Blog Archives

UTILITIES/UTILITY EASEMENTS

Posted by on 25/ 11/ 15

One of the most prohibitive local residential land development regulations requires placement of all utilities in public rights-of-way. A viable, less costly alternative is installation of utilities outside of the ROW in easements.

Following are guidelines for utilities and utility easements:

• Place utilities in easements instead of rights-of-way where appropriate.

• Use plastic piping in underground gas systems.

• Install direct buried phone, cable TV and electric lines.

• Use common trenching for multiple utility installations.

Подпись: Easements/ Rights-of-Way Utility easements are an acceptable procedure in many areas of the country. Benefits of easements compared to rights-of-way are detailed in the Streets section...

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Current Techniques

Posted by on 25/ 11/ 15

13.4.1 Lateral Drains

In order to stop water getting into a pavement foundation and to avoid the con­sequent reduction of its support capability, the construction of ditches or trenches is a common procedure. They are usually filled with highly permeable material, wrapped in geotextile and with a perforated tube or porous material near the bottom. Alternatively a geo-composite based drainage system, known as a “fin” drain, may be used. Fin drains are, typically, only a few centimetres thick. Trenches or ditches are, usually, excavated by digging plant while narrow trenches for geo-synthetic fin drains may be dug or may be saw-cut.

These types of systems, named longitudinal drains, are placed in parallel with the road’s centre line, usually at the edge of the pavement structure, and wi...

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REQUIREMENTS FOR CONSTITUENT MATERIALS

Posted by on 25/ 11/ 15

Only constituents with an established suitability are allowed to be used for SMA mixtures. The established suitability means meeting the material requirements of the following:

• A European standard

• A European technical approval (ETA)

• A documented, positive experience with a specific kind of material in the past in which the reference documents confirm the suitability of the material (e. g., test results combined with observations in places of performance)

14.4.1 Binders

Road (paving grade) binder according to EN 12591 and polymer modified binder according to EN 14023 have been used in SMAs. SMA mixtures containing chemi­cally modified binders, which are not classified by the standard EN 14023, are not covered by the clauses of the standard EN 13108-5...

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The Ideal Heating for Room Climate and Health

Posted by on 25/ 11/ 15

Because humans do not have the ability to with­stand the natural elements, we wear clothes and build shelters. In cold climates we heat those shel­ters. Many systems have been invented for heating the home, but not all systems are created equal. After examining the criteria that create health and a comfortable indoor climate, I chose to focus my career on the creation of Kachelofens, or masonry oven heating systems, because of their superior quality and performance. A Kachelofen-Masonry Heater is an individually designed, technically cal­culated, thermal mass wood-fired heating system.

From a Building Biology point of view, let us ex­amine the criteria for creating a comfortable and healthy indoor environment and discover why the Masonry Heater is one of the best heating systems for mee...

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PREPPING RAW DRYWALL OR PLASTER

Posted by on 25/ 11/ 15

Newly installed drywall must be sealed before you hang wallcoverings. Otherwise, the drywall’s paper face will absorb paste, making it impossi­ble to remove the covering at a future date with­out damaging the drywall face. To seal drywall, apply a coat of universal primer-sealer, which is an excellent base coat for papering and painting.

Plaster must be well cured before you apply either wallcovering or paint. Uncured plaster contains alkali that is still warm, causing the paint and paste to bubble. "Hot plaster” has a dull appearance, whereas cured plaster has a slight sheen. Curing time varies, but keeping the house warm will hasten it. Cured plaster can also be coated with universal primer-sealer.

Laying Out the Work

Before ordering materials, walk the room and determine if the wall...

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Forge bellows and hydraulic energy for metallurgy

Posted by on 25/ 11/ 15

According to tradition Tu Shih, the prefect of Nanyang, “loved the common people and wanted to lighten their work”. This is why he decided in 31 AD to use hydraulic ener­gy to power forge bellows, as we have seen earlier. Later in about 238 AD it is once again a man of Nanyang who spreads this technique to other metallurgical centers:

Forge bellows and hydraulic energy for metallurgy

“Han Chi, when Prefect of Lo-Ling, was made Superintendent of Metallurgical Production. The old method was to use horse-power for the blowing-engines, and each picul of refined wrought (iron) took the work of a hundred horses. Man-power was also used, but that too was exceedingly expensive. So Han Chi adapted the furnace bellows to the use of ever-flowing water, and an efficiency three times greater than before was attained...

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Other Considerations

Posted by on 25/ 11/ 15

From a pavement point of view, it is desirable to keep the aggregates in the pavement as dry as reasonably possible – so as to promote strength, stiffness and resistance to deterioration (see Chapters 8-10) – but the pervious pavement concept is directly in opposition to the general principle. Therefore other strategies have to be taken to make sure that the pavement provides sufficient strength, stiffness and durability for traffic loading. Normally this requires particular attention to aggregate quality. While, typically, aggregates to a 4-40 mm grading range, or similar, are required to ensure a suitable pore space for water storage, their requirement for durability may be higher than conventionally...

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STEPS Install the Countertops

Posted by on 25/ 11/ 15

Many types of countertops are available these days, but the most common type of affordable countertop is plastic laminate applied over particleboard or MDE Laminate countertops come in many colors and styles. Remember that if you choose this type of countertop, scratches show up more on dark surfaces than on lighter ones. Also, be aware that very hot pans can leave burn marks on laminate countertops. Sometimes, a countertop is also needed in a bathroom, but often the bath vanity comes with a countertop and a sink already attached. A plumber usually installs that type of cabinet.

A countertop ends where it meets a wall or stove and extends 1 in. or so beyond the end of the last cabinet...

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ACOUSTICAL CONCEPTS

Posted by on 25/ 11/ 15

Figure 9.1 illustrates the fundamental function of a noise barrier. The noise source is traffic, particularly large truck traffic, which generates noise by the action of tires on pavement, the drive train, the engine, and the exhaust. The receiver or receptor can be defined as the location where land use results in exposure to highway traffic noise for an hour or more per day. It may typically be set at 5 ft (1.5 m) above ground or at window level. Acoustical design includes controlling noise that passes over the wall and is diffracted to the receiver, noise that is transmitted through the wall, and noise that is reflected from the wall.

Noise levels are expressed in dBA, decibels measured with a frequency weighting network corresponding to the A scale on a standard sound-level meter...

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IDENTIFICATION OF AN SMA MIXTURE

Posted by on 25/ 11/ 15

The standard stipulates that each delivery ticket should furnish at least the following information:

• Name of the manufacturer and mixing plant

• Mix identification code

• Designation of the mixture in the format

SMA D binder

where D is the maximum aggregate size in millimeters and binder is the binder type. For example, SMA 11 50/70 denotes an SMA mixture with a gradation up to D = 11.2 mm, with the road binder 50/70 (according to EN 12591).

Apart from the aforementioned information, a manufacturer should also provide the following: [73]

• Details regarding the compliance of a mixture with requirements concern­ing resistance to fuel and resistance to deicing fluids (if the delivery applies to an airfield)

• Details of additives used

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