Lighthouse, structure, usually with a tower, built onshore or on the seabed to serve as an aid to maritime coastal navigation, warning mariners of hazards, establishing their position, and guiding them to their destinations. From the sea a lighthouse may be identified by the distinctive shape or colour of its structure, by the colour or flash pattern of its light, or by the…
Post-and-lintel system, in building construction, a system in which two upright members, the posts, hold up a third member, the lintel, laid horizontally across their top surfaces. All structural openings have evolved from this system, which is seen in pure form only in colonnades and in framed structures, because the posts of doors, windows, ceilings, and…
The following are the requirements of good building stones: (i) Strength: The stone should be able to resist the load coming on it. Ordinarily this is not of primary concern since all stones are having good strength. However in case of large structure, it may be necessary to check the strength. (ii) Durability: Stones selected…
Permeability test In the previous chapter Darcy’s law for the flow of a fluid through a porous medium has been formulated, in its simplest form, as This means that the hydraulic conductivity k can be determined if the specific discharge q can be measured in a test in which the gradient dh/ds is known. An…
Introduction Land filling is the most common and environmentally safe method of disposal for the fractions of municipal solid waste (MSW) that cannot be reduced, recycled, composted, combusted or processed. Open dumping of MSW, which is practiced by about three-fourths of the countries and territories in the world is a primitive stage of landfill development…
Weight Volume Relationship Of Soil The physical properties of a soil give insight as to the identification of the soil and the determination of its characteristics and load response. These properties can be determined by performing a laboratory analysis on undisturbed soil samples obtained during the test boring process. The laboratory analysis should be performed in accordance with the…
Recycled concrete can be used for structural fills if it is properly pulverized to a uniform size to aid compaction. This is a great eco-friendly practice that also saves money! Learn all about recycled concrete for fill. What Is Recycled Concrete? Recycled concrete is obtained from hardened concrete that has reached the end of its…
Tepee, also spelled tipi, conical tent most common to the North American Plains Indians. Although a number of Native American groups used similar structures during the hunting season, only the Plains Indians adopted tepees as year-round dwellings, and then only from the 17th century onward. At that time the Spanish introduction of horses, guns, and metal implements enabled Plains peoples to become mounted…
The standard and planned practices followed in the construction industry that will guarantee optimal outcome and profit are regarded as best practices in construction. These practices can be a policy, procedure or a complete system implemented at a given period of time. The practices best for one project won’t be very much helpful for a…
Thermal pollution is the degradation of water quality by any process that increases the ambient water temperature. The increase in temperature (a) decreases the dissolved oxygen/oxygen supply, and (b) affects ecosystem composition. Sources: 1) Industries: A common cause of thermal pollution is the use of water as a coolant by power plants and industrial manufacturers….