Civil Engineering Blog

B20 Components of Rainwater Harvesting System   Components of Rainwater Harvesting System Image   The common components of a rainwater harvesting system (Rainwater Harvesting Components) are: Catchments Coarse mesh Gutters Conduits First, flush Filters Storage tanks, and Recharge structures 1. Catchments The surface that receives the rainfall directly and transfers water to the system is called the catchment area. It can be a paved area such as a building’s terrace or patio, or an unpaved area such as a lawn or open field. Often usable for water harvesting is a roof made of reinforced cement concrete (RCC), galvanized iron, or corrugated sheets. 2. Coarse Mesh It prevents the passage of debris, p rovided in the roof. 👇   3. Gutters Channels that circle the edge of a sloping roof to capture rainwater to the storage tank and move it. Gutters may be semi-circular or rectangular and made mainly from a simple galvanized sheet of iron. Gutters need to be protected so...

 B19 Bricks are the building blocks of a building. If the quality of brick used in a structure is not good then it can lead to serious damages to the building. Therefore it is necessary to check the quality of brick before using it in any construction activities. There are some field tests that we can conduct in the field in order to check the quality of bricks. These tests are as follows. Clap Test Drop Test Shape and Size Test Water Absorption Test Efflorescence  Color Test Hardness Structure Examine frog in Brick Here are some simple yet effective brick tests you can take to check the quality of bricks, 1- Clap Test: If you clap two bricks together, they should make a metallic, clear ringing sound. This test helps you determine the reaction of bricks against sudden impact. 2- Drop Test: Drop a brick from a 4 feet height, if it does not break then the brick is of good quality. If the bricks are broken it indicates low impact value and is therefore not good for construction. ...

B18 Q: Why are Abbreviations used? A:  Construction blueprints, also called construction plans or drawings, are full of abbreviations and acronyms to save space and neaten the overall appearance of the presentation. Remembering all of this shorthand can be tricky, especially when this is added to the challenge of reading all the symbols and deciphering the conventions that might be used by a particular draftsperson or designer. Fortunately, many blueprint abbreviations have widely accepted meanings and are used in all sorts of blueprints, from framing plans to engineering drawings. Abbreviations are often used to facilitate and shorten written narratives. This is an acceptable practice as long as it is universally recognized and understood abbreviations are used. Examples Alphabetically: A: AB: Air Brick ABR: Alternate Bars Reversed AC: Alternating current or air conditioning ACOP: Approved code of practice AGG: Aggregate AISTRUCTE: Associate of the Institution of Structural E...