Tag: snow

Advice Center

What Season Should You Start Construction Work? The Ultimate Guide

15th December 20220

Looking to start construction work but are not sure when the best time of year is? This blog will help you decide.  

The climate is the biggest and most important factor when it comes to construction. This is because it determines the materials you can use and the longevity of the work.  

Autumn – Winter Construction

The autumn and winter periods are a classic time for dangerous construction sites. many accidents happen because the ground is often slippery and wet. Workers also need to dress up warmly and wear extra padding, this leads to having less mobility which leads to accidents. You also need to watch out for the water and electricity and make sure they do not come in contact. Because the site can become a death trap if it is not managed properly.  

Thunderstorms –  

Thunderstorms and heavy rains cause a lot more damage to a build than expected. If there are high winds materials being used in the construction can be destroyed or damaged. And if it is hailing it can easily break glass and can dent sheet metal.  

Moisture –  

Moisture is very bad when it comes to construction it can lead to accumulating Mold in the environment. The metals used in the construction such as iron and steel will be accessible to rust. If you are working with wood, even when it is cured it is still open to moisture. Bricks are one of the first building materials that is immediately affected by moisture during construction.  this is because it traps the moisture in the tinner walls and it could be released at a later date. 

Extreme Cold –  

Materials contract in extreme cold, so applying paint and glue to surfaces on these days will lead to cracking and wrinkling. Concrete and cement will also form ice particles and this drastically reduces strength and stability.  

However, building in cold climates is not a new thing and cold counties have successfully overcome all issues. Because they use specially adapted materials, additives, and application processes. 

How Does Weather Affect Construction? |
Image: Abode By Patrick

Spring – Summer Construction  

You may think because the weather is getting warmer it is for the better, however, moisture is an even bigger issue in spring.  

Heat – 

The heat can be just as big of an issue as the rain. Heat changes the expansion dimensions of materials and this may lead to misaligned joins during the construction. The heat also causes workers to be less careful, wearing less protective clothing and causing drowsiness due to heat fatigue. 

It has shown that preparing concrete on hot days without adding in extra water requirements will lead to weaker applications. Bricks in the heat can also become brittle and, pain, when applied, might crack as well as discolour.   

Construction Workers
Image: Stock.adobe

Just like the colder season building in hotter seasons have its own issues and many countries manage to develop methods and tools that work for the climate. However, it is clear to see that it is better to start construction in the spring-summer months compared to the autumn-winter months.    

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Architecture & Building

The unique architecture of igloos  

12th December 20220

Firstly, an igloo is a house built out of snow. It is a sheltered construction, made from snow blocks and it generally look like a dome. They are perfect for extreme cold weather conditions. These unique buildings are mostly associated with the Inuit and Eskimo people from Alaska, Siberia, Canada, and Greenland. 

How does insulation in an igloos work?  

Igloos are built from compressed snow. Snow if a great insulator because snow if filled with miniature air pockets. While it looks solid, as much as 95% of snow is actually air trapped inside tiny crystals. Because the air can’t circulate very well inside the ice crystals, the heat gets trapped in there. The temperature outside could be as low as –45 degrees Celsius, and the temperate inside could rise to anything between –7 and 16 degrees Celsius when warmed by body heat alone.  

The types of igloos –  

There are 3 types of traditional igloos, of all different sizes and purposes. For example: 

  • The smallest of the three are usually constructed as temporary shelters. There are only used for one- or two-nights during hunting trips.  
  • The medium sized igloos were for semi-permanent, family houses. This was usually a single room dwelling that housed 1 or 2 families.  
  • The largest igloos were normally built-in groups of two. One of the buildings was a temporary structure built for special occasions, the other built nearby for living. These might have had up to five rooms and housed up to 20 people. A large igloo might have been constructed from several smaller igloos attached by their tunnels, giving common access to the outside. These were used to hold community feasts and traditional dances. 

Igloos are often built with multi levels inside. The lower level, ideally near the door collects all of the cold air on the floor. While the middle level is for the fire and the upper level is for sleeping.  

The building method –  

The snow used to build an igloo must have enough structural strength to be cut and stacked appropriately. The best snow to use for this purpose is snow which has been blown by wind, which can serve to compact and interlock the ice crystals; snow that has settled gently to the ground in still weather is not useful. 

Architecturally, the igloo is unique in that it is a dome that can be raised out of independent blocks leaning on each other and polished to fit without an additional supporting structure during construction. An igloo that is built correctly will support the weight of a person standing on the roof. 

How are fires able to burn inside igloos?  

while a central fire will always deliver some heat to the ice of the igloo, the ice of the igloo will also tend to lose heat to colder air outside. As long as the ice loses heat at least as fast as the fire delivers heat to it, the ice won’t become any warmer and it won’t melt.