Concrete Cracks due to Poor Construction Practices

The construction industry must achieve quality control and quality assurance up to the selected level. It is indisputable that construction work is of high quality. Any means must employ to achieve it. Due to construction defects, cracks are commonly observed in the structure.

Poor construction activities and lack of attention from contractors result in defective work, which increases construction costs. Engineers and owners bear the burden for this as well. These rectification works require additional time, which delays projects.

Types of Poor Construction Practices

Addition of Fresh Water on Construction Structure

A common construction error is adding water to concrete to make it more workable; this reduces concrete strength and increases shrinkage and settlement. A shrinkage crack and plastic settlement crack will eventually form. Compared to the latter, which is primarily diagonal, the former is isolated or individual.

Offset Strength Reduction by Increasing Unnecessary Amount of Cement

As a result of adding unnecessary cement to the concrete element, temperature differentials would also increase between the interior and exterior sections. Cement content increases thermal stress as well as drying shrinkage stress. Concrete cracks because of this.

Read more

Published By
Arka Roy
www.constructioncost.co

Development Company Soltura Groundbreaking on cottage-style apartments at Odyssey

The ground was broken for the Odyssey by the Soltura apartment community on 27 November 2021. A one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartment will be rented like an apartment but lived like a single-family home.

Kevin Anderson, the mayor of Fort Myers, offered his support to the project at the groundbreaking ceremony. In addition to Tiffany Esposito, Danville Leadbetter, Arron Simon, and Larry Covitz attended the groundbreaking. There were also some Soltura partners in attendance.

As part of its Odyssey by Soltura development in Fort Myers, Soltura Development has laid the cornerstone. At 2655 Forum Boulevard in Fort Myers, you will find Odyssey by Soltura.

Odyssey by Soltura apartments features front and back patios, as well as impact-resistant windows and doors. Consequently, each renter can live in their own single-family home while renting an apartment.

Key Comments on the Groundbreaking Ceremony

Soltura Development Co-founder Danville Leadbetter is excited to introduce the first cottage-style apartments in Southwest Florida. The company believes that now is a great time to introduce this new alternative to the market, and they are thrilled to begin our journey with these wonderful partners here in Southwest Florida.

Read more

Published By
Arka Roy
www.constructioncost.co

Mortar & Grout have 10 key differences in the world of Cement Products

The mixture of cement, sand, and water makes a thick paste that binds two surfaces together. Building projects use it primarily for tying together stones, concrete, and bricks.

Pavers are typically made out of ceramic or stone tile grout, which is highly viscous and used as filler between the tiles. As a result, tiles remain in place because of mortar below rather than grout because grout acts as a binder, but it is not an adhesive.

Types of Mortar

Lime Mortar

You can use lime mortar in various ways, such as lime and sand mortar, lime and cinder mortar, or lime and sand mortar. In order for it to harden, it must lose water, absorb carbon dioxide from the air, and eventually re-crystallize.

Cement Mortar

Sand and water are the main ingredients in cement mortar. Its strength makes it a suitable material for the construction of structures that undergo heavy loads.

Lime-Cement Mortar

Lime-Cement mortar is also known as gauged mortar. Cement will improve hydraulic properties, set time, and strength of lime mortar made from fat lime. So, it is best to add cement no more than an hour before using the lime mortar.

Types of Grout

Latex Grout

Latex grout is suitable for normal-use installations. Joints are stain- and wear-resistant by mixing Portland cement with latex. Sand-Portland cement grout is less rigid and less permeable to water, so it can move more and expose to more moisture than sand-Portland cement grout. For this reason, the grout is particularly suited to tub and shower areas.

Read more

Published By
Arka Roy
www.constructioncost.co

Construction of Concrete Frame

Nowadays concrete frame structure is the most common building in construction. Horizontal members are known as beams. Vertical members are known as columns. The flat planes of concrete are called slabs. Column bears the load of the building primarily. Damage to a column is very dangerous for the whole structure.

RCC contains steel bars. RCC stands for reinforced cement concrete. Concrete can easily be made at the construction site. concrete is also very strong in compression and steel is very strong in tension.

Making the Process of Reinforced Concrete

  1. Users first have to make a mold. The mold is called formwork. Formwork contains liquid concrete which gives the required shape.
  2. After that, according to the structural engineer’s drawings, users have to place it in the steel reinforcement bars. Users should tie them with the wire. The tied steel is called a reinforcement cage because of its shape.
  3. After placing the steel now users have to mix the cement, sand, stone chips in and water in a cement mixer for preparing the concrete.
  4. After that users have to pour it into the formwork to the required level. Concrete takes nearly one month to gain full strength. In meanwhile users have to supply water on the surface for curing.

Read more

Published By
Arka Roy
www.constructioncost.co

Hemel Hempstead, U.K., celebrated the ground-breaking of 158 new homes in High-town

The groundbreaking ceremony for Hemel Hempstead’s Phase 2 project of the High-town Housing Association was held on 25th November 2021.

It is part of the Heart of May-land project, which is one of High-town’s largest developments. The Association will construct more than 1,400 affordable houses within the next two years.

One Hundred fifty-eight additional affordable rental units, three commercial units, and new jobs will provide to the community as part of the second phase. There will be 26 houses with two or three bedrooms, while there will be 132 with one or two bedrooms.

Andrew Williams, Leader of Dacorum Borough Council, and Margaret Griffiths, Portfolio Holder for Housing, performed the groundbreaking ceremony with David Bogle, CEO of High-town, and Ryan Harris, Regional Director of Hill Group.

Andrew Royall, Director of Development at High-town, members of the Development team at High-town, Hill Group’s construction team, and consultants from RLF also attended.

Key Comments on the Groundbreaking Ceremony

Dacorum Borough Council leader Andrew Williams said that he was delighted to mark the beginning of 158 new high-quality affordable homes as part of High-town’s Heart of May-lands Phase 2 project in Hemel Hempstead. This development will benefit many individuals and families. The development will also be completed when he is able to visit it.

Read more

Published By
Arka Roy
www.constructioncost.co

The Differences between Ready Mix Concrete and Site Mix Concrete

Water, aggregates, and Portland cement are the components of concrete mix, one of the most widely used construction materials. Ready-mixed concrete and site-mixed concrete are the two main types of concrete in the construction industry. As both types have their pros and cons, choosing the right one for your project is crucial. Depending on the project conditions, one type may be more beneficial than the other in concrete construction.

An infrastructure built on a sound concrete mix is solid and stable. A streamlined construction process creates concrete structures that are durable and strong. Developing better concrete mixing can be difficult due to the distinctive properties of each ingredient. The physical properties of each component have to evaluate first. Furthermore, the current location must assess in terms of its bearing capacity.

Key Differences between Site Mix Concrete & Ready Mix Concrete

The comparison between these two types of concrete will be based on several factors. There are also factors such as time, equipment, distribution, recommended applications, waste, storage equipment, workforce, quality, material takeoff, and other significant factors. Software for crew scheduling must consider. That will facilitate a more efficient process. That will eliminate the need for concrete contractors to track everything manually.

Site Mix Concrete

The concrete is usually prepared on-site and is volumetric, as the name implies. A concrete component will use & mix in specific proportions to achieve the strength needed.

It takes formulas to accurately calculate the steps and material requirements for a procedure like this. To avoid quality conflicts in the concrete, concrete workers need to be meticulous and cautious about the standard proportions of the materials. Using task scheduler software is very helpful in being more precise with standard proportions. Concrete experts can use the tool to oversee and manage all strategies and methods used during a project.

Read more


Published By
Arka Roy
www.constructioncost.co

Do when cutting Waffle Pod for a Slab Design

You need to understand what can be done with waffle pod slabs before you use them. It is almost always necessary to create custom fabrications for your new building to run efficiently. You can make any adjustment you need with waffle pod slabs, thanks to their versatility. When building a new house, some cutting or modifications may be necessary.

For making cuts in the waffle pod slab, consult both the structural plan and the architectural plan of the building. Avoiding unnecessary mistakes is one benefit of doing so. Making mistakes in the future can be very costly. Taking your time and paying close attention should not cause any problems.

Define Waffle Pod Slab

Concrete waffle slabs are made on the ground from reinforced concrete. They consist of an edge beam or perimeter footing and a series of beams or footings at one-meter intervals running through the slab longitudinally on top of the soil of the entire footings and slab system.

Polystyrene pods form voids between the strip footings between the edge formwork and the slab sides. The waffle-like appearance of the internal strip footings is a result of the way they look.

Offering cutting and design services for Waffle Pod Slab

Waffle pod void formers serve as voids in which to install essential infrastructures, such as pipes, gas lines, sewers, and plumbing. A major advantage of waffle pod slabs is that no digging is necessary. It’s not necessary to dig trenches when installing waffle pod slabs.

A waffle pod slab is instead cast on a void former. If the void formers don’t fit perfectly in your foundation, you may need to cut them. In contrast, you’ll probably need to fill any holes in your void formers if you cut them. That will result in a higher building cost, so keep that in mind.

If you plan on cutting void formers, you will need to consider another factor. Cutting void formers can compromise their structural integrity. So, remember this when you are cutting your waffle pod slab.

Read more

Published By
Arka Roy
www.constructioncost.co

Groundbreaking for Iron Senergy’s coal refuse disposal facility in Greene County

Workers from Iron Senergy and the company’s CEO broke ground Tuesday 24th November 2021 for a new coal refuse storage structure expected to bring more than 700 new jobs and $4.5 million in tax revenue to Greene County.

On Mooney Ridge Road, in Whiteley Township, the new Coal Refuse Disposal Area structure was officially broken ground at a groundbreaking ceremony. These are areas or land plots where coal refuse is disposed of or stored by mines.

Key Comments on the Groundbreaking Ceremony

Justin Thompson, Iron Senergy’s CEO, called the groundbreaking a significant investment in Cumberland Mine’s future. By the end of 2023, the company will have completed its third CRDA. Following the completion of the new structure, Thompson said the company would work on and update the mine’s second CRDA structure.

Though Thompson said the project announced Tuesday 24th November 2021 has been in the works for more than a decade, Cumberland Mine was purchased from Contura Energy Inc. last December.

The company will remain committed to the project after gaining ownership, said Iron Senergy’s senior vice president of engineering. He said this is one of the mine’s essential structures. The mine cannot run without the third CRDA.

Read more

Published By
Arka Roy
www.constructioncost.co

RCC Dog-Legged Staircase Design: A Comprehensive Guide

Buildings provide staircases to access multiple floors. Despite modern inventions such as lifts and elevators, stairs are a necessity for fires and earthquakes because they are safe. In any building design, a staircase and the steel reinforcement it contains is the essential element. Engineers and architects use several types of staircases in building design.

Buildings might vary in how the design is based on assumptions, such as the length of stairs, the height of the floors, etc. Therefore, before you proceed with any construction project in your home, it is always a good idea to get stairs and buildings designed by an engineer.

Define RCC Dog-legged Staircase

A stairwell of this type lifts the following floors in opposite directions. So, the well does not separate the two flights on the plan. Moreover, landings are arranged similar to how flight directions differ with altitude.

An ascending flight between any two floors usually consists of two ascents with a landing in the middle. In addition to its use as a platform for rest, this type of staircase saves a great deal of space and is popular among the elderly.

Design Types of RCC Dog Legged Staircase

Stairs Spanning Vertically

At the top and bottom of the flights, a beam provides support to the stairs spanning longitudinally.

Read more

Published By
Arka Roy
www.constructioncost.co

Asheville marks the Groundbreaking of a new Mission Health facility worth $62 million

On November 24th, 2021, a groundbreaking ceremony was held for Mission Health’s behavioral healthcare facility in Asheville. Located at Sweeten Creek Mental Health and Wellness Center, the opening is expected in early 2023.

The $62 million facilities will offer a therapy gym, music therapy, art therapy, and other programs. On the 26-acre property, there will also be gardens and outdoor recreation areas.

Geriatric, adolescent, and pediatric patients will be served at the center. In response to growing community needs, 38 additional beds have been added in the recent expansion. There will be 120 beds in a state-of-the-art facility located off Sweeten Creek Road, near Interstate 40. This facility provides advanced therapies, technologies, and evidence-based practices to improve the health and well-being of the community.

Key Comments on the Groundbreaking Ceremony

Mission Health Behavioral Health Services COO Melina Arrow-wood said in groundbreaking ceremony that the new facility will expand our ability to care for our patients and provide additional services to our region.

Read more

Published By
Arka Roy
www.constructioncost.co