Category: 8. Building Maintenance

This includes both the management of spaces within a residential unit as well as the layout of spaces/zoning for any planned development. The design of these spaces should be cost-effective in the use of materials. Materials are to be selected on the basis of their local availability as well as the cost of converting them…

Efficient management of spaces that are cost-conscious in the use of materials and space.The design of spaces that is function-oriented, while at the same time adaptable, to accommodate changes that may occur in the form of effectively increasing the size of spaces or their functional needs. Infrastructure requirements should be simultaneously synthesized in terms of…

The layout plan should be prepared after thorough investigation of the site conditions, consideration of various factors which determine the project content, cost level and level of facilities to be provided.Site development costs should be analyzed in terms of density, construction types, topography, grading and zoning, and local requirements regarding utility services.An enclosure of the…

Housing distribution costs in developing countries are generally as follows: Material cost – 73%Cement – 18%Iron and Steel – 10%Bricks – 17%Wood – 13%Sand – 7%Gross – 8%Labor – 27%Mason – 12%Carpenter – 10%Unskilled labor – 5%

Building is a product involving time, material, labour and other resources under various constraints. Today’s construction scenario presents steeply escalating material costs and time overrun leading to project cost escalation, in spite of the earnest efforts to keep the situation within limits. The total costs of a building can be defined as the sum of…

Damaged or cracked areas of concrete or plaster must be removed. While doing this, care should be taken that the cracks are completely removed from the surface and a well-defined cavity is formed without affecting the good concrete or plaster. The size of the cut depends on the size, depth and extent of the repair.…

Prevention is always better than cure. Therefore proper design, planning and execution apart from proper control at every stage of construction is essential. Porous materials, which shrink when dry, should be avoided. Bricks should be exposed for 2-3 weeks after burning and thoroughly soaked before being used in structures.Fine sand, clay and silt should not…

Concrete as well as masonry work can also crack and cause structural failure. Cracks can occur due to high ambient temperature, low humidity, improper curing, poor quality and wrong combination of materials and above all poor workmanship. Vertical cracks in brickwork can occur due to foundation movement, thermal movement, overloading, drying shrinkage, differential expansion between…

Cracks in concrete vary in width from 0.1 to 1.0 mm. Concrete begins to crack, even in its plastic state and when hardened concrete is exposed to weathering, due to thermal and shrinkage stresses. Cracks in concrete are mainly due to the following reasons. Temperature gradient including frost action Moisture gradient (dry shrinkage)Structural overloading, cyclic…

Careless changes and alterations, installation of additional loads, poor or no maintenance etc. deteriorate the performance of the building. Deterioration of concrete mainly starts with leaks and cracks. For any of the reasons mentioned above, concrete can become porous and leak. Due to poor workmanship, improper mixing, inadequate compaction or poor quality formwork, etc., the…