Some flooring materials are adhered only along the edges (perimeter bond), whereas others are completely glued down (full-spread adhesion). Flooring secured by full-spread adhesion is less likely to migrate or stretch and hence is more durable. Follow the installation instructions that come with your flooring. Be sure your supplier provides the manufacturer’s instructions on adhesion […]
Determination of Compliance of a Tested Sample with a Recipe
After extraction, the result of each sample is compared with admissible deviations on test sieves and soluble binder content. A mix may be regarded as compatible with a recipe when all its components are within admissible tolerances. Table 14.2 depicts an excerpt of Table A.1 of Annex A of the standard demonstrating admissible deviations from […]
THE PROBLEM IS IN THE TANK
There are times, even with new systems, when the problem causing a whole — house backup is in the septic tank. These occasions are rare, but they do exist. When this is the case, the top of the septic tank must be uncovered. Some tanks, like the one at my house, are only a few […]
Site-built versus prefabricated stairs
Most stairs are site-built because it is economical and because the process provides a temporary stair for construction. But in some cases, stairs prefabricated in a shop are more practical. Prefabricated stairs (see 213C), whether simple or complex, can be made more solidly and precisely than site-built stairs because they are made in the controlled […]
CUTTING AND FITTING RESILIENT SHEETS
To transfer the outline of the room to the resilient flooring, place a blade of the framing square on the scribed line and run a utility knife along the outside edge of the blade, as shown in the photo on the facing page. The mark made by the utility knife—112 in. beyond the scribed line—represents […]
CREATING A TEMPLATE
Bring resilient flooring sheets onto the job site at least 24 hours before working with it, so it has time to acclimate to room temperatures (at least 68°F) Resilient materials are more pliable when they have warmed and less likely to crimp or crease. As you roll and unroll resilient sheets, be careful not to […]
Choose and install exterior-door locksets and deadbolts
These days, security is a concern in many areas. When a house is first closed in, it’s a good idea to buy an inexpensive door lock to seal it off. That way, you can have a bunch of keys made and give a key to any contractor who needs to get in. There is no […]
Analysis of Mixture Composition
Each sample is subjected to extraction testing, resulting in a gradation of the aggregate mix and a content of soluble binder. The sieving operation should be conducted using a set of sieves as in Table 14.2. The standard stipulates testing the aggregate gradation through five sieves (plus possibly a sieve for oversize particles 1.4D). The […]
To design, and then to maintain
Planning for the maintenance of an engineering structure as an integral part of its design has become routine in modern practice. Yet, by necessity, this preoccupation was also present in numerous ancient projects. For example planning of the irrigation system of Sechuan, with its intake at Dujiangyang, obviously took into account the need to clean […]
The early technologies
One may be skeptical of the overall contribution of Hellenistic science — its relative disconnection with practical application, or its failure to document the significant revolution represented by hydraulic energy. But the incontestable fact remains that in the study of the science and techniques of Antiquity preceding the Middle Ages, one cannot avoid marking pre […]