saveasteading

Sums. When it is +/-/×/÷. Called calculations to impress those who can't do it. Maths when pythagorus is involved, and beyond. Then at some stage it becomes philosophy.

Tarrifs for power and water crossing the border? A fairly normal rule of thumb for inflation. Have you seen the amount of wind and solar in Spain. Add them to your map. And hydro in Norway and nuclear in France and....so on. A wedge being a useful thing for stability you mean?

Except that it may be a very bad thing to build a dam that might fail, or a river diversion that might hasten water flow. I think it's sensible to check, although tiny spillways are obv not going to be a problem. But how would you define the cutoff?

I didn't read it but may do. Gets a heart for effort whatever.

Heavy person clunk's down near one end. That's a big and sudden force. Both bolts take the initial impact but then there is rotation about the bottom bolt as a pivot, and tension on the top where there is a hole and a very short distance to the edge. So it may crack due to either or both the vertical load or the rotation. I had a similar bench at our office, only used for staff breaks in good weather. But it lasted 15 years and then was stolen by an outgoing tenant. It was sturdier than yours and didn't have that close to edge fixing. Were there 3 bolts? I can't remember but there isn't space on yours for a third.

It depends on every shiny surface facing an air void, and reflecting energy back where it came from. As soon as it is touching a hard surface or compressed then that supposed property is lost. Plasterboard with a foil face was once sold on this princople but this is no longer claimed. I read that their lab tests are done their own way. I would consider multifoil or bubble wrap to take the chill or heat off an attic or outbuilding, because it would be thin and easy to pin up.

I am only replying so that I can click the follow topic button. I've got tbanging and a hot header tank twice a day. Probably, we think, linked to timers and zones switching off. Isn't it amazing that there isn't an obvious solution. It's just hot water and pipes.

To me, That's not a joke. I don't know Nod but a huge amount of increased efficiency is possible at any level with a few tweaks from an all-rounder. Joined up thinking. The main difficulty is the resistance from the powers that be. Systems in government ( necessary to some extent) , inertia, and as always the people doing fine as things are....landowners and developers.

And probably extend drains that currently go into them. Presumably you know what flows where.

Diy. Saw, hammer, nails.

Timber works the same as steel. The principles are the same, but the product is more variable., and it is easier to adapt.

Oh there certainly is, especially in steel. In the day job we mostly look at tables of the properties of materials. Someone has done the complex maths, combined with experiments, and the properties of standard steel sections, for example, is already done and published. That save lots of time. If you want to look at the principles of everyday steel design, I have a book in front of me Structural Steel design to BS 5950 by Morris and Plum. It was published in 1988 so you might find it second hand and explore the maths...Gus will know if it is superseded. It is very accessible but uses the published tables. Behind it is much more complex maths which you will find if you want, but it is the stuff of academics and not used as everyday. BUT I studied this stuff and am qualified. But I have forgotten most, and so only work on simple beams and subcontract to people who do it as the day job. Then there is concrete, which is done more from first principles because of the infinite variety. Actually I am wrong. First principles involves serious calculus and again leads to tables that are used for real stuff. And, for example, the Sydney Opera House is not out of books at all. Buy a couple of books I say. You will look at beams and portal frames differently. Oh and another difference is that a surgeon works in a familiar environment with a fairly standard subject. But every construction site is different, even for a repeat building. and wet and windy or hot and dry. This sort of stuff? Elastic section modulus Equation (9.10) may be written in the form σx,1=MZe,1σx,2=MZe,2 in which the terms Ze,1(=I/y1) and Ze,2(=I/y2) are known as the elastic section moduli of the cross section. For a beam section having the z axis as an axis of symmetry, say, y1=y2 and Ze,1=Ze,2=Ze. Then, numerically σx,1=σx,2=MZe

Good point. But do we know that? If the rock stratum is reasonably horizontal, perhaps not.

about 15 years? Thanks all. I will rummage through the tins and choose anything that looks right but also take up some wood screws. Or sticky tape round the box and timber tie. It struck me as a BH thing that I'm asking for advice on 2p worth of screws while discussing someone's piling project to save tens of thousands.

I'm wondering why they wouldn't stop when they hit the rock.

What a mess I found in the attic, of electricians and plumbers offcuts, empty boxes and reels, and insulation not replaced. Then I saw the cover for this sitting on the insulation. Looking up I saw that the cover had never been fitted. More than somewhat dangerous.There are no screws. To save me going up with my boxes of mixed, handy screws, are these going to be standard sizes in thread and length?

You absolutely need the ground report to be emailable, because they will want to see it for a quick look before any other discussion. Their sales people are technical specialists who will know from a glance what they can offer. I should say, that your Engineer cannot know the relative costs of all options, or how they affect the total build cost, and I often changed the process from what the clients' original designer had suggested. And presumably you aren't paying them enough to do this management for you. So get on the phone to the pilers....with the ground report ready to ping to them.

Keller. I used keller loads of times, especially on poor ground. Esp vibro replacrment. Bullivants have interesting alternatives too.

I've had a lot done so let me try to help. I'm not disagreeing with anything above. 10m is a long way indeed. That doesn't seem right for a domestic loading, so a completely different piling method may be better. These will be end bearing and the ground above must be very poor. Do not discount the big companies as they have knowledge and various options that are not end bearing. You say 10m long but it is on a very steep slope. Is the underlying solid surface the same slope then? If the ground is so poor and sloping has anyone checked that it won't all slide downhill? Piles don't like bending. The photo from @ProDaveis like a building I did 25 years ago on decent ground. Just pads and columns up to a common level. I used plastic pipes for column shutters too. It's still there. The bits you see are not necessarily by the piling company, but a groundworker, so cheaper. We really are guessing though without the ground report. It says 'download failed' .

There must be 200m of cable up there. I will cover this area though as it clearly appeals. Expanded metal is a good idea. We can hear scurrying in the attic today, but the bait is going uneaten. Maybe there is plenty of food outside and they just come for the warmth and to multiply. At least they will not eat cable before the blue wheat.

Having had a crawl through the attic I notice lots of gaps in the armaflex type of pipe insulation. I could feel the heat off some. Some is ancient, black, snd disintegrating. Another type is better but isn't keeping shape, so falling off. Te best looking, grey stuff spears to have shrunk in length. I intend to retain what I can, with small infills, and replace the worst. There seem to be many qualities and prices available. Advice please on brands. I'll probably then get quotes for a lot with a thought that by the box should be much cheaper.

Sorted. I replaced a section of that gnawed cable, being the least disruptive course of action. It works. Although I can't quite see it, I think the black cable is through to copper. The earth shows some corrosion, white spots not green for some reason. Thus we surmise that water got in there, and was shorting earth to neutral. The red looks to be intact. The only sign of water is the black staining, but a single well aimed drop would be enough. It might have dried out and worked for a while but it is done now. I'm going back up another day to look for a leak (it is tiles on sarking board). I will put some barrier over this area to shield the other blackened cable. Also I noticed that the last electrician up there to connect a toilet fan had not put the insulation back. Someone else's job I suppose would be his view....they are like that here. I'm putting a plumbing query on a new post.

Spellchecker disaster !!! Tay Bridge of course.

Interesting point. I was amazed to get £5k and £10k accounts ag merchants just for asking (as a private individual). I get great prices when I ask the rep for a quote. The local BM is proving better than the national one. But in the shop I get no discount at all, and won't.....I guess I'm paying for the facility and stock cost.

Well. I've got a few minutes. Once upon a time there was Engineering. Making war engines such as trebuchets and battering rams. And associated stuff like tunnels and defences. This was Military Engineering. Extending this to non military use was then known as Civil ( ie not Military) Engineering. That would be drains, roads, bridges. Perhaps castle-like buildings with big open spaces. There may be some unis where you study a degree in "Structural Engineering". (Others will tell us I expect.) Mostly, uk at least, it is called Civil Engineering and you learn the lot. Experiments with materials and hydraulics, structural theory and design, drainage, roads, geology, management of construction.etc . Mine included building science which i enjoyed most.( heat, light, noise, airflow) Later in real life you are likely to tend toward Civil or Structural specialisation. You can study and be examined after s dew years, for one or both institutions. In my case I designed structures and pipelines and buildings as if an SE. The examination for SE though was high end maths without the books and colleagues to refer to. My very clever ISE colleagues took 3 shots at it because their subjects didn't come up. So I stuck with Civils. Civils also tends to include more management. I presented a real life structural project, and the exam was essays and a heavy interview on design efficiency and the morality ethos of the profession! So I am qualified to design and to approve structures that I would struggle to understand. I maybe did once but I'm out of practice. But I don't, and that's the point really. To the extent that I employ an SE when necessary, but only one who will tolerate my interference. Hello @Gus Potter Hence. Most practices say that they are "Civil and Structural Engineers". Coffee finished. Up to the loft!