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What type of

Posted by on 21/ 11/ 15

construction system?

Roofs are constructed either with rafters (stick-framed roofs) or with trusses. Stick-framed roofs are usually made with dimension lumber but may also use com­posite materials such as I-joist rafters (see 151-154).

Stick framing originated before the development of balloon-frame construction in the 19th century. Antecedents of the modern stick-framed roof can be seen on ancient roofs around the world, and modern stick-frame roofing remains popular because it is the most flexible roof-framing system and the materials are least expensive.

Trusses are made of a number of small members (usually 2x4s) joined in a factory or shop to make one long structural assembly. Only in very simple buildings does the labor savings of a truss system compete with stick framing.

What type of

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Wall Bracing

Posted by on 21/ 11/ 15

Wall bracing is needed to keep buildings from falling. Sheathing the exterior walls is a typical way to provide bracing. The architect, engineer, or whoever creates the plans will specify when any special bracing is needed. Although you don’t need to know everything about wall bracing, it is good to have a basic understanding of it.

Two common exceptions to these methods are:

(1) the short wall often used for garages, and

(2) the 24" wide corner wall. Note that cripple walls have their own requirements.

The IBC states that braced wall panels must be clearly indicated on the plans. However, this is not always the case in the real world. Although shear walls are usually marked on the plans, braced wall panels often are not.

The IBC and IRC contain a table that shows braced wall panel limitat...

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Kitchens and Baths

Posted by on 21/ 11/ 15

Подпись: Built in an Edwardian-Era spirit, this Piedmont, California, kitchen has 11-ft. ceilings; a massive marble and brass stove hood; a porcelain, steel, and cast-iron stove; and 2-ft.-sq. colored cast-concrete floor tiles you can clomp around on in big shoes.image621

No other rooms are renovated as often as kitchens and bathrooms, in part, because we’ve changed the way we live. In the old days, home­owners regarded kitchens and bathrooms as drab utility rooms, best situated at the back of the house, away from guests. Times change. These days, if you throw a party, everybody hangs out in the kitchen. Bathrooms aren’t exactly Spartan anymore, either. Today’s kitchens and baths contain so many cabinets, counters, fixtures, and appliances that it takes careful planning to make them all fit—and still have room for people to move around. This chapter will help with that.

Kitchen Planning

The best kitchens can accommodate your per­sonal tastes and lifestyles as well as your physical characteristics, such as your height.

WHAT GOES ON IN YOUR KITCHEN?

Star...

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Water Influence on Mechanical Behaviour of Pavements: Experimental Investigation

Posted by on 21/ 11/ 15

Cane Cekerevac[24], Susanne Baltzer, Robert Charlier, Cyrille Chazallon, Sigur0ur Erlingsson, Beata Gajewska, Pierre Hornych, Cezary Kraszewski and Primoz Pavsic

Abstract This chapter presents laboratory and in-situ experimental techniques used to describe the mechanical behaviour of pavement material at different saturation stages. The use of repeated triaxial load testing to obtain stiffness characteristics as well as the ability of the material to withstand accumulation of permanent de­formation during cyclic loading is considered. For unsaturated soils, in addition to mechanical variables, it is shown that a moisture/suction control should be added. Several techniques are described to assist in this...

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Water-purifying devices

Posted by on 21/ 11/ 15
The modern equipment for water purification comprises very wide range of different devices - from enough small-sized home filters to the large-scale systems solving more difficult problems. Systems of the water-purifying equipment can differ from each other read more

TRUSS ROOFS

Posted by on 21/ 11/ 15

Truss roofs are engineered structures built in a factory. They combine the roof rafters (top chord) and ceiling joists (bot­tom chord) into one unit. Wooden braces, called web members, run between the chords, adding strength to the truss. Because of this, trusses can span long distances, bearing only on the outside walls. So rooms can be larger and door headers smaller than in a stick – built roof because they are not supporting ceiling joists or rafters.

Trusses can be built in many shapes and

Подпись: Conventional stick-built roofs can be framed as a simple gable or a complex roof with many different ridges, hips, and valleys. (Photo by Elmer Griggs.)

designs to fit most any house (see the drawing on p. 136). In general, they require less lumber and labor to build than conventional stick-built roofs and can be installed quickly on the job site...

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STEP 1 SEAL PENETRATIONS IN THE WALLS, CEILINGS, AND FLOORS

Posted by on 21/ 11/ 15

When you think about sealing a house, remem­ber how much frigid air can go through a small opening in a sweater or a jacket. Even a tiny hole in a woolen mitten can make your finger numb with cold. The same thing can happen in a house. We had single-glazed, double-hung windows in that old prairie home where I grew up. In the spring, the windows were nice—we could open them wide to let in fresh breezes and the songs of meadowlarks announcing warmer weather. In the winter, though, that loose-fitting sash was a fright. My mother gave us thin strips of cloth to stuff between the window frame and

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Multidirectional Slip Bases

Posted by on 21/ 11/ 15

The multidirectional slip base design operates on the same principle as the inclined slip base design. The multidirectional design consists of a triangular slip base employing

FIGURE 7.19 Typical inclined, unidirectional slip base. Dimensions shown as mm: 100 mm = 4 in.

only three slotted bolt holes, as presented in Fig. 7.20. The bolts are positioned at the flattened corners of the triangular plate. An impact from any direction slides the bolts out of the slots and allows the signpost to separate from the anchor piece. The desired lifting action is obtained by a lift cone located on the bottom plate. The sign support is tubular and beveled at the top triangular slip plate to help the lift cone push the support off the anchor plate during impact...

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Toddler Made Severely III by Carpet

Posted by on 21/ 11/ 15

B. J. is a two-year-old boy who was in excellent health until the age of 10 months, when he sud­denly developed seizures. These episodes of rigid­ity and tremors occurred up to 40 to 50 times a day. The baby was subjected to a series of invasive diagnostic evaluations by many different special­ists. The blood tests, brain scans, and electroen­cephalograms revealed no apparent cause of the seizures. The baby was placed on medication to suppress the central nervous system. The seizures persisted, although their intensity declined.

The baby’s grandfather, a building contractor, suggested that the culprit might be the expensive new carpet installed shortly before the onset of the seizures...

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Replacing a Water Heater

Posted by on 21/ 11/ 15

Most municipalities require a permit to replace a water heater, primarily because they want to ensure that the heater’s TPR valve is correctly installed. Even though most local codes allow homeowners to replace water heaters, unless you have a lot of plumbing experience, hire a licensed plumber for this job. Plumbers know which brands and hookups require the fewest service calls and can assess the condition of vent pipes and replace them if needed. Besides, thanks to wholesale discounts, plumbers can probably install a new unit for only slightly more than it would cost you if you bought the heater and fit­tings at retail prices.

 

If the tub drain is not accessible, plumbing codes require that joints be glued together, to prevent leaks...

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