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...

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...

Cold joint is a specific word used to describe a process in concrete casting. In standard conditions, a piece of concrete needs to be cast in one shot in order to ensure its cohesive strength, however, when it is cast in a few batches where the time between each batch is too long, it will cause "cold joint", which is a phenomenon in which the two separate batches do not join together well and result in a "layered" look between the two pieces. This affects the strength of the casted concrete and is to be avoided whenever possible. Nevertheless, different storeys and sections of a building are usually "cold joined". In these cases, various measures needs to be taken to ensure the integrity of the joint pieces. For example, ribars are to connect between the joints, edges are to be roughened to improve connectivity and bonding agents are used.

There are many types of piles used by the Civil engineer when preparing the foundation of a building. Here's a look at 2 common kinds: Spun Pile Precast concrete pile - stable conditions, uniform strength Of fixed length Tends to be cheaper (at least in Singapore) Could be (and is usually) hollow inside the pile Cast using a machine that pushes the pile into the ground, could be damaged during driving Needs excavation to cast, and may push unstable soil around Cannot be driven in very large diameters Could be used quickly after piling Could carry less weight per pile and is usually used for low to medium height buildings Bored Pile Cast in place concrete pile - depends on weather, not so uniform strength Could be extended to desired length Tends to be more expensive (in Singapore) Is solid inside the pile Cast using a bored piling machine that drills into the ground to remove soil, and is thus more stable to surrounding conditions Could be cast without excava...

It is imperative that Architects work closely with the three types of engineers mentioned above in the design of buildings. However, it could be confusing in the beginning when trying to understand what role does each engineer play. Here's a simple breakdown (that may be updated later on). Please take note that this is the understanding in the Singapore context, and may differ from country to country: Electrical Engineer He prepares the electrical, lighting and data items for your building; usually, architects need to talk to him during the design stage if there are any specific lighting looks in the room or specialised electrical equipment to consider His lighting designs have to meet minimum lux requirements based on the location and function of each space, if you are thinking of using a mixture of daylight and electrical light in a space, you need to have more lengthy discussions with his as well as lighting suppliers He will tell you his requirements for the location an...