What do you mean by formwork?

Formwork is the term given to either temporary or permanent molds into which concrete or similar
materials are poured. In the context of concrete construction, the falsework supports
the shuttering molds.

What are the basic characteristics of steel?

What is the cube test?

Concrete is used mostly for structural purposes such as foundations, columns,
beams and floors and therefore must be capable in taking the loads that will be
applied. One of the methods of checking its fit for purpose is to carry out a concrete
cube test which measures the compressible cube strength of the concrete and
relates directly to the required design strength specified.
This concrete is poured in the mould and tempered properly so as not to have any
voids. After 24 hours these moulds are removed and test specimens are put in
water for curing. The top surface of these

specimen should be made even and smooth. This is done by putting cement paste
and spreading smoothly on whole area of specimen. These specimens are tested by
compression testing machine after 7 days curing or 28 days curing. Load should be
applied gradually at the rate of 140 kg/cm2 per minute till the Specimens fails. Load
at the failure divided by area of specimen gives the compressive strength of
concrete.
What is admixture in concrete?
Concrete should be workable, finishable, strong, durable, watertight, and wear
resistant. These qualities can often be obtainedeasily and economically by the
selection of suitable materials rather than by resorting to admixtures.The major
reasons for using admixtures are:
1. To reduce the cost of concrete construction.
2. To achieve certain properties in concrete more effectively than by other means.
3. To maintain the quality of concrete during the stages of mixing,transporting,
placing, and curing in adverse weather conditions.
4. To overcome certain emergencies during concreting operations.Admixtures are
classed according to function. There are five distinct classes of chemical
admixtures: air-entraining, water-reducing,retarding, accelerating, and plasticizers
(superplasticizers).Air-entraining admixtures : Air-entraining admixtures are used to
purposely introduce and stabilize microscopic air bubbles in concrete.Airentrainment will dramatically improve the durability of concrete exposed to cycles
of freezing and thawing .
Water Reducing Admixtures : Water-reducing admixtures are used to reduce the
quantity of mixing water required to produce concrete of a certain slump, reduce
water-cement ratio, reduce cement content, or increase slump.
Retarding Admixtures : Retarding admixtures are useful in extending the set- ting
time of concrete, but they are often also used in attempts to decrease slump loss
and extend workability, especially prior to placement at elevated temperatures.
Retarders do not decrease the initial temperature of concrete. The bleeding rate and
bleeding capacity of concrete is increased with retarders.
Accelerating admixtures: An accelerating admixture is used to accelerate the rate of
hydration (setting) and strength development of concrete at an early age. Calcium
chloride (CaCl2) is the chemical
most com- monly used in accelerating admixtures, especially for nonreinforced
concrete.
Plasticizers: The main purpose of using super plasticizers is to produce flowing
concrete with a high slump in the range of 7-9 inches to be used in heavily
reinforced structures and in placements where
adequate consolidation by vibration cannot be readily achieved. The other major
application is the production of high-strength concrete .
What are different grades of steel available in market?
General construction purposes use two types of steel including the mild and
deformed steel bars. The mild steel bars, which are used in reinforced cement
concrete works, are plain in surface and round in
cross-section, whereas the deformed ones have ribs or deformations on their
surface. More commonly, steel bars of grades Fe 415 and Fe 500 are used for
construction purposes. The number of the grade
indicates the yield stress.Mild steel bars can be supplied in two grades

a)Mild steel bars grade-I designated as Fe 410-S or Grade 60

b) Mild steel bars grade-II designated as Fe-410-o or Grade 40

Sketch and show the column layout for a 1-way system?

Refer sheet no. 5
Show the best orientation of a columns as per beam spans for the sketch?
If there are 3 beams? How is load distributed? Show with sketch the beam
tributant load?
Refer sheet 11.Two way flat slab system.(doubtful)
Two way slabs are the slabs that are supported on four sides and the ratio of longer
span (l) to shorter span (b) is less than 2. In two way slabs, load will be carried in
both the directions. So, main reinforcement is provided in both direction for two way
slabs.
What is the floor finish load?
This load also acts as UDL and is calculated after assuming suitable intensity over
1m wide strips.
What is bending moment and shear? What is the percentage of steel used?
A bending moment is the reaction induced in a structural element when an external
force or moment is applied to the element causing the element to bend. The most
common or simplest structural element subjected to bending moments is the beam.
The example shows a beam which is simply supported at both ends. Force acting on
a substance in a direction perpendicular to the extension of the substance, as for
example the pressure of air along the front of an airplane wing is called as shear
force. Shear forces often result in shear strain. Percentage of steel used -1% for slab
and 2-3% for RCC column & beams.
What is cranking? State its importance in rcc members?

Cranking is the process of bending up the bottom steel bars in upward direction.
The purpose of bend near a support is twofold, firstly to resist negative bending
moment which occurs at the region of the support and secondly to resist shear force
which is greater at the support.
What is the maximum span a one way slab can be designed for?
8 metres
What is the waffle slab system? Where do you use it? What are its
disadvantages and advantages?
Waffle slabs are a reinforced concrete footing and slab system constructed on
ground. They consist of a perimeter footing (edge beam) and a series of narrow
internal beams (strip footings) at one metre nominal centres running each way. The
whole footing and slab system is constructed on top of the ground. Waffle slabs
work really well on sites that are almost flat, natural soils or controlled fill, that have
good surface strength and where the natural ground surface falls away from the
outsides of the building in all directions. They work well on non-reactive sites,
slightly reactive clay sites and some moderately reactive clay sites.
Advantages:Savings on weight and materials
Long spans
Attractive soffit appearance if exposed
Economical when reusable formwork pans used
Vertical penetrations between ribs are easy.
Disadvantages:Depth of slab between the ribs may control the fire rating Requires special or
proprietary formwork
Greater floor-to-floor height
Large vertical penetrations are more difficult to handle.
How do you differentiate between a flat slab and a conventional RCC slab?
Difference Between Flat Slab & Conventional Slab-Beam System

Flat Slab System

Slab Beam System

The floor/roof consists of walls/slabs and there are

The floor/roof consists of beam and slab.
no beams.
Thickness of slab in large.
It provides greater clear ceiling heights.
Here load from slab is directly transferred to

Thickness of slab is small while depth of beam is large.

It provides lesser clear ceiling heights.
Here load from slab is transferred to beam and from

column.
Less form work is needed.
Form work is simple and hence not costly.
Drop panel is provided above column.
Floor system requires lesser depth and hence there

beam to column.
More form work is needed.
Form work is complicated and hence costly.
Drop panel is not needed above column.
Floor system requires more depth and hence there will be in

will be reduction in storey height.

increase in storey height as compared to flat slab.

What are the various elements on a flat system? Show with sketches and
their use?
Drop Panels: The 'drop panel' is formed by the local thickening of the slab in the
neighborhood of the supporting column. Drop panels or simply drops are provided
mainly for the purpose of reducing shear stress around the column supports. They
also help in reducing the steel requirements for the negative moments at the
column supports. The code recommends that drops should be rectangular in plan,
and have length in each direction not less than one third of the panel length in that
direction. For exterior panels, the length measured perpendicular to the
discontinuous edge from the column centerline should be taken as one half of the
corresponding width of drop for the interior panel.
Column Capital: The column capital or column head provided at the top of a column
is intended primarily to increase the capacity of the slab to resist punching shear.
The flaring of the column at top is generally done such that the plan geometry at
the column head is similar to that of the column. The code restricts the structurally
useful portion of the column capital to that portion which lies within the largest
(inverted) pyramid or right circular cone which has a vertex angle of 90, and can
be included entirely within the outlines of the column and the column head. This is
based on the assumptions of a 45 failure plane, outside of which enlargement of
the support is considered ineffective in transferring shear to the column.

What is grillage foundation and where is it used?

A type of foundation often used at the base of a column. It consists of one, two or
more tiers of steel beams superimposed on a layer of concrete, adjacent tiers being
placed at right angles to each other, while all tiers are encased in concrete. Grillage
foundation is used when heavy structural loads from columns, piers or stanchions
are required to be transferred to a soil of low bearing capacity. Grillage foundation is
often found to be lighter and more economical. This avoids deep excavation and
provides necessary area at the base to reduce the intensity of pressure within
safe bearing capacity of soil.

The grillage beam can be in any material, the most usual being either steel, precast
concrete or timber.
Mostly there are two types of grillage foundation based on type of material used;
a) Steel grillage foundation
b) Timber grillage foundation
What are the different types shuttering/ formwork used while casting a
footing?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- a
beam?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- a
column?