Report for Cognition Practice

Department College of Civil Engineering

Specialty Civil Engineering

Full name Khaoula bouhaimi

Student ID 202024402037

Supervisor 杨会峰

October 12, 2022

 Cognition experience about
civil engineering
C i v i l e n g i n e e r i n g i s o n e o f t h e o l d e s t a n d
professions. It focuses on the infrastructure neces
civilized society. The Roman aqueducts, the great European cathedrals,
and the earliest metal bridges were built by highly skilled forerunners of
t h e m o d e r n c i v i l e n g i n e e r. T h e s e c r a f t s m e n o f
intuition, trade skills, and experience-based design rules, or heuristics,
derived from years of trial and error experiments but rarely passed on to
the next generation.
I n c o n t r a s t , t o d a y ’s c i v i l e n g i n e e r s b r i n g t o b e a r o n t h e s e p ro b l
k n o w l e d g e o f t h e p h y s i c a l a n d n a t
computational methods, economics, and projec
engineers design and construct buildings, transportation systems (such
as roads, tunnels, bridges, railroads, and airports), a
manage and maintain the quality of wate r re sourc es. Socie ty relies
civil engineers to maintain and advance human health, safety, and ou
standard of living
 Summary
1. Introduction to civil engineering
2. Engineering material
 Concrete
1. Advantages
2. Disadvantages
 Steel
1. Properties
2. Trusses
3. reinforced concrete structures
4. construction important steps.
 Site preperation and leveling
 Cutting and bending of bars
 Formwork
 Floor slab
 Concrete
Definition of Concrete: •
C o n c re t e i s a c o m p o s i t e m a t e r i a l c o m p o s e d o f c o a r s e g r a n
m a t e r ia l ( t h e a g g re g a t e o r f i l l e r ) e m b e d d e d i n a h a rd m a
material (the cement or binder) that fills the space betw
aggregate particles and glues them together.

Advantages of concrete

Economical (Less expensive): Most of the raw materials are

 available all over the world;

Ability to be cast: The concrete mixture without setting can be made

into components of any shape and size by using formwork, mould,
etc.;
High strength: With high compressive strength, the strength grade
of ordinary cement concrete can be as high as C80;

 Good durability: It has the properties of frost resistance,

impermeability, weathering resistance and corrosion
resistance. It is more durable than steel and wood. It is suitable for a
variety of environmental parts;
Ability to work with reinforcing steel.

Disadvantages of concrete

Heavy self weight: Concrete brings great load to the bottom load-
bearing members, which increases the requirements for its strength and
reduces the economy. It can be improved by using lightweight aggregate
and admixtures.
 Low tensile strength and flexural strength: Reinforced concrete and
prestressed reinforced concrete can be prepared by using the good
bonding force between concrete and steel to improve the strength.

Long construction duration: Concrete is mixed with cement, water,

gravel, sand and other materials. The construction site needs to go
through the processes of transportation, pouring, vibration, floating, and
maintenance. The process is complex and time-consuming. The
construction progress can be accelerated by adding early strength agent
or early strength water reducing agent and improving maintenance
technology.

October 12, 2022

 Steel
Definion of steel

Steel is one of the most commonly used materials in civil engineering

due to its high strength, durability and relatively low cost. It is an
alloy of iron and a number of other elements including carbon.
Manufacturers produce different types of steel by varying the type
and quantity of alloy components, as well as the production process
and the manner in which they are worked.

Mechanical properties

The different mechanical and physical properties that are required for

the specific application determined the type of steel that is produced.
Grading systems identify steels based on properties such as:
1. Elasticity.
2. Density.
3. Melting point.
4. Thermal conductivity.
5. Strength.
 6. Hardness.
There are many different types of steel, broadly
categorised according to their chemical
composition into the following groups:

Trusses

Tr u s s e s a re w e l l k n o w n t o c re a t i n g s t ro n g a n d
long-lasting structures with reduced deflection.
Most of such trusses are of steel because steel is light in weight and has
a higher strength than other construction materials like timber.

Types of Trusses

1. Simple truss – indicates a single triangular truss. These trusses are

most often used as the roof trusses.
2. Planar truss – as the name implies it is a two dimensional truss. If
all the members and the nodes are in a planar surface, then
truss is a planar truss.
3. Space frame truss
 – Contrast to planar truss, the members and the
nodes are located in the three dimensional space. Electri
 telecom towers are the one of the simplest example that w
seeing in the day to day life.

Reinforced concrete

RC Structure —— a composite material composed by concrete material

and reinforcement, in which concrete’s relatively low tensile strength and
ductility are counteracted by the inclusion of reinforcement having
higher tensile strength or ductility. The invention of reinforced concrete
 in the 19th century revolutionized the construction industry, and
concrete became one of the world’s most common building materials.

To make reinforced concrete, you use steel

reinforcement bars to give strength.

Engineers use reinforced concrete in a number of ways, for floors, walls,

and other structures.

This example is based on a wall.

1. Start off with steels, which are ordered to meet the engineering
specifications for the structure.

2. Steelfixers use engineering drawings to put the steels together in a

frame which will eventually be the steel reinforcement in the wall.

3. Then shuttering carpenters fix sheets of treated plyboard on the

outsides of the frame. They’re carefully bolted in place.

4. You end up with a ‘mould’ shape of the wall, with steel

reinforcements through it. The forms have to be tied together and
they are also usually supported with struts of various kinds to
ensure that the structure is strong. Otherwise the weight of the
concrete as it pours will push them apart.
5. Then the concrete is poured into the mould.

6. Concrete finishers smooth the concrete with floats to make sure it

is flat and has a smooth surface. Concrete is corrosive, so there are
strict safety rules about personal protective equipment

7. When the concrete has set (cured), the shuttering carpenters strike
the plyboard – they take it off.

8.The bolts that held it in place are removed, and any steel that still
sticks out is cut off. Concrete finishers will fill any holes where the
bolts have been pulled out, and make good, so it has a smooth surface

Why would you want reinforced concrete?

Concrete is very strong if it is crushed, but it can crack if it is bent
or stretched. To help it not to bend, steel (or plastic) reinforcement
is put inside it. Steel is strong and won’t bend, but can be brittle.
By forming concrete around steel reinforcement bars, it is much
stronger. The steel is arranged inside it, protected from rust and fire
by the concrete, and the two materials act together to carry the
loads.
Concrete hardens (cures) over a few days – it actually takes in
water, rather than ‘drying out’. The longer it takes to cure, the
stronger it is.
After having an overview over the main building materials and their

characteristics we can move to see how these properties work in

advantage of the toughness and stiffness of our build

following these main major steps

Site preparation and leveling

Site Observation And Evaluation

First, you need to find out all of the peculiarities of the site. That’s
why you measure and assess before you take care of other tasks on
your to-do list.
Through site investigation and analysis, you ensure that the
building is going to be constructed on a suitable location for your
project.
Consider the size, orientation, and slope of the site. Also note the
climate and microclimate of the future building’s location. This
will help you determine if solar access or cooling breezes should
 take the priority for your building, as well as help you leverage
seasonal temperatures, humidity levels, winds, etc.
Last but not least, check with local authorities for any building
restrictions. They should also provide information about old or
existing water, gas and sewer lines that may pass through the
site.

Site Surveying And Set Out

It’s time to line out where the building should be built. With clearly
identified survey pegs or physical markers, a surveyor will
locate the boundaries of the new building.
Land surveys, which fix property lines and calculate land areas, are
further complemented with engineering and informational
surveys. The engineering survey ensures that the structure is built
in the proper place and as designed, while the second one helps to
obtain data concerning topography, drainage and man-made
features of the area.
Remember that a construction site changes as the project
progresses. A site plan design is important to have all of the
important data at hand: where the new building will be located,
access roads for construction vehicles, storage areas for supplies,
the locations for drainage systems, etc.
Having the site set out at hand, you now know which area needs to
be cleared of vegetation and rocks
 Soil Testing
A geotechnical investigation is carried out to examine the composition,
properties and condition of the soil (examination of rock and
groundwater may also be included in this phase).

This step is a must in understanding whether the soil will hold the
weight of the building and how well the ground absorbs water.

Testing will indicate the type of soil which will help your geotechnical

engineer determine the footing system appropriate for your project. If the
soil at the site is marked as not suitable, there is no other option than to
look for a new site.

Here is a chart from Stroud Homes that provides explanation on the

types of soil:

CLASS A Acceptable Mostly sand and rock with little or no

ground movement from moisture changes

CLASS S Satisfactory  

Slightly reactive clay sites with only

slight ground movement from moisture changes

CLASS M Moderate  

Moderately reactive clay or silt sites,

 which can experience moderate ground

movement from moisture changes

CLASS H1 &H2 Highly reactive  

Highly reactive clay sites, which can experience

high ground movement from moisture changes.

CLASS E Extreme  

Extremely reactive sites, which can experience

extreme ground movement from moisture changes.

CLASS P Problem  

Sites which include soft soils, such as soft clay or

silt or lose sands: landslip: mind subsidence:

collapsing  soil: soil subject to erosion:

reactive sites subject to abnormal moisture

conditions or sites which cannot be classified otherwise.

 Cutting and Bending of Bars

      There is a steel yard in the site for storing, cutting and bending of

bars. Reinforcement bars are cut into required lengths and bent into
required shapes shown on the bar schedule either manually or by means
of machinery.
       In manual operations, laborers used the bar bending bench on which
strong nails are fixed and GI pipes with suitable lengths to
bars. That is used for smaller diameter bars. For ben
d i a m e t e r b a r s , b a r b e n d i n g m a c h i n e i s
reinforcement bars were bundled and clearly numbered according to the
bar mark so that steel fixers will not face any difficulty wh
them.
 FormWork in construction

Formwork is a temporary structure that is used to support wet concrete

until it hard. Formwork cost is 25 to 30% of the total cost. major 6 types
of formwork used in construction. 1. timber formwork, 2. steel
formwork, 3.plastic formwork, 4. aluminum formwork, 5. plastic
formwork, 6. fabric formwork.
Timber formwork is mostly used in construction for small construction,
where steel, and aluminum formwork mostly used for large construction
due to its initial cost. plastic formwork is an interlock type formwork,
which is also useful for small construction, where fabric formwork is
useful for the complex shapes of the concrete members. tunnel formwork
is a special type of formwork. RCC slab and wall, both are constructed
simultaneously by using tunnel formwork. Also, tunnel formwork has a
less cycle period.

 Construction sequence for a column

Before placing column formwork, verify that steel for the

checked and cleared for casting.

 Place formwork for the column from prearranged grids.

 Plumb formwork both ways and safely support with modifiable
steel props.
 The propping angle should have been 45 degree to the floor.
 Make sure that the steel props are securely attached to the column
formwork and the floor. Modification for pushing & pulling is going on.
 Move the column damp positions from the storey rod onto column
formwork.
 Apply nails to provide support to the arms of column clamps at the
time of wedging.
 Place and wedge the bottom, middle and top clamps sets.
 Examine the formwork at the top for square.
 Place and wedge the rest of the column clamps.
 Plumb the column with a plump bob that is hanging from a gauge
block.
 When, all the column formworks are safely propped, final
examination should be done for plumb & column alignment prior and
promptly after the concrete is poured and vibrated.

EXAMPLE FORM WORK CROSS SECTION OF A

 Concrete Floor Slab Construction
Process

 Concrete floor slab construction process includes erection of

formwork, placement of reinforcement, pouring, compacting and
finishing concrete and lastly removal of formwork and curing of
concrete slab.
 Assemble and Erect Formwork
 The formwork shall be designed to withstand construction loads
such as fresh concrete pressure and weight of workers and operators and
their machines. 
 Prepare and Place Reinforcement
 Prior to the placement of reinforcement for concrete floor slab
construction, inspect and check forms to confirm that the dimensions and
the location of the concrete members conform to the structural plans.
 Pour, Compact and Finish Concrete
 Mixing , transporting, and handling of concrete shall be properly
coordinated with placing and finishing works. In floor slab, begin
concrete placing along the perimeter at one end of the work with each
batch placed against previously dispatched concrete.
 Curing Concrete and Remove Formwork
 After finishing ended, suitable technique shall be used to cure the
concrete adequately. Slab curing methods such as water cure;
concrete is flooded; ponded; or mist sprayed.
 In addition to water retaining method in which coverings such as
sand; canvas; burlap; or straw used to kept slab surface wet
continuously, chemical Membranes,and waterproof paper or plastic film
seal.

Thank
you for taking time to read ☺