Author Archives: Ian Marr

Most of the time a variable load is a variable distributed load, VDL as opposed to a uniform distributed load, UDL. The variable changes from one rate to another which is either greater or less than the first. This represented as a wedge. Cases were this comes in is where loads are applied at an …

Continue reading “Does “variable load” mean that a structure can take that load at any given area each at a time or all at the same time?”

Fixed end – can’t move in any direction, can’t rotate. Hinge end – can’t move in any direction, can rotate around the hinge. There are differences in the math, but it depends greatly on your load case (or you can go straight for the Euler-Bernoulli equations if you’re a purist.)

Yes, but you need to be near the extremes before you start noticing a difference from the outside world. Your statement of 50 times bigger is too imprecise for this question. At 50 times the mass. you would scientific equipment to tell the difference, but you likely would never know. At 50 times the diameter, …

Continue reading “Could the size of something determine its experience of time? For instance, if our planet was 50 times bigger, would time elapse differently given the gravitational difference?”

Chairs usually aren’t used for reinforcement. They are placed to provide your placement distance in horizontal concrete, like slabs. There isn’t a specific distance, but usually a separation sufficient to prevent large sags. In the US since 18″ on center is so common, a spacing of 3′ (every other crossing) is common. Any spacing can …

Continue reading “How is the spacing of chairs reinforcement done in a slab?”

Bricks are made either with clay or concrete (depending on the type). They are either molded in forms or cut with wires like a cheese cutter. Lastly, they are either air dried or fired like clay pots.

It would be probably the best-known example of Byzantine architecture. Basically, Eastern Romans after they split from the Empire, then later adopted by middle eastern culture like the Ottomans and Muslims.

Okay, there’s a lot of parts to this. Either a commercial or home could have either a sloped roof or flat roof if that was important to either. Commercial buildings that are larger that chose a sloped roof would end up with a very large structure as the roof. If this didn’t serve additional functions …

Continue reading “Form or Function: Why do commercial buildings commonly have flat roofs while residential has sloped?”

Actually, we already do. Outside of air conditioning and heating, which I don’t believe to be part of your question, we have a variety of materials and technologies just for this purpose. The most straight forward scenario is wall insulation. Basically, this isolates the air conditions inside the structure from the outside. So, any changes …

Continue reading “Will we ever have homes that have built-in technology that has the walls of differing materials that prevent invasion with alarms within the material itself?”

Yes, but it’s going to get pretty thick if you don’t want cracks. On most soil, you can get away with about 8″ thick. It will need to be nearly a perfect rectangle no length longer than about 100′and the short span must never get less than half the long length. If you get outside …

Continue reading “Can plain concrete cement be used for a ground floor slab?”

Short answer: yes, but not a very good one. Obsidian is very similar to common glass. This means that it has very high compressive values with very low tensal values. Hitting a “sword” against another object puts it in a state of bending (compressive and tensal forces at the same time) which means it will …

Continue reading “Can you make a sword out of obsidian?”