Blog Archives

Warranting Conditions for Complete Interchange Lighting

Posted by on 22/ 11/ 15

Complete lighting of freeway interchanges is warranted under the following circumstances:

Case CIL-1. Where total current ADT ramp traffic entering and leaving the freeway within the interchange area exceeds 10,000 for urban conditions, 8000 for suburban conditions, or 5000 for rural conditions.

Case CIL-2. Where current ADT on the crossroad exceeds 10,000 for urban con­ditions, 8000 for suburban conditions, or 5000 for rural conditions.

Case CIL-3. Where existing substantial commercial or industrial development, which is lighted, is located in the immediate vicinity of the interchange; or where the crossroad approaches are lighted for at least L mi (0.8 km) on each side of the inter­change.

Case CIL-4...

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Classification of systems

Posted by on 22/ 11/ 15

From the reliability computation viewpoint, classification of the system depends primarily on how system performance is affected by its components or modes of operation. A multiple-component system called a series system (see Fig. 7.1) requires that all its components perform satisfactorily to allow satisfactory performance of the entire system. Similarly, for a single-component system involving several modes of operation, it is also viewed as a series system if satisfactory performance of the system requires satisfactory performance of all its different modes of operation.

A second basic type of system is called a parallel system (see Fig. 7.2)...

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SETTING BEDS

Posted by on 22/ 11/ 15

Tile can be set on a variety of setting beds. Keep in mind that the substrate below the setting bed must be securely attached to the framing mem­bers. That assembly must be thick and stable enough to support loads with minimal deflection (J4(> of the span). And when used in damp or wet areas, it needs to remain unaffected by sustained exposure to water.

Mortar beds. Where walls aren’t plumb, floors aren’t flat, and corners aren’t square, mortar beds are usually the best setting bed. They can easily be screeded level or plumb to create a flat sur­face. In fact, a mortar bed is the only practical choice if you’re tiling the sloping floors of a shower stall. But few novices have enough skill to float a mortar bed. If your surfaces are badly out

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Applying mortar beds takes strength and a ...

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SETTING AND GROUTING

Posted by on 22/ 11/ 15

Setting means positioning and adhering tile to a substrate. Grouting means sealing the joints between tiles with a special mortar.

A notched trowel spreads adhesive. Two edges of the tool are flat, designed to spread the adhe­sive initially. Then on subsequent passes, use the notched edges to comb a series of parallel ridges, which will spread evenly when the tile is pressed into it. Notch height should be about two-thirds the thickness of the tile.

A margin trowel is a utility tool that’s great for mixing small batches of powdered adhesives, cleaning mortar off other trowels, buttering indi­vidual tiles with adhesive, and removing excess grout or adhesive that oozes up between tiles.

Plastic spacers and wedges enable you to shim individual tiles so their edges align to your layout lines...

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Use a drywall router to save time

Posted by on 22/ 11/ 15

Most of the time you can drywall right over door and window openings, attic access holes, and heating vents, then cut around the outlet boxes with an electric drywall router, as shown in the top photo at right. (Get a feel for this tool by making some practice cuts on scrap drywall.)

Make sure the electrical wires are shoved to the back of all the boxes, and double-check to be sure there isn’t power at any of the boxes for which you’re routing holes. Tack the sheet on the ceiling or wall, then mark on the sheet the location of each outlet with a line noting the edge of the box and an “X” showing the side the outlet is on. Don’t nail too near the outlet or you could break the drywall, but be sure to drive enough nails or screws into ceil­ing panels so they won’t fall down.

Set ...

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STARS

Posted by on 22/ 11/ 15

Подпись: Even complicated stairs become easy when broken down into simple tasks. (Photo by Roger Turk.)

Stairs, like roofs, come in many different styles and shapes. There are straight stairs, L-shaped or U-shaped stairs, winders (stairs that change direction over the course of several steps), and even circular stairs. They can be as basic as treads attached to a couple of stringers or as ornate as a double-helix beauty that spirals upward toward the sky. From the simple to the complex, every stair has the same basic purpose: to get us safely from one level to another.

What’s more, every stair uses the same basic layout principles. So building stair­ways, like framing roofs, is actually quite easy to understand if you break the job down into simple tasks. In fact, you don’t need many special skills or tools to build most stairs...

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ORDERING DRYWALL AND ASSOCIATED SUPPLIES

Posted by on 22/ 11/ 15

Like shingles, siding, and insulation, drywall amounts are calculated by the square footage of the area to be covered (in this case, the walls and ceilings). Rather than measuring the ceiling and walls in every room, experienced drywallers use a shortcut calculation. They simply multiply the total square footage of a house by 31/2 (3.5). For instance, a 24-ft. by 36-ft. house has 864 sq. ft. of floor space, and 864 times 3.5 equals 3,024 sq. ft. of drywall coverage. A 4×12 sheet of drywall covers 48 sq. ft. of wall. Dividing 3,024 sq. ft. by 48 proves that you need 63 sheets of drywall for this particular house.

Your drywall order

For the modest-size houses that Habitat builds, it’s best to make up most of your drywall order with 12-ft. drywall pan­els...

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FENCL

Posted by on 22/ 11/ 15

The Fend (pronounced fen-sel) is a combination of the Tarleton and the Weebee. There is a tall cathe­dral ceiling over the great room and lofts over the bathroom, kit­chen and doorway. Like the Wee – bee, this house has a bump-out to accommodate a fold-out bed or a table.

Square feet: 261

With add-on: 356 House width: 14’ House length: 24’ Porch: 6’ x 13%’

Great Room: 9’ x 13%’ Kitchen: 73/V x 8’

Bathroom: 7%’x5’

Addition: 7’ x 93%’

Ceiling height: 7’ 6”

Loft height: 7’ 6”

-sizes are approximate

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WATER RESISTANCE AND DURABILITY

Posted by on 22/ 11/ 15

There are almost as many physical distinctions among tiles as there are tile types, but the most important traits to consider are water resistance and durability.

Water resistance. Here, three of four official categories of tiles include the word vitreous, which means glasslike, and suggest how much the tile will resist or absorb water. The categories are nonvitreous, semivitreous, vitreous, and impervious. Nonvitreous is the most absorptive, and impervious the most water resistant.

Use nonvitreous tiles on dry areas, such as interior fireplace surrounds and hearths. Use semivitreous or better on shower walls, tub sur­rounds, backsplashes, and areas that are inter­mittently wet...

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Trimming rafter tails

Posted by on 22/ 11/ 15

Before the fascia can be nailed in place, the rafter tails must be marked and cut to length. The overhang can be easily measured out from the wall. If, for example, the overhang is 12 in. and the fascia stock is a 2x (1 Vi in. thick), mea­sure straight out from the building line

Trimming rafter tails

Measure straight out from the building on the gable-end rafters ЮУ2 in. and make a mark. This will be the cut line. (Photo by Roe A. Osborn.)

 

101/2 in. and mark this point on the bottom edge of the rafters at both ends of the building (see the photo on the facing page). Snap a chalkline across the rafters, including the barges, to connect the marks. Use the rafter-cutting tem­plate you made earlier to mark the plumb cut on the rafter tails (see the photo below).

A professional carpenter can walk...

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