Civil Engineering Tips – Points to Remember for Civil Site Engineer

Civil engineer does many activities at construction site and there are certain works which are repetitive in nature. So, some points, tips and tricks which a civil engineer should remember for faster calculations as well as quick solutions to construction site problems.

• Lapping is not allowed for the bars having diameters more than 36 mm.

• Chair spacing maximum spacing is 1.00 m (or) 1 No per 1m2.

• For dowels rod minimum of 12 mm diameter should be used.

• Chairs minimum of 12 mm diameter bars to be used.

• Longitudinal reinforcement not less than 0.8% and more than 6% of gross C/S.

• Minimum bars for square column is 4 No’s and 6 No’s for circular column.

• Main bars in the slabs shall not be less than 8 mm (HYSD) or 10 mm (Plain bars) and the distributors not less than 8 mm and not more than 1/8 of slab thickness.

• Minimum thickness of slab is 125 mm.

• Dimension tolerance for cubes + 2 mm.

• Free fall of concrete is allowed maximum to 1.50m.

• Lap slices not be used for bar larger than 36 mm.

• Water absorption of bricks should not be more than 15 %.

• PH value of the water should not be less than 6.

• Compressive strength of Bricks is 3.5 N / mm2.

• In steel reinforcement binding wire required is 8 kg per MT.

• In soil filling as per IS code, 3 samples should be taken for core cutting test for every 100m2.

Density of Materials

Material	Density
Bricks	1600 – 1920 kg/m3
Concrete block	1920 kg/ m3
Reinforced concrete	2310 – 2700 kg/ m3

Curing time of RCC Members for different types of cement
Super Sulphate cement: 7 days
Ordinary Portland cement OPC: 10 days
Minerals & Admixture added cement: 14 days
De-Shuttering time of different RCC Members

RCC Member	De-shuttering time
For columns, walls, vertical form works	16-24 hrs.
Soffit formwork to slabs	3 days (props to be refixed after removal)
Soffit to beams props	7 days (props to refixed after removal)
Beams spanning upto 4.5m	7 days
Beams spanning over 4.5m	14 days
Arches spanning up to 6m	14 days
Arches spanning over 6m	21 days

Cube samples required for different quantity of concrete

Quantity of Concrete	No. of cubes required
1 – 5 m3	1 No’s
6 0 15 m3	2 No’s
16 – 30 m3	3 No’s
31 – 50 m3	4 No’s
Above 50 m3	4 + 1 No’s of addition of each 50 m3