Student Corner

What is Top-Down Construction?
In top-down construction, permanent structures are built from the ground up, beginning with a deep basement excavation. This method is the inverse of the more common bottom-up approach. This method involves constructing the basement levels in layers as the excavation continues. The concrete floors in basements act as lateral bracing for the surrounding walls. Slabs for the ground floor and basement are poured into the excavation holes. Since all subsequent below-grade levels have been completed, the floors can now act as lateral bracing for the perimeter walls.

Diaphragm walls, or “D” walls as they are more commonly known, are a type of perimeter wall that provides a foolproof answer to any problem that may arise during underground building. D walls are ideal for controlling groundwater movement and maintaining stable earth retention.

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Introduction
Curing is the process of providing moisture to the concrete mix so that better interlocking is established. If curing is not done properly then it will cause insufficient hydration and as a result there will be capillary pores, causing cracks and shrinkage. Moreover, strength and durability will also get affected and the concrete will disintegrate and break. It also ensures to maintain a sufficient temperature of concrete at its early age. It must be implemented as soon as placement & finishing is done. Also, it must continue for a specific period for the concrete to achieve its desired strength and durability. Uniform temperature is necessary to avoid thermal shrinkage cracks, plastic shrinkage and problems like bleeding and segregation.

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Introduction
Brick is one rectangular building unit that constitutes the whole structure. It is mainly made of clay at high temperature and is mostly red in color. Other constituents of bricks are sand, cement, lime and fly ash. There are many patterns involved in laying bricks some of which are going to be discussed here. Nowadays, concrete hollow bricks are replacing the conventional bricks as more advancement in technology is going on. The standard size of brick used in buildings without mortar is 219 x 9 x 9 cm and with mortar the size is 20 x 10 x 10 cm. Bricks contribute in distribution of loads and maintain stability of the structure. Thus, bricks are such units that are irreplaceable in construction industry till today.

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Introduction
Riveting is the process of joining two metal plates with the help of nuts and bolts. In other words, it is a process in which a hole is made on the steel plates to be joined, the diameter of which is more than the nominal diameter of bolt. The rivet is then inserted and the head is formed at the other end. The rivets should conform to IS: 1929-1982 and IS: 2155-1982 as appropriate. High tensile steel rivet must be manufactured from steel conforming to IS: 1149-1982.
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Introduction
Engineered Cementitious Composite (ECC) or Strain Hardening Cement-based Composites (SHCC) is a particular type of concrete reinforced with specially selected short random fibers. The strain capacity of such composite is in the range of 3–7%, compared to 0.01% for ordinary Portland cement (OPC). Bendable concrete acts like ductile metal when compared to the brittle nature of OPC cement. As a result of adverse effects on fiber dispersion and overall performance, the coarse aggregates are not used in ECC. Different type of fibers is implemented to impart the tensile strength in ECC. Some fibers include Poly Vinyl Alcohol, Polypropylene fiber, and also natural fibers. ECC shows ductility property in the hardened state, and flexible property in the new state makes ECC applicable to a wide range of construction applications. This report presents a review of ECC durability studies in the literature, with detailed discussions on ECC high-temperature resistance, permeability resistance, and shrinkage resistance. The use of engineered cementitious composites (ECCs) has gained wide attention considering their properties, such as high tensile strength and elasticity values. However, the required methods for direct measurement of tensile strength are not developed adequately.

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What is Concrete Grinder ?
A concrete grinder is used to smooth out work surfaces or floors. Concrete grinders are used to grind and polish marble, granite, concrete, and other types of floors. Concrete grinders are occasionally custom-made to perform specific tasks. Concrete grinders are designed to withstand more stress and power than marble grinders.

Concrete grinders have recently become a popular choice for industries due to their versatility. Concrete grinders remove adhesives and grease-like compounds from the floors of commercial sectors and industries, in addition to finishing activities. Concrete grinders are widely used in developed countries because of their ease of use and versatility.

Grinders are using rotary action rather than impact to remove material. The material removal depth is limited to about 1/8 inch. When working on hard, dense concrete, they may polish rather than rub the surface.

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What is a Concrete Pump?
A concrete pump is a machine to transport liquid concrete from storage tanks or batching plants to the worksite where it will be poured or filled. A concrete pump is a crucial piece of equipment for any construction job of significant scale. A concrete pump, which is now standard fare on every building site, is the most popular tool for transporting or transferring liquid concrete. The concrete pump has greatly accelerated construction times, particularly for tall buildings like skyscrapers.

Pouring concrete in tight or crowded spaces is made easier with the help of concrete pumps. Therefore, whether you’re placing the concrete in a footing slab or on the top floor of a skyscraper, concrete pumps can get the mixture there without leaving streaks or bubbles on the ground.

In high-rise buildings or behind protected concrete barriers, where accuracy in pouring is paramount, concrete pumps are an indispensable tool. When using a concrete pump, there is significantly less waste and greater precision in the finished product.
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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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