Student Corner

What is Underpinning?
Underpinning is a method used to repair and strengthen the foundation of a building. During underpinning, reinforcements are positioned throughout the length or breadth of an already established base. Because of this, its weight is distributed across a larger area and rests on solid earth layers. Micro-piling and jet grouting are common underlying methods, despite being time-consuming and costly.

Underpinning is excavating the soil that’s pulling away from the structure and eliminating the foundation holding it up. There will be movement in the building when the current foundations become weakened. The property’s foundations and structure are strengthened by installing new, more robust materials and digging deeper footings on top of the more stable growth.
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What is Concrete Discoloration?
A simple definition of concrete discoloration is a shift away from the original color. The presence of calcium chloride in the concrete, cement, and additives, as well as problems with curing, weather, and poor workmanship, could all play a role. These causes of discoloration can be mitigated to some extent. However, steps can be taken to mitigate the effects of dark patches, strips, and blotchy concrete that a contractor may experience. Once the concrete has fully cured, the appropriate treatment method can be chosen based on the root of the discoloration.

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What is Concrete Anchor?
An anchor is a piece of steel used to transfer loads to concrete. They can be cast into the concrete or put into a piece of hardened concrete later. There are several kinds of cast-in anchors, but headed bolts, hooked bolts (J- or L-bolts), and headed studs are the most common. The expansion anchor, the undercut anchor, and the sticky anchor are the three anchors used after the fact.

In adhesive anchors, steel parts like threaded rods and reinforcing bars that have been bent or internally threaded steel sleeves with bends on the outside are used. Anchor systems often join two structural parts or attach a non-structural part to a building.
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What is Concrete Retarder?

Retarders are additives that slow the setting of cement paste and, by extension, mixtures like mortar or concrete that contains cement. Concrete retarders are also known as retarding admixtures or just retarders. Adding a retarder to the concrete mix can delay the setting time by up to an hour. They slow the hardening process in warmer weather to give workers more time to mix, transport and place the concrete. Retarders not only slow down the process, but they also save water.
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What is Plum Concrete?
Plum concrete, also known as cyclopean concrete and rubble concrete, combines wet concrete and a plum (large size, strong, clean natural coarse aggregate or boulders of roughly 300 mm or larger). Plum makes up about 30–40% of the overall weight of the poured-in-place material.

U.S. technical specifications recommend a ratio of 60 percent plain concrete to 40 percent big stones when building with Cyclopean concrete. On day 28, the plain concrete used in this project must have a minimum resistance of 180 kg/cm2, and its ingredients must be thoroughly saturated before being mixed. The stone used must be in line with ASTM standards, and the blueprints will determine the exact dimensions for the foundation.

Plum’s presence in concrete lowers the required hydration heat since it eliminates the need for an excessive amount of cement while maintaining the material’s strength. Constructions of gravity dams, embankments, filling of deep or uneven terrain, foundations, etc., are all common applications for plum concrete. It’s a cheap replacement for regular cement.

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What is Pointing?

Pointing is the process of applying a final coat of cement or lime mortar to the mortar joints of exposed brick masonry or stone masonry to seal them from the elements and improve their aesthetic appeal. It is important to remember that the mortar joints in a building are the only vulnerable areas, even if the building itself is composed of better materials. Since pointing is cost-effective, it may be implemented even in arid regions.

Importance of Pointing:

• It’s useful for stopping water from seeping into the cracks between bricks and causing mortar joints to rot.
• It’s used to finish the joints between bricks or stones in masonry, giving them a strong and dependable bond.
• If pointing is done correctly and tastefully, it will lessen the need for routine maintenance.
• It can be used in several settings, including in dry regions.

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What is Bond?
A bond is formed when cement mortar fills a groove formed by adjacent bricks being laid side by side. Bonding helps distribute loads evenly over a large area. These bonds are like patterns in which bricks are laid, which can be used for brick walls and paving. They can also be used for concrete blocks and masonry construction.
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What is Building Maintenance?
Building maintenance is the work that is done to keep homes and businesses in good shape and fix problems when they happen. It includes things like cleaning, landscaping, and taking care of the electrical system. It tries to ensure that tenants always live in a safe, useful, and comfortable place.

Some of the most basic things that need to be done to keep a building in good shape are electrical system repairs, landscaping, cleaning, etc. The main goal of building maintenance is to ensure a safe, comfortable, and fully functional system.
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What is Frame Structure?
Framing is the process of mixing building materials to form the framework of a building. As a result, a framed structure uses beams, columns, and a slab to withstand gravity and other lateral loads. As a rule, these structures are employed to counteract the pressures and moments that emerge from the loading.

Characteristics of a Frame Structure:

• A-frame structure is a carefully arranged set of beams, columns, and slabs that can withstand the tremendous stresses and moments generated by severe gravity and lateral loads.
• They come together to form a framework of steel or concrete that supports the weight and transmits it to the ground without incident.
• In a framed structural system, walls are used to enclose the resulting cavity. There are two types of walls here: load-bearing and non-load-bearing. Shear walls make up the bulk of the framed building’s load-bearing walls.
• Pin or permanent connections join the frame’s structural parts.
• Consequently, beams, columns, slabs, and shear walls are a framed structure’s primary structural or load-carrying elements (load-bearing walls).
• The framework of a building may be fabricated from a wide variety of materials.

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What is Load?
Loads are the forces that can result in stresses, deformations, or accelerations. There are numerous different types of structural loads that can act on a structure. Its nature will differ depending on the design, usage, location, and materials. When a structure fails, it is almost always because its load-carrying capacity is inadequate for its actual load. Compression, Tension, and Shear are all possible types of structural loads.

In the field of structural analysis, engineers examine the effects of loads on structures and structural components. It is important to keep an eye on how much weight a structure can handle to avoid structural failure. Structural problems and even failure can result from various loads, which can cause stress, displacement, or deformation. An important and difficult task is determining the total load on a structure.
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