TEKLA STRUCTURAL DESIGNER

  Foundation In engineering, a foundation is the element of a structure which connects it to the ground, and transfers loads from the structure to the ground. It is the bottom most part of the structure and the last member to transfer load.  Foundation must be designed to prevent excessive settlement of the structure. Foundations are generally considered either shallow or deep. However there is further classification of the foundation. A deep foundation is a type of foundation that transfers building loads to the earth farther down from the surface than a shallow foundation does to a subsurface layer or a range of depths.  Deep foundation is required to carry loads from a structure through weak compressible soils or fills on to stronger and less compressible soils or rocks at depth, or for functional reasons. Deep foundations are founded too deeply below the finished ground surface for their base bearing capacity to be affected by surface conditions, this is usually at depths >3

  Every construction material has its own advantages and disadvantages. Let’s have a look at advantages and disadvantages of concrete.  First we will talk about its advantages.  Concrete can be moulded into any shape according to the requirement. Material required for concrete production are easily available in the market. It requires less maintenance than steel or timber structures. It offers good fire resistance and also resists the action of water. It has a considerable compressive strength and good rigidity, hence lesser vibrations. It is economical and requires lower skilled labour as compared to steel or timber structures.  Now let’s talk about its disadvantages. However it has a considerable compressive strength but has a low tensile strength. Unlike steel or timber structures, formwork is required for construction of concrete structures. It has a lower strength per unit weight as compared to steel. It undergoes volume changes w.r.t. time, for example, if drying shrinkage is res

  The ease with which one can work with concrete is called workability. It is one of the physical parameters of concrete which affects the finesse, strength and durability. This can be tested by slump test.  The apparatus for conducting the slump test essentially consists of a metallic mould in the form of a frustum with a cone with bottom dia. 20 cm, top dia. 10 cm and 30 cm height with a  base plate. A steel rod with 16 mm dia. and 60 cm height is to be used for compacting. The internal surface of the mould should be thoroughly cleaned so that no moisture or any hardened concrete is not left in it. The mould is placed on a plain, smooth and a non-observant surface. Concrete is then placed in four layers with each layer approximately one-fourth of the height of the mould. Each layer should be tamped 25 times evenly using the round end of the tamping rod such that the strokes are uniformly distributed over the cross section. After the top layer is tamped it is well level with the help