Learning to be Architect

After concrete is cast, honeycomb may appear on the surface or inside the concrete structure. These honeycomb structures are hollow parts of the structure where concrete has not reached during the casting process. Reasons for this are associated mostly with poor workmanship during casting, such as: Inadequate and improper vibration when filling the concrete in Big or chunky aggregates that prevent the flow of concrete Concrete mixer that is too dry/ too stiff To rectify concrete honeycombing, it is necessary to use this material called "pressure grout" rather than conventional cement. This is because when pressure grout is applied, the pressure it has when it is injected will make it spread out across the honeycomb area and fill up all the holes effectively. If conventional cement is applied, it will only cover up the visible portions of holes on the surface, leaving honeycomb holes further in the cast portions left unfilled. When this occurs, the effectiveness of th...

Dry Riser A riser that is usually dry, but could be filled with water pumped in from a fire truck when required to fight fire The riser connects to a landing valve on each floor In Singapore, this usually applies to buildings between 10m - 60m in habitable height, and any basements Wet Riser: A riser that is always kept full of water to fight fire. Usually required for high rise buildings in which the floors are too high for the fire brigade to pump water up efficiently when necessary The riser connects to a landing valve on each floor In Singapore, this usually applies to buildings exceeding 60m in habitable height Breeching Inlet: A breeching inlet is a connection point that feeds water from a fire truck up into a dry riser It is usually located on the ground floor; when not on the ground floor, it is on the main floor accessible by the fire truck Hydrant: A valve point on the ground floor where fire trucks and fire men could tap water from Landing Valv...

When choosing a shower heater, there is two broad categories in the market - instant hot water heaters, and storage water heaters. Here's a look at their differences Instant Water Heater Heats water up instantly as water runs through the equipment Control dial controls the amount of heat transferred to the water Is more limited in how much water could pass through to become heated as water is heated up when the water pipe passes by a heated copper unit - as such, the diameter of the pipe is limited in order to ensure good heat transfer Usually a more fixed design outlook that is combined with a set of shower tap, mixer and shower head Usually not used in low rise landed developments where water pressure is limited by unstable pressure directly from the government supplier Storage Water Heater Always contains a storage amount of hot water Control dial controls the amount of stored hot water mixed with cold water Is less limited in how much water could pass through ...

When examining the discharge outlets in toilet and shower areas, we may come across 2 different types of floor discharge symbols - FT for floor trap and FW for floor waste Floor Trap Has a grating to catch the first layer of dirt and debris Has a "trap", like a S or P bend, that traps dirt and debris before getting connected to a sanitary stack Requires deeper depth for this bend, usually below the soffit of the slab Usually for dirtier regions Floor Waste Has a grating to catch the first layer of dirt and debris Does not have a trap right underneath it, and may connect directly to the sanitary stack Requires less depth since there is not bend, and can sometimes be embedded in a floor slab directly Usually for showers and other areas with less debris Needs to be connected to a floor trap eventually; usually, only up to 2 floor wastes are connected to 1 floor trap

When preparing the foundation of a building at a place near water bodies or in a location simply with more water, there are cases where we encounter a high water table. The water table is the level below ground at which the ground is saturated with water. When dug to this point, ground water will appear around the soil and is not a desirable condition for keeping foundations stable. When building close to a water body, the water table will also change with the time of the day. At high tide, the water table will be higher than at lower tide. Sometimes, this is useful when planning the construction work load in order to avoid digging too much when the water table is high. Additionally, a pump is necessary to pump out the extra water so excavation works can continue in a safe manner. For architects, this high water table is a concern when building underground basements as well as any sort of semi-sub subterranean structures such as lift and escalator pits. Proper waterproofing material...

The colour of light can have a very profound effect on how Architecture looks like during the night, and sometimes even in the day. With the advent of LED technology, there has been an ongoing refurbishment works across the globe to change many street lights from the warm yellow hue to cold bluish tones. But what is colour temperature? As shown by this chart from  https://www.downlights.co.uk/faq-which-colour-temperature-.html , light can have a variety of "temperature" which corresponds to its colour. Temperature is measured in Kelvin and the higher the value, the more bluish it becomes. 2700K - Extra warm white LED: Appears warmer 3000K - Warm white LED: Slightly white but not too cold 4000K - Cool white: Slightly bluish When choosing lighting, it is recommended to get a warmer hue when used in areas intending for relaxation, while choosing a colder tone when it is important to be alert and see all details. As such, a bedroom may be using 2700K while a clinic may...