No, wood is not stronger than steel for skyscrapers. This point comes up from time to time resulting in analyses done with individual wood fibers. The result is that in a number of species of wood the fibers have comparable tensile strength to mild steels. A lot of people took away from this that wood …
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How are bridges and/or tunnels that go over or in water maintained?
In rare cases, they are constructed of corrosion-resistant materials. But for the most part, they are painted to limit and slow corrosion. Where corrosion does occur, the material is stripped down to the base material, cleaned of the corrosion, and repainted. The process is repeated over the life of the structure. The frequency is usually …
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How far does a cooktop have to be from a wall?
There is no requirement for spacing a cooktop from a wall. Practically speaking, you usually end up between 1.5″-3″ from the wall in most 24″ deep counters. Most installers will either center the depth or place the front edge within 3″.
How much weight can a real truss bridge hold?
This would be difficult to say in most cases due to the way bridges are designed. AASHTO has basic guidelines based on the traffic level of service and site conditions. Depending on who has jurisdiction over that bridge can further increase the amount of loads on the bridge. The engineer(s) then determine the weight of …
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Why can’t animals grow huge when bone has a higher compressive strength than concrete, with concrete used in the construction of huge buildings?
This isn’t quite the comparison you make it out to be. Bone has great compressive strength, but two thirds the tensile strength and one third the shear strength. Bending strength is one of the most common forces exerted on objects. This involves both compressive and tensile strengths. Because they differ you tend towards the lower …
How far must ladder rungs be spaced from each other?
9″-12″ on center. 11″ on center being the most common.
How many years of schooling does it take to become a construction worker?
You would be able to start today. Keep in mind that if you are unfamiliar with construction you’d likely start as unskilled labor. In the meantime take classes and/or learn as much as possible.
What diameter rebar should I use in a 4’x3’x2’ sculpture?
You do realize that you only need rebar when you encounter tension forces, right? Basically, any part that would flex under its own weight. If this means nothing to you get 6″x6″ wire mesh (or something similar) and place it 1″-3″ below the surface of the sculpture. It is far more important in thinner areas …
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Is a 4-storied building constructed on a river bed safe?
Much like the others have stated: it can be. There are at least two major areas of concern (assuming that environmental issues have already been resolved). First, river bed implies river water. What amount of water and how often? Flowing water can easily sweep a normal building away so the measures to counter this can …
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How strong a magnet would it actually take to remove a fully embedded nail from a piece of wood like in a cartoon?
Ian Marr·May 22, 2020Architect As far as the actual withdrawal force, we look that up in the NDS. Let’s go with a 16d nail in douglas fir framing. Let’s also assume that it has annular rings as many framing nails do. We get 32 lb/in. At 3.5″ we get 112lb required for withdrawal. Now let’s not forget …
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