Construction Tools

Construction tools list for building construction works such as concrete, brick masonry,
leveling, wood works, floor works, slab works, brick laying, plastering etc. is provided.
Every construction tool is necessary to achieve good results in the whole project.
Along with these tools, the workers should also use some safety tools to prevent them from
the unexpected accidents.

Brick Hammer

Brick hammer is used to cut the bricks and

also used to push the bricks if they come
out of the course line.

Chisel
Chisel is generally used in wood work and
this must be useful to remove the concrete
bumps or excess concrete in hardened
surface.

Concrete Mixer

Concrete mixer is machine which mixes

the ingredients water, fine aggregate,
coarse aggregate and cement to deliver
the perfectly mixed concrete.
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Float

Float is made of wood which is used to

smoothen the plastered concrete surface.
It contains handle on its top and smooth
wooden surface on its bottom.

.Gloves

Gloves are required to prevent the hands

from direct contact with cement, paints
etc. and to avoid injury while using
machines, tools etc.

Measuring Tape

Measuring tape is used to check the

thickness, length, widths of masonry
walls, foundation beds, excavated
trenches etc.

Mason’s Square
Mason’s square is used to achieve perfect on the first, remaining layers of bricks are
right angle at the corner of masonry wall. set out.
It is “L” shape. First course is laid
properly using Mason’s square then based

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Measuring Box
Measuring box is used to measure the quantity of sand and aggregate used for making
concrete. It is of fixed dimensions so, aggregate need not to be weighted for every time.
The general dimensions of a measuring box are 300mm X 300mm X 400mm (length x
width x depth).

Plumb Bob
Plumb bob is used to check the verticality
of structures. It contains a solid metal bob
connected to the end of a thread. It is also
used inn surveying to level the instrument
position.

Safety Glasses
To prevent the eyes from dust, chemical
actions of materials etc. safety glasses
should be maintained.

Safety Helmet
The safety helmet should be necessary in
construction works. Any material or
structure may fall from height during
construction work. So, to protect the head
from injury or any fatal accident, this
safety helmet should be used.

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Trowel
Trowel is used to lift and apply the cement holding. The ends of trowel may be
mortar in small quantities. It is made of pointed or bull nosed
steel and wooden handle is provided for

Vibrator
Vibrator is used to compact the concrete
by this the air gaps are filled with water
and workability varies without adding
water to it

Wheel Barrow
Wheel barrow is used to transport bulk
weights of materials like cement, sand,
concrete mix etc. it contains one or two
wheels at its front and two handles at its
back which are used to push the wheel
barrow.

Drill Machine

Drill machine is used to make holes in the

walls, slabs, doors, window frames etc.

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Hand Saw Hand saw is used to cut the wood
materials like doors, windows, slab panels
etc.

Head Pan
Head pan is made of iron which is used to
lift the excavated soil or cement or
concrete to the working site etc. it is more
commonly used in construction sites.

Rubber Boots

During construction works, legs may

damage due to contact with chemical
materials like cement or physical
accidents. So, for safety rubber shoes are
required.

Spade

Spade is used to dig the soil for

foundation trenches etc. It contains metal
plate at the

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 CONCRETE WORK
The term "Concrete" is used for conglomerates made artificially with cement, sand,
stone chips, water and sometimes admixtures. It is a basic and major material in
construction industry
The property of concrete varies depending on the quality of the constituent, proportion
of the concrete mix, quality of the workmanship & curing
Materials for Concrete
 Cement

 Aggregates: Aggregates are the filler materials which make up a large portion
(roughly 70- 75%) of the concrete volume. Considerable care should be taken to
provide the best aggregates available.
Fine aggregate- aggregate particles passing the No.4 (4.75mm) sieve and retained
on the No. 200 (75-µm) sieve.
Coarse-aggregate- aggregate predominantly retained on the No.4 (4.75mm) sieve

 Water
Water has always to be present in fresh concrete, not only to hydrate the cement but
also to convert it into a paste and thus make the concrete workable
Water serves two purposes in making concrete. First of all, it causes the hydration
of cement and secondly, it makes the mix fluid and workable. Clean water is
important for the same reasons, as is clean aggregate; any impurities present will
affect bond strength between the paste and aggregate
Production of concrete
Batching
Batching of cement should be by weight or by the use of a whole number of 50 Kg or bags.
Batching of aggregates either by weight or volume .with light-weight aggregate and small
volume batching is desirable.
Concrete mixing
There are two methods adapted for mixing concrete.
a) Hand mixing
b) Machine mixing (by mixer)
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.
There are different types of concrete mixers such as, Tilting drum mixer, non-tilting drum
type, pan mixer type, truck mixer, plant mixer etc. …

Transport of concrete
A number of methods of transport are available, ranging from hand wheelbarrows to
concrete pumps. The chosen methods will depend on the size and complexity of the site
Placing and compaction
Before the concrete is placed in its final position, the formwork has to be checked for its
stability, dimension and alignment according to the design requirement.
Concrete should be placed as soon as possible, in no case more than 30 min after mixing
period. It should be deposited in layers usually not exceeding 25cm. Each layer should be
compacted before the next layer is placed.
Compaction of concrete is a process adapted for expelling the entrap air from the concrete
& to achieve max density which leads to higher strength. Compaction is done by hand or
by vibrator

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Curing of concrete
The setting and hardening of cement depend on the presence of water. to get maximum
strength of concrete and prevent evaporation of moisture and consequent formation of
cracks in the surface, the curing must begin immediately after the concrete has been
placed and finished
Quality control of concrete
Slump test
Concrete slump test is to determine the workability or consistency of concrete mix
prepared at the laboratory or the construction site during the progress of the work.
.The slump test is the most simple workability test for concrete, involves low cost and
provides immediate results. Due to this fact, it has been widely used for workability
tests
Generally concrete slump value is used to find the workability, which indicates water-
cement ratio

Concrete Slump Test Procedure

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Types of Concrete Slump Test Results
 True Slump – True slump is the only slump that can be measured in the test. The
measurement is taken between the top of the cone and the top of the concrete after
the cone has been removed as shown in figure-1.
 Zero Slump – Zero slump is the indication of very low water-cement ratio, which
results in dry mixes. These type of concrete is generally used for road construction.
 Collapsed Slump – This is an indication that the water-cement ratio is too high, i.e.
concrete mix is too wet or it is a high workability mix, for which a slump test is not
appropriate.
 Shear Slump – The shear slump indicates that the result is incomplete, and concrete
to be retested.

Concrete Cube test

The most common test for hardened concrete involve; taking a sample of fresh concrete
and putting it into special cube moulds (150 mm cube normally) so that , when hardened
,the cubes can be tested to failure in special machine in order to measure the
compressive strength of 28 days cured cubes.

Fig cube box

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 Masonry work
Masonry work is any construction using individual units of materials of Stone masonry,
Brick masonry and Hollow concrete block masonry (HCB)
Brick Masonry
Bricks can be produced in different sizes and shapes.
The Standard size of Bricks produced in Addis Bricks factory is 6×12×25 cm (H×W×L)
It is important to be familiar with the following major technical terminologies as regards
to brick works.
Terminologies
 Stretcher: - a stretcher is the longer face of a brick as seen in the elevation of the wall.
 Header: - a header is the shorter face of the brick as seen in the elevation of the wall.
 Lap: - lap is the horizontal distance between the vertical joints of the successive brick.
 Bed: - bed is the lower surface of the brick when laid flat.
 Closer: - It is a portion of a brick with the cut made longitudinally and is used to close
up bond at the end of the course. A closer helps in preventing joints of successive
courses to come in a vertical line.
 Queen Closer: - It is a portion of a brick obtained by cutting a Brick lengthwise in to
two portions. It is a term applied for a Brick which is half as wide as a full brick.
 King Closer: - It is a portion of a Brick, which is so cut that the width of one of its end
is half of a full brick, while the width of the other end is equal to the full width.
 Beveled Closer: - It is a special form of a king closer in which the whole length of the
brick is beveled in such a way that half width is maintained at one end and full width is
obtained at the other end.
 Mitered Closer :- It is a portion of a brick whose one end is cut splayed or mitered for
full width

HCB Brick

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 Types of Bonds in Brick Masonry Wall Construction:

Types of bonds in brick masonry wall construction are classified based on laying and
bonding style of bricks in walls. The bonds in brick masonry is developed by the mortar
filling between layers of bricks and in grooves when bricks are laid adjacent to each other
and on layers in walls.

Mostly used material for bonds in brick masonry is cement mortar. Lime mortar and mud
mortar are also used.

The most commonly used types of bonds in brick masonry are:

1. Stretcher bond
2. Header bond
3. English bond and
4. Flemish bond

1. Stretcher bond

Longer narrow face of the brick is called as stretcher as shown in the elevation of figure
below. Stretcher bond, also called as running bond, is created when bricks are laid with
only their stretchers showing, overlapping midway with the courses of bricks below and
above.

Stretcher bond in the brick is the simplest repeating pattern. But the limitation of stretcher
bond is that it cannot make effective bonding with adjacent bricks in full width thick brick
walls. They are suitably used only for one-half brick thick walls such as for the construction
half brick thick partition wall.

Walls constructed with stretcher bonds are not stable enough to stand alone in case of
longer span and height. Thus they then need supporting structure such as brick masonry
columns at regular intervals.

Stretcher bonds are commonly used in the steel or reinforced concrete framed structures as
the outer facing. These are also used as the outer facing of cavity walls. Other common
applications of such walls are the boundary walls, gardens etc.

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 Fig-1: Stretcher Bond

2. Header bond

Header is the shorter square face of the brick which measures 9cm x 9cm. Header bond is
also known as heading bond. In header bonds, all bricks in each course are placed as
headers on the faces of the walls. While Stretcher bond is used for the construction of walls
of half brick thickness whereas header bond is used for the construction of walls with full
brick thickness which measures 18cm. In header bonds, the overlap is kept equal to half
width of the brick. To achieve this, three quarter brick bats are used in alternate courses as
quoins.

Fig-2: Header Bond

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 Fig-3: Header Bond Isometric View

3. English Bond

English bond in brick masonry has one course of stretcher only and a course of header
above it, i.e. it has two alternating courses of stretchers and headers. Headers are laid
centered on the stretchers in course below and each alternate row is vertically aligned.

To break the continuity of vertical joints, quoin closer is used in the beginning and end of
a wall after first header. A quoin close is a brick cut lengthwise into two halves and used
at corners in brick walls.

Fig-4: English Bond

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4. Flemish Bond

For the breaking of vertical joints in the successive courses, closers are inserted in alternate
courses next to the quoin header. In walls having their thickness equal to odd number of
half bricks, bats are essentially used to achieve the bond.

Flemish bond, also known as Dutch bond, is created by laying alternate headers and
stretchers in a single course. The next course of brick is laid such that header lies in the
middle of the stretcher in the course below, i.e. the alternate headers of each course are
centered on the stretcher of course below. Every alternate course of Flemish bond starts
with header at the corner.

The thickness of Flemish bond is minimum one full brick. The disadvantage of using
Flemish bond is that construction of Flemish bond is difficult and requires greater skill to
lay it properly as all vertical mortar joints need to be aligned vertically for best effects. For
the breaking of vertical joints in the successive courses, closers are inserted in alternate
courses next to the quoin header. In walls having their thickness equal to odd number of
half bricks, bats are used to achieve the bond.

Flemish bonds have better appearance but are weaker than English bonds for load bearing
wall construction. Thus, if the pointing has to be done for brick masonry walls, then
Flemish bond may be used for better aesthetic view. If the walls have to be plastered, then
it is better to use English bond.

Fig-5: Flemish Bond

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 Plastering
Plaster is a thin layer of mortar applied over the masonry surface and it acts as a damp-
proof coat over the brick masonry work. Plastering also provides a finished surface over
the masonry that is firm and smooth hence it enhances the appearance of the building.

The primary objectives of plastering are to protect the surface from atmospheric influences,
to cover the defective workmanship in masonry, to conceal porous materials, and to provide
a suitable surface for painting.

It usually built up as a two –coat system consisting of an under coat and finish coat
Under coat plaster
The under coat is designed to even out any irregularity on the wall surface of the internal
and external wall. It is a mix based on cement and sand called mortar, usually 10-20 mm
thick
Finish plaster
The finish coat should be applied to a thickness varying from 3mm to 10mm depending
upon the types of materials and applied to internal and external walls
The finish coat of external wall usually 10mm thick that is used to prevent the penetration
of water into the wall, and for internal wall finish coat give a smooth finish

Fig plastering

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 Plumbing
The plumbing system consists of the entire system of piping, fixtures and appliances used
for water supply and drainage. The plumbing water supply system consists of water
supply and distribution pipes, taps, valves, storage tanks etc., while plumbing drainage
system consists of wash basins, water closets, urinals, traps, soil waste pipes, vent pipes,
septic tanks etc.

Plumbing Drainage System in Buildings

There are 5 types of drainage water pipes used in building construction:

1. Soil Pipe
2. Waste pipe
3. Vent pipe
4. Rainwater pipe
5. Anti-siphonage pipes

1. Soil Pipes and Waste Pipes

These pipes remove sewage and greywater from building and are connected to the common
drainage system. They are generally fitted to the exterior of the building.

The main use of soil pipe and waste pipe is the removal of waste from toilets, sinks,
showers and baths. These are fitted with vent pipes on the top for the release of odors.

Traditionally, cast-iron soil pipes and waste pipes were used, but these days PVC pipes are
more common.

2. Vent Pipe

Vent pipes are attached to the top of soil pipe and waste pipe for the release of bad odors.

3. Rainwater Pipes

These pipes are attached to the roof or open area above building for the removal or
collection of rainwater. The rainwater pipes are drawn to the ground level in case of
removal or these are connected to the rainwater collection network or tank for rainwater
harvesting. These are generally made of PVC material.

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3. Anti-Siphonage Pipes

These are connected to the outlets of toilets which are provided to maintain water seal to
prevent entry of foul gases of the sewer lines into the toilets and bathrooms. These are
made of PVC and their sizes must conform to the respective standard specifications.

Sanitary Fittings used in Buildings

Following are the commonly used sanitary fittings for buildings:

1. Hand wash basins

2. Sinks (glazed or stainless-steel sinks)
3. Bath tubs
4. Water closets
5. Urinals
6. Flushing cisterns

Types of Pipe Fittings in Plumbing System

Various types of pipe fittings are available in plumbing systems for different purposes
and functions. A pipe fitting is used in plumbing system to join multiple pipes of same
size or different sizes, to regulate the flow or to measure the flow. They are made up of
different materials like copper, iron, brass, PVC etc.

Different pipe fittings and their functions are explained below.

Elbow Pipe Fittings

Elbows are used to change the direction of flow between two pipes. Elbows are generally
available with an angle of 22.5o, 45o and 90o. If pipes are of same diameter then normal
elbows are used otherwise Reducer elbows are used. Elbows are made of different
materials. These are generally coming with female threads and we can fix them by butt or
socket welding also.

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Tee type Pipe Fitting

Tee type fitting is a component of plumbing system which is in T-shape. It is having one
inlet and two outlets, outlets are arranged at 90o to the main line connection (inlet). It can
also be used to combine the flow from two inlets to one outlet. They are also available in
different materials and different sizes. If the 3 sides of T-fitting are similar in size then it
is called as Equal tee otherwise it is called as Unequal tee.

Cross type

Cross type fittings contains 4 opening in 4 directions. These are connected when there are
4 pipes are meeting at a point. These fittings generate more amount of stress on pipe as
the temperature changes, because they are located at the center of four connection points.
Cross fittings are generally used for fire sprinkler systems.

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Coupling

A coupling is used to connect the pipes of same diameter. Coupling are also useful if the
pipe is broken or leakage occurs. Generally there are two types of couplings are available.
Compression coupling and slip coupling. Compression coupling is regular coupling
which is connected between two pipes and it prevents leakage by the arrangement of
gaskets or rubber seals on both sides, otherwise glue is provided. Slip coupling is easier
to install and it contains two pipes which are arranged as one into other, inner pipe can
slide up to some length. So, we can fix long length damaged pipe by slip coupling.

Unions

Union is a type of fitting, which functions as similar to coupling. But coupling cannot be
removed after fixing but in this case we can remove the union whenever we needed.
Unions consists nut, male and female ended threads. So, this is also useful for
maintaining purpose of pipe.

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Adaptors

If the pipes are not having special ends or plain ends then adaptors make them threaded
either male or female whichever is needed. Adopters are generally used for copper and
PVC pipes. Male adapters contain male threads and female adapters contains female
threads. One end of adapter is plain which is glued or welded or soldered to the plain pipe
end.

Plug

Plug is a component of plumbing component which is generally used to close pipe

opening during inspections and repairs. Plug are generally contains male threads.

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Cap

Cap is a type of pipe fitting which function is same as plug but the only difference is plug
contain male threads and cap contain female threads which is screws on the male thread
of pipe. These are available in different materials like rubber, copper, steel, plastic etc.

Valves in Pipe Fittings

Valves are components of plumbing

system which are used to stop or regulate
flow of fluid in its path.

Different types of valves are available

depending up on their applications.

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