Civil Projects – Page 5 – Civil Engineering Projects

Important Elements of Road Design

October 1, 2010 by Designer

Elements of Road Design

To make the roads functional and provide smooth flow of traffic without creating much chaos; important elements are to be incorporated in road design.

In the previous article, we discussed “Different types of roads based on different purposes” and the “Important design factors the influence the construction of roads”. Elements of Road Design is the second step towards understanding the concept of Road Design.

We will also discuss “Types of Road Junctions” and “Parking Methods” in my successive articles.

Here the elements of Road Design

Angle of Crossing
Speed Breakers
Kerbs
Pedestrian Crossings
Grade Separator

Design of Roads and Road Junctions

September 29, 2010 by Designer

Means of Vehicular Access – Roads

The general term in which we describe the means of Vehicular Access in one word is “Roads.” In this article, we are going to discuss in detail different types of roads for different purposes. We will also deal with the design factors that are to be considered while designing roads and Road Junctions.

Lets study the design of roads in a systematic way:

Means of Access and Design factors to be considered for the design of roads
Important elements to be considered in Road Design
Types of Road Junctions
Parking Methods

Here are the names of different types of roads for different types of vehicles and which depend on its width and purpose of construction:

Highways
Streets
Lanes
Pathways
Alley
Passageway
Carriageway
Footways
Square ways
Bridge ways

Purpose of Specifications and types of Specifications

August 28, 2010 by Designer

What are Specifications?

Specifications describe the nature and the class of the work, materials to be used in the work, workmanship etc. and is very important for the execution of the work. The cost of a work depends much on the specifications. Specifications should be clear.

Purpose of giving Specifications

The cost of an unit quantity of work is governed by its specifications.

Specification of a work is required to describe the quality and quantity of different materials required for a construction work and is one of the essential contract documents.

This also specifies the workmanship and the method of doing the work. Thus specification of a work serves as a guide to a supervising staff of a contractor as well as to the owner to execute the work to their satisfaction.

A work is carried out according to its specification and the contractor is paid for the same. Any change in specification changes the tendered rate.

As the rate of work is based on the specification, a contractor can calculate the rates of various items of works in tender with his procurement rates of materials and labour. Thus tender rate without specification of works is baseless, incomplete and invalid.

Cracks in Buildings | Building Construction

August 21, 2010 by Designer

Cracks in Buildings

Cracks result in applied forces greater than those which the building or its part can withstand. These forces may have emerged externally to the building or internally within the building or have been developed in the materials of the building as a result of Chemical changes. There may be a single force or a combination of forces having a single cause or several causes.

This is a residential building at San Francisco. Major cracks have developed on the external facade of the building. The cracks running across the entire facade of the building are diagonally directed and diagonal cracks are generally structural cracks. They occur due to structural problems in the buildings. Structural cracks could be due to major or minor problem in the structural design. Intensity of structural problem is determined on the basis of the intensity of cracks developed.

Most cracks occur due to drying of construction water.

These are generally superficial
Do not affect the serviceability of the building
Can be easily repaired

Design of India Habitat Centre, New Delhi, India

August 17, 2010 by Designer

Design of India Habitat Centre

Indian Habitat Centre is located in New Delhi, India. It was conceived to be a catalyst relationship between individuals and institutions that is, NGO’s working in habitat related areas to increase their effectiveness.

Architect of the India Habitat Centre

Joseph Allen Stein

Purpose of the Construction of Indian Habitat Centre

Indian Habitat Centre has been constructed for various activities apart for commercial purposes. It is a centre for cultural, economic and social activities. Dramas, plays are also organized at the centre. There is banquet hall and party lawn and also a Restaurant. Basically, it is open for public use also. . The Habitat Centre would be a home not only to those offices and research organizations but in order to facilitate their interaction, the centre provides a range of facilities like conference venues, exhibition halls, seminar rooms, restaurants and performance venues for cultural activities.

Retail Industry Scenario in India

August 14, 2010 by Designer

Booming Retail Industry in India

India is a developing country. Since it is still developing, there have been lot of growth in the industrial sector which provided job opportunities to the people. Retail Industry caught lot of attention in the past one decade. Due to the recent economic development of the country, people in India have enough to spend for their recreational activities and shop all they need. They have become fun loving and enjoy going shopping in huge shopping complexes even if the prices of the products at the shopping centre are higher than the products available in the open market.

The Indian Retail Industry is the largest of all the industries accounting on 10% of the country’s GDP growth and 8% of the country’s employment. The flourishing retail industry in India has reduced unemployment to a large extent. It has emerged as one of the most dynamic and fast paced industrial sector with several big players entering the market.

In India, the vast middle class and almost untapped retail industry are the key forces of attraction for global retail giants waiting to enter new markets. This attraction has stimulated the growth of the retail industry and is growing at a faster rate. It is estimated that the growth rate of the retail Industry will reach 25% at the end of the year.

IPSA – Indore (AAYAM) | Sustainable Green Architecture

August 12, 2010 by Designer

Incorporation of Sustainable Green Features in the Design

Aayam in Sanskrit means dimension, and the presented design has provided innovative solutions in all the dimensions of creative world.

The entire building has been made in order to preserve the landscape and adapt suitable style pertaining to the topography. By determining the quantity and quality of light entering the spaces, they have eventually taken on greater reality. The galleries are woven into a modulated space, born of light and geometry.

IPSA - Indore (Sustainable Green Architecture)

The design is a centre of culture that is rooted in the region and reflecting contemporary art and architecture at the highest level that have come together with nature. The core of the annex is open to sky and the rigorous used of a geometric vocabulary. A reflection of land art with pure modernism, the convention centre is rooted to traditions and mirrors ideas if the youth of India.

Fixing and Repair of Ceramic tiles in Large Halls | Building Construction

June 22, 2010 by Designer

Ceramic Tiles

Ceramic materials are an inorganic, non-metallic solid. They are prepared by the action of heat and subsequent cooling. Ceramic materials have a crystalline or partly crystalline structure, or may be amorphous. Because of its crystalline nature, ceramic tiles have a tendency to crack when put under pressure.

A ceramic material is an inorganic crystalline oxide which is solid and inert and hence does not react with any chemicals. Since Ceramic is chemically inert, it can withstand chemical erosion that occurs due to other materials in the surroundings that react with acidic substances. Ceramic materials are brittle, hard, strong in compression, weak in shearing and tension.

In this article, we are going to discuss the method of fixing Ceramic Tiles over Large Floor Spans and the method of replacement of tiles.

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Redesigning SAP – Chennai into a Convention Centre

June 7, 2010 by Designer

Aim of the Design Project

Generate cultural and social interaction in the convention centre and applying smart technology yet rendering the possible nature of activities limitless.

Context

Urban site that is commercially vibrant. Program manifestation is done to understand the nature of activities, their relation and required distribution. A layering of them was done to generate the form and space.

Program Clustering

Each individual block is sited in correspondence to their requires climatic conditions with an integration of programs and concepts of sustainability that gives them a holistic dependency that becomes intrinsic to the functioning of the building.

Programmatic Distribution

Programs zoning in accordance with the different user groups and user occupancy with primary functions of conventions zoned on the first floor and the second floors enabling privacy. The public facilities including the amphitheatre, auditorium, exhibition spaces zoned on the ground floor along site peripheries offering visual connectivity for passers.

Relationship between Structural and Architectural Design

May 15, 2010 by Designer

Structural Engineering and Architecture are two different sciences that are inter-related. Structural Designing deals with the study of design of steel in a structure i.e., the internal skeleton of the structure that helps to keep the structure durable, sound and stiff.

Whereas Architectural Design deals with design of spaces meant for a particular function. It helps to create ambient environment that is pleasing to eye. The Architect designs the building keeping all the functional aspects in mind that are to be incorporated into the design and then they are executed by a Civil or Structural Engineer.

Inter-relationship of Architectural Design and Structural Design

The structures and structural members are designed to meet the functional and structural aspects. Both the aspects are inter-related. The functional aspect takes into consideration the purpose for which the building or the structure is designed. The functional aspect includes the determination of the amount and arrangement of space necessary for the structure.