How structures are made to be earthquake-proof

July 14, 2021Uncategorizedcivil engineering, construction, designReddy Kancharla

As a seasoned engineer, Reddy Kancharla preaches the importance of anticipating problems before they happen. This is the case when factoring in the possibility of earthquakes occurring within a structure’s location. In this blog post, he shares how structures are made to be earthquake-proof.

1. Flexible foundation

An earthquake can be a strong force to reckon with, and it often comes unannounced. Structures are made to be tough to withstand such forces, but they are also designed to flow along with the impact of an earthquake. This is what flexible foundations are for. The use of flexible pads isolates the building’s foundation to move in place of the building, shares Reddy Kancharla.

2. Damping

When you drive your car, you might notice that it cruises with relative ease even when some bumps or holes are on the road. This is because your car has shock absorbers. In building construction, the same principle is in place. Dampers are used in buildings so that these can reduce the magnitude of the shockwaves brought by earthquakes. Examples of dampers are vibrational control devices and pendulum dampers.

3. Vibration shielding

Earlier earthquake-proofing designs were more concerned with counteracting forces that are caused by earthquakes. Nowadays, engineers and designers find ways to deflect and reroute the energy from earthquakes instead of directly dealing with forces. In industry talk, this has also been referred to as the “seismic invisibility cloak,” which is really a set of concentric plastic and concrete rings buried beneath the foundation of the building.

Reddy Kancharla has been exposed to the various complexities involved in the design and construction of commercial and residential buildings, bridge and roadway structures, earth- retaining structures, and shallow and deep foundations. For more on his work, click here.

A look at some fascinating, jaw-dropping structures that hold world records

April 29, 2021Uncategorizedarchitecture, architecture records, designReddy Kancharla

One of Reddy Kancharla’s all-time favorite topics to talk about, whether in a professional or social setting, is the man-made wonders of the world. Like so many others, he is fascinated by some of the greatest structures built by human hands.

For today’s article, Reddy Kancharla looks at three of the jaw-dropping man-made structures that hold world records.

1. Three Gorges Dam

There is absolutely no doubt in anyone’s mind that the Three Gorges Dam located at the Yangtze River in China is one of the top engineering and construction feats in human history. This mammoth structure provides a whopping 22,000MW. It holds the record for being the largest hydroelectric power plant ever built.

2. The Palace of the Romanian Parliament

The Palace of the Romanian Parliament has a floor area of 365,000 sq/m. This massive government building not only holds the record for being the biggest administrative building in the world but also the heaviest.

3. Henri Coanda International Airport

The Henri Coanda International Airport can also be found in Romania. Reddy Kancharla mentions that at first glance, nobody would think it was a record-breaking structure. However, it does hold the amusing distinction of being the first guitar-shaped airport terminal in the world.

What are some of your favorite record-breaking man-made structures? Share them with Reddy Kancharla in the comments section below.

Having obtained his bachelor of science degree in civil engineering from the Osmania University in Hyderabad, India, and his master of science degree in Civil Engineering from Texas Tech University at Lubbock,Reddy Kancharla also logged more than 25 years of experience in projects involving civil construction, geotechnical consultation, construction QA/QC, including 10 years of senior management experience. For more insightful reads on civil engineering, visit this page .

Some environmental considerations in civil engineering

April 8, 2021Uncategorizedcivil engineering, designReddy Kancharla

As a seasoned civil engineer, Reddy Kancharla has seen the evolution of the practices and standards in his industry as they have come. He shares a number of environmental considerations that civil engineers take note of in today’s modern applications.

1. The general carbon footprint of civil work construction

It takes a lot of work to establish any given civil construction from the ground up. On equipment transport alone, a lot of vehicular miles are demanded of trucks and other specialized vehicles and equipment, which tend to spew pollutants as they perform their functions. The use of drones in site inspections, and even in the installation of certain materials in buildings and bridges, provides a more environmentally favorable option today, shares Reddy Kancharla.

2. The general carbon footprint of civil works in use

After a building is constructed, the carbon footprint does not end. When people and communities make use of these, they utilize a lot of facilities that bear a cost to the environment when they are operated. Civil engineering ensures that something is done about this, by outfitting buildings with power-saving elements, so that great reductions in CO2 emissions can be achieved. This would include smart elevators, LED lighting, and natural cooling systems, to name a few examples.

3. The positive contribution of more plants and greenery

Buildings, roads, and bridges are now constructed with great consideration on how the addition of plants can counter the unavoidable effects of a dynamic industry. Civil engineering employs provisions for plants and indoor gardens to have a space in any given civil work’s design. For the most part, we can observe this in vertical landscaping in condominiums and corporate centers. We also see this in external landscaping elements and fixtures.

Reddy Kancharla Reddy Kancharla has more than 25 years of experience in civil construction, construction QA/QC, and geotechnical consultation, as well as a decade’s worth of experience in senior management. For more information, visit this page.

Some types of earth retaining structures

February 17, 2021Uncategorizedconstruction, design, earth retaining structures, EngineeringReddy Kancharla

As a seasoned professional in his industry, Reddy Kancharla readily shares his wealth of knowledge to many readers who eagerly anticipate his blogs. In this article, he talks about some types of earth retaining structures that civil engineers make use of in construction.

First, you must note that retaining structures are created for purposes of keeping rock or soil together. Here are some of them:

1. Gravity Retaining Wall

The gravity retaining wall is dependent on its own weight to resist lateral pressure from the earth. This type of retaining structure is typically big and inert, because it needs a lot of weight to counteract soil pressure. When the civil engineer conceptualizes this, he takes into account the forces at work, like sliding, overturning, and bearing forces. Various kinds of material can be used for these, but mostly they are made of concrete, stone, and masonry units.

2. Crib Retaining Wall

Crib retaining walls are a type of gravity wall. These are composed of interlocking individual boxes that are often made of timber or pre-cast concrete. These boxes are then filled with crushed stone or other coarse granular materials for the purpose of creating a free draining structure. The crib retaining wall is mostly suited to support areas for planting, but this is not recommended to support slopes.

3. Gabion Retaining Walls

Gabion retaining walls are best described as multi-celled, rectangular wire mesh boxes, which are filled with rocks or other suitable materials, much like with crib retaining walls. However, these are created more precisely to control soil erosion and stabilizing steep slopes so they don’t thin out due to rain and the other elements.

Reddy Kancharla has a professional career spanning 25 years. He has a broad comprehension of engineering theories and is well-versed in the complexities involved in the design and construction of commercial and residential buildings, bridge and roadway structures, earth retaining structures, and shallow and deep foundations. For more about his work, visit this page.

How will the engineering and construction industries bounce back in 2021?

January 19, 2021UncategorizedEngineering, leadershipReddy Kancharla

The pandemic has brought a lot of disruption in the construction and engineering industries. Experts are saying that, despite the challenges, these sectors are already on their way to a slow recovery this year. Reddy Kancharla shares his insights for these key industries this year:

Safer workplace

During the first half of 2020, thousands of people in the engineering and construction industries lost their jobs. In some places, construction projects weren’t deemed essential while others had extended lockdowns. Now that more states and cities are reopening, construction and engineering firms are ensuring a safer workplace for their employees. Aside from testing and physical distancing, sanitation measures are also being strictly enforced. Incorporating robotics and visualization technologies have also helped the industry resume their operations without compromising the health of the people.

A focus on renewable energy and eco-friendly resources

Aside from the global health crisis, the world also witnessed worse climate conditions that triggered calamities. Engineering and construction firms are becoming more aware of the situation. To reduce the carbon footprint in construction sites and other engineering projects, firms are maximizing solar energy and are exploring other forms of renewable sources such as wind, hydro, and geothermal energies. According to Reddy Kancharla, firms are also increasing their use of eco-friendly resources. This direction toward greener alternatives will help the industry bounce back with less costs and healthier options.

More infrastructure projects

Thousands of projects were put to a halt when the pandemic hit. This year, firms are gearing up for the resumption of these projects, as well as new ones. In the US, experts predict an increase in the construction industry to address people’s needs within the new normal.

Three up-and-coming innovations in civil engineering and construction

December 15, 2020Uncategorizedconstruction, Engineering, innovation, managementReddy Kancharla

Advancements in engineering and construction are contributing to making processes in the industry better and faster. Especially now that many sectors are affected by the global health crisis, these technologies are a welcome addition to an industry that requires strong manpower. In this blog post, Reddy Kancharla shares up-and-coming innovations in the industries he is a part of.

Advanced drone technology

Drones are no longer used just for taking aerial photos of a construction site. Nowadays, this technology is being used to produce valuable data that can improve construction processes. Drones are being used for mapping, thermal imaging, and other tasks that might be risky for humans.

Robotics

Machine learning and analytics are contributing to the advancement of robotics especially when used in construction. Incorporating robots in a project site can help eliminate injury and even lessen the usual tasks that could endanger manual laborers. While the goal is not to completely take away jobs from people, Reddy Kancharla shares that this technology is meant to make the workflow more efficient.

Augmented reality

The use of AR in construction projects can help visualize a project long before it is done. According to Reddy Kancharla, this aspect can already be incorporated even in the planning stage. As the project goes on, engineers and others involved can still use the technology to accurately examine its physical elements. It can also point out which parts might need to be examined and revised further, leading to less expenses towards a project’s completion.

Reddy Kancharla is equipped with a comprehensive knowledge on engineering theories, principles, and practical solutions of engineering problems in civil engineering and the construction industry. He has more than 25 years of experience in projects involving civil construction, geotechnical consultation, and construction QA/QC. Visit this

Civil Engineering – Building a skyscraper that lasts a lifetime

November 12, 2020UncategorizedEngineering, skyscrapersReddy Kancharla

Skyscrapers are more than just simple blocks of concrete put together until they reach tall heights. These are icons that truly symbolize greatness. On this blog, Reddy Kancharla talks about how to build a skyscraper that lasts a lifetime.

First of all, a skyscraper should be designed with unique creativity. It simply cannot look like anything that has come before it. Skyscrapers that have tried to imitate an already existing engineering marvel have been quite at the center of criticism in the civil engineering industry, which is quite a small world. As a symbol, a skyscraper’s image should aim to be admired and looked at with pride by the community that it belongs in.

A skyscraper should also offer a one-of-a-kind experience to anyone who enters it, suggests Reddy Kancharla. One of Dubai’s most popular skyscrapers, the Burj Khalifa, is among the grandest skyscrapers ever. Nearly twice as tall as the World Trade Center, its unique experience offers a most picturesque view of the city. On the other hand, height is not always might. The Marina Bay Sands Hotel in Singapore boasts the largest rooftop infinity pool. The bottom line is that a skyscraper must be known to offer an experience like no other.

Finally, a skyscraper should be built solid tough, so it may survive in the face of natural elements that can hit it at any given time. Reddy Kancharla points out here the importance of knowing the principle of deflection, which suggests that when a building moves a few inches at the bottom, this becomes magnified as it goes up the higher floors. Because skyscrapers are so tall, they need to withstand movement, both from typhoon winds as well as earthquakes. If skyscrapers can overcome this shock test, they can surely last a lifetime, for the community to enjoy even more.

Reddy Kancharla has a master’s in civil engineering, with a professional career spanning 25 years. He has a broad comprehension of engineering theories and is well-versed in the complexities of the design and construction of commercial and residential buildings, bridge and roadway structures, earth retaining structures, and shallow and deep foundations. For more about his work, visit this page.

Weird architecture facts most people haven’t heard of

October 20, 2020Uncategorizedarchitecture, designReddy Kancharla

Architecture can sometimes get a little too serious for it to be appreciated or even enjoyed. There are a lot of architecture enthusiasts out there that aren’t necessarily working the field, but spend a great deal reading up on past and ongoing projects, finding out more about specific buildings, the people behind the buildings, and the construction process. However, Reddy Kancharla claims that there are several unique trivia and facts that would pique the interest of people. Here are some architecture facts most people haven’t heard of.

Architecture was an Olympic sport
The first four decades of modern Olympic games awarded medals for various non-sport achievements in the fields of music, painting, sculpture, literature, as well as architecture. The only way to qualify for these awards is that the work must be sports-related. So, naturally, several winners of the architecture award were given to sports facilities like football stadiums, ball parks, and other sporting venues.

The Sims game was originally an architecture simulator
The widely popular simulation game that started it all was originally designed to play more like SimCity where players can design houses and NPCs would test the structural integrity of these structures. But when the game launched in 2000, Reddy Kancharla says that the game was revamped to showcase a mix of interior design, fashion, and a bit of architecture.

Empire State Building’s top source of revenue
Among the building’s 85 office floors, the floor which makes the most amount of money is the observation deck. In 2014, the building recorded earnings of up to $111 million while the lease from office spaces just accounted for $104 million.

Reddy Kancharla is equipped with a comprehensive knowledge of engineering theories, principles, and practical solutions of engineering problems in civil engineering and the construction industry. For more information on Mr. Kancharla, visit his profile page here.

The world’s biggest dam: China’s 3 Gorges Dam

September 21, 2020UncategorizedReddy Kancharla

Image source: interestingengineering.com

China hosts some of the world’s biggest structures like the Great Wall of China, the world’s largest sea bridge, the world’s biggest telescope, the world’s largest wholesale market, among many things. One of the most recent addition to this is China’s 3 Gorges Dam which spans 1.4 miles wide, 630 feet high. Experts even claim that the 3 Gorges Dam slows down the earth’s rotation by microseconds because of the amount of water it suppresses. Engineering expert Reddy Kancharla takes us through this amazing and unique megastructure.

The construction of the 3 Gorges dam began in 1994 and finished in 2009. An estimated $25 billion was spent by international companies, export credit agencies, as well as banks from Canada, Brazil, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, and France. Besides becoming a sustainable source for energy, the dam also serves as a vanguard for people living near the Yangtze river which is historically known for floods which have killed thousands of people and destroying millions of dollars’ worth of properties over the past few centuries.

While this dam generates about 22,400 megawatts of energy, the project had been plagued by controversies throughout its construction. According to reports, an estimated 1.3 to 1.9 million people have been displaced or forced to relocate. There were also unwanted environmental impacts which includes triggering landslides, altering ecosystems, and disrupting livelihoods along the river.

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In spite of leading engineering knowledge and technology used to construct the 3 Gorges Dam, structures like this will always be tested by nature. Just last month, water levels rose to near catastrophic levels. Some people even think that the pressure from the river would soon lead to a major collapse. Reddy Kancharla believes that if such an event would occur, we would be looking at millions of lives affected, and billons worth of property damage is expected.

What is soil engineering and why is it important?

July 31, 2020UncategorizedReddy Kancharla

Image source: rcengineeringconsultancy.com.au

Reddy Kancharla has surely kept himself busy during the current global health crisis by writing and releasing more blogs about engineering and construction. For today, he reviews an incredibly important aspect of construction, which is soil engineering or geotechnical engineering.

Anyone who is familiar with construction and engineering knows that one of the first things to consider is the foundation. Without a solid foundation, a structure would, in all probability, not stand against anything that exerts force on it such as weight or even wind.

Soil engineering is the process that ensures a future structure will have the best foundation available to it.

Through soil engineering, geotechnical engineers study the ground upon which a structure will be built. The soil has a number of characteristics, and engineers make sure that all these meet the requirements of a solid foundation. Tests are conducted to see if it is safe to build a structure in the area.

Reddy Kancharla explains that there are a number of tests which analyze the soil. For the moisture content, permeability, and compressibility, there’s the soil compaction proctor test. For the cohesion (or non-cohesion) of the soil, there are the dry strength, dispersion, and dilatancy tests.

And there are a lot more similar processes conducted to ensure that the soil is ready to support structures that often weigh hundreds of tons, according to Reddy Kancharla.

Reddy Kancharla is equipped with a comprehensive knowledge of engineering theories, principles, and practical solutions to engineering problems in civil engineering and the construction industry. For more updates like this, visit this blog.