Escolar Documentos
Profissional Documentos
Cultura Documentos
FACULTY OF ENGINEERING
PAPER NO
EXAMINATION
DATE
Yearly 2006/07
BECE/06S/18
Wednesday
23 May 2007
Level 1
SERIES
PAPER
TIME
May 2007
This paper contains NINE (9) Questions, FIVE (5) Questions in SECTION A
and FOUR (4) Questions in SECTION B.
Candidates are required to answer FIVE (5) Questions in ALL with at least
TWO(2) from each Sections. Question 1 is COMPULSORY.
USE SEPARATE ANSWER BOOKS FOR EACH SECTION
SECTION A
Answer Question ONE (1) and AT LEAST ONE(1) OTHER Question from this Section
Question 1 (COMPULSORY)
A proposed double storeyed residential building is to be constructed on a plot of land at
Vacoas where the soil bearing capacity may be assumed to be 250 kN/m2.
Assuming that the Ground floor will have 200 mm thick walls and the first floor 150
mm thick block wall, give the following details showing clearly all dimensions:
(a)
Section through the 200 mm thick wall from foundation to finished floor level
assuming that the finished floor level is 450 mm above the existing ground level .
[6 marks]
(b)
Section through the wall from finished floor level to roof top assuming the roof
top is 6 250 mm above the ground floor finished floor level.
[8 marks]
(c)
Section through the window which the cill height is 900 mm above the finished
floor level and the window height is 1 500 mm.
[6 marks]
Question 2
Blocklaying requires very specific steps. Describe the process assuming that the base
concrete has already been casted.
Special attention has to be given to the following:(i)
cement mortar
(ii)
Jointing in blockwork
(iii)
(iv)
Number of courses of blockwork that may be laid in any one single day
(v)
Steps needed to be taken in order to get good bonding between wall and
plastering.
[20 marks]
Page 1 of 5
Question 3
(a)
What is the importance of building bye laws in todays society? Explain its
relevance by giving at least three examples.
[14 marks]
(b)
Explain how the setting out of a building is carried out with emphasis on the
following items:
(i)
(ii)
Site organization
(iii)
Storage facilities
[6 marks]
Question 4
(a)
Give the minimum, optimum and maximum values for the riser and tread for a
staircase in a residential building.
[6 marks]
(b)
Question 5
(a)
What is the meaning of the term Damp Proof Course (D.P.C)? Explain through a
section the importance of the D.P.C and its relative level with respect to the
Finished Floor Level and the Existing Ground Level.
[7 marks]
(b)
[3 marks]
(c)
What are the steps to be taken when excavating deep in sandy soil?
[3 marks]
(d)
What is a ground beam? Explain its use with special reference to a framed
structure having large pad footings.
[7 marks]
Page 2 of 5
SECTION B
Question 6
(a)
Slump test
(ii)
(iii)
Vebe test
(iv)
Flow test.
[5 marks]
(b)
Aggregate is the main constituent of concrete. Discuss how each of the following
properties of aggregate influences workability:
(i)
Maximum size
(ii)
Shape
(iii)
Grading
(iv)
Surface texture
(v)
Absorption.
[15 marks]
Page 3 of 5
Question 7
(a)
(b)
Question 8
(a)
(ii)
Tangent modulus
(iii)
Secant modulus,
(b)
Plastic shrinkage
(ii)
Drying shrinkage
(iii)
Carbonation shrinkage
(iv)
Autogeneous shrinkage
[12 marks]
Page 4 of 5
Question 9
The following materials are available for making concrete:
Cement:
Coarse agg. Crushed basalt of specific gravity 2.8 (on SSD basis) and maximum size
20 mm
Fine agg.
Crushed basalt sand of specific gravity 3.0 (on SSD basis), and 45%
passing 600 m sieve
(ii)
[14 marks]
If the mix you have designed shows on trial to be rather unstable, what
options would you suggest for improving the mix?
[3 marks]
Page 5 of 5