Failure of earth dams may be: Hydraulic Failure Seepage Failure Structural Failure 1. Hydraulic Failure: Types of Rolled filled dams: Overtopping of dams Erosion of the Upstream Surface Erosion of the Downstream Surface Erosion of the Downstream toe i. Overtopping of dams: This type of dam is made up of only one type of material. Usually porous materials is used. These dams are easy and cheap to construct but cannot be used to make multipurpose large dams. For large multipurpose dams zoned type method is used. Over topping failures result from the erosive action of water on the embankment. Erosion is due to un-controlled flow of water over, around, and adjacent to the dam. Earth embankments are not designed to be over-topped and therefore are particularly susceptible to erosion. Once erosion has begun during over-topping, it is almost impossible to stop. A well vegetated earth embankment may withstand limited over topping if its crest ...

Do you feel like your company loses too many bids? The problem could be that you're bidding too high or not accurately assessing the costs involved in a given project. Want to make your next bid a winner? Then you need the right estimating software to help you put in the best bid possible. Here are a few suggestions for software titles that can help you put that together. HCCS Heavy Bid HCCS HeavyBid is currently being used by over 35,000 estimators and is considered by many to represent the industry standard in estimating software. It is implemented by companies of every description, from the smallest of subcontractors to huge multinational construction companies. HCCS has proven to be a perfect fit for both public and private contracts in utility transportation, oil and gas, and power. It helps contractors accurately and swiftly prepare detailed cost estimates and convert them into bids. HeavyBid allows users to generate estimates more quickly by uti...

If you've been reading my blog for a while as a casual observer but think you have what it takes to start and build your ​own company, we have some advice for you. A good plan can often make the difference between success and failure. Starting a new business off on the right foot may not guarantee success, but it positions you much better for it. With that in mind, let's have a look at the eight most important things to consider when starting a construction management business. Develop a Good Business Plan This is important for two reasons: It is a huge part of what lending institutions use to gauge whether they want to help fund your business, and it also helps you clarify in your mind the direction you want to take your business. Construction management is a broad description. You need to narrow it down. Do you plan to do residential or commercial construction? Will you specialize in new construction, or will you focus on improvements, remodeling...

Hardened concrete gains strength with time and testing these hardened concrete for quality check is important for structures. Different types of tests are available to check different properties of hardened concrete which are discussed. Properties of Hardened Concrete Early volume change Creep Properties Permeability Stress-Strain Relation Early Volume Change (Shrinkage) may result in cracking. Plastic Shrinkage occurs due to water loss from fresh paste by evaporation or from suction by dry surface. Volume decreases up to 1% when the paste is still plastic. Controlling water loss may help to prevent plastic shrinkage of concrete. Drying Shrinkage occurs due to loss of water and/or cooling. 15-30% of dry shrinkage occurs in the first 2 weeks, 65-85% in first year. Drying shrinkage can be induced by lack of curing, high water-cement ratio, high cement content, low coarse aggregate content and existence of steel reinforcement. It depends on size ...

Compressive strength of mortar is determined by using 2 inch or 50mm cubes as per ASTM C109 / C109M – Standard Test Method for Compressive Strength of Hydraulic Cement Mortars. Mortar is a combination of cement, sand mixed with water. It is used for masonry works such as brick masonry and stone masonry and for plastering walls, columns etc. Common mix ratio of mortar used in masonry works are  1:3, 1:4 and 1:6 of cement to sand ratio. For important masonry structures such as brick walls, 1:3 ratio is used. Why Compressive Strength Test of Mortar is Important? Generally masonry structures are constructed as load bearing. For example, load bearing walls, load bearing masonry columns etc. are constructed for residential and other masonry buildings. For a masonry buildings, foundations are also constructed with brick masonry. For a load bearing masonry construction, it is important to know the compressive strength requirement of masonry to withstand the load subjected on it....