July 2010 – Civil Engineering Projects

World’s Largest Underground City | Montreal’s RESO, Canada

July 25, 2010 by Designer

Montreal Underground city and Over ground city – Double Decker City

Montreal is the Second largest city in Canada and the largest city in the province of Quebec. The name Montreal has been taken from Mont-Royal which is the triple peaked hill located in the heart of the city.

Montreal is also the world’s largest underground complex in the world. It is also known as the indoor city. Montreal is the network of interconnected complexes underground. But entire city is not underground. There are certain parts which are overground. Since Montreal has both overground city complex as well as underground city complex, it is popularly known as “Double Decker City” or “Two Cities in One”. The interconnections between different complexes that are underground has been achieved through the construction of tunnels. The tunnels are technically and architecturally sound. They have conditioned air and good lighting to create comfortable environment and make it aesthetically pleasing.

Plate Girders | Structural Steel Components

July 23, 2010 by Designer

The plate girders are used to carry the loads beyond the capacity of universal beams. They consist of plates and angles riveted together. Plates and angles form an I-section. They are used in building construction and also in bridges. Plate girders are economically used for spans upto 30m. In common, section used for plate girders are shown in figure.

Figure (A)

It shows the simplest form of plate girder.

Steel and Aluminium Partitions

July 22, 2010 by Designer

Steel Partitions

Steel Sheets are specially formed steel panels that provide continuous reinforcement for monolithic, high strength, fire-resistant plaster finish applications. This type of partition provides a cost-saving alternative to reinforced concrete or Cement concrete blocks partitions. These thin, high-strength walls also easily accommodate electrical conduit and plumbing pipes.

Steel Partitions

Steel and Aluminium partitions are durable and very easy to install. Since they do not rust or rot like iron or wood, they have long durability. They are lustrous and give high quality appearance. They are aesthetically pleasing as well as easy to maintain and clean. And most importantly, economical in construction. They are generally seen to be used in the public toilets, in shopping malls, cinema complexes etc. They are recommended for areas of high humidity

Hollow Block Partitions | Terracotta Partitions

July 15, 2010 by Designer

Hollow Block Partitions

Partitions are used to create distinct and specific spaces for specific purposes usually used in a residential construction which are generally residential homes.

Hollow Block Partitions are made up of different materials. The usually used materials for making hollow clay blocks are:

Clay or Terracotta Hollow Blocks
Fly ash Hollow Blocks
Cement Concrete Hollow Blocks

Hollow Blocks of Clay or Terracotta

Hollow Blocks that are made using Terracotta or burnt clay are called Terracotta Hollow Blocks. Terracotta is a good insulator of heat and sound. Hollowness of the blocks adds to the advantage that Terracotta provides.

New material trends, Aesthetics and Lighting Techniques

July 12, 2010 by Designer

New changing Trends in the Materials and Furniture Design

With increasing awareness among people about eco friendly products and green homes, people are orienting themselves towards using eco friendly products and use materials that are readily available in nature and less energy intensive.

Use of Fabric in a different way

There has been a huge revolution in fabric with people becoming more experimental. The trend is towards natural fibres such as cotton, linen and silk as well as to incorporating design, particularly graphic design into the fabric.

Concerns on health and safety have led to the manufacture of fire-retardant fabric and the pace of 21st century life has new demands like stain-retardant or spill-retardant features for fabric.

Materials such as Damask, silk, cotton, linen, weaves, textures, Graphic printing, Ancient ethnic prints, florals etc.

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Recession cannot stop the boom in Construction Industry

July 8, 2010 by Designer

The fact that India was very much on the periphery of global crisis was clear from the participant responses. Despite the apparent slowdown in the building construction sector, most respondents felt this had not affected either spending patterns or business, in the upper demographic to any significant extent. However, this is qualified by their noticing a degree of caution creeping into the overall spend, especially among the middle income demographics.

Hallmark Express Towers, Hyderabad, India

“The furniture market seems to be very promising in coming years and we expect 30% year on year growth in the furniture market. There is much awareness and Western designs are much liked by Indians who are keen to buy readymade furniture which they can change easily with the fashion.

The responses differed by segment with dealers and retailers noticing a change in purchase patterns, while architects said there was no visible difference in the spend. Builders felt that clients opted for fewer extras such as wooden flooring or appliances with the apartment, but the sales were not affected by more than 10 to 15%.