How to Do a Reinforced Concrete Foundation

Foundations are used to carry the load of a building to the ground. This is the safe soil bearing capacity. The foundation concrete that is reinforced with steel allows buildings to be done more stories upwards. This means the concrete base can take more loads. The trench must be excavated to the required depth. This must be hard when tested with a mattock. Concrete should never be put in loose soils. This can cause the house to collapse. The diameter for the reinforcement bars to use is from a quarter inch.

In a reinforced concrete foundation, the work commences by excavating a trench to required depths. The trench width is about two feet wide. The depth should be on hard ground and varies from site to site. High yield bars are cut and tied together. They are made into three long bars that will run the whole length of the trench. These will be the top bars. Additional bottom bars running the across the width of the trench are tied to the top ones. A spacing of eight inches is done when joining the reinforcement bars.

The foundation trench bottoms are made level to receive the concrete. A blinding layer of two inches thickness is then added to the trench and made level. The Thickness of the foundation concrete is marked with steel pegs driven into the blinding. This will mark the height of concrete which is eight inches thick. Reinforcement is then laid into the trench. This should not rest directly on the blinding layer. Spacer blocks are put underneath to allow the concrete to flow below. They provide cover to the steel. This spacers should be two inch thick.

Once the reinforcement is placed in the trench, concreting can proceed. care should be taken to avoid debris entering the trench. This should be cleaned out. In the case of a sloping site, the foundation is stepped a full masonry course. The concrete is mixed in the ratio of one part cement, two parts sand and three parts ballast. The ready mix is then poured into the reinforcements. It should be leveled with pegs already placed. It then spread as it is being vibrated. It should be thoroughly cured for minimum seven days to achieve strength.

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Mud Pumping During Foundation Repair

Mud Pumping is the process of filling voids under concrete slab foundations, patios, pool decks, and driveways. There are several similar terms used to describe similar processes. Mud Pumping, mudjacking, slab jacking, concrete pumping, and pressure grouting all refer to similar but different processes.

Mudjacking and slab jacking are essentially the same process of pumping concrete or a concrete/mud mixture into voids underneath a concrete slab in an effort to raise the slab. Usually this works with smaller slabs such as driveways and patios. It is far more difficult and complex to raise a concrete slab foundation and the entire attached commercial building or home with this method. Concrete pumping is a similar process but it may use a high or low strength concrete. Mud pumping and pressure grouting refer to a process of simply filling voids underneath a concrete slab foundation without trying to raise the foundation or structure. This will give the foundation the support it needs between itself and the ground. Usually the commercial or home foundation will have been raised, stabilized and leveled by a repair contractor prior to the mud pumping or pressure grouting.

When there has been an imbalance in the moisture in expansive soils then the concrete slab foundations that rest on top of the soil will experience movement. The movement can be lateral, upward or downward. One example could be a group of shrubs or large trees on one side of a home that is absorbing large amounts of water around and under a portion of the foundation. The expansive soil in this area will shrink relative to the soil in other areas under the foundation because it will have a lower water content. When the soil shrinks too much it will lose contact with the foundation and the foundation has lost its support in that area. If the area is too large then the weight of the building structure and foundation will cause the foundation to crack and "fall." That series of events will cause structural damage to the commercial building or home and may necessitate the need for home foundation repair or commercial foundation repair.

Many times after the leveling process has been completed for a home foundation or commercial building foundation there will exist voids under the foundation. A concrete on slab foundation was never designed to be a "bridge" and support weight between two support points. This type of foundation was designed to rest on the soil underneath and the soil provides the ultimate support for the foundation and the attached building or home. Therefore the repair contractor should fill these larger voids so that the concrete slab foundation can "rest" on the ground.

Regardless of the reason for the void under the home foundation, mud pumping should be used to fill any large voids with a low strength cement or a slurry of mud and cement. If interior bell bottom piers were installed then they provide easy access to the area of the void. Sometimes one inch holes will be drilled through the slab to allow access to the area of the void. Then the slurry will be pumped under pressure into the voids. At this time all of the water faucets in the home or the commercial building should be turned on to keep a stream of water flowing through the sewer lines. Toilets should be flushed periodically and the washing machine should wash some clothes. This will prevent the slurry from clogging any sewer line that may have a crack or break prior to or during the leveling process.

After the mud pumping process has been completed and the slurry has hardened the work crew will pack the remaining openings in the interior portion of the foundation with a select fill dirt. The openings will then be covered with a layer of plastic sheeting to help prevent moisture from seeping into that area. The area will then be patched with new concrete. The patched area will be smoothed and allowed to dry for a number of days. Outside piers will be packed with sand and/or topsoil. The commercial or home foundation repair job is now complete and the property owner can feel comfortable that this solution will last the life of the property structure.

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Make Concrete Blocks For Profits - A Business With A Great Foundation

Making concrete blocks is a profitable business. They are in constant demand almost everywhere. They are a commodity which is used for building all over North America and nearly everywhere in the world. When you manufacture concrete blocks you are not making widgets which may be in demand today but not next year. They are a fundamental component for all kinds of building from a huge warehouse to a garage or barbecue in the backyard. As long as people are building small or large projects the demand will never die.

For anyone who wants to get into a really solid business,with low start up costs,the concrete block making business is almost ideal. It is quite possible to start in your garage or back yard,using home made molds,to turn out one hundred or more blocks per day. If you don't mind a good days work one person can do this. You make the molds yourself from plywood and sheet metal and any handyman can do this in a home workshop. You can start part time,working evenings or weekends,and soon build a very profitable business. You need only a supply of cement,gravel,sand,water and your molds.The cost is low and the profit potential is high.

Working from home your overhead cost is low whilst larger makers have to pay for business premises and staff. If local builders have to buy from distant sources,the cost of transportation to bring concrete blocks to a building site is high,since they are very heavy. You have no transportation costs and can supply local buyers at a very good price. You can make yourself a handsome profit. Of course with one person working alone,using hand molds, your production is limited by the time and effort involved.

You will reach the point where you can no longer fill the demand with part time work. You will be ready to go full time in this very lucrative business. You may also want to acquire a concrete block making machine,which can turn out hundreds of blocks in a day. You may need help at this point and you must have enough space to store the blocks for drying. The blocks must be dried well for delivery to your buyers. Concrete block making machines are expensive. You may feel confident enough at this point to borrow several thousand dollars to buy your machine. However if you don't want to invest all that money there is another way. You can build a machine yourself.

Build a machine yourself? Well it is not as hard as it might seem at first. There are plans available that will enable anyone to build a concrete block making machine. The components are used automobile parts and some sheet metal. It is necessary to do some welding. If you are not skilled at this your local welding shop will do it for you. Instead of spending thousands of dollars on a factory made machine you can,for a few hundred dollars,make a machine which will perform as well as any of them. Presto you are ready to turn out concrete blocks in high volume.You can now supply any building project,large or small,at a really competitive price.

The concrete block making business is almost a no brainer. The demand is strong everywhere. By taking the route I have discussed you can't fail. You can work at your job till you are ready to go full time when the demand for your product requires you to.

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Concrete Slab Foundation For Shed

Like your house, a wooden storage shed must sit on a foundation. Of the two most common types of foundations, that being the concrete slab and the wooden skid foundation, the slab is somewhat more elaborate. The concrete slab foundation for shed is also known as a slab-on-grade foundation. The slab foundation will be discussed in this article.

The concrete slab, when used as the floor of a storage shed, will be 3.5 to 4.5 inches thick with a perimeter or footing of 8 to 12 inches thick. The depth of slab, the type of metal reinforcement, the amount and type of gravel used for the sub-base and also the type of moisture barrier used can vary depending on local building codes. Generally the entire slab foundation can be poured all at one time using a wood form. When used in cold weather climates slab-on-grade foundations can only be used for detached sheds. The foundation, because it sits above ground is susceptible to frost heave in cold weather. If the building was attached the frost heave could cause damage to the attached building.

The concrete floor slab of the shed requires quite a bit of concrete so it is beneficial to have it delivered by cement truck to the backyard work site by a local ready-mix company. Most ready-mix companies have a one yard limit before they will deliver. Air-entrained concrete wears best for an exterior slab and the ready-mix company will mix it for you if you inform them of how it is being used. If you are pouring a smaller slab you can rent a concrete trailer from a rental store or landscaping company. The concrete trailer is towed by car or truck with one yard of cement already mixed and you pour it yourself.

Finishing a large slab can be quite tricky if you have not worked with concrete before so you may require some assistance with the pour.

The required tools for laying a concrete slab foundation are:

Circular Saw

Drill

Mason Line

Sledge Hammer

Line Level

Framing Square

Shovel

Wheelbarrow

Rented Plate Compactor

Bolt Cutters

Bull Float

Hand Held Concrete Float

Concrete Edger

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Long Way Down - Swollen Members

Swollen Members: Long Way Down Yo I'm still trying to figure out this Venus and Mars thing But every time I see you all I hear is a Harp String We chilled last night, I had to record this Listen to portishead Makin love in the forest Were not stuck in this orbit Its gonna work out for us So gorgeous like the voice of the woman gracing the chorus A newborn in its true form Gentle and precious We connect on more than just mental Dont let this shit stress us Im okay if youre okay I know it sounds cliché But we've built a whole relationship from sand and clay Now it's so strong Weve got a concrete bond And complete so solid yall I had to write this song And its a long way down Its a long way down Its such a long way down to the place where we started from We met when we was young Two hearts that beat as one I knew it from the start Not till death do us part Nothing compares to you (keep blazin) Im a fine young cannibal And you drive me crazy I know your looks attracts guys But that dont phase me Soul mate, make me feel like they got nothing on me Just your taste, your lips Plus your voice is calming I know its hard babe cause i'm always on tour But my love is fucking pure And thats for sure Been around the world Feel like Ive covered whole earths surface Stressed out to the point of askin if its worth it Sometimes it trips me out kid Cause youre so perfect I gotta keep working, striving and building So we can get a house, have kids and grand children Till then Ill make sure ...



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Civil Engineering Overview

Foundation Leak Repair

Water is the main culprit in a major portion of foundation problems. Whether the foundation is of poured concrete, block concrete or stone, continuous water seepage creates cracks which can often be disastrous if ignored.

Cracks due to water seepage are found in the corners of the walls, or where the bricks, stone or concrete slabs join together. If the ground water has enough hydrostatic pressure to allow the water to seep through the foundation, then cracks occur. These cracks begin as small hairline cracks and widen as time passes.

There are two basic methods to repairing foundation leaks at home or in the basement - the urethane injection and the drainage tile repair.

The urethane injection is a comparatively simple process. In this process, the crack is sealed first to prevent any water from oozing out. Holes are then made in the crack and an epoxy resin is injected into the crack. The repair is complete when resin fills the entire crack. Urethane injections cost only a few hundreds of dollars and the time taken for the entire work to the completed won't stretch beyond a couple of hours. However, the urethane injections can only be applied to small cracks. Also there is the danger of the crack reopening and water seeping in once again.

The drainage tile repair is a lengthy process. First the floor tiles of the affected area are uprooted and a drain tile is fitted. This is then connected to a sump pump or any other legally allowed water removal system. Once this is done, the floor tiles are replaced. This process takes a few days and costs run to thousands of dollars. However, this is a much more permanent method than the injection. One problem may be the malfunctioning of the sump pump. This may cause flooding due to excessive leakage.

Urethane injections are okay if the crack is small, but if the crack has been ignored and has become large and gaping, it is better to repair it using a drainage tile. For larger leaks outside the house, a more extensive method is employed. A trench is dug at the affected place and the drainage tile is replaced if necessary. The trench is then filled - first with coarse gravel to make it more waterproof and then with the soil. This method is used even when dams spring a leak in their foundation.

Repairing foundation leaks is a costly business, but more than that it is a time-consuming and laborious process. However, it is one of those repair works which just cannot be ignored.

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