Building Blocks

Question 0

What is in PORTLAND CEMENT?

Answer 0

Lime, silica, iron oxide and alumina. Finess of pulverization affects hardness.

Question 1

What can be used in concrete in lieu of Portland cement to help make it more sustainable?

Answer 1

Fly Ash. A byproduct from power plants. High volume fly ash HVFA requires only 1/3rd the water of conventional.

Question 2

What are the TYPES OF PORTLAND CEMENT?

Answer 2

Type I through Type V. Type I is all purpose cement. The other types vary setting time and heat generated. Also type v is for alkaline soil.

Question 3

What are FINE AGGREGATE & COARSE AGGREGATE and what are there uses?

Answer 3

FINE AGGREGATE is usually sand. COARSE AGGREGATE is usually gravel or crushed rock and is 1/4” to 1/2” diameter. They are used as economical filler between cement paste. A mix of fine and coarse is most economical because it displaces the most cement. In large scale projects, like dams, very large stones may be used.

Question 4

What are ADMIXTURES?

Answer 4

Additives other than cement, water and aggregate that change the properties of concrete. Accellerators, air entrainers

Question 5

What is a strongback, a waler and a sole plate?

Answer 5

They are parts of the formwork for a concrete wall. Strongback is a frame to backup a plywood form for vertical support. A waler is a clamp that gives horizontal support. Sole plate at the base of the form.

Question 6

What are three main types of CONCRETE FORMWORK?

Answer 6

Plywood, prefabricated steel forms and glass-fiber reinforced plastic.

Question 7

What is the concrete tolerance for columns, piers, walls, ceilings, beams and slabs?

Answer 7

plus or minus 1/4” over 10 feet

Question 8

What is the tolerance for the total height of a concrete structure.

Answer 8

plus or minus 1 inch

Question 9

Types of bearing soil in order of capacity.

Answer 9

Bedrock Shale and slate Gravel and sand Hard pan - an unbroken mixture of clay, sand and gravel Silt Clay Organic

Question 10

All Portland cement types harden to the same strength.

Answer 10

The LISA ingredients are ground and burned to form clinkers, which are then pulverized to produce cement.

Question 11

What are these Portland cement types good for? Type I - normal Type III a - high early strength Type IV - low-heat Type V - sulfate-resisting

Answer 11

Type I in general applications Type III in order to generate heat in low temperatures Type IV in massive concrete pours to prevent cracking. Type V is able to withstand sulfate sin ground or building materials.

Question 12

What is a bulb tee?

Answer 12

A structural sub-purlin which gypsum concrete is poured over. The bulb tees are fastened to the primary framing to provide support for the form boards.

Question 13

At what temperature should masonry work be suspended?

Answer 13

40 degrees.

Question 14

Of type I through V construction, which are combustible?

Answer 14

Types III THROUGH V

Question 15

How many exits are required when there are more than 1,000 occupants?

Answer 15

Four

Question 16

How many hours is a Class B fire door rated for?

Answer 16

1 1/2 hours

Question 17

What makes a building material incombustible?

Answer 17

Will not burn!

Question 18

The principal determinant of concrete strength is?

Answer 18

Water-cement ratio.

Question 20

What is gypsum concrete?

Answer 20

Gypsum concrete is a building material used as a floor underlayment used in wood-frame and concrete construction for fire ratings, sound reduction, radiant heating, and floor leveling. It is a mixture of gypsum plaster, Portland cement, and sand.

Question 21

reglet

Answer 21

Question 22

What is a stretcher course?

Answer 22

Question 23

What is English Bond and Cross Bond?

Answer 23

Question 24

Masonry joints that lack sufficient mortar are often repaired by adding fresh mortar while the surrounding mortar is still green. This process is called.

Answer 24

pointing.

Question 25

Spandrel glazing in a curtain wall system should be…

Answer 25

Heat-strengthened glass. Heath-strengthened glass is plate or pattered glass to which a colored ceramic glaze has been fused. It is strong, opaque and almost exclusively in panels for spandrel gazing in curtain wall construction.

Question 26

Structural steel members that will be exposed to severe weather is primed with a coat of red-lead alkyd-based primer. What should the finish coat be?

a. coal-tar enamel
b. alkyd enamel
c. oleoresinous paint.
d. any of the above

Answer 26

b. alkyd enamel

Question 27

Three exits are required where there are more than _______ occupants. Four exits are required where there are more than _____ occupants.

Answer 27

500

1,000

Question 28

What is a Class D 90 minute door used for?

Answer 28

It is intended for severe fire exposure in exterior walls and no glass is permitted.

Question 29

Glued laminated timber may span ______ feet or more.

Answer 29

60 feet

Question 30

What is a water cement ratio?

Answer 30

Strength improves with lower water cement ratios. A .45 water cement ratio most likely will hit 4500 psi (pounds per square inch) or greater. A .50 water cement ratio will likely reach 4000 psi or greater.

For complete Uniform Building Code information regarding concrete construction, review with your architect, your ready mix supplier, or at your local library.

The water to cement ratio is calculated by dividing the water in one cubic yard of the mix ( in pounds) by the cement in the mix (in pounds). So if one cubic yard of the mix has 235 pounds of water and 470 pounds of cement- the mix is a .50 water to cement ratio.

Question 31

What type of nails are used to attache clay roofing tiles?

Answer 31

Copper or aluminum roofing nails…. Because it is non corrosive.

Question 32

What is the difference between a self-closing door and and automatic closing door?

Answer 32

A self-closing door has a mechanical closer. An automatic closing device is used on a fire assembly that may remain open but will close when subjected to an increase in temperature.

Question 33

Vapor barrier goes where?

Answer 33

on the warm side.

Question 34

In built-up composition roofing systems, one of the principal causes of roofing failur is the presence of blisters which may be caused by…

Answer 34

Air between the roofing felts, moisture in the roofing insulation, moisture in the roof deck, air between the roofing felt and the roof deck.

Question 35

The Crystal Palace in London was built in 1851. Was it prefabricated and standardized? Was it the largest building at the time?

Answer 35

Yes, bra.

Question 36

What are the principal factors affecting the strength of concrete?

Answer 36

The water-cement ratio and the extent of hydration.

Question 37

What is concrete hydration?

Answer 37

water causes the hardening of concrete through a process called hydration. Hydration is a chemical reaction in which the major compounds in cement form chemical bonds with water molecules and become hydrates or hydration products. Details of the hydration process are explored in the next section. The water needs to be pure in order to prevent side reactions from occurring which may weaken the concrete or otherwise interfere with the hydration process. The role of water is important because the water to cement ratio is the most critical factor in the production of “perfect” concrete. Too much water reduces concrete strength, while too little will make the concrete unworkable. Concrete needs to be workable so that it may be consolidated and shaped into different forms (i.e.. walls, domes, etc.). Because concrete must be both strong and workable, a careful balance of the cement to water ratio is required when making concrete.

The concrete (or specifically, the cement in it) needs moisture to hydrate and cure (harden). When concrete dries, it actually stops getting stronger. Concrete with too little water may be dry but is not fully reacted. The properties of such a concrete would be less than that of a wet concrete. The reaction of water with the cement in concrete is extremely important to its properties and reactions may continue for many years. This very important reaction will be discussed in detail in this section.