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A knee wall is a short wall, typically under three feet (one metre) in height, used to support the rafters in timber roof construction. In his book A Visual Dictionary of Architecture , Francis D. K. Ching defines a knee wall as "a short wall supporting rafters at some intermediate position along their length."
This includes foundations and basement retaining walls. [1] It is differentiated from the superstructure. It safeguards the building against the forces of wind, uplift, soil pressure etc. It provides a level and firm surface for the construction of superstructure. It also prevents unequal or differential settlement and ensures stability of the ...
The remaining knee wall was left intact (it was structurally necessary, so they had to), but they added a run of cabinets along it and covered the area above them in glazed zellige tile to make it ...
Soil may be stabilized by the addition of lime or cement, and may be compacted into rammed earth. Construction is faster with pre-formed adobe or mudbricks, compressed earth blocks, earthbags or fired clay bricks. [a] Types of earth structure include earth shelters, where a dwelling is wholly or partly embedded in the ground or encased in soil.
Waterproofing and drainage considerations are especially important in cases where ground water is likely to build up in the soil or where there is a high water table. Water in the soil causes hydrostatic pressure to be exerted underneath basement floors and walls. This hydrostatic pressure can force water in through cracks, which can cause ...
Sod or turf for roofing was cut from good pasture land, preferably with sandy soil. A naturally grown grass with a deep root system was desirable. [7] The turf was cut into portable pieces, each about one foot (30 cm) square and about 3 inches (7.5 cm) thick, half the thickness of the finished covering.
In geotechnical engineering, a tieback is a structural element installed in soil or rock to transfer applied tensile load into the ground. Typically in the form of a horizontal wire or rod, or a helical anchor, a tieback is commonly used along with other retaining systems (e.g. soldier piles , sheet piles, secant and tangent walls) to provide ...
The walls must resist the lateral pressures generated by loose soils or, in some cases, water pressures. [3] Every retaining wall supports a "wedge" of soil. The wedge is defined as the soil which extends beyond the failure plane of the soil type present at the wall site, and can be calculated once the soil friction angle is known. As the ...