Building Construction

Articles related to building construction technology and other aspects of civil engineering

Spot Lighting | Lighting Techniques

by

Lighting Techniques

Lighting Techniques play a very important role in creating soothing ambience. It could be a room, a residence, a building facade or ambient lighting in the Landscaped Gardens…

Laser Effects
Laser Effects

The Lighting Technique is different for different purposes….

For example: Dining Lighting Techniques are different from Underwater Lighting Techniques… The kind of lights used in the Underwater Lighting system are different from that of the lights used in Dining Lighting and for specific purpose such as Task Lighting.

The material of the lights used for lighting varies for the type of ambiance it is supposed to create. The material of the underwater lights is different from the material of the other lights used for other purposes.

In this article we are going to discuss different types of Spotlights and situations where it is used.

Read more

Concealed Lighting Techniques | Methods of Lighting

by

Concealed Lighting Techniques

Concealed Lighting is one of the methods of Lighting Systems. Concealed Lighting is usually preferred where dim ambient lighting is necessary to enhance the beauty of the ambiance.

Concealed Lighting System
Concealed Lighting System

Here are some of the other lighting methods apart from concealed Lighting:

  1. Direct Lighting
  2. Indirect Lighting
  3. Concealed Lighting
  4. Semi-concealed Lighting

Dining Lighting makes use of Concealed Lighting, Semi-concealed Lighting, Direct and Indirect Lighting System.

Task Lighting makes use of Direct Lighting system.

Underwater Lighting makes use of Diffused Lighting system.

Spot Lighting is complete different system of Lighting but since it has focussed illumination, it can fall under the category of Direct Lighting.

In this article, we are going to discuss the Evolution of the Concept of Concealed Lighting system and also how and where it is used….

Read more

Importance of Daylighting | Components of Daylight factor

by

Daylighting | Components of Daylight factor

Daylighting is the practice of the designing various types of openings to admit daylight into the working space for efficient and comfortable living. The orientation, shape and size of the openings play an important role in daylighting.

Daylighting could be provided with the help of windows, skylights, courtyards etc.

Skylight providing internal illuminance
Skylight providing internal illuminance

Daylight factor

Daylight factor can be defined as the sum of all daylight reaching an indoor reference point.

The three important components considered for the estimation of total amount of daylight reaching a particular point is as follows:

  1. Direct light of the sun
  2. External surfaces reflecting light directly to the point
  3. Internal surfaces reflecting and interreflecting light to the point

Each of the three components when expressed as a ratio or percent of the simultaneous external illuminance defines the sky component (SC), external reflected component (ERC) and internal reflected component.

Read more

Various Types of Spotlights | Spot Lighting Techniques

by

Spotlighting Techniques

Spotlighting is a type of lighting system usually seen to be used in stage performances… Its main function is to maintain the focus of light on the person on stage.

Spotlighting
Spotlighting

Depending on the use of the spotlights to be used, they are classified as follows:

  • Plano Convex
  • Ellipsoidal
  • Fresnel
  • Parabolic Aluminized Reflector [PAR]
  • PAR Pin
  • Beam Projector
  • Followspot

The above mentioned seven types of Spotlights are the most commonly used for the Lighting system in Theatrical performances…

In this article, we are going to discuss in detail the various types of Spotlights and their Lighting Mechanism and Use in detail with relevant informative pictures explaining the spotlight.

Read more

Septic Tank Design for an Office Complex

by

Septic Tank Design Calculations | Building Construction

In the previous article, we discussed in detail the calculations that are to be carried out for the design of a Septic Tank for 3bhk, 2bhk and 1bhk homes.

In this article, we will move forward with our discussion on the Septic Tank calculations for an Office Complex.

First question that is likely to occur to your mind would be, “How are Septic Tank Design calculations for an Office Complex different from that of a Residence?”

Let us first answer this question before we move forward with the calculations.

Residences are structures which are occupied with families living, eating and sleeping there. Let’s take an example of a person who regularly goes to an office for his job.

Let’s have a look at his Daily schedule:

  • He wakes up in the morning.
  • Takes a bath, uses a toilet.
  • Has his breakfast after which he washes his hands. Apart from him using the services in the house, his family members also use the same.
  • He leaves for his office. After he reaches the office, he wouldn’t take bath which consumes the maximum amount of water which turns into sewage water after use.
  • His usage of toilet and bathroom would be minimum. Hence, it is important to understand the logic behind the Septic tank calculations.

Calculations for an Office Complex with 8000 employees

As per thumb rule;

Quantity of sewage to be considered for an Office Complex is to be calculated on the basis of the capacity of the Office.

Now, we are calculating the Volume for the Septic Tank required for an Office Complex with 8000 employees.

Hence, quantity of sewage to be considered per person should not be less than 20 gallons.

Office Complex = 8000 persons

Total quantity of sewage = 8000*20 = 1,60,000 gallons

Read more

Septic Tank Design Calculations | Building Construction and Design

by

How to design a Septic Tank?

A Septic Tank is a small scale sewage treatment system used in areas which have no connection to the main sewage pipes that are provided by the Local governments or private Corporations.

In this article, we will detail out all the calculations that are to be performed to get the required volume of a Septic Tank with the help of examples.

Schematic Diagram of a Septic Tank
Schematic Diagram of a Septic Tank

We would begin with a small scale example so that your concept of Septic tank design is clear.

Here are the thumb rules to be kept in mind which will help you in calculating the volume of a Septic Tank.

For a three bedroom house:

The quantity of sewage considered for a three bedroom house should not be less than 900 gallons.

For a two bedroom House:

The quantity of sewage to be considered for the design of Septic Tank should not be less than 700 gallons.

For one bedroom unit:

The quantity of sewage to be considered for the design of a Septic Tank should not be less than 550 gallons.

Let’s begin with an example of a three bedroom residence.

Read more

Thumb rules for designing a Column layout | Civil Engineering

by

Guidelines to be followed for making a column layout

In this article, we will go through the essential thumb rules to be followed for giving a column layout. Of-course columns have to be designed in accordance to the total forces acting on the structure, but apart from that, it is essential for every Civil engineer and Architect to remember a few thumb rules so that they are prevented from making mistakes.

You can hire me for your structural design need. Contact me.

Three thumb rules to be followed are as follows:

  1. Size of the Columns
  2. Distance between Columns
  3. Alignment of columns

Minimum Size of RCC columns

The size of the columns depends on the total load on the columns. There are axial loads and lateral loads. Large beam spans induce bending moment not only in the beams, but also in columns which are pulled by the stresses in the beams. It is important to use advanced structural design software like ETabs or Staad pro. I highly recommend every structural designer learn these software. The thumb rules are for general designing in very small projects.

For this general thumb rule, we will assume a structure of G+1 floors high, using standard 6″ walls.

Minimum size of an RCC column should not be less than 9” x 12” (225mm x 300mm) with 4 bars of 12 MM Fe415 Steel.

These days the minimum I use in my projects is 9″ x 12″ (225 mm x 300mm) with 6 bars of 12 MM Fe500 steel. You can never go wrong with strong columns. I also recommend use of M20 grade concrete for the structure (ratio 1 part Cement : 1.5 parts Sand : 3 parts Aggregate with 0.5 parts water by volume). I recommend use of 8 MM stirrups at a distance of 150 MM center to center throughout the length of column.

This setup of 9″ x 12″ RCC columns is safe for G+1 Floors. There are a lot of other considerations, but this is just a thumb rule.

Read more

Causes of Foundation Damage | Moisture

by

Foundation Damage caused due to Moisture absorption

In my earlier articles, we discussed some of the important causes of foundation damage.

Getting a clarity on the subject helps you prevent your structure from further damage or any damage that might happen in future. We have also discussed “how analysis of foundation damage is to be carried out”.

In this article, we will discuss in detail the foundation damage occurring due to Moisture. This element is also responsible for foundation damage and if ignored or left unnoticed can cause severe damage resulting in structural failure.

Types of foundation damage can be classified as follows:

Erosion

  1. Natural rock
  2. Brick

Rot

Insects

Moisture damage

  1. Frost wedging
  2. Salt bloom

Settlement in the ground

  1. Groundwater lowering
  2. Limited bearing capacity of the ground (land)
  3. Excavations performed below the foundations and poor quality of backfill
  4. Increased load on the ground leading to failure
  5. Damage to the neighbouring houses
  6. Increased load
  7. Damage (by removing) to the neighbouring houses
  8. Horizontal movement occurring in the ground

Frost heave/adfreezing

Alum shale

Let us move on with the discussion on damage caused by moisture to the foundations.

Moisture damage

In older buildings, the walls were covered with clay and lime as mortar. These building materials are moisture absorbent. The walls do not undergo severe damage as long as the lime and clay walls are not treated with any other building material.

For example:

In an old building where the plastering has been done using lime and clay suffers from some chipping and damage. This calls for locals repairs which are to be done to maintain the aesthetics of the structure.

Since, cement mortar is a modern material and is available in abundance, the repairs are done with Cement mortar.

Before initiating such tasks, it is to be remembered that the coefficient of expansion of different materials is different. When cement mortar is used as a repair material over lime mortar, due to different moisture absorption properties and coefficient of expansion, the combination does not work very well.

Read more

Calculation of loads for Column and Foundation Design | Structural Design

by

How to calculate the total loads on a column and corresponding footing?

This article has been written on the request from my readers. Engineering students generally get confused when it comes to calculating loads for column and footings design. The manual process is simple.

Types of loads on column

  1. Self weight of the column x Number of floors
  2. Self weight of beams per running meter
  3. Load of walls per running meter
  4. Total Load of slab (Dead load + Live load + Self weight)

The columns are also subjected to bending moments which have to be considered in the final design. The best way to design a good structure is to use advanced structural design software like ETABS or STAAD Pro. These tools are leagues ahead of manual methodology for structural design, and highly recommended.

In professional practice, there are some basic assumptions we use for structural loading calculations.

You can hire me for your structural design need. Contact me.

For Columns

Self weight of Concrete is around 2400 kg per cubic meter, which is equivalent to 240 kN. Self weight of Steel is around 8000 kg per cubic meter. Even if we assume a large column size of 230 mm x 600 mm with 1% steel and 3 meters standard height, the self weight of column is around 1000 kg per floor, which is equivalent to 10 kN. So, in my calculations, I assume self weight of column to be between 10 to 15 kN per floor.

Read more

Continuous Beams | Design of RCC Structures

by

Design of Continuous Beam | RCC Structures

Definition

The beam that rests on more than two supports. The beam that rests over multiple columns. Continuous beams increase the structural rigidity of a structure. They offer alternate load path incase of a failure of a section in the beam.

Continuous beams are commonly used in buildings in seismic risk zone.

Continuous beam
Continuous beam

 

Three moment equation or Clapeyron’s equation 

Continuous Beam | Three moment equation
Continuous Beam | Three moment equation

Four Methods for Analysis of a beam are as follows:

  1. Three moment equation
  2. Moment distribution method
  3. Kani’s method
  4. Slope deflection method

Read more