Civil Engineering Basic Knowledge

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Abbreviation, Full Forms, and Terminology.

Name Description
ASTM American society for testing materials
C/C Center to center distance
DL Development length
Sub-structure Structure which is below the ground level
Super-structure Structure which is above ground level
Elevation View which we can see when we stand right in front of the structure on any of the sides.
Plastering Cement, sand, and water mix applied on brick wall for smooth surface for painting.
Plinth level Level on which the actual structure stands on
Riser The vertical height of single step
Tread Horizontal portion where we put our foot on which going on steps
Footing The bottom most part of structure. These are categorized as Isolated footing, combined footing, Raft etc.
Columns The vertical members of structure
Clear cover Clear distance maintained from concrete face up to face of the reinforcement steel.
Effective depth Distance from top of the concrete face upto the CG of reinforcement.
Singly reinforced section Section of concrete member with reinforcement at only on tension face.
Doubly reinforced section Section of concrete member with reinforcement on both tension and compression side.
Stirrups Steel bent in closed shape of either Rectangular of circular shape.
Cantilever beam Beam with fixed support on one side and the other end is free.
Propped cantilever Beam with fixed support on one side and other end is with pinned support.
Pedestal Length of the member is less than 3 times in width
One way slab Ratio of length to width is more than 2 its one way slab
Two way slab Ratio of length to width is less than or equal to 2 , its two way slab.
Slender column Length to width ratio of column is more than 12 , then its slender column
Plain cement concrete Cement concrete mix provided on the ground level over which foundations, beams are constructed.
Pile foundation The foundation system with Piles i.e cylinder shaped reinforced concrete member.
Retaining wall Wall constructed to retain earth
Scaffolding Temporary structure, where work needs to be carried out at higher elevations.

Construction Materials

  1. Cement: Cement is essentially attained by crushing the gravels comprising lime in addition to clay. Cement is the binder that aids in the attachment of cement, sand alongside with water. Nearly of the actual significant categories of cement.
  2. Aggregate: Two different type of aggregate are as follows.
    1. Fine Aggregate
      • Fine aggregate is the material which permits finished 4.75 mm sieve then reserved on 0.075 mm sieve
      • Example: Sand
    2. Coarse Aggregate
  3. Concrete: Concrete is attained by mingling cement, aggregate in addition water in accordance with a preferred mix. At this point water to cement proportion shows a significant part.
    • Strength of concrete is inversely proportionate to the water-cement ratio.
    • Concrete is characterized by terminology as M-25. Where M is Mix and 25 is the compression strength at the 28 days allowing for concrete cubes of 15 cm cube.
    • Concrete has Two setting types.
    • Initial Setting time is of 30 min.
    • Final Setting time is of 10 hrs.
    • The test for setting time is through by means of Vicats apparatus.
    • Concrete setting time can be increased or decreased dependent on environmental circumstances by means of admixtures.
    • Admixture for increasing the setting time is named retarder then for decreasing the setting time is named accelerator.

Any Structure Typically Consists of Following

Basic Loads on Structure

  1. Self-weight of structure i.e slabs, beams, columns, walls, etc.,
  2. Live Loads due to furniture, equipment, machinery, etc.
  3. Wind Loads.
  4. Seismic Loads / Earthquake Loads
  5. Snow Loads
  6. Hurricane Loads at some locations

List of Major Indian Codes

Code for Reinforced concrete IS:  456
Specifications for steel construction IS: 800
Wind Loads on building IS: 875
For Seismic Specifications IS:  1893
For water retaining structures IS: 3370

Usefull Tips for Civil Engineers

Lapping of bars Diameter of bar is less than 36mm.
Circular column Use Minimum 6 longitudinal bars
Thickness of slab Minimum is 0.125m
PH value of water More than 6 should be used for building purposes.
Compressive strength of Bricks 3.5 N /mm2
Dead Load of structure Self-weight of Structure
Moisture content Sand that haves more than 5% must not be used for Concrete mix.
DPC Thickness should not be less than 2.5cm
RMC (Ready Mix concrete)
  • It is made at factory and transported to the site.
  • It is used where there is a lack of space for mixing the concrete
  • It is used where a huge amount of concrete is required for construction.
Height of floor 3 m or 10 ft
Cantilever Beam One end is fixed support and the other end is free.
Simply supported beam It has Minimum of two supports
PCC It is Used on members when the tensile forces are not acting on it.
Weight of first-class clay brick and crushing strength 3.85 Kg and 10.5MN/m2
Impermeability of concrete It is the concrete that resists the entry of water or moisture into it.
Curing Period of RCC 28 days
Minimum sill level height 44 inches
Ties Transverse reinforcement providing in columns
Stirrups Transverse reinforcement providing in Beams
The thermal expansion co-efficient of concrete and steel 12×10−6/°C
Number of Bricks necessary for 1m3 of Brick masonary 550 bricks
Specific gravity of Cement

Specific gravity of brick

Specific gravity of sand

 3.16g/cm3

2g/cm3

2g/cm3
Standard Size of Brick 19 cm x 9 cm x 9 cm
Slope or Pitch of the stair 25 degrees to 40 degrees
Rise in stairs 150mm to 200mm
Tread in staircase 250mm to 300mm
Hook length More than 9 * diameter of bar
Unit weight of PCC

Unit weight of RCC

Unit weight of STEEL

 24KN/m3

25 KN/m3

7850Kg/m3
Volume of 50 kg cement bag 1.3cft
TMT bars Thermo Mechanically treated bars
Length of each bar from factory 12m

Concrete Basic Knowledge

  1. The concrete must not be thrown as of a height of more than 1m.
  2. Cube test is passed out for every 30 m3practise of concrete.
  3. A head mason must labour 25-30 m3throughtout a day.
  4. In manufacturing, the rate analysis for the work of labours is considered in Man Hours.
  5. Theodolite least count is 20 Secs while Compass Least count is 30 mins.
  6. Cement more than 3 months old cannot be used for construction.
  7. Calculation of extra water in the concrete mix to rise setting time primes to arrangement the Cracks or honeycomb in hardened concrete.
  8. Vibration in freshly made concrete is completed to eliminate the air foams in a concrete mix.
  9. The concrete can be raised to an extreme height of 50 musing Concrete Pumps.
  10. Stirrups in Beams and Ties in Column are on condition that to grip the shear force and to save longitudinal bars in location.
  11. The Major aim for by means of steel as reinforcement is owing to thermal expansion.
  12. M20 grade of concrete is normally used in the construction of a slab.
  13. Floor area engaged by 50 kg of Cement bag is 0.3 m2 and elevation of 0.18 m.
  14. According to IS 456: 2000, Maximum diameter of bar used in the slab would not surpass 1/8th of the entire thickness of the slab.

Test of Building Materials

Civil engineers need to ensure correct information of various tests of building materials.

  1. Soil Test.
    • Core Cutter Test.
    • Compaction Test of Soil.
    • Sand Replacement Test.
    • Tri-axial Test.
    • Consolidation Test.
  2. Concrete Test.
    1. Slump Test.
    2. Compression Test.
    3. Split Tensile Test.
    4. Soundness.
  3. Bitumen Test.
    1. Ductility Test
    2. Softening Point Test
    3. Gravity Test.
    4. Penetration Test.

Concrete Slump Value for Various Concrete Constructions

Concrete Mixes

Slump range in mm
Columns and Retaining walls

75-150 mm
Beams and Slabs

50-100 mm
Cement Concrete Pavements

20-30 mm
Decks of bridge

30-75 mm
Vibrated Concrete

12-25 mm
Huge Mass constructions

25-50 mm

Grades of Concrete:

Grades of Concrete

Prpostion

M5

1:5:10

M7.5

1:4:8

M10

1:3:6

M15

1:2:4

M20

1:1.5:3

M25

1:1:2

Clear Cover to Main Reinforcement:

Footing 50 mm
Top Raft Foundation 50 mm
Bottom/ Sides Raft Foundation 75 mm
Strap Beam 50 mm
Grade Slab 20 mm
Column 40 mm
Shear Wall 25 mm
Beams 25 mm
Slabs 15 mm
Flat Slabs 20 mm
Staircase 15 mm
Retaining Wall 20 – 25 mm
Water Retaining Structures 20 – 30 mm

Unit Weight of Different Materials

Concrete 25 kN/m3
Brick 19 kN/m3
Steel 7850 Kg/m3
Water 1000 Lt/m3
Cement 1440 Kg/m3

Development Length

Compression 38 diameter
Tension 47 and 60 diameter

Unit Conversation

1 Cent 435.60 ft2
1 Meter 3.2808 ft
1 M2 10.76 ft2
1 Feet 0.3048 m
1 KN 100 Kg
1 kN 1000 N
1 Ton 1000Kg 10,000 N = 10 kN
1 kG 9.81 N
1 Gallon 3.78 Litres
1 Hectare 2.471 acre
1 Acre 4046.82 m2
FAQ

Super Structure

A superstructure is an upward extension of an existing structure above a baseline. This term is applied to various kinds of physical structures such as buildings, bridges, or ships having the degree of freedom zero (in the terms of theory of machines).

Plinth Level

What Is Plinth Level? The plinth is the part of the superstructure between the top of the tie beam at the finished ground level (the top level of the soil surrounding the structure that has been prepared and leveled before construction) and the floor level of the building( the ground floor level inside the building).

Effective Depth

Effective Depth (d) – The effective depth (d) of a reinforced concrete floor slab is the distance from the compression face to the center of the tensile steel when an element is subjected to a bending moment.

One Way Slab

One way slab is a slab which is supported by beams on the two opposite sides to carry the load along one direction. The ratio of longer span (l) to shorter span (b) is equal or greater than 2, considered as One way slab because this slab will bend in one direction i.e in the direction along its shorter span.

Slender Column

Slender columns can be defined as columns with small cross sections compared to their lengths. Generally, slender columns have lower strength when compared to short columns, for a constant cross section, increasing the length causes a reduction in the strength.

Plain Cement Concrete

Plain cement concrete is the mixture of cement, fine aggregate(sand) and coarse aggregate without steel. PCC is an important component of a building which is laid on the soil surface to avoid direct contact of reinforcement of concrete with soil and water.

Fine Aggregate

Fine aggregates are essentially any natural sand particles won from the land through the mining process. Fine aggregates consist of natural sand or any crushed stone particles that are ¼” or smaller. This product is often referred to as 1/4’” minus as it refers to the size, or grading, of this particular aggregate.

Coarse Aggregate

Coarse aggregates are a construction component made of rock quarried from ground deposits. Examples of these kinds of ground deposits include river gravel, crushed stone from rock quarries, and previously used concrete. Coarse aggregates are generally categorized as rock larger than a standard No.

Wind Loads on Building

Depending on the location, a typical “wind load” is 80 mph or 16 lb/ft2. Wind exerts three types of forces on a structure: Uplift load – Wind flow pressures that create a strong lifting effect, much like the effect on airplane wings. Wind flow under a roof pushes upward; wind flow over a roof pulls upward.

For Water Retaining Structures

The concrete structures that retaining water inside or outside is considered as water retaining structures. Water sump, water tanks, swimming pools and manholes are some of the examples for the water retaining structures in practice.

Circular Column

The circular columns are used when there is no need to construct walls on either side of the column. It will be aesthetically pleasing. Circular columns are also preferred when built at more traffic areas such as bridges due to their less cross-sectional area.

Thickness of Slab

Standard concrete floor slab thickness in residential construction is 4 inches. Five to six inches is recommended if the concrete will receive occasional heavy loads, such as motor homes or garbage trucks. To prepare the base, cut the ground level to the proper depth to allow for the slab thickness.

Ph Value of Water

The pH of pure water (H20) is 7 at 25oC, but when exposed to the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere this equilibrium results in a pH of approximately 5.2.

Dead Load of Structure

Dead load on a structure is the result of the weight of the permanent components such as beams, floor slabs, columns and walls. These components will produce the same constant ‘dead’ load during the lifespan of the building. Dead loads are exerted in the vertical plane.

Height of Floor

The height of each storey in a building is based on ceiling height, floor thickness, and building material – with a general average of about 14 feet.

Simply Supported Beam

The simply supported beam is one of the most simple structures. It features only two supports, one at each end. One is a pinned support and the other is a roller support. With this configuration, the beam is inhibited from any vertical movement at both ends whereas it is allowed to rotate freely.

Impermeability of Concrete

The impermeability of concrete refers to the property of concrete that cannot be pervaded by water, oil and other liquids with pressures. It plays an important role in the durability of concrete. Moreover, it also directly affects the frost-resistance and anti-corrosion of concrete.

Curing Period of RCC

For most concrete structures, the curing period at temperatures above 5º C (40º F) should be a minimum of 7 days or until 70% of the specified compressive or flexural strength is attained. The period can be reduced to 3 days if high early strength concrete is used and the temperature is above 10º C (50º F).

Minimum Sill Level Height

The 2018 IRC continues to require the bottom of openings created by operable windows to be a minimum height of 24 inches above the adjacent interior floor when they are more than 6 feet above the grade outside the window.

Specific Gravity of Cement

The specific gravity is normally defined as the ratio between the weight of a given volume of material and weight of an equal volume of water. The portland cement have a specific gravity of value around 3.15.

Specific Gravity of Brick

After multiple tests, results regarding the properties of bricks included – water absorption varies from 8.80% to 23.93%, porosity varying from 19.28% to 53.99%, specific gravity varying from 2.19 to 4.00, density varying from 1549.77 kg/m3 to 2816.6kg/m3, and crushing strength varying from 7.83 MPa to 22.10 MPa.

Specific Gravity of Sand

Specific gravity of fine aggregate (sand) is the ratio of the weight of given volume of aggregates to the weight of equal volume of water. The specific gravity of sands is considered to be around 2.65.

Slope or Pitch of the Stair

The slope or pitch of the stairs refers to the proportion among the rise and the going. It is also known as the rake of the stairs. The pitch line stands for the imaginary line along the tip of the nosing of the treads. A staircase rises up at an angle from the horizontal.

Rise in Stairs

Rise/Riser: The rise, or height of a step is measured from the top of one tread to the top of the next tread. It is not the physical height of the riser because this excludes the thickness of the tread. The number of risers, not the number of treads, is used to determine the number of steps that comprise a staircase.

Tread in Staircase

A stair tread is the horizontal portion of a set of stairs on which a person walks. The tread can be composed of wood, metal, plastic, or other materials. In residential settings, treads can be covered in carpeting. Stair treads can come in non-slip varieties, particularly in commercial or industrial locations.

Unit Weight of Steel

Unit Weight of steel is defined as the ratio of weight of Steel to volume of steel, Unit Weight of steel is around 7850kg/m3 or 78.5kN/m3

Volume of 50 Kg Cement Bag

The basic things you should know to calculate the volume of 1 bag of cement are, Density of cement = 1440 kg/ m³ 1 bag = 50 kg of cement. 1 m³ = 35.3147 cubic feet.

Concrete Basic Knowledge

Concrete is a construction material composed of cement, fine aggregates (sand) and coarse aggregates mixed with water which hardens with time. Portland cement is the commonly used type of cement for production of concrete. Concrete technology deals with study of properties of concrete and its practical applications.

Bitumen Test

The test is conducted by using Ring and Ball apparatus. A brass ring containing test sample of bitumen is suspended in liquid like water or glycerin at a given temperature. A steel ball is placed upon the bitumen sample and the liquid medium is heated at a rate of 5 C per minute.

Beams and Slabs

Precast concrete beams and slabs (or planks and joists) is a construction system comprised of precast concrete elements that span in modules between walls and are tied together with rebar that locks into a thin cast-in-place slab.

Decks of Bridge

A deck is the surface of a bridge. A structural element of its superstructure, it may be constructed of concrete, steel, open grating, or wood. On some bridges, such as a tied-arch or a cable-stayed, the deck is a primary structural element, carrying tension or compression to support the span.

Civil Engineering Basic Knowledge

As a civil engineer, you need to have the fundamentals of civil engineering to be successful. These include understanding the construction of bridges, dams, and buildings. You must also learn the basics of surveying and drafting to get involved in land surveying.

Basic Knowledge of Civil Engineering

The relevant technical skills required by civil engineers include project planning, design, construction, introduction to geology and surveying, etc. A good Civil Engineer should have a level of Mathematics and Physics that identifies and solves engineering problems.

Civil Basic Knowledge

  1. Government: Understanding how government works, the different branches of government, the electoral process, and the role of citizens in the political process.
  2. Law: Understanding the basic principles of law, including criminal and civil law, the court system, and the rights and responsibilities of citizens.
  3. Economics: Understanding how the economy works, including basic principles of supply and demand, the role of markets, and the role of government in regulating the economy.

Basic of Civil Engineering

Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including public works such as roads, bridges, canals, dams, airports, sewage systems, pipelines, structural components of buildings, and railways.

Civil Engineering Basics

This area of civil engineering deals with the design, analysis, and construction of structures, such as buildings, bridges, and dams. Structural engineers use mathematics, physics, and materials science to ensure that structures are safe, stable, and durable.

Basic Information About Civil Engineering

Civil engineers conceive, design, build, supervise, operate, construct and maintain infrastructure projects and systems in the public and private sector, including roads, buildings, airports, tunnels, dams, bridges, and systems for water supply and sewage treatment.

General Knowledge About Civil Engineering

Civil engineers design significant construction projects, such as roads, airports, tunnels, dams, and bridges. They also supervise project construction and maintenance. They must possess a comprehensive skill set, from cost accounting to geology.

Structural Civil Engineering Basic Knowledge

This area of structural engineering deals with the behavior of materials under various types of loads, such as compression, tension, bending, and shear. Structural engineers use principles of mechanics of materials to design structures that can withstand the loads they will be subjected to.

Fundamentals of Civil Engineering

Mechanics is the branch of physics that deals with the behavior of physical systems under various types of loads, such as compression, tension, bending, and shear. Civil engineers use principles of mechanics to design structures and analyze their behavior under different types of loads.

Civil Construction Basics

Foundation design involves determining the type and size of foundation required to support the weight of the structure and distribute the load to the underlying soil or rock.

Basic of Civil

Civil engineers study the behavior of structures under different types of forces and loads, such as compression, tension, bending, and shear. They use this knowledge to design structures that can withstand these forces and loads.

Abbreviation of Civil Engineering

The abbreviation of the journal title “Civil engineering journal” is “Civ. Eng.

Slump Value for Raft Foundation

In general, a slump value of 100-150 mm (4-6 inches) is recommended for concrete used in raft foundations. This slump value ensures that the concrete is workable enough to be easily placed and compacted but not so fluid that it will settle and segregate. However, it is important to consult the project specifications and requirements to determine the specific slump value for the concrete to be used in a raft foundation.

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