Responsibility for Formwork
owner, architect, engineer, general contractor, subcontractors, or suppliers can be determined only by a court decision based on the complete contractual […]
Building Design and Construction
Sociological changes, new technology in industry and commerce, new building codes, other new laws and regulations, inflationary economies of nations, and advances in building technology place an ever-increasing burden on building designers
and constructors. They need more and more knowledge and skill to cope with the demands placed on them.
The public continually demands more complex buildings than in the past. They must serve more purposes, last longer, and require less maintenance and repair. As in the past, they must look attractive. Yet, both building construction and operating
costs must be kept within acceptable limits or new construction will cease.
To meet this challenge successfully, continual improvements in building design and construction must be made. Building designers and constructors should be alert to these advances and learn how to apply them skillfully.
One advance of note to building design is the adaptation of operations research, or systems design, developed around the middle of the twentieth century and originally
applied with noteworthy results to design of machines and electronic equipment.
In the past, design of a new building was mainly an imitation of the design of an existing building. Innovations were often developed fortuitously and by intuition and were rare occurrences. In contrast, systems design encourages innovation.
It is a precise procedure that guides creativity toward the best decisions. As a result, it can play a significant role in meeting the challenges posed by increasing building complexity and costs. The basic principles of systems design are presented
in this section.
Resins for Paints
Natural and synthetic resins are used in a large variety of air-drying and baked finishes. The natural resins include both fossil
Resistance Welding of Cold-Formed Steel
Resistance welding comprises a group of welding processes wherein coalescence is produced by the heat obtained from resistance of the work
Reroofing
Replacement of existing roofing or installation of a new roof covering over it is usually much more complicated than roofing a
Repair of Leaky Joints
Leakage of wind-driven rain through the joints in permeable brick masonry walls can be stopped by either repointing or grouting the
Relations with Public Agencies in Executing Construction Operations
A contractor must deal with numerous public agencies. In some localities, to obtain the necessary permits for start and approval of
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Reinforcing Bars
The term deformed steel bars for concrete reinforcement is commonly shortened to rebars. The short form will be used in this
Reinforced-Concrete Arches
Arches are used in roofs for such buildings as hangars, auditoriums, gymnasiums, and rinks, where long spans are desired. An arch
Reinforced-Concete Thin Shells
Thin shells are curved slabs with thickness very small compared with the other dimensions. A thin shell possesses three-dimensional load-carrying characteristics.