Student Corner

What is Plaster?
Plaster is a building material covering rough surfaces such as walls, columns, ceilings, and other architectural components with a thin coat of plastic mortar to create a smooth, long-lasting surface. Plaster is a polymeric material that has been coated (i.e., mortar). Plastering is the term for this procedure. Rendering is the process of plastering an exposed surface on the outside.

Mortar is a light mixture of binders (lime or cement) and fillers (sand or broken stones). Good plaster needs to have a proper bond with the masonry surface. Plaster is made from a dry powder combined with water to create a hard but effective paste before being placed on a surface. Ancient civilizations used mud as plastering to create long-lasting, weather-resistant constructions.
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Introduction:
Highways often have elevated asphalt medians, where the edge of the surface is higher than the middle. In a diagonal direction, this slope is called the camber. The camber of the road surface is made so that rainwater flows away from the edges. The camber of a road surface is the slope in the transverse direction that helps drain rainwater. It’s also called a road’s cross-slope.

What is Camber in Road?
Camber is a slope on the road surface in the transverse direction that allows rainwater to drain off the surface and keeps cars from sliding and causing damage to the pavement. Again, camber is one of the most important parts of a road’s pavement. It has a lot of benefits that make the road surface last longer.
Generally, a camber is a crown-shaped part of the road surface that is made by raising the middle of the road compared to its edges. Most of the time, the rate of camber or cross slope of a road is written as “1 in n,” which means that the transverse slope is in the ratio of 1 vertical to n horizontal, or it can be written as a percentage. For example, a road with 2.5% camber has a camber of 1 in 40.
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Introduction:
Soil cement is a composite material composed of soil, cement, and water that is used to create a strong and durable construction material. The process involves mixing soil, cement, and water in proportions and compacting the mixture to form a solid mass. The result is a strong and stable material that can be used for various construction applications, such as roadways, foundations, and building walls.

The use of soil cement dates back to the early 20th century, and it has since become a popular construction material due to its low cost and ease of use. The exact ratio of soil to cement to water varies with each application and the qualities of the soil. The resulting material is highly durable and resistant to weathering and erosion, making it an excellent choice for construction projects in various environments.

Fig: Soil Cement
Courtesy: g3quality.com
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Introduction:
A culvert is a structure designed to allow the passage of water, such as a stream or drainage, under a road, railway, or similar obstruction. It is an essential component of the transportation infrastructure, preventing flooding, maintaining water flow, and ensuring the integrity of the road or railway above. Culverts are typically constructed using durable concrete, steel, or plastic materials. They come in various shapes and sizes, depending on the specific requirements of the site and the volume of water that needs to be conveyed. Common culvert shapes include round, box, elliptical, and pipe arch.

The design and installation of culverts consider factors such as the anticipated water flow, the terrain, and the environmental considerations of the surrounding area. Proper design ensures that the trench can withstand the hydraulic forces exerted by the flowing water while maintaining structural integrity.

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Introduction:
A manhole is an opening in a street or sidewalk that provides access to an underground utility or infrastructure, typically a sewer, storm drain, or utility vault. It is usually covered with a heavy metal lid that can be removed to allow entry for maintenance or inspection purposes. Manholes are designed to provide a safe and convenient way for workers to access underground systems for repairs, cleaning, or installation of new infrastructure. The term “manhole” is derived from the fact that historically, the openings were large enough for a person to enter. Still, nowadays, many manholes are smaller and may only allow equipment or specialized personnel to enter.
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Introduction:
Bitumen is a byproduct of refining petroleum crude through distillation. In its refined form, petroleum can be anything from the simplest hydrocarbon gas—methane—to the hardest bitumen, whose components have molecular weights in the millions. Thermoplastic amorphous aromatic rubber (TAR) is a byproduct of destructive distillation. Paving grades refer to bitumen that is used for waterproofing structures and industrial floors, whereas industrial grades are used for paving roadways and airfields.

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Introduction:
When burning wood or coal to heat houses was the main way to do it, there were a lot of cinders. In the 1850s, this overproduction made a new block type. A normal house could make a lot of cinder waste in one winter, making it a cheaper aggregate. Concrete has been used for hundreds of years. Romans, Greeks, and Egyptians were the first to use simple concrete blocks. Historians even think that some of the pyramids were built with simple concrete.

Romans used concrete mortar as early as 200 AD. To make concrete, the Romans used local ingredients. Roman construction needed strong materials during this time, so concrete was a great choice for their infrastructure and buildings. In 1824, a British cement maker named Joseph Aspdin got a patent for modern concrete. Aspdin came up with the recipe for cement, which we still use today. The product he developed is called Portland cement. Harmon S. Palmer made the first hollow concrete block in the U.S. in 1890. By 1900, Palmer had gotten a patent for his idea. These concrete blocks were so heavy that one person couldn’t carry them alone.

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Introduction:
Maintenance of roads is the continual work to ensure they are in good shape for drivers and pedestrians. It entails normal maintenance, like fixing small problems like potholes and cracks in the pavement, and major repairs, such as repaving or reconstructing larger stretches of road. Regular road maintenance is crucial to ensure the safety of drivers, passengers, and pedestrians, avoid vehicle damage, and lessen traffic congestion. Depending on where you live, municipal, state, or federal governments may be responsible for road maintenance.

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Introduction:
Geocell is a cellular confinement system made from high-density polyethylene (HDPE) commonly used in road construction as a soil stabilization solution. Using geocell in road construction dates back to the 1970s when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers developed the technology to stabilize the ground for military applications. The first documented use of geocell in road construction was in the late 1980s when the technology was used to stabilize the shoulders of an access road leading to a copper mine in Chile. This initial use was successful, and geocell began to gain popularity as a solution for soil stabilization in road construction projects worldwide.

Over the years, the technology has evolved, and the use of geocell has expanded to include applications in retaining walls, erosion control, and even green roofs. Today, geocell is a widely accepted and cost-effective solution for soil stabilization in road construction projects, particularly in areas with poor soil conditions or unstable terrain.
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Introduction:
When making a roof, it’s important to know how the building is assembled and how each part supports the whole. Rafters are a key part of a roof’s frame. They must be cut and measured carefully so that weight is evenly distributed and the building stays safe. In architecture and construction, a rafter is a structural component that supports a roof and helps transfer the roof’s weight to the building’s walls.

Rafters are typically made from wood or metal and are placed at regular intervals along the length of the roof. The shape and size of rafters can vary depending on the roof’s design and the structure’s weight and load-bearing requirements. In traditional construction, carpenters often cut rafters on-site using hand tools, but today pre-cut and pre-engineered rafters are commonly used for efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

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