Techniques for Concrete Homebuilding - Term Paper Example

Identify the Possible Defects Associated the Following Materials and Evaluate the Preventative Remedial Techniques Table of Contents Introduction 3 Defects 4 Natural Timber 4 Concrete 5 Facing Brick 6 Preventive Remedial technique 8 Natural Timber 8 Concrete 9 Facing Brick 9 Conclusion 10 References 11 Introduction Timber frame house is antique and beautiful to look at. There were no differences in the external and internal appearances of timber frame houses and that of the conventional houses. Most of the people perceived that there is no such distinction between timber and wood but in real sense, there are slight differences between them. Timber has been taken from wood. Timber can be considered as the recycled wood. The special characteristic of timber flooring is to its weathered appearance. Timber made houses has certain benefits. It is a natural insulator and because of the thickness of the inner wall, the inhabitants of such houses get more insulation in comparison with block-built houses. It can save 30-40% of the heating bills. The sell on value of the highly insulated house is much higher than the conventional masonry. The most important factor is its environment friendliness. Even the speed of construction is much higher in this case. There is a lesser scope of wastage because the timbers are brought into the site on panelized form. In today’s world, there are innovative techniques for concrete homebuilding which can make it really beautiful. These kinds of homes are lasted for a long period. It needed very low maintenance. Like timber framed house these homes are also environment friendly. A concrete house may be of many kinds but there are a few in build features in the house. Those are energy efficiency, safety peace and quite along with style solid construction. The most important benefits that a concrete house has been provided with are that of fire safety. This kind of house is more resistant to the fire. Apart from this, concrete is also useful for recycling waste and industrial byproducts. The full brick homes can be considered as the ideal “Human Comfort Zone” as it needs less energy for both internal cooling and heating. As brick is fire resistant it maintains the structural function of the house. Even it may provide insulation for more than one hour in case of severe fire. Like other two components, it is also friendly to the environment. Defects Natural Timber Timber flooring is much more expensive than normal flooring. Timber floor or wall required lots of maintenance. Especially it should be protected from direct sunlight. Chemical reaction can take place within the timber because of direct sunlight and that leads to change in color of the floor. That is why it is needed to cover up with mats or rugs on floor and curtains and blinds for wall. Even timber floor be should kept away from the high heels that might be caused by scratch or dent in the floor (Selvon, M, 2010). Basically defects can be of many kinds. It may be naturally occurred or man made. Natural defects may occur for various reasons such as growth pattern, soil composition, environmental factors etc. Man made defects can be due to transport, feeling of the trees, sawing, storage and drying among others (Coateshomecentre, n.d.). The main problem related with wooden house is the wood-rooting fungi and the wood-boring larvae. These are also known as wood worm. It breaks down the wooden cells. It must be checked in right time otherwise it can harm the entire integrality of the home. It leads to a financial costs and also might turn out to be dangerous for the inhabitants. It has been revealed from the researches that there are basically three common problems related with the wood namely woodworm, dry rot and wet rot. Regarding dry rot it is mainly caused because of a particular species of fungi. It is termed as ‘serpula lacrymans’. It mainly breaks down wood cellulose and makes the timber become dry and powdery. Due to the wet rot, the affected timber will be damp and can detect it only through touching it once. There is another way to detect it. The color of the affected timber would become darker than the other timbers. The biggest issue in this respect is there is a higher probability of risk of fire accident. Even it will give a very less scope to the inhabitants to save the other assets in the home and within a very few times the entire house can be destroyed. Concrete The main defects of concrete homes is that once the building has completed, then for adding and removing windows, doors or utilities becomes quite difficult. It requires concrete cutting tools. This method is very costly. On an average, it cost more than US $ 5 per square foot compared to a conventional wooden house. The high-end homes constructed by materials like CMU, etc are usually less expensive. For the first one or two weeks, after the construction, few problems related with interior humidity arise. By using the building’s air conditioning system, the dehumidification problem can be accomplished. Depending on the concrete mix and pouring procedure along with honeycombing while pouring the gaps may be left in the concrete and these defects can only be resolved through a vibrator. This procedure is very expensive. Cracking is the biggest problem in this case. The most common difficulty in relation to the concrete drivers is surface spalling. Regarding cracks, it mainly occurs because of shrinkage of concrete. The crack basically occurs because of hardening of concrete. Apart from this, there are several other causes for cracks like that of ground frictions, structural connections, etc (Ask the Builder, n.d.). Facing Brick Even in new brickworks, defect can arise. These defects can arise because of poor design and/or other wrong specifications. The primary reasons behind such defects are the poor standard of workmanship and the quality of materials used. Few defects related with bricks can be discussed as follows: Firstly, the “Frost Attack” can be discussed. It mainly occurs in older bricks. It also may take place in those bricks which are under firing. To resist frost attack, the bricks need ability which is determined by the pore structure. Even prevention techniques for rain penetration can also be the cause of frost attack as that technique uses silicon. Because of inappropriate mixture of silicon, the brickwork may become dry and the problem might arise. Next is that of “Efflorescence”. This is a common sight especially in new brickwork. The reason behind it is the soluble salts in the solution which is consisting of sulfate, potassium or magnesium and the carbonate compounds of calcium. This problem basically is a temporary problem. It often takes place in spring which is followed by a wet- winter. Another defect is “Lime run-off”. The other type of staining can occur when water flows through the cement. Calcium Hydroxide (Free Lime) is deposited on the brick face which is a soluble form of lime. The sources of lime can be different. It may come from the concrete or cast stone elements or from the cement from mortar joints. “Lime Blow” is another kind of defect. When clay bricks contain with lesser amount of lime then this kind of problems mainly occur. Limes are converted into the calcium oxide while burning the bricks and the calcium oxide begins to slake when the bricks become wet. This process of slake might cause eruption on the face of the brick. “Sulfate Attack” is the most serious problem related with brickwork. It may cause crumbling in the mortar joint. And if it is unnoticed then it may turnout to be harm full for the wall as it cause instability in the wall. The reason behind this attack is the reaction between the sulfates in solution and tricalcium aluminate. Tricalcium aluminate is the constituent of Ordinary Portland Cement. This reaction is also known as Calcium Sulfo - Aluminate. There is a significant problem in recent years that is the failure of wall ties. Rusting of metal ties is the main reason behind this. The result may be the possible collapse of the outer leaf of the cavity wall (Marshall. D & Et.Al, n.d.). Preventive Remedial technique Natural Timber Dry rot can be detected with help of “Fugenex”. It develops a sensor which is able to detect the presence of incipient dry rot. It costs about £ 7.50. It is a very helpful test. By drilling a small hole in the timber it can be detected if there is a dry rot problem. While drilling, if the sensor changes its color then it will be proved to be dry rot affected and the owner of the home can consult with an expert. There are several different techniques also to prevent these rot problems. The moisture content can be taken care off after detecting the rot problems. For the problem of dry rot, the modest moisture content is necessary. It can be around 20%. Where in case of wet rot elevated moisture is required, the range of moisture can be of 28-30%. As most of the affected timber problem has been found in physically damp timbers that is why it is needed to maintain the moisture and it can be checked through three steps. At first, the sources of moisture have to be found and then those sources should be removed. The sources can be leaking appliances, roofs, overlapping drain pipes, poorly sealed baths or sinks etc. another measure is to promote drying conditions. A proper identification of rot and then drying out properly can eradicate the rot. The third step involves replacing the affected timber. But this is the extreme measure and should be adopted when the timbers are badly affected (Heywood.A, n.d.). Concrete The key problem related with concrete is that the cracking can be prevented through the concrete reinforcement with steel or rubber. To seal the cracks with width from 3mm to down to approximately 0.2 mm, resin injection system can be used. Few companies uses Thixotropic Anchor Grout System for the major cracks of 10mm. all kind of repairs regarding the concrete should be take place at dry weather if possible (Ask the Builder, n.d.). Facing Brick The problem of efflorescence is harmless because salts are water soluble and those are often removed by the rain water or with normal water. For the lime, run off in the initial stage the staining can be removed though water or brushes can be used for that but if carbonate reaction occurs, then acid solution is necessary. The problems or the defects related with the older bricks are very much expected and can be taken care by destroying the entire work and building up new or the expert’s view can be taken in this regard. In the case of defects related with the new bricks, it can be said that the manufacturing process is responsible for such defects. While producing the bricks, the manufacturer should keep in mind all the probable future problems and take care of the mixture of the chemicals, the heating process and the suitable temperature. Quality of each and every component in the process should be checked. The manufacturer should ensure that the final product that is bricks should have minimum lasting period of at least 10-15 years. Even construction process and design are also responsible to some extent. Those things should also be taken care of. Conclusion From the above stated information and discussion, it is quite evident that all the houses have certain defects as well as benefits. It is difficult to judge which one is the most perfect. It is totally depended upon the choice and comfort level of the inhabitants. Even the weather also plays a great role to choose the components of the house. It can be said without doubt that after constructing a house, the owner should always pay attention to the defects because if it is unnoticed then a major problem might occur. References Ask the Builder, No Date. Concrete Crack Prevention. Concrete Defects 101. [Online] Available at: http://www.askthebuilder.com/ConcreteDefects.shtml [Accessed June 08, 2010]. Coates Home Centre, No Date. No matter what species of timber you use, you will undoubtedly come across some pieces that contain defects. Common Defects in Wood. [Online] Available at: http://www.coateshomecentre.com.au/tips_tricks/tip_wood_defect.htm [Accessed June 08, 2010]. Heywood, A., No Date. How Can I Identify Wood-Rotting Fungi?. Guide to Timber Preservation. [Online] Available at: http://www.ourproperty.co.uk/guides/timber_preservation.html [Accessed June 08, 2010]. Marshall, D & Et. Al. Understanding Housing Defects. Elsevier, 2003. Selvon, M., 2010. What Is Timber Flooring. Mapping Your News. [Online] Available at: http://mapping-news.com/the-advantages-of-timber-flooring.html [Accessed June 08, 2010]. Read More