TOP 10 BRANCHES IN CIVIL ENGINEERING

TOP 10 CIVIL ENGINEERING BRANCHES:

The top 10 civil engineering branches are as following:

1.CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING:

 Construction engineering is one of the important branches of civil engineering.This branch deals with the planning, construction, and maintenance of structures such as buildings, bridges, towers etc.

2.GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING:

  
Geotechnical engineering is about analyzing the subterrestrial soil, rock, foundation etc.
Sub-branches of Geotechnical engineering:

• Soil Mechanics
• Soil Dynamics
• Foundation Engineering
• Rock Mechanics
• Pavement Engineering

3.STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING:

Structural engineering is the branch which deals with the design and structural analysis of structures such as buildings, bridges, etc.

4.SURVEYING:

In this branch of civil engineering, surveying and leveling are done to locate and measure the property lines, layout of buildings, roads, bridges, etc. for construction.

5.TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERING:

Transportation engineering deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of various transportation facilities such as highways, railways, airports, parking lots, traffic signal control systems etc.

6.ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING:

This branch is related to study of pollution, environment-friendly designs, water treatment plants etc.

7.EARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING:

Earthquake engineering is one of the latest additions in civil engineering. It deals with the seismic forces, designs and construction of earthquake resistant structures.

8.WATER RESOURCE ENGINEERING:

This branch of civil engineering interacts with the design and construction of hydraulic structures such as dams, canals, water distribution systems etc.

9.MUNICIPAL ENGINEERING:

Municipal engineers work with the urban or city governments for planning and management of township.

10.MATERIAL ENGINEERING:

Material engineering is the study of the strength of materials, properties of materials etc which are used in construction work and other ceramics.    

RCC FRAMED STRUCTURE BUILDINGS

RCC FRAMED STRUCTURE:

Due to lower compressive strength of bricks (For 1:2:4 cement concrete works), the width of load bearing walls for the building having more than four story becomes extremely thick and for such cases, RCC framed structures are suitably adopted. Framed structures are generally of two types:

1.Steel Frame
2.RCC Frame

In this article, we will discuss various advantages of RCC framed structure which are as following:

1. In RCC framed structure building the floor area is normally 10 to 12% greater compared to a load bearing walled building.Hence, this type of building is preferably economical where the value of land is very high.
2. It is very easy to alternate the interior plan of a room, bathroom, W.C etc. by changing the actual position of the partition walls which ultimately gives more freedom in planning.
3. Monolithic construction can be adopted for resisting shocks and vibrations more effectively than load bearing walled buildings.
4. Normal earthquake effects can also be resisted by providing required further design.
5. Faster construction work saves time, early finishing.
6. No matter the soil is soft or hard, RCC framed building can be established anywhere.
7. Maintenance cost is also minimum which can be ignored. 

CLASSIFICATION OF STAIRS

TYPES OF STAIRS:
   Depending on the various arrangement of steps, stairs can be classified under following categories:

1.STRAIGHT STAIR:

I

In this stair, all the steps are continuously along in one direction. One flight may be split into one or more than one flight by interposing a landing. This stair can be used where narrow and long space is available for a staircase such as entrance, porch etc.

2.DOGGED-LEGGED STAIR:

This stair consists of two straight flights of steps with direct turns between them. This stair is very useful where the total width of the stair is just twice the width of the steps.

3.OPEN NEWEL STAIR:

  This type of stair consists of two or more flights arranging a well or opening between the backward and forward flights. When all the steps are difficult to arrange in two flights, a short third flight 0f 3 to 6 steps may be provided along the direction perpendicular to the hall. Open newel stair is mostly adopted in the lift.

4.GEOMETRICAL STAIR:

  This is another type of newel stair where the open well between the forward and the backward flight is curved. This stair may contain different geometrical shape. Here the change in direction is achieved by using winders.

5.CIRCULAR STAIR:

In this type of stair, all the steps radiate from a newel or well hole, in the form of winders. The circular stair is adopted at the back side of a building to access its various floors.

6.SPIRAL STAIR:

 Spiral stair is very similar to circular stair. It consists of individual steps or treads,connecting to a center column. The overall  diameter of the stair may range from 1 to 2.5m.

7.QUARTER-TURN STAIR: 

The quarter turn stair can be defined as the stairs that are turned at 90 degrees with the help of level landing.

8.BIFURCATED STAIR:

This type of stair is provided in modern public buildings. In this stair, the flight is so arranged that there is a wide flight at the start which is sub-divided into narrow flights at the mid-landing. The narrow flights start from either side of the mid-landing. 

SPECIFICATIONS OF PLASTERING

The general specifications of plastering are as follows:

1. Plastering is the finishing coat which protects the masonry and gives a decent look.It also enhances the hygienic conditions in the building.
2. The reference marks (BUNDAS) should be made on the wall in 2" to 3" diameter before starting the plastering work.
3. Cement and sand mortar is used in plastering which comprises of different thickness according to the requirement of the site.
4. Plastering should be done with cement mortar ratio of 1:3, 1:4, 1:6 etc. as per the requirements of the work.
5. The plaster should be in straight line, leveled, plumbed and the joint must be in right angle.
6. Before starting the plaster, the surface should be raked and properly cleaned by wire brush and it should be wet for 24 hours.
7. Door and window frames, water supply lines,electric fittings should be fitted appropriately before starting the plastering work. They should be laid as per the drawings.
8. All unnecessary cement mortar should be removed from the frames and electric fittings instantly after finishing the plaster.
9. Curing the plastered surface should be done properly. It should be cured at least for 7 days to get desired strength.

CALCULATION OF BRICKS IN A WALL

Estimation of building materials is essentially required before starting a new construction project.
Today we are going to see the easiest method to calculate the required number of bricks in a wall.So let's start from the beginning.

REQUIRED DATA:

• Volume of wall
• Volume of a standard brick
• Details of openings in the wall 

PROCEDURE:

1. First calculate the volume of wall to be built. 

Let us assume,
The length of the wall(L) = 10 foot.
The height of the wall (H) = 10 foot.
Thickness of the wall (B) = 1 foot.

 Calculate the volume of the wall by multiplying the length,height,and thickness.
∴Volume of the wall = L*B*H

∴ Volume of the wall = L*B*H = 10*10*1 = 100 Cu.F

2.Calculate the volume of the brick

The standard size of the brick is 190mm*90mm*90mm (IS standard) and with the mortar joint, it becomes 200mm*100mm*100mm.

L = 200mm = 0.656168 ft.
B = 100mm = 0.328084 ft.
H = 100mm = 0.328084 ft.
 
∴Volume of the brick = L*B*H = 0.656168*0.328084*0.328084 = 0.0706 Cu.F

3. To find out the total nos. of brick, divide the volume of wall by the volume of the brick.

∴No. of bricks required = 100 / 0.0706 = 1416 no. of bricks.

NOTE:
1. Consider 10% wastage of bricks.
2. If the wall has any openings, subtract the volume of the openings from the volume of wall and then divide it by the volume of brick.


 

USEFUL CIVIL ENGINEERING TIPS FOR SITE ENGINEERS

Following are the basic tips you should be remembered while working on construction sites:

1.GRADE OF CONCRETE:

• M5 - 1:4:8
• M10 - 1:3:6
• M15 - 1:2:4
• M20 - 1:1.5:3 
• M25 - 1:1:2 

2.CLEAR COVER TO MAIN REINFORCEMENT:

• Footings - 50mm
• Raft Foundation(Top) - 50mm
• Raft Foundation(Bottom) -75mm
• Raft Foundation(Side) - 75mm
• Beam - 25mm
• Strap Beam - 50mm
• Column - 40mm
• Slab - 15mm
• Flat Slab - 20mm
• Stair Case - 15mm
• Retaining Wall - 20 to 25mm
• Water Retaining Structures - 20 to 30mm .

_______________________________

1. Maximum Water Absorption by bricks - 15% 
2. Compressive Strength of Bricks - 3.5 N/mm^2 
3. Density of Bricks - 1600 to 1920 Kg/m^
4. Minimum Thickness of Slab - 125mm
5. Dimension Tolerance for Cubes - +2 
6. Maximum Freefall of Concrete - 1.50m
7. Laping should not be use for the bars having larger dia than 36mm 
8. Binding wire required for steel reinforcement - 8Kg per MT
9. Maximum chair spacing - 1m
10. Minimum dia should be ised in dowels rod - 12mm
11. Hooks for Stirrups(1side) - 9D
12. No.of.Stirrups=(clear span/spanning+1)
13. Length of main steel in cantilever anchorage - 69D 
14. Minimum no.of bars in square column - 4
15. Minimum no.of bars in circular column - 6 
16. Minimum dia of main bars and distributors in the slab - 1/8 of slab thickness.

All reinforcements should be free from mill scales,loose rust,and coats of paints,oil or anyother substances.

3.SETTING TIME:

• Initial setting time should not be less than 30minutes.

• Final setting time should not be greater than 10hours.

4.REQUIRED CURING DAYS:

• Super Sulfate Cement - 7days
• Ordinary Portland Cement - 10days
• Cement with minerals and admixtures - 14days

5.SLUMP VALUE(IS-456):

• Lightly Reinforced Concrete - 25 to 75mm
• Heavily Reinforced Concrete - 75 to 100mm
• Trench Fill - 100 to 150mm(for in-situ & tremie)

GENERAL PRINCIPLES SHOULD BE OBSERVED IN BRICK MASONRY

The points to be observed in supervising brick masonry construction are as following:
1. The bricks to be used should fulfill all the requirements of the specification of the work. The bricks should be sound, hard, burnt well with uniform color, shape, and size.
2. The bricks should be immersed in fresh water at least for 2 hours before using in masonry.
3. Do not use broken bricks unless they are essential for making good bonds.
4. The bricks should be laid on their proper bond. The frog of the bricks should be kept upward.
5. Brick bats should be avoided.
6. The thickness of the joints should not exceed 13 mm.
7. The masonry walls should be always truly vertical and verticality should be checked continuously using a plumb bob.
8. Brickwork should be raised uniformly. Any part of the masonry should not be raised more than 90 cm to the rest of the masonry work.
9. The work should be raked back in successive courses if it is to be constructed later.
10. In masonry work, large voids should not be filled only with mortar. It is uneconomical.
11. Cement mortar should be used to enclose all the iron fixtures of doors and windows.
12. To achieve easy and adequate bond for plastering and pointing, the facing mortar joints should be raked for a depth of 13-19 mm when the mortar in the joint is green.
13. The finished brick masonry should be cured at least for 7 days.
14. Any brick masonry wall should not be constructed more than 1.5 meters in a day.
15. In brick masonry piers, buttresses, counterforts etc should be constructed along with the main walls, maintaining a proper bond between them.
16. Suitable scaffolding should be used to carry out masonry work at higher levels.
The scaffolding should be made by giving one end of horizontal bullies into the new masonry work and secured to it properly.