| Subject | Date Asked | Expert |
|
| basement sump pit | 11/12/2009 | Michael Hughes |
Q: Michael, I was cleaning my grandmother's sump pit and discovered that it appears to have no bottom. ...
A: The crock does not have to have a bottom. It may have been left this way if when built the home had ...
|
| Concrete Load Bearing | 11/11/2009 | Robert Cummings, P.E. |
Q: I am remodeling a 30 years old 2 storey condo. The entire structure is reinforced concrete and the ...
A: My opinion after looking at the floor plans is that the kitchen wall running the long way probably ...
|
| Load bearing concrete floor | 11/8/2009 | Robert Cummings, P.E. |
Q: What would the thickness of the concrete floor have to be to sustain forklift traffic tare 4000kg + ...
A: Floor slabs on grade should be analyzed for adequate structural live loads. Since floor slabs maybe ...
|
| Concrete Load Bearing | 11/8/2009 | Robert Cummings, P.E. |
Q: I am remodeling a 30 years old 2 storey condo. The entire structure is reinforced concrete and the ...
A: I have tried to diagram the floor plans of the first and second stories to see what rooms and walls ...
|
| Concrete loading | 11/2/2009 | Robert Cummings, P.E. |
Q: Even though concrete is given (for example) a 3500 psi load rating, where does the thickness become ...
A: The strength of concrete is measured in uniaxial compression on either a 4x8 right cylinder (small ...
|
| blasting and damaging vibrations | 10/28/2009 | Robert Cummings, P.E. |
Q: i have been issued a stop work order because i have exceeded 2" PPV on my monitor which has been ...
A: A stop work order is pretty serious. Utilities continue to mis-apply conventional vibration ...
|
| compaction of subsoil | 10/10/2009 | David Coil/C. R. Construction |
Q: i recently excavated a pool and did reinforcement.prior the concrete shell im asked to compact but i ...
A: It does not sound like you have a very good base for your pool. It sounds like you need to slurry ...
|
| Fordham Gneiss | 10/5/2009 | Robert Cummings, P.E. |
Q: We may need to remove up to 250 CY of Fordham Gneiss in Westchester county, NY. What kind of ...
A: I can't give you many specifics without knowing how the rock is situated. If it is in a confined ...
|
| trying to get the estimate on construction of medical office | 10/2/2009 | Lee Kilcup |
Q: I am trying to find estimate of construction cost on office space. Space is provided by hospital. I ...
A: The most accurate way would be to develop a preliminary concept plan of the space and have a ...
|
| effect of dynamite on tree roots | 9/30/2009 | Robert Cummings, P.E. |
Q: For a recent sewer installation, the contractor dynamited (through subterranean ledge) from the road ...
A: Odd that blasting had to be used for a septic tank site. One would think that rock requiring ...
|
| Remodeling basement | 9/30/2009 | Michael Hughes |
Q: Basement is concrete wall and floor, approx. 30' X 40' and 9' high. Would like to get a rough ...
A: Don, I would think you can get this done for about $9,000. If you opt to do the work yourself you ...
|
| HOUSE FOUNDATION | 9/26/2009 | David Coil/C. R. Construction |
Q: MY HOME RECENTLY EXPERIENCED A SLAB LEAK WHERE 150,000 GALLOONS OF WATER WENT THRU MY METER. I AM ...
A: I really dont know that much about caliche, except that is a soft rock. Very hard to break. It ...
|
| rock excavation | 9/23/2009 | Robert Cummings, P.E. |
Q: We are placing vault toilets which shall require 4-6 inches (in depth) of lime coral rock removal to ...
A: This is very uncertain because it depends on the hardness of the lime coral rock and whether it is ...
|
| Invoicing, Site Instructions, & RFI'S | 9/18/2009 | David Coil/C. R. Construction |
Q: I work for a Drywall and Plastering company (family run) and we've recently taken a job as General ...
A: If an appology is in order..you have it. I was of course speaking in regards to US law and ...
|
| Invoicing, Site Instructions, & RFI'S | 9/16/2009 | David Coil/C. R. Construction |
Q: I work for a Drywall and Plastering company (family run) and we've recently taken a job as General ...
A: Lets be a bit more informative. If you do NOT have a General Contractors License in the State you ...
|
| Invoicing, Site Instructions, & RFI'S | 9/16/2009 | Lee Kilcup |
Q: I work for a Drywall and Plastering company (family run) and we've recently taken a job as General ...
A: I would check with your local AIA or AGC chapter to find out if they have education related to ...
|
| clinker | 9/15/2009 | Robert Cummings, P.E. |
Q: "I am studying the frequency distribution of size of crystals in a cement clinker. As a clinker is ...
A: The cooling rates of igneous rocks vary widely and the formation of crystals has not only to do with ...
|
| Contractor Estimate Bill? | 9/14/2009 | Jim Lyon |
Q: We just received a bill from a contractor we did not award the project to for over $5000 for work ...
A: and please accept my apologies, I was on vacation last week and didn't see your question until ...
|
| Concrete Pad Thickness | 9/14/2009 | David Coil/C. R. Construction |
Q: I have a 5th wheel camper and I want to make a concrete pad for the camper to rest on. The fully ...
A: AS long as you keep in mind..the weight is on 5 points. 4 wheels and the tongue. Assume the wheels ...
|
| Single Family Dwellings | 9/10/2009 | Michael Hughes |
Q: Percent wise what is the difference is s/f cost for first floor v.s second floor if the single story ...
A: Bill, I find the second floor is about 70-75% of the first floor cost. This is based on the use of ...
|
| Retaining wall | 9/2/2009 | David Coil/C. R. Construction |
Q: I have a sloped front yard that drops 3 1/2 feet in roughly 30 feet of distance. I measured this ...
A: It is very doable, but it will be costly. You need to put in a 16"x16" footing with rebar horizonal ...
|
| contracting | 9/1/2009 | Lee Kilcup |
Q: what is the fair wage for a contractor when bidding a job.
A: Our union carpenters make about $35 per hour on their check and probably another 50% in Fringes. ...
|
| full thickness cracks in new driveway | 8/29/2009 | Joe Turner |
Q: I just had a 10,000 square foot concrete driveway poured by a reputable contractor. The driveway is ...
A: Small cracks (called minor cracking but nothing is minor to a customer)can be caused by an improper ...
|
| concrete slab depth adequate. | 8/24/2009 | David Coil/C. R. Construction |
Q: I have an existing concrete patio. I do not know the depth or if it's reinforced, nor do I know the ...
A: California codes require permits for any structure that is attached to the main house and sheds ...
|
| Concrete slab over root cellar | 8/23/2009 | Robert Cummings, P.E. |
Q: Mr. Cummings, I have an 8'x12' root cellar with concrete walls. Will a 6" thick slab roof with #4 ...
A: All three, actually. The standard details for a reinforced concrete box culvert for the Colorado ...
|
| Concrete slab over root cellar | 8/22/2009 | Robert Cummings, P.E. |
Q: Mr. Cummings, I have an 8'x12' root cellar with concrete walls. Will a 6" thick slab roof with #4 ...
A: I'm not a structural engineer but I think a single mat of #4 on 2 ft centers sounds just a little ...
|
| Having problems with our Contractor/Remodel | 8/22/2009 | David Coil/C. R. Construction |
Q: We hired a general contractor for our room addition/two bathroom remodels and a kitchen remodel. ...
A: I wish I had a solid answer for you. I can suggest. You and your General Contractor have a sit ...
|
| Front porch expansion | 8/17/2009 | Jim Lyon |
Q: I currently have a small exposed concrete front porch that is approximately 3 feet high with four ...
A: The basic goal here is to tie in the new porch to the existing porch, in a way that doesnt allow for ...
|
| HORIZONTAL REBAR IN FOOTINGS | 8/14/2009 | Robert Cummings, P.E. |
Q: BUILDING A NEW HOUSE IN NC. Residential code in NC does not call for rebar in footings. In ...
A: I have not done a survey nationwide of footing construction so I can't say how common it is to omit ...
|
| concrete footings O.K.? | 8/14/2009 | Robert Cummings, P.E. |
Q: We recently poured some concrete spread footings for a new house. Footings were 10" thick and 24" ...
A: The concrete should have attained its initial cure and set long before (24 hrs) you had weather ...
|
| compaction of fill | 8/13/2009 | Robert Cummings, P.E. |
Q: I'm in the initial stages of building a 42 x 48' shop, currently having a contractor do the dirtwork ...
A: Somebody should be testing your fill compaction to eliminate all this guesswork -- you are spending ...
|
| Contractor problem | 8/13/2009 | Joe Turner |
Q: My contractor measured replacement windows incorrectly. He will not take them back and order the ...
A: Seeing a lawyer is good advice if you have paid any money to this contractor. However, you might ...
|
| Vibration Limits and Human Perception | 8/12/2009 | Robert Cummings, P.E. |
Q: Good Afternoon, I work for a regulatory agency that looks after medium scale surface quarries. We ...
A: This is a huge topic and I could go on and on but I will try to give you a concise answer, which ...
|
| Concrete vs. Pavers | 8/11/2009 | David Coil/C. R. Construction |
Q: You have helped me a lot. Two Questions: 1. Some contractors charge more money to do a stamped ...
A: There is more finish and finese to do a stamp concrete than a broom. More equipment to clean up. ...
|
| Driveway concrete prep | 8/7/2009 | Michael Hughes |
Q: We live in Spokane WA and have had parts of our driveway repoured 3 times over the last 27 months. ...
A: You should make sure the builder has at least 6" of stone under a 4" concrete slab. The wire is to ...
|
| soil compaction testing for pool construction | 8/4/2009 | Robert Cummings, P.E. |
Q: We are in the process of having a pool built by a contractor. The city required us to review the ...
A: OK, from soup to nuts, here is what I think. You stated that the original soil investigation report ...
|
| New Driveway Cracks | 8/1/2009 | David Coil/C. R. Construction |
Q: Had a new elevated concrete driveway installed to our hilltop home several months ago. It recently ...
A: The steel within the concrete is the key. As long as the steel was properly placed, the mix of the ...
|
| Exterior metal door repair | 7/31/2009 | Jim Lyon |
Q: We have an exterior metal door between our sunroom and outside deck. It was installed approximately ...
A: 2 things: where is the rust/water coming from, and how to repair it. For some reason some steel ...
|
| constrcution questions | 7/31/2009 | Lee Kilcup |
Q: 1. what are execution and site monitoring? 2. what is project overruns and how can you combat it? 3. ...
A: There are an awful lot of questions here, I will do my best 1. Execution is the act of completion of ...
|
| Concrete Entryway | 7/30/2009 | David Coil/C. R. Construction |
Q: My home in California sits on a slab of concrete. So the concrete entry way, which is about 6x6 ...
A: Landlocked only requires expansion joint because it is a separate moveable piece. It will expand ...
|
