BRICKS-n-MORTAR.com

[NewsofUse]: DDA to start allotment of DDA Housing Scheme 2008 Flats in Delhi || 'DDA housing scheme 2008 allotment'

2009-11-05T20:55:00.003+05:30

DDA may start allotment process of 'DDA Housing Scheme 2008' Flats by December 2009

If the recent media buzz is to be believed, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) may begin the process of allotting flats to its allottees of the DDA housing scheme 2008 some time by early December 2009.

The draw of lots to 5,238 flats was held in December 2008. The entire process, including the sanctity and correctness of the draw itself, however was reported to be blamed to be fixed and faulty. The Union Urban Development Ministry froze the allotments after allegations of irregularities in the reserved category cropped up. It was highlighted earlier that a group of builders had forged documents to get flats under the reserved category.

According to media reports, certain sources in the Union Urban Development Ministry (UDM) have quoted that the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT), where the software report of the draw has been sent for investigation, is expected to submit its report by October end. It has been reportedly said that the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) will start the allotment process once C-DOT submits its report and a green signal from the Union Urban Development Ministry is obtained.

Part Source: INRnews.com

Related previous posts :

[Home Improvement] : Home Painting Tips | Basic tips for painting your home, office and surroundings

2009-10-16T13:21:00.002+05:30

This being the festivities time here in India with Deepawali round the corner, people are busy improving, renovating, painting, decorating their homes, offices and surroundings.

With many of you getting your abodes painted and refurbished, here are a few tips and tricks from your friendly blog BRICKS-n-MORTAR.com that surely shall prove helpful to you.

Though you shall have employed contractors and labor to get the job done, do pay attention to these basic operations involved so as to get the best results justifying the time, money and efforts spent on your part. The key activities involved in getting one's abode painted are:

Surface Preparation

Before application of any paint coat the substrate needs thorough surface preparation.
Surface preparation is the first basic step before starting the painting job as the total life of any new paint job largely depends on how carefully the surface preparation is done. Paints applied on loose and flaking receiving surfaces or paints applied on greasy rusty metal substrates would give up much earlier than the usual anticipated life of the paint job.
New wooden surfaces require scraping with sand paper to make the surface smoother, while the previously painted surfaces need removal of flaking and cracked paint film sections.
Cement plaster surface requires wire-brushing to remove loose particles. For best finish, a layer of lime punning or plaster of paris (POP) is applied by troweling to make the surface smooth and even.
Iron and metal surfaces require de-greasing and de-rusting before application of priming coat.

Priming

Selection of appropriate Primer for individual substrates like Wood, Cement sand plaster, Mild Steel, Gypsum/ Fibre/ Block/ Ply boards, Aluminium etc. is important as it provides a solid base to the receiving surface before getting painted.
Primers fight against the characteristic deficiencies related to a particular substrate (eg. Alkalinity present in cement plaster or moisture and absorption characteristic of wooden substrates)
It protects the substrates from degradation (eg. Mild steel substrate from rust)
Most importantly it acts as a key to provide better adhesion between the substrate and the top coat of finish paint.

Application procedure

Interior and Exterior Walls

Surfaces must be cleaned, dried and freed from efflorescence
Previously painted surfaces should be washed or brushed down but if the surface is in powdery or flaking condition, it should be removed by scraping or wire-brushing
In case of areas affected by fungus or algae clean with wire-brush thoroughly and wash with water. After drying apply one coat of Anti-fungal solution and allow to dry
Fill up the cracks/dents/uneven surfaces with good quality Wall Putty
After the wall putty has dried, rub down with sand paper and wipe off the dust
Apply 1 or preferably 2 coats of suitable Primer which acts as a good base
Apply 1 coat of plastic paint or distemper after appropriate thinning with clean water with the help of a brush, roller or spray.
After first coat is dry (usually 4-6 hours is sufficient) apply second coat
In case of kitchens/bathrooms/high traffic areas, use of 2 coats of glossy or semi-glossy enamel paint is best
For external surfaces, use of weatherproof paints are best which are moisture proof as well.

Wooden surfaces

Clean and smoothen the surface with sand paper
Fill cracks and dents with some quality knifing paste filler
Ensure knots are sealed with knotting varnish
Apply one coat of Grey, Pink or White primer
Apply 2 coats of Polyurethane, Super Enamel or Clear wood paint to give a glossy surface.

Metal surfaces

Any signs of dirt, rust and grease should be cleaned and removed from the surfaces to be painted/ polished by using cleaning, de-rusting, de-greasing solutions or by scraping with wire-brush.
One or preferably two coats of suitable metal primer (Red Oxide Primer or Red Oxide Zinc Chromate Primer or Synthetic Red Lead Primer) be applied and the surfaces made to air-dry.
For aluminium and galvanised iron surfaces one coat of Etch primer be applied followed by one coat of Zinc Chromate primer before applying the desired final paint coat.
In case glossy finish is desired on the surface, two coats of Polyurethane, Super Enamel or Clear glossy wood paint be applied in the end.

Hope these few basic tips on home painting techniques would prove helpful to YOU. In case of any query or clarification or further information, do feel free to ask us.

At the same time, Team B-n-M wishes all its subscribers, readers and visitors of this blog a very very HAPPY DEEPAWALI. May the festival of lights and triumph of truth over evil bring many a smiles, happiness, prosperity and loving moments to you, your family and loved ones.

(With part references from: jensonnicholson)

-------------------------------------------------------------

Found this post useful and informative? If yes, then do

SUBSCRIBE to get B-n-M's updates and feeds right there in your INBOX. Enter your email ID here ...

[Go-Green]: About Home Insulation | Benefits of home insulation | How to do home insulation?

2009-10-03T20:16:00.002+05:30

A recent USA visitor to your favourite blog BRICKS-n-MORTAR.com posted a message to us asking about the merits and demerits of HOME INSULATION, and to have our opinion whether she should go for it or not? Team B-n-M, therefore, hereinbelow this post explores various related ifs and buts, dos and don'ts, merits and demerits, etc. on this issue so as to provide ample information to our reader who asked question about 'home insulation' besides sharing the outcome of the analytical findings of Team B-n-M with all other readers and visitors alike.

What is home insulation / building insulation?

To proceed any further with this article, let us first ponder upon a while on the dictionary meaning of the term 'insulation'.
The term 'Insulation' is usually used in Civil Engineering / Architectural jargon to refer to the infill and/or applied material that provides the parent body (on which insulation is done) a sort of blanket cover so as to not let the main weather indicators (heat, cold, temperature variations, etc.) change the near-ideal comfortable environs of a dwelling - be it a home or an office or any other constructed or fabricated unit.

Benefits of getting home insulation done

In simpler practical terms, getting the buildings properly and adequately insulated is the perfect way of providing an effective and continuous barrier between the conditioned indoor spaces and unconditioned outdoor spaces of any particular building. This makes sure that the insulated boundaries of a home (or any building in that matter of fact) will not allow the soothing heated-up environs within during the winters to loose heat, while ensuring that the air-conditioned cool ambiance is not leaked to outsides in summers. Thus without losing the useful inhouse radiant heat in winters and/or gaining the unwanted surroundings heat in summers, it thereby helps a household to maintain a more consistent level of comfort throughout a house, thereby lowering the extents of power / energy / utility bills up to considerable levels.

A few key benefits, therefore, of getting the buildings insulated being:

reduced energy bills due to reduced variability in radiant (ambiance) inhouse temperatures and thereby reduced usage of air conditioners.
reduced carbon emissions, also known as greenhouse gas emissions, due to less usage of air conditioners and fuels.
reduced variability of inhouse temperatures in various parts of the homes (like not too much difference between ground floor and attics and basements, etc.)
efficient energy management
enhanced life and stability of building due to lesser effects of temperature variations on intrinsic construction and interiors related materials.
enhanced fire protection of building components.
better mortgage and/or resale value for the building.
almost nil demerits of the system.
last, but definitely not the least, a sense of safety and completeness to your beloved and cherished home showing you care for it.

Conclusion and suggestion to the readers

All in all, referring to all the benefits of housing insulation besides insulating all kinds of buildings in general, it seems prudent to go for it taking services of the suppliers/ providers of repute in one's region who have long standing credibility behind their names. Based upon our extended online and offline search in your region in the United States of America (i.e., the region where the reader who posted this query lives), one such credible party that is having a good name for insulation for houses is sent to you by private email too, as you had desired. You may consult them for a free evaluation of your home and take an appropriate decision thereafter. As for our advice, we would advise you to go for insulation of your home, as it would surely reduce your annual energy bills for one since as per one recent report, heating and cooling account for 50 to 70% of the energy used in the average American home, and you can very well comprehend what kind of figures it would translate into; isn't it?
-------------------------------------------------------------

Found this post useful and informative? If yes,

SUBSCRIBE to get B-n-M's updates and feeds right there in your INBOX. Enter your email ID here ...

Links for 2009-09-24 [Digg]

2009-09-25T00:00:00-07:00

Home Design for the Senses | BRICKS-n-MORTAR.com
When decorating interiors, homeowners most often rely on their sense of sight to gauge how attractive a room is. Most, however, forget that there are four other senses and these are as important as sight. The best & most comprehensive room designs are those that are able to engage all five senses and create a space that's...[READ FULL POST]>>

[Guest Post]: Home Design for the Senses

2009-09-24T15:58:00.002+05:30

When decorating interiors, homeowners most often rely on their sense of sight to gauge how attractive a room is. Most, however, forget that there are four other senses that the human body uses and these are as important as sight. The best and most comprehensive room designs are those that are able to engage all five senses and create a space that's best experienced and not just seen.

Sight is where most homeowners and designers start decorating, mostly because it's the quickest and easiest way to judge how a room appears. There are two ways to visually engage a person - with colors and with shapes. While solid colors are the safer choice for decorating a room, colors that contrast with or complement each other make a room seem much more interesting. At the same time, mixing up shapes and playing with proportion can give a room personality and character. They're effective enough on their own, but the best visual effect comes from using shapes and colors in harmony.

Auditory senses should also be engaged by the ideal home. And while a stereo system or a television could provide sounds, none of those sounds say anything about a room. Compare that to, say, the tinkling of wind chimes hung from a window or the gurgling of a small fountain in a corner. Either of those two sounds help set the mood of the room and give the space its own ambiance.

Your sense of smell, which in itself closely relates to the sense of taste, is one of the most overlooked of all the senses. Believe it or not, the olfactory senses are some of the easiest to engage when it comes to decorating a room. A set of scented candles shall be enough to generate some interest with a visitor's nose. Add a pot of potpourri or a small pot of heated aromatherapy oils to enhance the experience and reinforce the ambiance that you want to achieve in the room. You could even combine sight and smell together with, say, a bowl of fresh ripe oranges as a centerpiece for the dining table.

Touch is a very strong sensory element and shouldn't be overlooked in your design. Your skin can sometimes pick up messages that can't be sent through any other sensory pathway, so your design should hold something interesting for the sense of touch as well. Mix up textures with curtains, pillows, various fabrics and the likes. Different materials often feel very different to the touch, so try to incorporate a whole range of materials when designing the room so that guests will be curious enough to explore your little world of textures.

Your floor, in particular, is a great place to add textures because it's most often left as an unbroken and smooth expanse of wood, tile or cement. A simple rug should solve that little issue by breaking up both the texture and the color, giving your floor a whole different look and shape. Whether you plan to use rich and plush rugs or rough ones with short threads, they add a whole new dimension to what would otherwise be a boring room.

This is a guest post by Joe Griffith posted at BRICKS-n-MORTAR's web-group sometime back this month. This blog however does not claim to have checked the credentials and/or authenticity of the guest author or his/her submission & works. (Standard 'CC' instructions and global disclaimer applies). B-n-M readers may visit his/her/their website at their own will.

SUBSCRIBE to get B-n-M's updates and feeds right there in your INBOX.

Enter your email ID here ...

[Utilities-n-Softwares]: About Google LatLong blog

2009-09-16T18:59:00.001+05:30

Google LatLong blog is the official blog of the Google Team that shares news, notes and updates about Google Earth & Google Maps platforms.

Like other official blogs of Google, this very blog also imparts knowledge sharing tips, articles, news, updates, tutorials, etc. for their users and readers.

People who are engaged in technical work using these tools and platforms of Google, or even shear enthusiasts ans plaintiffs who use Google Maps and Google Earth for various uses, must check out this blog for useful stuff.

PS: This post shared for the purpose sharing useful information with BRICKS-n-MORTAR readers. For more such posts and related stuff, check out here.

SUBSCRIBE to get B-n-M's updates and feeds right there in your INBOX.

Enter your email ID here ...

[Architecture]: AWNINGS | What are Awnings? | Use of Awnings (Canopies) on doors, windows and other architectural openings

2009-09-05T19:41:00.016+05:30

WHAT ARE AWNINGS?

Awnings-- also known in common terms as Canopies, or Shades, or Overhangs, or even simply Coverings-- are one of the most common mean of covering the architectural openings of a building of the likes of windows, doors, ventilators, sliding/ swinging/ rolling shutters, porches, sit-out open spaces, sidewalks, etc.

Modern day Awnings usually comprise of a canvas or fabric coverings (made of materials of the likes of cotton, polyester, vinyl, polymers, light metal or acrylic or fibre sheets, etc.), that are mounted atop light-weight but strong holding frames (made out of welded or bolted sections of steel tubes, aluminum sections, angles, channels, wooden members, etc.).

Most of our readers would be astonished to know that use of Awnings is as old as a at least a century old, if not more. In fact, the modern awnings are nothing but some sort of modified (rectified) version of a hatch-roof type arrangement that has been in practice since ages that people used to take shelter for themselves and/or their belongings and the cattle stock.

PURPOSE OF USING AWNINGS

Awnings are used for a variety of purposes, a few of which being:

Protecting the architectural openings from the extremities of weather be it rainfall, direct sunlight, steep windy conditions, etc.
Providing shade to the openings in direct sunlit areas which helps in reducing the excess heat exposure to the building thereby reducing cooling and air-conditioning requirements
Providing sort of a barrier against ingress of dust nuisance
Using them as temporary structures for having a cover in shape of an overhang or a shed as against having a permanent concrete or steel structure, which can be retracted when not in use.
Using them as means of marketing and advertising, i.e., highlighting brand names and putting billboards, etc.
Enhancing the architectural beauty and overall look of the building from aesthetics point of view.

TYPES OF AWNINGS

The common types of Awnings in use are:

Fixed type overhangs
Semi-fixed type overhangs
Retractable type overhangs
Lateral arm type coverings
Drop arm type coverings
Canopies (Awnings with column/posts/struts supports in front other than the wall fixing means are usually called canopies)
Pop-up canopies
Fixed or semi-fixed or retractable type screens
Besides, awnings can be also classified in terms of their shape, size, material, working principle, etc.

WHERE TO USE AN AWNING?

One can fix an awning literally over any externally located window, door, ventilator, driveway, porch, balcony, rooftop, garden, etc. An awning basically provides shade besides serving the needs of building and architectural aesthetics.

HOW TO FIX AN AWNING?

Besides getting professional help, one can also fix simpler types of awnings by himself/ herself. All one needs is a simple wall-mounted type bracket or a frame and a suitably designed covering. Mechanized and sophisticated awnings may preferably be fixed with the assistance of professionals only. Moreover, special care must be taken if awnings are to be fixed on openings at heights, roofs and other difficult locations.

CONCLUSION & INFERENCE

Awnings can provide additional aesthetic and stylish look to you home, office, commercial space, etc. besides serving the functional need of providing shade and a barrier to dust, rain, etc. They can enhance the appearance of one's dwelling or work place by adding shape, dimension and color. They also help to make homes more energy efficient by reducing the amount of solar radiation that enters through the windows, ultimately decreasing the load on the air conditioner during hot summer months. Awnings also can expand outdoor living space and offer an economical alternative to addition of permanent concrete or steel structures, which can be retracted when not required. Awnings also protect outdoor furniture and wooden decks from weather damage and fading due to excess exposure to UV rays.

TO READ MORE RELATED ARTICLES OF USE, click here
SUBSCRIBE to get B-n-M's updates and feeds right there in your INBOX.

Enter your email ID here ...

[Tutorial]: Importance & Methodology of Geotechnical Investigations for a Construction Project Site

2009-08-28T20:13:00.000+05:30

B-n-M Tutorials>

The first major step after acquiring the land for a project is to arrange for carrying out the Soil Investigation studies by a competent Party so as to know the various properties of the soil on which the various buildings and structures shall be made to rest. Hence, before starting any of the construction related activities, it becomes mandatory to ascertain the land’s inherent properties, based on which the type and nature of foundations is judged.

This article aims to provide that basic know-how for all the young engineers in this field.

REQUIREMENTS OF GEOTECH (GEOTECHNICAL) STUDIES

A sound and effective geotechnical report for a particular project site should ideally include the following, but not limited to:

Appraise and analyze the estimated bearing capacities, settlement behavior, swelling potential including settlements versus time charts of foundations for the different strata encountered at different locations of the project site.
Should indicate recommendations regarding the type of foundations to be provided for different structures with reference to envisaged range of loading building-wise.
In case piling is envisaged, preliminary data regarding the types, numbers, diameters, depths, etc. for piles under different loading conditions with suitable recommendations should be furnished.
Recommendations regarding the allowable bearing capacities of different soil and rock strata at different levels and at different locations of the site.
Assessing and providing site spectra (Time Versus Acceleration Curve).
Indicate level of water table and seasonal variations.
Furnish relevant cross-sectional details of soil profile for the entire area so as to enable a study of underlying strata.
Establishing any corrosive element present in soil along the depth with specific recommendation about safety against corrosion.
Indicate setting out and marking of all the test locations, showing the levels of the existing ground level at the test locations.

GENERAL TRADE SPECIFICATIONS FOR CARRYING OUT THE WORK

A civil engineer must be aware of the broad technical specifications that are usually put in use during a detailed soil investigation. The major of them are furnished hereunder for his/her ready reference:

Boreholes
Boreholes are drilled through all types of soil and rock strata at locations indicated in the drawing showing test points. The depth of the boreholes depends largely upon the type of strata encountered, and the envisaged structure loading at that point. In case hard rock (SPT > 100) is encountered at shallow depths itself, the boreholes can be terminated after drilling 3m inside the hard rock. The exact depth of the boreholes is usually determined at site by the concerned engineers after taking into considerations the soil/rock strata encountered.
A detailed borehole log should be maintained for all the boreholes. These bore-logs provide the essential spectrum of the strata encountered, which in turn, help in deciding the type of foundations required.

Trial Pits
Trial pits are open excavations carried up to approximate depths of 1 to 2 meters so as to ascertain the settlement properties of the excavated soil pits with certain calibrated loadings.
Field density and bulk density tests should be conducted for each different stratum encountered, and a proper log should be maintained.

Sampling
Sampling is done for two cases: Disturbed samples & Un-disturbed samples.
The samples are collected from boreholes, plate load test pits and trial pits, which are then analyzed in the laboratory for various soil properties like moisture content, specific gravity, grain size analysis, Atterberg's limits, pH value, sulphate & chloride content, etc.

SUMMARIZING & REPORTING

After conducting all the relevant studies and tests, the results of all the above laboratory tests should be incorporated in the soil investigation report, which should be referred by the design engineers for designing the buildings and the structures.
The test results should be properly tabulated in the report together with the origin of the sample on which the test has been conducted. All necessary calculations and graphs shall also be included in the report for ready reference.

INFERENCE

The relevance of a systematic and sound soil investigation report can be understood from the basic point that no practical and economized design of the buildings and structures can be done without taking the inferences from this report. As such, the engineers & technicians should be familiar with the requirements of such an investigation.

TO READ MORE RELATED ARTICLES OF USE, click here
PS: We do accept knowledge sharing guest articles, generic contributions and knowledge-products marketing/sharing content for this blog. Contact: team@bricks-n-mortar.com for the same.

SUBSCRIBE to get B-n-M's updates and feeds right there in your INBOX.

Enter your email ID here ...

Manufactured homes / Mobile homes ~~ Nothing like that if you are looking for a home in these recessionary times

2009-08-21T01:45:00.003+05:30

A few weeks back one of our readers asked us if she should go for a 'building apartment' that was at some nth floor in one of the developer's upcoming colonies (the so-called concrete jungles) and away from her ancestral patch of land she was owning; or that she should go for a 'Mobile Home' which would be fixed right there in her property.

Upon exchange of a couple of mails, it became prudent that the lady- a resident of Michigan from the States- had her heart going for a mobile home as it would have meant her not leaving the comforts of her ancestral patch of land, but was unsure of the decision.

1.Today, she again wrote us a mail confirming that she has finally got a 'Mobile Home' done at her land which she had ordered upon one of the leading and reputed suppliers of 'Mobile homes' or 'Manufactured Homes' in the United States of America. Not to mention, she sounded so very happy and contented today in her mail having her new abode delivered in the form of modules, erected, finished and made ready-to-move in front of her eyes.

And that's when we decided to share her experience and joy of having a manufactured home with all our Bricks-n-Mortar family and readers so that they can also take a cue from her story of having a similar manufactured home for them too.

SO, WHAT ARE THE 'MOBILE HOMES'?

'Mobile Homes', also called as 'Manufactured Homes' or 'Prefabricated Homes' or sometimes even as 'Modular Homes' are factory built units in entirety or strategically designed and constructed parts that are then transported to the place where they are desired to be put, and then erected into the desired shape and design of a house.

SO, WHAT MAKES THESE HOMES DIFFERENT THAN OTHER USUALLY BUILT HOMES?

Yupp, we know, this must be the next question in our readers' mind, isn't it?
The usual houses are made out of individual building items, like concrete, rebar, steel, blocks, bricks, mortar, plaster, interiors, etc. These homes take time to design and construct as they must conform to the strict housing bye laws, etc.

On the other hand, the 'manufactured or mobile homes' are already built in parts in factories under strict design and supervision practices if procured from suppliers of repute, and which are then transported to the desired location by suitable modes of transfer like trailers/ trucks/ etc. The base of such homes are usually made out of tubular steel, over which the rest of the structure (framework) is erected as per the pre-approved design chosen by the user in consultation with the supplier. While these houses are usually placed in one location and left there permanently, they do retain the ability to be moved if so designed/desired.

As Wikipedia states about mobile homes--

The original rationale for this type of housing was its mobility. Units were initially marketed primarily to people whose lifestyle required mobility. However, beginning in the 1950s, the homes began to be marketed primarily as an inexpensive form of housing designed to be set up and left in a location for long periods of time, or even permanently installed with a masonry foundation.
Many people who could not afford a traditional site-built home or did not desire to commit to spending a large sum of money on housing began to see factory-built homes as a viable alternative for long-term housing needs.

It can thus be inferred that the Manufactured homes or Mobile homes offer a person multitude of options with respect to design, size, shape, color, finishes, mobility, etc., which a usual traditional in-built house can't provide with that ease and reliability. Such 'mobile homes' are one of the best housing options in the present times when the world is arm-wrestling with the ghost of recession and meltdown.

SUBSCRIBE to get B-n-M's updates and feeds right there in your INBOX. Enter your email ID here ...

[Readers’ Q&A]: What’s the Difference in Rate between Ground and First Floors?

2009-08-17T19:12:00.002+05:30

Question posted by one of B-n-M's readers, Robert Ravi in the comments section of one of our earlier posts titled: "[Readers' Q&A]: What's the Difference between Floor...":

>Hi,
That was a very good info. Please (tell me) what is the differnce in sq.ft rate normally between ground floor and first floor (excluding special elevation work) for an independent house
Regards
Robert
Posted by Robert Ravi to BRICKS-n-MORTAR.com at Sunday, August 16, 2009 1:12:00 AM IST

Team B-n-M answers...

Dear Robert,
To be very frank, there is no hard and fast rule or law / guideline of government or an authority that decides what rates can be fixed for different floors of a particular building. On the other hand, the prices of floors are calculated/ quoted based upon a number of other usability and valuation practices that may also vary from place to place and time to time.

For the sake of simpler explanation, the standard and widely accepted basis of such valuation can be considered with respect to the following:

Area usability factor --- Ground floor has usually more open area in the form of courtyards/ lawns/ parking space; while the top floor has in some of the cases roof rights. The floors in between have the set super area with no extended spaces. As such the ground floor and the top floor have a higher rate tag than other in between floors due to this aspect.

Ease of usage --- The ground floor is the easiest to access. It pays especially for aged people and otherwise when one doesn't want to climb the stairs to get into one's home. The rate of ground floor, therefore, is higher than the other floors due to this aspect. The higher you have to climb up, the more is the decline in the rate (although it is a marginal decline).

Other factor --- If the ground floor of a building is a bit intrusive or not free from the usual eyesores, or is not that appealing because of any factor, in such cases the first floor commands more premium that the ground floor.

Robert, since we do not know which type of building you have in your mind, or who the builders/ developers of the building are, we take an example of some of the key reputed builders' two-to-three-storeyed building on offer these days to give you an idea of the type of difference in the rate of a ground floor flat and a first floor flat. Do keep in mind that this may vary from place to place, or for builder to builder, or type of colony, etc.

In general,

if the ground floor flat has certain facilities like front/ back courtyards/ lawn/ garden, etc., then the rate of the first floor may fall in the range of 85% to 90% as compared to that of the ground floor.

On the other hand, in case there are only two floors in the building and the first floor has also got full or part roof rights, then the rates of the either of the floors shall not vary much.

Hope this gives you some insight and may help you in taking the appropriate decision. For any other information/ clarification, do let us know.

SUBSCRIBE to get B-n-M's updates and feeds right there in your INBOX. Enter your email ID here ...

Found this post interesting? Then check out other related posts : PropertyTalk

Need help for the Design / Architecture / Construction for your home or office? CONTACT US

2009-08-17T19:05:00.002+05:30

Alternatively, write us at: team@bricks-n-mortar.com describing your requirement/ doubt/ clarification/ inquiry/ etc.

Advertise on BRICKS-n-MORTAR.com and its affiliate blogs/websites

2009-08-13T00:36:00.003+05:30

BRICKS-n-MORTAR.com invites Corporates, Companies, Product launchers, Project owners, Building material suppliers, Equipment suppliers and all related sector representatives to advertise on this blog which endeavors to cater to the requirement of the common man's Civil Engineering related queries and doubts, etc.

The Ads / contextual posts / introductory product reviews / etc. can be mutually drafted and finalized with the location of ad placement given prime importance.

Contact 'Team B-n-M' for details and further action.

Thanks & regards,
Team B-n-M

[Readers' Q&A]: What is the difference between OPC and PPC (cements)?

2009-08-03T13:23:00.004+05:30

B-n-M

Question posted by one of B-n-M's readers, Muthiah in the comments section of one of our earlier posts titled: "[Readers' Q&A]: Difference between types of cement":

Hi!

Wan i know the difference of OPC and PPC cements
-Muthiah

Team B-n-M answers...

Dear Muthiah,
This is a very common question people ask. As a quick reference, you can also go through the above-mentioned earlier post and its comments section to get the answer in brief. Further, let us explain again for easy understanding of yours and all our other interested readers...

OPC (Ordinary Portland Cement) is the basic form of cement with 95% of it being the clinker and 5% being gypsum which is added as an additive to enhance the setting time of the cement to a workable 30 minutes odd or so. This cement is the standard norm being manufactured and sold by cement manufacturers around the world. As the Understanding-Cement website puts it: "In particular, 'Ordinary Portland Cement' is the normal, grey, cement with which most people are familiar".

However, with changing times and with enhanced energy requirements and associated environmental implications that came along with, the thermal (coal based) power plants the world over started producing multitude of coal ash (commonly known as 'Flyash or Fly Ash'), which is a waste product otherwise, in the form of finely divided residue resulting from the combustion of ground or powdered bituminous coal or sub bituminous coal (lignite) and transported by the flue gases of boilers fired by pulverized coal or lignite.

Then, with the bitter fact the world faced about the disposal of fly ash becoming a serious problem in itself, and on the other hand this fly ash being found to have certain useful cementetious properties, the worldwide statutory and academic bodies allowed addition of up to 35% of fly ash in making the type of cement, commonly known as the Pozzolanic Portland Cement (PPC). This way, the waste product which could have become a serious environmental hazard, has now become a sought-after raw material for manufacture of modern day large-scale produced cement known as the Pozzolanic Portland Cement (PPC).

One common question relating to use of OPC / PPC that people usually ask us is:

Is PPC good to use for the construction of my house/ factory/ repair works/ heavy engineering works?

Some people have presumption that since PPC uses a waste product as an ingredient, it makes it less good than the good old OPC. However, on the other hand PPC has certain distinct advantages over OPC, as listed below:

Low heat of hydration reducing chances of surface cracks
Longer setting time making it more workable than OPC
Ultimate strength higher than OPC
Lower porosity imparting the concrete more water tightness
Lower manufacturing cost compared to OPC
Waste utilization making it more environmental friendly

Thus, it can be safely inferred that PPC (Pozzolanic Portland Cement) can be used invariably for all common uses that OPC (Ordinary Portland Cement) can be used including one's construction works, concrete works, repair works, finishing works (plastering, flooring, etc.), and the likes.

SUBSCRIBE to get B-n-M's updates and feeds right there in your INBOX. Enter your email ID here ...

[Go-Green]: TOI news-piece on Green Buildings being in vogue in Indian capital city~New Delhi

2009-07-21T14:13:00.004+05:30

Sharing herewith on BRICKS-n-MORTAR this article published in the 'Times of India' newspaper on 21 July 2009 titled:
"City (New Delhi) lays a green foundation with new buildings ~~~
Corporates Take Note of Environmental Concerns, Opt For Eco-Friendly Structures To Save Energy"
Original article published in TOI by Neha Lalchandani | TNN

New Delhi: US secretary of state Hillary Clinton’s visit to the ITC Green Centre in Gurgaon, one of the region’s four buildings to be certified ‘GREEN’, drew the world’s attention to what Clinton referred to as the ‘‘monument to the future’’. Delhi may soon not be short of such monuments as several buildings have now switched over to green technology to save energy, including Rashtrapati Bhavan that is saving about Rs 60 lakh annually by shifting to a more environment-friendly technology.

A green building is one which is energy efficient, uses natural and renewable energy and causes the least amount of damage to the environment. Sources say it is mostly new buildings, and that too only commercial ones, that are going in for green building certification as it is difficult and expensive for existing buildings to make any major changes in architecture. It takes between Rs 2.5 and Rs 3.5 lakh for the process, depending on the size of the structure. At present, ITC Green Centre and Wipro in Gurgaon, Spectrum and Patnis in Noida are the four buildings that have a LEED certification.

‘‘For existing buildings, it would require a huge investment to get certification though one can cut down on energy consumption by adopting several simple methods,’’ said an architect.

However, agencies like CPWD have ensured changes in several of their office complexes. According to a CPWD spokesperson, Udyog Bhawan, that houses several offices of the industry and commerce ministries, is saving over Rs 45 lakh a year by converting to energy efficient technology. It was also awarded the national energy conservation award for the most energy efficient building in 2008, having brought down its energy consumption from 47 lakh units in 2005-06 to 35.49 lakh unit sin 2007-08. All that was done was to use CFLs, switch to solar energy and go in for more energy efficient technology. ‘‘Such changes are also being implemented in eight more buildings with us,’’ said the spokesperson.

Among other buildings in Delhi that are green are the Delhi Metro Bhawan, two of TERI’s offices and the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) office. The Commonwealth Games Village is also being constructed using GRIHA guidelines for a green building.

In India, there are two mechanisms for evaluating the energy efficiency of a building. The Indian Green Building Council (IGBC), that was formed in 2001, set up the Leadership in Energy and Environment Design (LEED) India committee that rates buildings based on five environmental criteria. The second system is that devised by the Energy Resource Institution. The Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment (GRIHA) has been endorsed by the government as the national rating system for buildings, based on their predicted performance over their life span.

Recently, BEE also started a rating system for commercial buildings, under which the RBI building in Delhi was one among the two recipients of the star-rating.

For those who have the money, altering an existing building can go a long way in saving energy and money in the long term. Building two walls instead of one for insulation, covered balconies, tiling or whitewashing rooftops, creation of rainwater harvesting structures and minimising the use of reflective glass could go a long way in bringing down the electricity bill though the cost recovery could take a few years due to the high capital costs.

Gaurav Shorey of TERI, area convener of GRIHA, said: ‘‘If you do not have the option of having a green building constructed, there is still a lot that can be done with existing structures. Simple practices of using electricity with care, switching off extra lights, preserving water and planning energy consumption will go a long way in making homes energy efficient. Air-conditioners should not be set at a very low temperature and ceiling fans should be used in tandem for optimum benefits.”

Disclaimer: Article shared for the purpose of spreading the meaningful 'GREEN BUILDINGS" campaign which is the need of the hour for India as well as the entire world. Not meant for any commercial copying/ copyright infringement/ etc. Standard universal disclaimer stands on part of this blog.

SUBSCRIBE to get B-n-M's updates and feeds right there in your INBOX. Enter your email ID here ...

'Buildings with wholesome beauty'~~ Does your dwelling looks all-round beautiful like this?

2009-07-14T23:04:00.000+05:30

All of us must have heard of this common day-to-day life usage- "Wholesome goodness"!

A healthy body within and outside is wholesome goodness. The same applies to our buildings, homes, office spaces, structures constructed in bricks and mortar, etc. The exteriors of a building should no doubt be very beautiful, clean, nicely conceived, well executed besides being structurally and architecturally safe.

But, its the wholesome clean and tidy finishing and up-keeping of the entire building, which makes it truly and wholesomely beautiful. Then no matter if its your building's rooftop, or your home's backyard, or your office's nooks and corners; all should be well planned and kept neat and tidy.

Getting our point??
Look at the picture of this building herein below and judge for yourself if your dwelling looks all-round beautiful like this or not.

If the answer is a big NO, then do the needful and make it beautiful. And, do send your dwelling's pictures to us so that we can share the same with all of our readers too.

BnM

[PS: This picture shot and shared by one of our core team members is of a building in the heart of Cochin city, in the state of Kerala, India]

Read similar posts/articles here
Technorati Tags: home improvement, buildings, civil engineering

SUBSCRIBE to get B-n-M's updates and feeds right there in your INBOX. Enter your email ID here ...

[Delhi-NCR]: MCD Property Tax | Filing MCD Property Tax Online | FAQs about MCD Property Tax

2009-06-30T19:46:00.004+05:30

If you are an Indian and own a property in Delhi, then be reminded that you need to pay your Municipal Corporation Department's (MCD) PROPERTY TAX by June 30th of the respective calender year so as to avail an additional 15% rebate on the overall tax amount (if paid as lump sum, and not partly).

The usual rebates (like that for Senior Citizens, Women Owned, Physically Challenged, Ex-Servicemen, DDA Residential, Village Abadi, Group Housing Flats, etc.) and the and exemptions (like Agricultural lands, Vacant Land or Building in Village abadi occupied for residential purpose, Lands exclusively used for public worship, Lands used for Public Charity, Lands used as burial/ cremation ground, Heritage lands and buildings, Lands owned by war widow / Gallentry Award winner being permanently used for self, and Lands and buildings of Corporation, etc.) can still be availed on case to case basis (if applicable) besides this 15% rebate on timely and lump sum payment before or after the deadline of June 30.

Here's what you need to do...

Log on to http://www.mcdpropertytax.in

BnM>

Click here to go to the webpage for ONLINE PAYMENT through Credit Card

BnM>

In case one wish to pay by Cheque or a Demand Draft or Cash, click here

BnM>

Manual Forms for property tax submission can be downloaded at http://mcdonline.gov.in

The MCD's website assists you in carrying out the following:

Online filling of your Property Tax Return Form
Calculating your Property Tax for the any Financial Year
Printing out your copy of the Property Tax Return
Assisting you in making the Payment of the Tax
Getting a Receipt of the Payments that you have made

One has the options to Pay his/her Property Tax by means of:

By Cheque/DD/Bankers Cheque to any AXIS Bank Branch (Delhi and NCR only) and at Selected HDFC bank branches
By Cash at any AXIS Bank Branch (Delhi and NCR only) and selected HDFC Bank Branches upto Rs. 2000/-
Pay Online using your Credit Card
Pay Online using your ItzCash Card/Visit ItzCash World to pay in cash

The MCD's website also furnishes the following information relating to filing of the property tax:

Hope Bricks-n-Mortar.com's readers would be benefited in knowing what to do in case they need to file the MCD Property Tax.
For any other clarification/information, please feel free to ask.
-Team@Bricks-n-Mortar.com

Related links of use: http://www.mcdpropertytax.in | http://mcdonline.gov.in

SUBSCRIBE to get B-n-M's updates and feeds right there in your INBOX.

Enter your email ID here ...

[Delhi-NCR]: MCD Property Tax - Last day for availing additional 15% discount

2009-06-30T14:01:00.004+05:30

Technorati Tags: PropertyTax, MCDPropertyTax, India-Tax

Understanding the basics of Construction Management & its Importance for a Civil Engineer

2009-06-22T19:43:00.002+05:30

Effective planning and utilization of the ‘resources’ as well as the ‘TCQ’ (Time, Cost and Quality) towards achieving certain set goals and targets make the essence of the term “Management” in simple words. And when such planning and resource utilization is linked with one or more aspects of construction related activities, the types of management techniques put in use are collectively termed as “Construction Management”.

Depending upon type of matters handled, the construction management can be broadly divided into:

Construction human resources management
Construction financial management
Construction materials management
Construction implementation & execution management

Key Resources Involved

The key resources that are handled in the field of construction management are usually:

Men
Materials
Machinery
Money
Technical documents, viz., designs & drawings
Plans & decisions

It is the effective use of these resources only that determine the success or failure of any kind of Civil Project. Therefore, it becomes imperative for a Manager to effectively allocate the weightings depending upon the stage of the project and importance of the resource at a given stage.

Agencies Involved

The main agencies that play important roles in the Construction Management are:

The Owner
The Architect, and/or the Consultant
The Contractor
The Suppliers

The Owner is the one who envisages a project after the preliminary and/or detailed feasibility studies. Thus this agency is the parent agency of any project.

The Architect and/or the Consultant is/are the one who impart shape to the project. The project is detailed and put in terms of the Owner’s requirements by these agencies only. Usually, the architects are involved in the building projects having more of aesthetic value, whereas the Consultants are mainly involved in mostly the industrial and process-oriented projects.

The Contractor is another important agency, which actually executes the project by deploying the required resources on the field. In other words, it is the Contractor who actually builds and brings-up the project on ground.

Last, but definitely not the least are the agencies which supply the requisite resources like material, machinery, equipment, manpower, etc. to the rest of the three above-cited agencies. Virtually, they act as the much needed fuel-suppliers for the project to take real shape.

Essential Components of Construction management

The essential components of an effective construction management working are Planning, Execution and Control, all of which should perform in a closed cycle type format. It means that each of these components should assist and support the other also while performing its own role in a manner, which economizes the whole working, and reduces the time and cost parameters also at the same time.

In case, any of these basic components fail to deliver up to any major extent, and at any point of time, the project is liable to suffer losses in terms of either the cost, or the time of planned completion, or both. Therefore, all efforts should be put in place so as to ensure that none of these basic components derail too much from the intended course of action at any stage of the project. Regular planning, monitoring and re-scheduling of the resources can only ensure this balance, and the Management teams should strive towards effective management of these goals at all costs so as to make the projects economically best viable as well as profitable.

Effective Construction management- Need of the Hour

Effective Construction management is invariably the most important need of the hour for all the agencies involved for the simple reason that no agency can survive in today’s cut-throat competition environment without implementing the best practices and even innovating industry specific models. With every project demanding loudly to be completed in the least possible time; with the least possible cost incurred, and with top-class quality standards; effective construction management techniques have become the only surviving tool. The ones, who master it, are the ones who become the successful leaders of the industry. There can be no second thoughts to this, and the sooner all agencies realize this fact; the better it would be for the entire construction industry.

SUBSCRIBE to get B-n-M's updates and feeds right there in your INBOX. Enter your email ID here ...

'BRICKS-n-MORTAR.com' witnesses 10,000th Visitor on 12 June 2009

2009-06-14T00:36:00.004+05:30

Wow! 'Team B-n-M' feels elated and ecstatic to share with its valuable subscribers, readers, visitors and the entire online blogging world about witnessing its Ten Thousandth (10,000 th) visitor to its blog 'BRICKS-n-MORTAR.com' with nearly 2-pageloads on an average per visitor to the blog reading the pageload figures as nearing 19,000 as on 12-June-2009.

The achievement is celebrated with zeal and enthusiasm among the whole of BRICKS-n-MORTAR community and the core team as well considering the fact that the feat is achieved within 14-calender months of launching the blog as "a weblog encompassing a common man's Civil Engineering related doubts and queries"

A quick analysis of the number indicate the maximum of the traffic coming from the originating country of this blog - 'India'; with the 'United States of America (USA)' following at the second position. The other countries/ regions falling in the rest of the top-ten visitors contributors being 'United Kingdom (UK)', 'Canada', 'United Arab Emirates (UAE)', 'Australia', 'Malaysia', 'Singapore', 'European Union (EU)' and 'Philippines'.

We wish to thank all our patrons, subscribers, readers, visitors and contributors to make this happen in a short span of time despite the fact that BRICKS-n-MORTAR is not the usual kind of blog which would bombard the blog and its RSS feed / E-mail oriented subscribers with unnecessary loads of blog posts day-on, and that it believes in quality material only being posted once or twice a week so that people get ample time to grab every single post to its core and entirety. THANKS A REAL TON TO ALL WHO HAS CONTRIBUTED!! :-D
...

SUBSCRIBE to get B-n-M's updates and feeds right there in your INBOX. Enter your email ID here ...

E-Stamping | Legal Stamp Duty Online Submission | What is E-Stamping?

2009-06-09T00:49:00.008+05:30

What is E-Stamping? | Legal Stamp Duty Online Submission

In India, like in most parts of the world till a few years back, stamp papers of different denominations were used as the pre-certified document sheets in order to pay the stamp duty charges to the Government.With the sale of the physical stamp papers being banned from January 1, 2003 due to multi-crore fake stamp paper scam (the infamous Telgi scam), there was always a dire need of replacing the system of physical papers to a more-more reliable system, albeit an online reliable system in this modern online world. Electronic-Stamping (or E-Stamping as it is popularly called) is the apt answer to that need of a reliable and fast system.

Stock Holding Corporation of India Limited (SHCIL) has been appointed by the Government of India as Central Record Keeping Agency (CRA) for Computerised Stamp Duty Administration System (CSDAS) and has devised a mechanism for the electronic method of collection of stamp duty. SHCIL has established e-Stamping system in a number of Indian States including the National Capital Territory of Delhi besides other multitude of States and Union Territories. Collected stamp duty is remitted directly to the government account on next working day by the SHCIL of collecting the amount from the submitter thereby fixing the possibility of revenue leakage, if any.

The details of the issued certificate can be accessed by registering officer holding a valid password to verify the details of the certificate. After verifying the details, the registering officer can disable or lock the distinguishing unique identification number of the certificate to prevent any misuse. The deputy commissioner of stamps may cancel the e-stamp certificate in case it is spoiled or misused or unused or not required for use and refund its amount.

The software is believed to be using fool-proof software supposedly making it almost impossible to fake or duplicate the generated e-stamp certificate. The e-stamping system is reported to be designed to prevent paper and process-related fraudulent practices. It offers a reliable stamp duty collection mechanism; and stores information in secured electronic form and builds up a central data repository to facilitate easy verification. Both the public as well as the governments benefit from the e-stamping facility.

For ready reference purpose, here's a list of COMPULSORY as well as OPTIONALLY REGISTRABLE Documents in the Delhi - the national capital region which needs these stamp duties:-

1) List of Compulsorily Registrable Document

Article No.	Description of Instrument
5(c)	Rectification Deed- Immovable
6(2)(a)	Agreement relating to deposit of title deed
6(2)(b).	Agreement relating to deposit of title deed
12	Award
12	Award – Immovable
17	Cancellation of Instrument
18	Certificate of Sale
23	Conveyance
23	Sale
23	Decree (Sale Deed/Conveyance)
23-A	Sale Agreement
25	Additional Copy of document
31	Exchange of property
32(a)	Further Charge
32(b)(i)	Further Charge
32(b)(ii)	Further Charge
33	Gift
35	Perpetual
35(i)	Lease- Rent deed up to 1 year
35(ii)	Lease up to 5 years
35(iii)	Lease up to 10 years
35(iv)	Lease up to 20 years
35(v)	Lease up to 30 years
35(vi)	Lease up to 100 years
35(vii)	Lease up to 200 years
35(ii)	Lease with security up to 5 years
35(iii)	Lease with security up to 10 years
35(iv)	Lease with security up to 20 years
35(v)	Lease with security up to 30 years
35(vi)	Lease with security up to 100 years
35(vii)	Lease with security up to 200 years
40	Mortgage
40(c)	Mortgage Collateral
41	Mortgage of a Crop
45	Partition
54	Re-conveyance
55	Relinquishment Deed
55	Release
57	Security Bond
58	Settlement
58	Decree (Settlement)
58	Memorandum of Settlement
61	Surrender of Lease
63	Transfer of Lease
64	Trust

2) List of Optionally Registrable Document

Article No.	Description of Instrument
3	Adoption
4	Declaration
5	General Agreement
5	Consent Letter
5(c)	Rectification Deed- Movable
11	Authority to Adopt
12	Award – Movable
15	Indemnity Bond
17	Cancellation of Agreement
29	Divorce
6	Partnership
48	Power of attorney –SPA
48(c)	Power of attorney – GPA
48(d)	Power of attorney – GPA more than five persons jointly and severly
48(e)	Power of attorney – GPA more than five persons but less than ten persons
48(f)	Power of attorney– GPA with consideration
48(g)	Power of attorney – Authenticated GPA
53	Receipt
55	Disclaimer
56	Respondentia Bond
64(b)	Revocation of Trust
64(b)	Dissolution Deed
64(b)	Deed of Retirement

SUBSCRIBE to get B-n-M's updates and feeds right there in your INBOX. Enter your email ID here ...

[NewsOfUse]: IITK-BMTPC's Useful and Informative Series on Earthquake related Disaster Management Tips

2009-06-01T20:59:00.008+05:30

Building Materials & Technology Promotion Council (BMPTC)

Ministry of Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation, Government of India

in association with

Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, India (IITK)

has brought out important and useful information tips on Earthquake disaster management titled:

"IITK-BMTPC Earthquake Tips:: Learning Seismic Design and Construction"

on the BMPTC's as well as NICEE's websites.

Team BRICKS-n-MORTAR suggests all its subscribers, readers and visitors to visit the above mentioned site and go though the informative tips on Earthquake Disaster Management. As also mentioned in the said website of NICEE (National Information Centre of Earthquake Engineering), 24 Tips has been released and is targeted at persons interested in building construction. The Tips cover topics such as basic introduction to earthquakes and terminology such as magnitude and intensity, concepts of earthquake resistant design, and aspects of a seismic design and construction of buildings.

List of the EQTips are listed hereunder also as a ready reference. Hope readers will find this post informative and useful.

S No	Subject
EQ Tip 1	What Causes Earthquakes?
EQ Tip 2	How the Ground Shakes?
EQ Tip 3	What are Magnitude and Intensity?
EQ Tip 4	Where are the Seismic Zones in India?
EQ Tip 5	What are the Seismic Effects on Structures?
EQ Tip 6	How Architectural Features Affect Buildings During Earthquakes?
EQ Tip 7	How Buildings Twist During Earthquakes?
EQ Tip 8	What is the Seismic Design Philosophy of Buildings?
EQ Tip 9	How to Make Buildings Ductile for Good Seismic Performance?
EQ Tip 10	How Flexibility of Buildings Affects their Earthquake Response?
EQ Tip 11	What are the Indian Seismic Codes?
EQ Tip 12	How do Brick Masonry behave during Earthquake?
EQ Tip 13	Why should Masonry Buildings have simple Structural Configuration?
EQ Tip 14	Why are horizontal bands necessary in masonry buildings?
EQ Tip 15	Why is vertical reinforcement required in masonry buildings?
EQ Tip 16	How to make Stone Masonry Buildings Earthquake Resistant?
EQ Tip 17	How do Earthquake Affect Reinforced Concrete Buildings?
EQ Tip 18	How do Beams in RC Buildings Resist Earthquakes?
EQ Tip 19	How do Columns in RC Buildings Resist Earthquakes?
EQ Tip 20	How do Beam-Column Joints in RC Buildings Resist Earthquakes?
EQ Tip 21	Why are Open Ground Storey Buildings Vulnerable in Earthquakes?
EQ Tip 22	Why are Short Columns more Damaged During Earthquakes?
EQ Tip 23	Why are Buildings with Shear Walls Prefer red in Seismic Regions?
EQ Tip 24	How to Reduce Earthquake Effects on Buildings?

SUBSCRIBE to get B-n-M's updates and feeds right there in your INBOX. Enter your email ID here ...

EARTHWORKS ~~ the first step in any type of Construction and basic key factors associated with it

2009-05-13T20:16:00.002+05:30

At first instance thinking about this very topic, a reader may think what so important could be there in such a simple topic. After all, earthwork is as basic as the most common of aspects of Civil Engineering.

Yes, it could be tedious as well as tricky while dealing with earthworks (which includes all earth related activities, viz., excavation, backfilling, disposal of extra and/or waste soil, and the likes) in special conditions like while handling extra soft or extra hard strata; or even may be when earthworks are required to be done in high water table conditions where pumping out of water could become a headache for the team of engineers. There could be endless of demanding situations in this field, but here we will focus on the basic principles that an engineer, or even a simple worker needs to remember.

Analyzing the Type of Material : The First Basic Step

It can be a fruitful exercise for any working team to first analyze what kind of soil and/or strata they are going to work upon. Selecting the best possible technique to go about follows thereafter.

In brief, the type of materials to be handled or used for the diverse needs of earthworks, viz., excavation, filling, compacting, making embankments, etc. should primarily conform to the qualities and requirements for each work respectively. It often is a good idea to investigate the possible areas for winning such materials, as well as the possibility of reusing materials arising from excavations on the site, keeping in mind that the source and the quality of materials being subject to requisite quality control.

Things/Methods to Start With

Subsequent to the basic planning, earmarking and completing the layout, etc. of the respective areas of work, it needs a planned methodology to carry out the works most economically and time saving. The few of these activities are:

Clearing and Grubbing: The work of clearing and grubbing consists of the removal of all obstructions such as undergrowth, bushes, trees, stumps, roots, rubbish and other objectionable organic or inorganic matter before undertaking any major earthwork.
Excavation: This consists of the necessary excavations for the works such as foundations of structures and buildings, machine foundations, pits, tunnels, cable trenches, etc. It generally also includes the stacking and/or disposal of the surplus excavated materials that is extra of what has to be backfilled back after casting the sub-structure. The whole of the excavations for the several parts of a particular Work should be carried out to suit the foundations for which they are required. The important thing to remember is that the excavations should be done in such a manner, which gives sufficient safe working space all around the foundations; and also economized to the fullest at the same time.
Earthworks for Embankments: Where an embankment is to be made, the in-grade preparation of the basement soils should be well planned before actual execution. All sod and organic matter as well as any unsuitable material should be removed from the surface, if encountered. The key to remember is that the final cleared surface should be completely broken up by ploughing, scarifying or stepping to a certain minimum depth, preferably by at least 15 cm.
Earthwork in Rocky Conditions: As a thumb rule, the rock strata can be divided into two categories, viz., soft rock, which constitutes material such as limestone, sandstone, hard conglomerate, plain cement concrete, etc.; and hard rock, which constitutes material like quartzite stone, granite, basalt, reinforced cement concrete and the likes that cannot be easily quarried or split with crow bars or picks or even with jackhammers. Even harder strata like that comprising of thick solid beds of corals, etc. may even require special blasting techniques, which require detailed planning on an engineer’s behalf.

Concluding remarks

Earthworks mark the beginning of the construction process for any building or structure. It may seem to be a done thing from an overview, but it must be remembered that some key basic points should always be in place before as well as during the execution of the works. Planning the key issues beforehand can save enormous precious time and the finances.

SUBSCRIBE to get B-n-M's updates and feeds right there in your INBOX. Enter your email ID here ... Read more such interesting articles following these tags: Tutorials l TechTalk

Knowing about Hydel Plants & Uses of Transforming Water Force to Electric Power

2009-05-08T17:02:00.002+05:30

Since the very time the world witnessed the industrial revolution, energy resources have kept on being used. In fact, these resources have been over-utilized, endangering the bleak balance of the ecology. Whether they are developed, developing or the under-developed countries-- all want energy resources for fueling their sustainability and growth cycles.

The man utilized wood, coal, petroleum and almost all other ready energy sources till the need for more arose to such an extent that imbalance of ecology was noted. If not for only this fact, it was the availability/ unavailability of certain resources in some parts of the world, which led the mankind to think for using alternative resources of energy. Hydro-Electricity (commonly known as 'HYDEL') is one such alternative resource of energy, which has brought a lot of scope for water-source-rich countries to use this renewable source of energy thereby giving them a bright chance to develop and grow alike without endangering the ecology.

Hydel-Energy and Hydel Plants

In simple terms, the power (electricity) generated through water (hydro) is commonly termed as hydel energy; and the power generation plants are known as the hydro-electric plants; or even simply, the hydel plants.

Hydro-electric power plants work on the simple concept of taking the kinetic energy from running and/or falling water, thereby converting it into electricity. These plants are basically of two broad types:

“Run-of-the-river” type, and
“Reservoir” type

The basic difference between the two is essentially the storage and feeding capacity of the reservoirs that store and supply water to the turbines, which are housed at downstream end of the pressure shafts. These pressure shafts are constructed in an angle so that the water falls on the turbines with a larger head, thereby developing larger kinetic velocities. The running of the turbines generates electricity, which is then fed to the main power grid, making the power generated available to a large or small area or region depending upon the requirement and purposes.

As such, in case of “Run-of-the-river” type hydel plants, the rivers are having enough water and speed that can cater to the requirements of a plant having a smaller sized storage reservoir. On the other hand, the rivers having lesser discharge quotients or occasional dry periods need to be supplemented with large sized reservoirs where water is kept stored in huge quantum so as to cater the needs of the hydel plant.

Multiple Uses of Hydel Plants

Besides being used to generate hydel power, such plants may also help in the following:

Flood control and monitoring
Navigational purposes
Irrigation and drought control
Public water supply
Recreational purposes

The other benefits of generating power by such alternative means are:

No pollution is caused
The natural resources are put to use in a dynamic phase, that is, only running water’s velocity is utilized whereas the water is again discharged downstream without much wastage.
Operation and maintenance costs of such plants are low
Small capacity hydel plants can be set up again at certain downstream part of the river, thereby enhancing the power generation requirements.

A Few Disadvantages are there too to take care of

Besides having so many advantages, designing and using the hydel plants require certain checks and precautions also to be taken care of.

The major environmental impact of hydro-electric plants is the flooding of large areas of land to form reservoirs for water that results in large scale flooding and displacement of the river-side dwellings and large chunks of lands.
Much of the land, which is converted into a large sized reservoir, is usually either forested or inhabited before it is submerged. A lot of people therefore need to be displaced and re-habited.
Mitigation of water creatures, like fishes, etc. are restricted
Studies have even showed earthquake related impacts of large volumes of stored water in the region
The man-made reservoirs usually do alter the silt-flow patterns of the river.

Synopsis

Hydro-electric power plants have played a major role in the world's energy supply in terms of alternative energy resources. Hydel generated power is almost inexpensive, reliable, and has environmental impacts, which are not as devastating as those from the traditional fuels, like fossil fuels, etc. It not only enhances the power production capacities to feed the ever-increasing world, but also uses the natural resource, thereby negating the pollution fears.

SUBSCRIBE to get B-n-M's updates and feeds right there in your INBOX. Enter your email ID here ... Read more such interesting articles following these tags: Tutorials l TechTalk

[Readers' Query]: Meaning of term "POURING STRIP" and What is its purpose of use?

2009-05-02T18:29:00.004+05:30

On Sun, Apr 26, 2009 at 9:58 AM, chan_gul2000@... wrote:

Pl tell me what are the meaning of POURING STRIP. What is the purpose of use?

--
Sent via a FeedFlare link from a FeedBurner feed.
http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/publishers/feedflare

Team B-n-M replied...
Dear B-n-M subscriber,
Greetings from our entire team!

Foremost sorry for replying a little late as your query went accidentally into the spam folder (don't know how, but our IT team is making sure it doesn't happen again!).

Your query about "POURING STRIP" is a terminology in Civil Engineering which is used in many contexts, like:

while casting concrete in slabs in strips (as in case of vacuum dewatered flooring where panels of a certain width- 4m, 5m, or so are made with MS channel sections as the mechanical trowel is of this width only),
or, where concreting is to be done in alternative bays (parallel grid panels) so as to check the expansion/shrinkage of construction joints.
or, where precast members are made in forms, and which are supposed to be cast in sequence to be detached/ saw-cut later upon final setting.

In case you can tell us in what context you came across this term, we may be able to elaborate it further with some technical details as well.

We love to have feedback/ comments/ queries/ contributions from our readers and visitors, which we sometimes also publish on our blog with requisite credentials of the sender. We hope you participating more actively sharing your knowledge with us too. Hope to hear from you soon on this topic, and otherwise too.

Yours truly,
Team B-n-M
BRICKS-n-MORTAR.com
A WEBLOG ENCOMPASSING A COMMON MAN'S CIVIL ENGINEERING RELATED QUERIES & DOUBTS
Home maintenance | Architecture | Construction | Civil Design | Interiors | Renovation | Upgradation | Beautification | Products | Materials | Vaastu | Valuation | Guidance | Advice | Tips | Tutorials | Misc. Services | Social Awareness | And a lot lot more...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[Tips'n'Bits]: Do You Know Which Cement Type To Buy & Use?

2009-04-30T19:11:00.000+05:30

After completing all the requisite planning, fine tuning of budget as well as manpower arrangement for the repair/ modification works for his home, Mr. Singh's never anticipated that he'll be bombarded with a dozen of questions at the cement vendor's shop as what kind of cement he required for the works.

The technical jargon used by the vendor in naming the cement products were feeling like awkward bouncers and bodyliners that have undoubtedly troubled almost all the cricket batsmen on the field. Mr. Singh had never bothered in his planning as which kind of cement he would be requiring while carrying out the tedious planning. He had always known cement as cement, and never as:

OPC (Ordinary Portland Cement),
PPC (Pozzolana Portland Cement),
PSC (Pozzolana Slag Cement),
SRC (Sulphate Resisting Cement),
White Cement,
Quick Setting Cement, etc. etc. etc

Or in that matter of fact as:

33-grade,
43-grade, or
53-grade.

Like Mr. Singh, the majority of masses and classes have no idea to similar queries of the cement vendors (barring the ordinary shopkeepers, who themselves don't know beyond the word- 'CEMENT'). The last resort left with Mr. Singh was to tell the vendor to give him whichever type the vendor felt right. And no doubt, like most of the vendors would have done in such a situation, Mr. Singh was handed over the type of cement bags, which had huge profit margins for the vendor.

HAVE YOU ALSO EXPERIENCED BEING LIKE Mr. SINGH'S AT SOME POINT OF TIME?
DO YOU ALSO HAVE PLANS TO GET CARRIED OUT SOME CEMENT BASED WORK IN THE NEAR FUTURE AND DON'T KNOW WHICH CEMENT PRODUCT TO BUY?

As we pointed out earlier, a number of people like you and me would identify themselves with Mr. Singh.

We suggest keep looking out for this space here on BRICKS-n-MORTAR wherein we would try to let you know the basics of CEMENT, and to what you require for different type of works.

SUBSCRIBE to get B-n-M's updates and feeds right there in your INBOX.

Enter your email ID here ...

[Tips-n-Bits]: Understanding Vaastu; and a few vaastu tips for home and commercial spaces

2009-04-25T20:40:00.001+05:30

"Vaastu", as we commonly know this terminology in its short form as, has been derived from the original Sanskrit word "Vāstu Śāstra" or more commonly "Vaastu Shastra".

The Wikipedia defines Vaastu as:

"an ancient Vedic science of layout planning of buildings that is said to be influencing peace and prosperity of the inhabitants by dealing with the management of cosmic energy in Building & Structures. The principles of Vaastu Shastra extend from the macro level to the micro level- site selection, site planning and orientation, zoning and disposition of rooms, proportional relationships between the various parts of buildings and the character of buildings."

Quoting Wikipedia text again to explain to our readers (for the simple reason of it being an authenticated compilation of simple and multi-contributed as well as thoroughly analyzed inputs from numerous contributors and scholars),

"Vaastu is the science of direction and architecture that combines all the five elements of nature and balances them with the man and the material. Vaastu Shastra is creating a congenial settings or a place to live or work, in most scientific way taking advantages of the benefits bestowed by the five elements called “Pancha Maha Bhootas” of the nature thereby paving the way for enhanced health, wealth, prosperity and happiness in an enlightened environment.

The world comprises five basic elements, also known as the Panchbhootas. They are Earth, Water, Air, Fire and Space.There is an invisible and constant relation between all the five elements. Thus, the man can improve his conditions by properly designing his buildings by understanding the effectiveness of these five natural forces.

In modern times, the knowledge of house building technology has grown so vast, that it has been branched off into special fields such as architecture, engineering and Interior decoration. Architecture deals with the Internal comfort and external beauty, Civil engineering deals with the structural stability but Vaastu provides with the knowledge to be adopted in building a house so as to make the native happy, healthy and prosperous. Vaastu principles are applicable to individual residential houses , industry, educational institutions, commercial complexes, theaters, hospitals, churches, etc. If colonies, villages and cities are planned on its principles, it is said that they will all be very prosperous. To understand Vaastu all one needs is a little knowledge about Astronomy. We know that our earth, while moving around the sun, continues to spin on its own axis with a tilt of 23.5 degrees. While spinning, the earth moves from West to East. You will observe that car is designed in such a way that its front part is kept lower than the rear part, to enable it to overcome the wind resistance when in speed. Similarly the nose part of the plane and rocket are kept tapering forward. Since our earth is moving from West to East, if your building is lower on the East and higher on the West, only then it will be able to withstand the resistance of winds easily and get filled with positive energy from North-East, leading to peace and prosperity of the inhabitants. Thus a clear understanding of the principles of science can help you to delve into the true meaning of Vaastu Shastra and reap its benefits."

Having understood the basics of Vaastu, the readers of this post might want 'team:bricks-n-mortar' to enumerate a few basic and most sought-after Vaastu tips for home and commercial spaces.

A few of these tips are listed below for quick reference. It should however be understood that these are only a few of the ideal-condition considerations. The whole snapshot of a particular property or living place may depend upon several related combinations and factors.

A plot with all four corners as 90 degrees to each other is always better than one having oblique or skewed sides.
A plot with at least two sides open to a park or road should be preferred rather than one closed from all sides.
The open space left in North and East should be more than South and West.
A house should be designed in such a way so that there is maximum entry of sunlight and proper cross ventilation.
The maximum construction should be done in South, West and South-West portion of the plot.
A pond or a water body should be placed in North-East corner of the house.
A house should ideally be not constructed over a filled up water body, like a well, pond, etc.
The hearth or oven must be arranged in Eastern or South-East directions of the house in such a way that the person cooking faces the East.
Trees of any kind should not ideally be grown in Eastern, Northern and North-East directions.
Only small plants should be grown in North, East and North-East directions.
Shadow of a Banyan (peepal) tree should not fall on the house.
Pictures of any war scenes, demons, portraits in anger should not be placed in the house.
The slope of the property should be from West to East or South to North.
The best direction for master bedroom construction is South-West. South-East direction is not right for bedroom purpose.
If a bedroom need to be constructed in the North-West direction, then prefer using it as a guest room or as a room for daughters.
For constructing children room, West or North is the perfect direction.
The children study tables should be placed in the Northern or Eastern corner of the room.
The beds should be so placed that sleeping with one's head facing North side of the room be avoided.
Green color is recommended to be used for wall painting in the study room as it enhances intelligence.
For prayer room, yellow or sandal wall color is just perfect.
For placing TV or computer in the living room, South-East corner is just right.
For ensuring peace in the house, the main bedroom should be constructed in the South direction.
While sleeping, make sure that everyone sleeps with his or her head pointing towards the South corner. North direction should be completely avoided, as it acts as a source of nightmares and disturbed sleep.
Avoid placing the divine idols in the bedroom.
For constructing the master bedroom, South-West direction is just perfect. Other bedrooms can be constructed on the Eastern or Northern side of the master bedroom.
A married couple should not use East direction bedroom. There is no problem if a child uses such a room.
Bed can be placed in the South-West corner.
It is better to avoid placing the mirror just on the opposite side of the bed especially in children room.
Don't place the furniture sticking to the wall, as it obstructs the flow of positive energy.
The study desk should be placed in such a manner that the child faces Eastern, Northern or North-Eastern corner while studying. East is the most appropriate direction, as it paves way for enhanced concentration.
Avoid placing the electronic gadgets like TV and Computer in the kids' bedroom. But still if you wish to install one, then for computer, the right place is South-East corner and North-West corner for TV.
The North direction is ideal for the construction of a drawing room.
Southern and Western corners of the room are perfect for placing the furniture.
The perfect place for placing sofa lies in North-West.
TV can be kept in the South-East direction while the showcase, cupboards, almirahs in the South-West corner.
Seating arrangement for the guests should be done in such a manner that the guests face Southern or Western direction.
Center table can be in the shape of square, rectangle or even round.
Avoid placing L shape sofa in your drawing room.
The ideal location for the construction of dining room is the West portion of the house.
Construction should be done in such a manner that the dining room and kitchen both are on the same floor, lying adjacent to each other.
Square or rectangle shape dining table is just perfect for the room.
Dining table should not be sticking to the wall.
If you want to place a fridge in the dining room, then South-East direction would be just apt.
If you want to make provision for the fitting of washbasin in your dining room, then the right place would be either Eastern or Northern corner.
The ideal place for the location of kitchen is the South-East corner. An alternative choice can be the North-West corner of the house.
The ideal location for kitchen are Northeast, mid-north, mid-west, southwest mid-south or the center.
Make sure that the cooking platform does not touch Eastern or Northern side wall.
The best direction for cooking is facing East, as this direction is considered to be auspicious.
No shelf should be placed above the cooking platform.
Refrigerator can be placed on the North-West corner in the kitchen.
While constructing the kitchen, make adequate provision for cross ventilation.
For bathroom construction, the most appropriate location lies in the Eastern portion of the house.
As a part of Vaastu remedies for bathroom, it is suggested that the geyser should be placed in the Southeast corner.
Drainage system should be in the northeast direction. Therefore, it is advised that the taps and showers should be fixed on the Northern side.
As per Vaastu for bathroom, the door should not be in the South-West direction of the bathroom.
For keeping the washing machine, the suitable directions are South-East and North-West.
Bathtub can be placed on the west side.
For parking purpose, North-East side should be used.
The drainage system for commercial buildings should be towards the North-East direction.
While constructing the doors, make sure that the main gate is higher than other doors.
If you wish to construct a storeroom for the office, then choose Southern or Western portion of the plot for this purpose.
Make adequate provision for sunlight and proper cross ventilation system

HAVE ANY CIVIL ENGINEERING RELATED QUERY BOTHERING YOU? TELL US & WE WOULD TRY TO ASSIST YOU. POST YOUR QUERY.

SUBSCRIBE to get B-n-M's updates and feeds right there in your INBOX. Enter your email ID here ... Image sources: Vastu_shastra_article.pdf
Part description from: Wikipedia

Suggested related stuff:

Wikipedia article on Vaastu
Vaastu Tips : by Your Astrology Guru
Reinterpreting Vaastu : An article in The Hindu by Shashikala Ananth
Subhavaastu : Consultancy and advice by Suresh
Understanding science of directions & Vaastu tips at rudraksha-ratna