| How to do ground beams Posted: 14 May 2013 02:17 AM PDT  Ground beams are used in situations where foundation walls may not be achievable. Situations where foundations are not achievable is in swampy ares, loose soils, or where the soil bearing capacity is very low. The beams are erected over columns or piers taken into the soil. In home construction, they are used to carry boundary walls or sheds built outside on landscaped soils. They can be erected over drains, sewers or other services in the ground. Ground beams save on the costs of very deep excavations for foundation and walls. They can carry greater loads in loose soils since they don't rest on the soils. They carry their on weight from column to column. When erecting them, the piers must be already cast in the ground. The size of the beam and reinforcements varies. This depends on the loading to be carried. Reinforcements are high yield twisted bars bent and tied as in the bar bending schedule.
The ground beam construction procedure commences by clearing the ground. The span between the columns or piers is rammed and compacted. A blinding layer is done with quarry dust. The column or pier reinforcements should be left a foot high to join with the beam. The reinforcements are then tied and bent separately. Once ready, they are carried and laid over the columns and blinding. The reinforcement is laid straight with spacer blocks put at the bottom.
Once the beam steel is in place, form work is erected to the sides. These must be firmed into the ground and made very tight. This will prevent the escape of the cement slurry when vibrating. After the form work is complete, concrete is prepared and poured into the forms. The process continues while vibrating to ensure the concrete is well bonded with the steel. The top is tamped to be smooth. The forms are removed after seven days while curing.
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| 10 tips to make a small space look bigger Posted: 14 May 2013 02:05 AM PDT A small space can give a cozy feel but it can create a problem if it is cluttered with too much stuff. Many people who live in small houses or apartments face such problems due to cluttered space. If you are feeling the same difficulties in your homes, you can follow some easy-to-do tips to make your dwelling comfortable, clutter free and organized. This article gives you tips on making your space clean, clutter free and organized. 1. Clear all clutter in the room A small space looks untidy if cluttered with lots of things. To make the room organized clear unnecessary stuff from small space. Place all essential articles on shelves and find out ways to get the stuff organized behind doors, table skirts. When the things are neatly arranged and out of sight, the small space will look orderly and more open. Trust me, a shelve with one showpiece can some time look a lot better than ten showpieces on it. 2. Organize furniture properly It's uncomfortable to live in room where articles of furniture are unorganized. Slim rockers, open back chairs or love seat sofas rather than large furniture tend to save the space. While arranging furniture, place taller furnishings at the end of the room opposite its entrance. Before you place or buy furnishings, keep in mind the size of your rooms also. For spacious feel, utilize the furniture that has matching colors with the color of walls. 3. Use multipurpose furniture To make small space cozy and enjoy the feel of big space, utilize multipurpose furniture like ottomans and folding items. Ottomans are very useful for small spaces because they are used as table or as foot rest and can easily be moved around the room. Futons and sofa beds are space saver as they can be converted into bed whenever needed. Use folding tables or folding sofas to provide space for dining. A small dresser or chest beside bed can be used to keep jewelry, books and other small things and to save the space. 4. Make use of light colors Light colors give spacious feel rather than dark or warm colors like blue, green and mauves, pinks and yellow do. Pick out white and cream to maximize the sense of space. For stunning effects, utilize varying tones of same colors for upholstered fabrics, textured wall finishes etc. Interior designers recommend that dark color furniture and accessories make the space look dramatic and maximize the neutral white also. You can select such shades of colors on walls as are relaxing at night and cheer up the mood during day. 5. Opt for natural or artificial lighting Lighting plays major role in maximizing the space of your room/home. You can opt for natural or artificial lighting to make your room look larger. Open outside windows to let natural light enter your room. Track or recessed lighting can be used to make small space look bigger. To reflect light and maximize the feel of space, you can make use of a large frame mirror on a wall or stand a large frame mirror against the wall. Accent and fluorescent lighting are used to create soothing and refreshing atmosphere in the room. 6. Use plain upholstery & light fabrics Upholstery and fabrics grab everyone's attention. Make use of upholstery of plain color for furniture instead of dark colors, bold plaids or stripes to save the space. To create interest and stick to neutral tones, make use of textures. Apply soft floral vines or simple stripes to keep the space look simple. 7. Fix large drawers & cabinets Drawers and cabinets are very useful to store lots of things and make space clutter free. Large drawers built in bed are very useful for storage of things. You can use the space beneath bed with separate wheeled drawers that can be pushed under and pulled out. Provide high level cabinets to store the articles used occasionally. Use separate cabinets for hanging clothes and store other items. Recessed open shelves can be made into walls for placing colorful items without taking extra space. 8. Fix practical worktops Good worktops provide ease at work besides saving the space. Utilize a ridge up on the top of your stove to put small items like spices and tiny objects that usually hang about on countertop in the kitchen. To make working comfortable, ensure that the levels of worktops and sinks are adjusted to suit your height. Keep shelves clean and sleek and avoid unnecessary old fashion decoration. Make an acrylic sheet or marble stone corner under open space in kitchen to store detergents etc. 9. Utilize rod for clothes and bedding Rods are better option for hanging clothes and beddings because your closets don't have extra space for them. This will save the space of another closet in your room. 10. Apply more space saving tips There are some more things that you can do to save the space and make your room clutter free. For example install sliding doors instead of hinge d doors. Place furniture items at an angle with wall since they help in making room look bigger. Television should be mounted on wall to save the space. The color of curtains or blinds is similar to the color of walls. Utilize light colors for floors of small bedroom to make it spacious.
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Home construction materials and building techniques have changed in the past several decades to become more energy efficient. Many new innovations are less harmful to our environment as well. By making your home "greener," you help to minimize pollution, protect the natural environment, and create a healthy, comfortable, non-hazardous home for you and your family. Think green before you begin any construction project. By considering these points, you can choose the most appropriate building materials and construction techniques.
