Concrete properties What is Concrete Spalling? Spalling can be defined as "breaking down materials into smaller pieces, such as chips and fragments breaking away from rocks/ores". Concrete spalling refers to…

Design Examples to BS EN 1993-1-1 How to design a steel beam This article will go over typical design examples of non-composite steel beams in accordance to Eurocode 3 and…

Concrete Admixtures What are Concrete Admixtures? Concrete admixtures are commonly used in reinforced concrete elements. Concrete admixtures or "additives" are added during or before the mixing of the concrete constituents…

Understanding Slump Classes What is "Concrete Slump Class"? The concrete slump class refers to the workability and consistency of a fresh concrete mix. This is measured by subjecting a fresh…

BS EN 1992-1-1 and concrete mixes How to specify concrete mix to EC2 Concrete mixes are specified in accordance to Eurocode 2 and the British standard, BS 8500 (Method of…

Concrete Design in Flat Slabs What is Punching Shear? Punching shear is a failure mechanism in flat slabs and foundations, due to concentrated loads causing shear stresses on a section…

Types of Nanomaterials Nanomaterials in concrete Nanomaterials can be defined as: "Material with any external dimension in the nanoscale or having internal structure in the nanoscale” or defined as materials…

Decoding BS EN 1992-1-1 Steps to Concrete Beam Design to EC2 Determine LoadingDetermine Support Conditions Check Required Reinforcement for bendingCheck Reinforcement for shearCheck span-effective Depth Ratio Design Example 1: Simply Supported…

Summary of Masonry Properties What is Masonry ? Masonry is a common building material which refers to the individual units which are laid and bound together by mortar. It is…

Structural Timber Why design using structural timber Structural timber is becoming a more common material in the design and construction of new buildings. This is primarily due to technological advances…