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Reinforced Concrete as the composite structural material of reinforcements and concrete is mostly popular construction material in the world due to its properties. During construction of reinforced concrete structures, always reinforcements are not left exposed to the environment due to different factors, a concrete portion that keep reinforcements away from environmental exposure is what called concrete cover . In construction of different of structures there is provision of concrete covers of different sizes (thickness), in this post we will look on concrete cover its purpose for application and how its size is desired. Reasons for provision of concrete cover 1. Provision of thermal insulation and fire protection to reinforcements. Concrete is one of materials forming reinforced concrete, is most highly fire resistive material in construction. At high temperature that could be due to uncontrolled fire properties such as strength, modulus of elasticity of different materials are r...

In construction industry different structures are built, the built structures can be categorized with accordance to construction materials, here we can have steel structures , timber structures and concrete structures. Concrete structures are the one which most of its structural parts made from concrete material , concrete is the most and widely used material due to its ability to be moulded into different shapes , and having wide range of characteristics (economical concrete of variety properties can be produced for different requirements). Concrete has high compressive strength , that make concrete made structures to have high capability to withstand compression, cement concrete has low tensile strength that make it unsuitable for structures subjected to high tension. Due to some weakness and properties of cement concrete, it is reinforced so as to produce a structure with required properties. Concrete can be reinforced by different kind of materials in different ways per given a...

  Reactions as what support offers to restrain structure to its position, when subjected to loadings. As the degree of indeterminacy of determinate structure n= 0, this means the reactions or forces are balancing each other with no extra reaction (structure is in equilibrium). Due to balancing reactions, the reactions can easily be determined by using three equilibrium equations for the plane structure, which are the following The magnitude and direction of support reactions in determinate structure can easily determined by adhering the following procedures ·          Drawing free body diagram FBD ·          Check for determinacy ·          Applying equilibrium equations Example 1 Determine support reactions of the structure below Solution The first step is to draw free body diagram, this diagram show the directions (proposed) and position o...

Everyday construction activities are done for erection of different structures, the erected structures should be designed so they can be safe and serviceable for desired lifetime. One of the important stages in designing structures so that they can be safe and serviceable is structural analysis. Structural analysis is an integral part of structural design which deals with determining the stresses and resistance of structure to the loading. In analysis loads or stresses can be classified as external loads and internal loads, where by external loads(stresses) comprises of applied loads and reactions while internal   loads comprises of resultant forces, axial forces, shear forces and bending moment. Reactions and supports Support is any structural member that is provided to carry or provide support to a loading. Reactions are   what the support offer as resistance when subjects to loading, so these are forces offered by supports to restrain the structure. Reaction...

  LOADS ESTIMATION In construction industry, structures such as dams, buildings, Retain walls, roads, railways and bridges are constructed to carry or support loads. So in any construction, the magnitude of the loads expected must be pre-determined, loads that structures are subjected to can be classified with accordance to their sources as dead loads, live loads and environmental loads. Dead loads are loads from structural members of the structure and other materials or finishes attached to it. Live loads these are loads generated due to the use of the structure such as people, imported furniture, machine and vehicles. Environmental loads theses are loads from surroundings around the structure such as wind, snow and earthquakes Different loads types have different way to measure or estimate its magnitude, loads that structures carry from structural members which can be expressed as point load (Newton, N) or distributed load (Newton /meter, N/m) can be calculated as s...

 Structural Design is the design technology which aim at determining the appropriate sizes and materials of structural members that form a structure, the determined sizes and material should formulate safe and serviceable structure at acceptable cost (minimum cost). PHASES OF STRUCTURAL DESIGN WORKS This explains different stages followed for accomplishment of structural design work of different structures either whole or member of the structure. The following are the involved stages Preliminary structural design In this phase the sizes (dimensions) of different structural members forming structure are proposed in approximate by referring experience and code requirement. The proposed dimensions of the members are the one which used in next stage of design that is load estimation. Estimation of loads This involved the estimation of amount of loadings that the structure will have to carry on its life time; this includes wind loads, live loads and self weight. Structur...

  What is stirrups? These are steel bars that are tied perpendicular to main bars in columns and beams, mostly they are smaller in size when compared to main bars. They are also called ties when used in column, they perform the same functions in beams and columns. Purpose of stirrups in reinforced structural element.  1. Prevent bulging out of main reinforcements in columns and beams. Bulging out of reinforcements is the sideway displacement of bars perpendicular to a axial of structural member.  2. Prevent movement of reinforcements during concreting. Stirrups hold reinforcements in their position during concrete pouring and concrete vibrating, such that they maintains member cover and spacing between bars.     3. It provides resistance against shear and torsion. Shear force is the one that acts or results perpendicular to axial loading, this force causes cut off of structural member mostly diagonally across it. Concrete has limited shear strength dependin...

ONE WAY AND TWO WAY SLABS IN BUILDING CONSTRUCTION INTRODUCTION Multi storey buildings are made of structural skeletons and finishing, the structural skeleton of the building ensure the safe and stability of the building, finishing of the building bring the beauty and functionality of the constructed building. The structural skeleton is the one that transfer loads from people, furniture, and other things to the foundation, structural skeleton consist of beams, columns, slabs, and pads. Slab receive loads from people, furniture and other things as they rest on it, the load is then transferred to the beams that support slabs, from the beams the load is transferred to columns then to constructed foundation and finally to natural foundation that is soil. The slab used in multi storey buildings can be any of two systems which is either one way slab or two way slab system, these systems are used in accordance to the distances at which slabs should be placed. ONE WAY SLA...