roof. Ditto if gutters contain a sig­nificant amount of gravel washed off the surface of the shingles.

If the roofing is lumpy and uneven, it proba­bly has two or more layers of shingles that weren’t well installed and so need to be stripped to the sheathing before reroofing.

Do you see odd-colored shingles? If so, they are probably patches over old leaks. Or if the roof is relatively new and shingles are worn in only one area, perhaps one bundle of shingles was defective.

A roof less than 5 years old with a large num­ber of loose or missing shingles indicates that the installer’s power nailer was set too deep and drove the nails too far through the shingles...

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DIFFERENCES IN SMAs AROUND THE WORLD

Posted by on 11/ 11/ 15

To summarize the status of SMAs around the world in regard to the design of mix­tures and their aggregate gradations, two general trends consist of the following:

• German SMAs and others made by those more-or-less faithful to German guidelines have evolved somewhat based on long-standing systematic observations and experiences in SMA technology

• Research and development continues on new ways of designing SMAs; U. S. and Dutch techniques may be representative of that trend (see Chapter 7).

Various mixtures worldwide are referred to as SMA although they may differ greatly from Dr. Zichner’s invention. Some of these variants should, in principle, actually be called something besides SMA...

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Contributors

Posted by on 11/ 11/ 15

The following have contributed to this book. Where a name is shown in bold, he or she is a contributor to one of the main chapters. Where a name is shown in bold and italics, the person was a contributor to one of the main chapters but not a member of the COST 351 project. Special thanks is due to these authors for being external contributors to the book. The others listed were members of the COST 351 project team but their contribution has not been separately identified. This doesn’t

mean that it was an unimportant part__ in several cases these people have made

major contributions in editing, providing material, organizing the appendices, etc. Some of those listed only participated in the COST 351 Action for a short period...

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Techniques HIRING A CONTRACTOR

Posted by on 11/ 11/ 15

IF YOU’RE BUILDING A HOUSE, somewhere along the line you’ll likely need to hire a contractor. Whether it’s a surveyor, excavator, foundation con­tractor, plumber, electrician, or other tradesperson, you’ll want to choose carefully. Regardless of the job, always get bids from at least three contractors. Ask questions about their work, ask to see other work they have done, and ask for names of former clients, then follow up by talking with some of their previous clients. Finally, before hiring anyone, call your state contractor’s board to see whether any complaints have ever been filed against your prospective contractor. (Look in the blue pages of the phone book for the appropriate department within your state’s consumer-protection division.)

When you interview each contractor, pay atten­...

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Every House Needs an Energy Audit

Posted by on 11/ 11/ 15

■ BY JEFFERSON KOLLE

I

n the bill from her gas company, Leslie MacKensie of Minneapolis learned that she could have a free energy audit performed on her house, so she made an appointment. After assessing the 1915 bungalow, the audi­tors showed her air leaks and other problems that resulted in a monthly bill of $110. The auditors left her with weatherstripping and foam-insulation pads to install, along with a list of other needed improvements.

Chipping away at the list has had dramat­ic results. Even after she expanded her home with a small addition, her current gas bill averages only $80 a month. "Almost as im­portant," she says, "is that now our home is really comfortable to live in all year round."

Home-energy auditing—the process of diagnosing and recommending improve­ments to ...

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STEP 1 Obtain a Site

Posted by on 11/ 11/ 15

The first step in building a house is finding a place to put it. This is not a step to be taken lightly. There are many factors to consider, not the least of which are the exact location of property lines, the setback requirements (the distance a house must be set back from prop­erly lines), and whether there are any ease­ments or restrictions on what or where you can build.

Soil characteristics are important when choosing a building site. We once built a house in Montana where 6 in. of topsoil hid large boulders, making it impossible to dig trenches by hand. Building on expansive clay soil requires extra precautions. Learn about the lot’s zoning, whether its situated in a Hood plain or on a wetland, and whether any haz­ardous materials are, or have ever been, pres­ent...

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