FACTORY PRODUCTION CONTROL EN 13108-21

In the European system of standardization of asphalt mixtures according to the series of standards EN 13108, the issues of control and quality assurance have been deliberated in EN 13108-21:2006 Bituminous Mixtures—Material Specifications— Part 21: Factory Production Control (with Amendment AC/September 2008). This standard contains an outline of requirements regarding the system of quality assur­ance […]

SAFETY

If you have been framing long enough to understand advanced techniques or to be considering a career as a lead framer, you have probably seen enough accidents to make you aware of the importance of safety. Common sense will help guide you in knowing what is safe and what is not, but you must also […]

DETAILS

From Locks to Smoke Detectors to Landscaping it was the great Yankee catcher, Yogi Berra, who said of baseball, “It ain’t over ’til it’s over.” The same is true of building a house. Even as you finish the interior painting, install the cabinets, and complete all the plumbing and electrical work, there’s still plenty to […]

Optimization of Hydrosystems by Chance-Constrained Methods

In all fields of science and engineering, the decision-making process depends on several parameters describing system behavior and characteristics. More often than not, some of these system parameters cannot be assessed with certainty. In a system-optimization model, if some of the coefficients in the constraints are uncertain, the compliance with the constraints, under a given […]

Solar Hot Water

■ BY SCOTT GIBSON T here’s nothing like a looming energy crisis to bring history full circle. More than a century has passed since Clarence Kemp, a Baltimore heating-equipment deal- er, came up with the first commercial solar water heater. His patented Climax Solar Water Heater, which sold for $25, was a hit. More-efficient designs […]

Eave with soffit

The drawing above shows an easy soffit to build. It has rafter tails cut square, and once the fascia is nailed to the tails, the rafters can be sheathed with exterior plywood, 1 x cedar or pine, or even cov­ered with stucco. A common way to cover this soffit is to take a long board, […]