Blog Archives

Calculating individual risers and treads

Posted by on 23/ 11/ 15

Once you’ve determined the total rise of a set of stairs, you can calculate exactly how many steps are needed to get to the second floor and how high each step will be. The total rise for a typical two-story house with 8-ft. walls (accounting for plates, studs, and joists) is often around 109 in., so I use this number in my calculations. Just remem­ber that the first point in building any set of stairs is to measure the actual total rise accurately.

Some codes allow an individual riser to be up to 8 in. high. This is too steep for most of us and makes going up the

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stairway like climbing a mountain. But people tend to take shallow steps two at a time, which can be just as uncomfort­able and dangerous...

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MAKING A DRYWALL-PANEL LIFTER

Posted by on 23/ 11/ 15

MAKING A DRYWALL-PANEL LIFTERThis small lever comes in handy when you’re installing the bottom course of drywall panels. By wedging the beveled edge of the tool un­der a bottom panel and stepping on the outboard end, you can lever the bottom panel against the bottom edge of the top panel and hold it there until you drive a few fasteners. Although you can buy a panel lifter, it’s easy to make one. Cut a piece of 1×4 about 16 in. long, then cut a taper on the flat face at one end. If the drywall must be lifted more than 3/i in., add a piece of 1 x2 to the bottom of the lifter.

Подпись: TYPICAL FASTENING SCHEDULES FOR DRYWALLMAKING A DRYWALL-PANEL LIFTER

Install J-bead

Window trimmers and headers are often wrapped in drywall. The same is true of trim­mers and headers in closets where bifold or bypass doors will be installed...

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MEASURING AND LAYOUT

Posted by on 23/ 11/ 15

Whenever possible, hold a trim piece in place and use a pencil or a utility knife to mark the cut-line. This is usually more accurate than transferring tape-measure readings.

Tape measures are frequently used to measure trim longer than 6 ft. Check your tape measure to be sure that the hook at the tape end isn’t bent and that the rivet slot hasn’t become elongated from the hook’s repeated slamming into the case—either of which will give inaccurate read­ings. However, for best accuracy, start measure­ments from the 1-in. mark, remembering to deduct 1 in. when taking readings.

A 6-ft. folding rule with a sliding-brass exten­sion is best for readings less than 6 ft. because the rigid rule won’t flop around as a tape meas­ure will. Unfold the rule to its greatest length
between two points...

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Rut Depth Predictions

Posted by on 23/ 11/ 15

A first series of ORNI calculations was performed considering only the rutting of the UGM layer, and assuming different temperatures in the bituminous wearing course (between 15° and 35°, corresponding approximately to the range of temperatures measured in-situ). The results are presented on Fig. 11.18. It can be seen that the temperature in the bituminous wearing course has a large influence on the permanent deformations of the UGM (the temperature affects the modulus of the bituminous material and, therefore, the stresses transmitted to the granular base).

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Figure 11.19 presents the results of a second series of calculations where the rutting of the subgrade soil was also taken into account...

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Test Results

Posted by on 23/ 11/ 15

Durability tests of asphalt mixtures, especially those intended for wearing courses, have become commonly used around the world (Hobeda, 2000; Sybilski and Mechowski, 1996). The above-average durability of SMA has been emphasized in numerous publications so they will not be described here. This durability is the result of a high binder content and a thicker binder coating on an aggregate that has the same content of air voids as AC.

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BASES

Posted by on 23/ 11/ 15

Breakaway luminaire poles are designed to yield at their base attachment to the foun­dation. There are numerous types of bases currently in service. Some of these are designed for breakaway operation and others are not designed to yield. The nonyielding types have application where vehicle speeds are low and the danger from a falling pole is greater than the hazard of hitting the rigidly mounted pole. A description of the most common base types follows. Not all of these bases are crashworthy.

Direct Burial Base. The direct burial base allows the pole to be directly embedded in the soil. It is the most economical, since it eliminates the need for a foundation. It is the common type of base for wood and is used frequently with concrete and fiberglass reinforced plastic (FRP) poles...

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Nonistanidardized Methods

Posted by on 23/ 11/ 15

These methods are normally based on similar assumptions—namely, in saturating a mixture with water (with or without negative pressure, that is a vacuum) and holding it there at a fixed temperature for a given time. Afterward, a strength test is con­ducted, most often using one of the following methods:

• Marshall stability

• Resilient modulus at different temperatures

• Indirect tensile strength

The comparison of results for specimens conditioned in water with those untreated in water determines the water resistance of an asphalt mixture.

In an extended variant, specimens saturated with water are subjected to many cycles of freezing and thawing to find the mixture’s susceptibility to water and frost...

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The Yellow River, a terrible friend

Posted by on 23/ 11/ 15

The first historical treatise from China dates from around 100 BC. This is the work of Sima Qian,[382] who had an official position in the court of the Emperor Wudi of the Hans at the beginning of the imperial era. Sima Qian revived and perpetuated the legendary attribution of the ancient course of the Yellow River to Yu the Great, undoubtedly with some measure of exaggeration. He gives us a rather precise description of the ancient course (Figures 8.2 and 8.3):

“The documents of the Xia Dynasty tell us that Emperor Yu spent thirteen years controlling and bringing an end to the floods and during that period, though he passed by the very gate of his own house, he did not take the time to enter.

Of all the rivers, the Yellow River caused the greatest damage to China by overflowing its bank...

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Case Study: The Sunroom at Earthwood

Posted by on 23/ 11/ 15

I

’ve been practicing “timber framing for the rest of us” since 1975, but I never thought I’d write a book about it, so I wasn’t careful about photographing the methods. When students at Earthwood said they really wanted a book on the subject, Jaki and I decided to build a second-story sunroom. We didn’t really need the space, but figured that it would be a great photo opportunity for the book. Also, the ceiling was leaking in the room below the existing sitting deck and we needed a project for cordwood workshops, so we figured we had enough reasons build it. Now it’s our favorite room, especially on sunny winter days.

With the book in mind, I deliberately used a variety of timber-framing techniques.

Design Overview of the Project

I have renovated old houses and started...

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Adjusting Reference Lines

Posted by on 23/ 11/ 15

It is common that concrete foundations or slabs are not the exact dimensions that are shown on the plans. These need to be identified and corrected.

Common sense and experience are the best decision-making tools for approaching and correcting errors. Once you have your footprint sketch with the dimensions and square checks on it, you’ll be able to determine if there are any errors.

If a diagonal line is too long, then some of the lines at the end of the diagonal must come
in to make the diagonal the right length. (See “Square Correction" illustration.) Check the wall dimensions lines to see which lines can be shortened. Once you’ve determined the best way to make adjustments, speak to the superintendent about your suggestions...

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