HOW TO BUILD THE PERFECT FOUNDATION - PIN FOUNDATION

PIN FOUNDATION

SYSTEMS IN PIN FOUNDATION

WALL SYSTEM

These unique foundations are simple to construct by inserting a patented steel head collar into standard plywood or non-celled forms. A conventional concrete wall is cast without footing. Once the concrete has set and the forms are removed, small steel bearing pins are driven through the opening created by embedded collar head into the bearing soils below the wall. The concrete wall acts like a beam that spans from one collar head to next and the two bearing pins at each head collar transfers the load. The bearing pins are driven by hand held or machine mounted jack hammer generally 1.22- 2.13 metres (4-7 feet) into the soil. The spacing of the pin pairs along the wall are determined by analysis of framing loads of the structure, and the length of pins depends on the strength and driving potential of the side soil.

A buffer material separates the base of the stem walls from the surface soil. So that any potential frost or expansion is not transferred to the wall.

PLANNING OF PIN FOUNDATION

A pin foundation can be used virtually everywhere, but there are a few considerations during the planning phase.

SITE

Make sure that the piers are located far enough away from the obstructions leaving enough space around the pier to drive the pins, also substructures need to be identified, so piers are set far enough away to allow full penetration of the pins without interference. Vegetation in the area with significant roots can be avoided by spinning the piers, so the pins miss large roots. Diamond piers can accommodate sloping sites, but slopes greater 2:1 make it difficult to install diamond piers because the downhill pin can’t get much of a bite into the soil. It is possible to dig the pier into the hill side to improve the cover on the downhill pin. But the upside of hill needs to cut back enough to facilitate the installation of the pins.

SOIL

The diamond pier will work in many soil type including clays, silt, sand and gravel. The properties of different soil types affect the bearing capacity of diamond pier. The type of soil also affects the length of pin required. It is important to identify the soil within the typical pin depths. Typically .6-1.52m(2-5 feet)below the ground surface, but need not involve a testing lab or expensive coring equipment generally one or two observations is sufficient for a small project. For high capacity project using DP-100 piers project in poor soils, a geotechnical evaluation may be required. Most local geotechnical engineers can make these determinations with a single field visit or be able to determine the information from regional soil survey or previous soil studies done on site. For determining load capacity an engineer must require angle of internal friction.

STRUCTURE

The pier capacity developed in the soil will determine the spacing for individual diamond piers at post or beam locations. These spacing are determined from framing layouts, the dead and live loads which are distributed to the piers. Tall posts need adequate bracing to prevent side sway.

APPLICATION

Diamond Pier can support just about any structure that will connect to a post or beam bracket. Deck, porches, carports, walkways, ramps, stairs, sheds etc. Diamond Pier's lightweight components and ease of installation makes it the first choice for any project. Set the pier, drive the pins, connect the bracket, and start building. It is that easy. On gentle slopes, series of piers may be set at different heights to adjust for level. The pin foundation also uses 40 percent less concrete than conventional foundations.

ADVANTAGES OF PIN FOUNDATION

Pin foundation systems allow the construction of structures with substantial loads in areas with soft soils or in places where existing groundcover retention is desired. Construction requires a heavy duty air compressor and minor labour without any assistance from large machinery.

Specific benefits are:

• ·         It can be installed in areas with poor soils/drainage.
• ·         It provides high point-load bearing capacity.
• ·         It requires minimal disturbance and equipment for installation.
• ·         It requires minimal material.
• ·         It can be used in areas of subsurface obstructions or difficult ground.
• ·         It can be used in case of limited overhead clearance.
• ·         It can be used in vibration or noise sensitive area.
• ·         It is used to install elements in close proximity to or through existing footing, columns, walls, or other structures.

Energy efficient Refrigerant

                        

Energy efficient Refrigerant 

                        
                           Air conditioners transfer heat while circulating refrigerant between the indoor and outdoor units. Although there are various types of refrigerants,                  R-32(Difluoromethane, HFC-32) is a new refrigerant currently receiving the most interest.

                       Because R-32 efficiently conveys heat, it can reduce electricity consumption up to approximately 10% compared to that of air conditioners using refrigerant R-22. Furthermore, compared to the refrigerants widely used today such as R-22 and R-410A, R-32 has a global warming potential (GWP) that is one-third lower and is remarkable for its low environmental impact. Mainstream refrigerant R-410A has an ozone depletion potential (ODP) of 0, its global warming potential (GWP) still remains an issue. While R-32 also has an ozone depletion potential of 0, the refrigerant has only approximately 1/3 of the GWP of R-410A. Consequently, investigation of this promising next generation refrigerant has increased. However, because R-32 had been an extremely difficult refrigerant to handle, its use was not practical until now. Daikin became the world’s first company to succeed in applying R-32 to air conditioners by leveraging its expertise as the only manufacturer that develops and manufactures both air conditioners and refrigerants.

                        

                 
                 Currently, R-410A is the refrigerant most commonly used in developed countries. However, if all R-410A were converted to R-32, the impact to global warming from HFCs in 2030 would be reduced by the CO₂ equivalent of approximately 800 million tons (19%) compared to the continued use of R-410A.

                                            
According to new research by the Indian Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) and Natural Resources Defence Council (NRDC), companies marketing air conditioners with low GWP refrigerants could be at a competitive advantage. Daikin is producing air conditioners with R32 and is reporting sales of 150,000 units in India since introduction in 2013 and 3,000,000 units sold worldwide. Indian manufacturer Godrej & Boyce is leading the way on production of air conditioners using the hydrocarbon refrigerant R290 (propane), reporting sales of 100,000 units.

                                                     Refrigerants produced with alternate refrigerants such as HFC-32 and HC-290 can be more energy efficient, says the CEEW report, especially at high ambient temperatures such as in India. A Godrej R290 air conditioner has received a five-star energy-efficiency rating – the highest available rating award by India’s Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE). In 2012, the Daikin R32 room air conditioner earned the grand prize for excellence in energy efficiency and conservation in Japan as the most energy efficient device of its class on the market.

DO RIGHT SAVE LIGHT

DO RIGHT SAVE LIGHT

New energy standards have been implemented over the past few years that require light bulbs to use 28 percent less energy in order to consume less energy (watts) for the amount of light produced (lumens). In 2013,75-watt bulbs were replaced with 53 watt bulbs.

In January 2014, 60-watt and 40-watt bulbs were replaced with

43 and 29 watt bulbs respectively.In July 2012, new efficiency standards were implemented regarding incandescent reflector lamps and general service fluorescent lights, which basically eliminated lights with the lowest efficiency and the lowest initial cost. In November 2014, new efficiency standards were

implemented for flourescent lamp ballasts.

• ·       Provide “task” lighting (over desks, tool benches,

craft tables, etc.) so that work and leisure

activities can be done without illuminating entire

rooms.

• ·       Select the type of light bulb on the basis of its

efficiency. Compact fluorescent bulbs will give an

incandescent bulb’s warm soft light, while using

75 percent less electricity. They also last about

8 to 10 times longer. Use these bulbs in fixtures

or lamps that are on for more than two hours

each day.

·    

•    If you don’t like the “look” of compact fluorescent

lighting, consider high-efficiency halogen

lighting. For example, a 100-watt incandescent

bulb can be replaced by a 72-watt or 70-watt

halogen bulb. A 60-watt incandescent bulb can

be replaced by a 43-watt or 40-watt halogen bulb.

• ·       Consider using LED light bulbs, especially in

hard-to-reach fixtures. A 60-watt incandescent

bulb can be replaced by a 7.5 to 10-watt LED

bulb that may have a rated lifetime of more than

25,000 hours.

•      Some, but not all compact fluorescent and

LED bulbs can be used with dimmer switches.

Check the package to make sure. Where possible,

consider using dimmable LED or compact

fluorescent bulbs. However, do not use them with

non-dimmable switches.

• ·      Instead of using a 190-watt halogen torchiere

to light up a room, consider a compact fluorescent

or LED torchiere that will produce as much light,

and use less than 70 watts.

Note: Federal law mandates that the maximum

power use of torchiere light fixtures can be

no more than 190 watts. If you purchase a

torchiere, make sure that your fixture meets

this requirement.

• When possible, place floor, table, and hanging

lamps in the corner of a room rather than against a

flat wall. Lamps in corners reflect light from two

wall surfaces instead of one and, therefore, give more usable light.

• ·       The reflectance of interior surfaces has an

important bearing on lighting efficiency. In homedecoration, therefore, choose lighter colors forwalls, ceilings, floors, and furniture. Dark colorsabsorb light and require higher lamp wattagefor a given level of illumination. Light-coloredsurfaces should be kept clean to keep reflectancelevels high.

• ·       In lamps and fixtures having two or more

sockets for incandescent bulbs, consider using

a single large bulb in one socket rather than filling

all sockets with bulbs of smaller wattage. A

72-watt halogen bulb, for instance, produces 35

percent more light than four 25-watt traditional

incandescent bulbs for the same amount of energy.

Using compact fluorescent or LED bulbs will

save more energy. Typically, a 23-watt compact

fluorescent bulb or a 14 to 17-watt LED bulb can

replace a 90- or 100-watt incandescent bulb or a

72-watt halogen bulb.

• ·       Many so-called “long life” bulbs emit significantly

less light than a standard incandescent

bulb of the same wattage. They should be used

only where the long-life feature is advantageous,

as in hard-to-reach fixtures, or where it is not

possible to use compact fluorescent or LED bulbs.

• ·       Clean lighting fixtures regularly. Dust on lamps

and reflectors impairs lighting efficiency.

• ·       For large areas such as family recreation

rooms, where high levels of lighting are required

periodically but not 100 percent of the time, install

fixtures on two or three separate circuits so illumination can be controlled by switching circuits

on and off.

• ·       To ensure that outdoor lighting is turned off

during the daytime, install photoelectric controls

or timers.

• ·       Consider using compact fluorescent or LED

bulbs in outdoor fixtures. Many bulbs will produce

light down to an outdoor temperature of 0°F.

Check to see if they are compatible with photoelectric

controls or timers.

• ·       If you are on vacation and have a timer on a

lamp for security reasons, use a compact fluorescent

or LED bulb to save energy. Make sure

the timer is compatible with the bulb.

• ·       For holiday lighting, consider using LED lights.

Not only will LED lights reduce electric use

by more than 90 percent compared to traditional

incandescent holiday light bulbs, they will last

more than 25,000 hours.

SKYBUS A SOLUTION TO INDIA'S TRANSPORT PROBLEMS….

SKY BUS; A SOLUTION TO INDIA'S TRANSPORT PROBLEM ..!!!

                                       Sky bus project of Indian Railways at Margao,Goa

On one hand the progress chart of India has been hailed but the benefits have not percolated to the lower strata of society. The Sky bus project which is path breaking indigenously-developed technology is one example of the slow pace things move in the Indian democracy.

Indian infrastructure is facing the problems which any surging economy faces in its transitional phase. With rapid growth on the economic front, Indian transport system is trying to have grip over the situation, what with crammed roads, overcrowded trains and buses, being a usual scene in the metros and the major cities of the country.

            

 The Sky Bus transport was taunted as one of the solution to ease the load on the congested traffic lines of the Indian metros. That was almost three years back when the railway minister dedicated the modern rail transport system technology to the world when federal Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav dedicated the Sky bus project to the nation on October 15 2004 in the western Indian state of Goa.

But in the intervening period, since October 2004 the project has been caught in a dilemma with the indigenously-developed Sky Bus technology awaiting a nod from federal law makers on whether it should be introduced in India.

"My biggest problem is that the railway ministry has not been able to decide whether the skybus is a train or a bus. In fact, the skybus is ready for commercial use but for policy constraints," B Rajaram, the former managing director of Konkan Railway Corporation (KRC), had said before his retirement in Jan. 2005.

Sky Bus transport- what is that - is that is the immediate

question which shoots up. The Sky bus is essentially a fusion of a bus and a train. Its carriage looks like a bus, but it runs like a train, and instead of the compartments running on rails, they hang below the rails and slide 10 metres above the regular road traffic.

The new technology innovation is Rajaram's baby and he holds patent rights for it in the US.

A second, KRC Managing Director Dr K K Gokhale retired recently and he had these to say about the pending sky bus project which is awaiting the light of the day.

"The Union Cabinet has informally cleared a proposal to bring in legislation. But, the Bill is yet to be placed before Parliament to make it a law," he has said last month.

Contrary to the views of its managing directors, the Konkan railway website mentions that - Sky Bus metro falls under tramway category, under Art 366(20) of Constitution of India, since it operates along existing roadways and within municipal limits, hence excluded from Indian railway act.

The former MD of KRC Rajaram has been vocal in propagating sky bus as the one of the solution to decongesting the cities. "At Rs.50 crores per kilometre, it will provide the same services at one-fourth the cost of the Delhi metro. Unlike the metro, the skybus follows existing roads, thus reaching into the very heart of the city while decongesting the roads. Moreover, it can be implemented and commissioned within two years," he says.

The two-coach Skybus has a capacity for 300 passengers on a single trip and depending on the number of coaches, it is expected to handle 18,000 to one lakh passengers per hour.

But concerns over safety issue have been the major fears of the railway ministry on this untested technology and not so keen attitude to push things and they fear a black lash from the public if something goes wrong.

And the testing of the technology has come at the cost of human life and that's where the concerns of safety have been raised. On September 25, 2004 during a test run, the sky bus over sped and hit a pole- one died and two others were injured.

"The accident most likely occurred because the bogey was heading at a higher speed than it should have. Also it oscillated to a higher degree than we had expected," KRC MD B Rajaram reported at that time.

The Skybus does not really need a driver or an operator. When the Skybus approaches a station, it is supposed to slow down by itself and stop. The brake is only for emergency usage. In this case, the Skybus did not slow down, and the Control room threw the emergency brake which resulted in the accident. The accident happened on the 1.5 km test track in Goa.

Each part of the Skybus was made in India by contractors and corporate's like the Tata’s and Essar provided construction material free or at nominal rates to Konkan Railway for building the test track in Goa.

The KRC has spend Rs 50 crore on this project at the 1.5 km testing laboratory at the Margao railway station, in Goa, as the new technology awaits a nod for its commercial use.

"Skybus is the story of Indian industry and entrepreneurs coming together to produce a unique thing," Rajaram had said.

Till then, the unique Indian innovation awaits the nod from the Indian law makers, on whether it will be best suited for commercial use or it will just rust out on the Goa tracks.

Why Sky Bus is an ideal solution according to KRC:

Follows the existing roads- but does not take road space- and be as flexible as a bus

Have rail based mass transit capacity, same as existing rail metro

Does not divide city while providing integration along its alignment

Be derailment and collision proof- with NO CAPSIZING of coaches- so that there can never be loss of life

Be free from vandalism

Noise free and pollution-free

Non-invasive -requiring the least amount of scarce land space- and not come in the way of development.

Salient features of the Sky Bus

Heavy 52/60 kilograms /metres rails placed at standard gauge floating in elastic medium and damped by inertia of measured mass held in an 8 metres X 2metres box enclosure, supported over a 1m diameter. columns spaced at 15 metres and located at 15 metres distance from each other, in the divider space in between lanes on a road- way, at a height of 8metre above road surface- provides the support and guidance for powered bogies which can run at 100 kmph, with the coach shells suspended below, carry passengers in air conditioned comfort, can follow existing road routes, while existing traffic on roads continue.

Aesthetic and eco-friendly, the Sky Bus can never derail, capsize nor collide- by design as well as by construction, hence is safer than existing rail-based system.

With no signalling and having no points and crossings, it is a unique mass-transit system, which can be put up within two years in any crowded & congested city.

Sky Bus metro falls under tramway category, under Art 366(20) of Constitution of India, since it operates along existing roadways and within municipal limits, hence excluded from Indian railway act.

 http://www.digitaljournal.com/print/article/263508#ixzz5X0V76tJQ