# cast on/against (construction)



## isabel...

Hi, could yo tell me what cast on and cast against means in this context please?
MINIMUM CONCRETE COVER TO REINFORCEMENT

EXTERNAL FACES CAST ON/AGAINST SOIL, ROCK OR CONCRETE BLINDING


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## cyberpedant

I think we could use further context, for example, what is being built/reinforced. What is meant by "blinding"?


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## dojibear

These sound like technical terms (whose correct definitions would only be known by professional builders), not standard English terms.


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## PaulQ

As I understand it:

MINIMUM depth of CONCRETE required for the satisfactory COVERing TO REINFORCEMENT mesh or rods

Concrete Reinforcement is the practice of casting concrete around steel rods. There is a minimum thickness required to cover the rods, otherwise the length of concrete will fail.

The subheading should be understood as “EXTERNAL FACES that are CAST ON/AGAINST SOIL, ROCK OR CONCRETE BLINDING”

EXTERNAL FACES refers to the visible external faces of the finished reinforced concrete that will cover a length or area of steel reinforcement rods or netting/mesh.

A mesh of steel reinforcement rods may be laid slightly above and parallel to (and/or against a bank of) SOIL, ROCK OR CONCRETE BLINDING. To provide (usually) a flat surface, the whole area is then flooded with concrete so as to cover the mesh to an approved height.

BLINDING is a coarse concrete laid over hardcore or other surface that would otherwise allow penetration (in either direction) or water. The blinding is laid before any reinforced concrete and provides that barrier.


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## isabel...

Thanks PaulQ. Could you just explain to me the relationship between external faces and soil, rock, etc. please? By the way, I thought *concrete blinding *was a mistake and they meant to say *blinding concrete *as they are talkging about materials (soil, rock, etc) what do you think?

I found a context very similar to mine.

Thanks in advance for your help!


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## PaulQ

isabel... said:


> I thought *concrete blinding *was a mistake and they meant to say *blinding concrete *as they are talkging about materials (soil, rock, etc) what do you think?


I think that #4 is correct. *Blinding *is a noun, not an adjective or participle. 


PaulQ said:


> A mesh of steel reinforcement rods may be laid slightly above and parallel to (and/or against a bank of) SOIL, ROCK OR CONCRETE BLINDING. To provide (usually) a flat surface, the whole area is then flooded with concrete so as to cover the mesh to an approved height.


According to your context, the reinforcing mesh must be above the surface by at least 75mm and 75mm away from any vertical surface where that surface is SOIL, ROCK OR CONCRETE BLINDING. this will allow the concrete, when poured/cast to fill that gap. The idea is to give 75mm thickness of concrete between any surface of the type described and the reinforcing mesh.


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## isabel...

Thanks PaulQ. I understand what you have explained, but I get lost with the idea "external faces" in this phrase. As I have to translate it into Spanish I need to understand the precise meaning? Could you explain to me in short what they meant by *EXTERNAL FACES CAST ON/AGAINST SOIL, etc. *please?

MINIMUM CONCRETE COVER FOR REFORCEMENT
*EXTERNAL FACES CAST ON/AGAINST SOIL*, ROCK OR CONCRETE BLINDING

*What's the meaning of Blinding Concrete? *
www.bayt.com

Concrete blinding is the *process* of pouring a thin layer of concrete over the floor of a new building; this can be over the hardcore or over the foundation itself.


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## PaulQ

isabel... said:


> *What's the meaning of Blinding Concrete? *
> www.bayt.com


It seems clear to me that you want to say "blinding concrete" - I have told you twice that this is wrong. The article you linked to uses *"concrete blinding"*: it means concrete that blinds (renders something invisible to something - in this case, the reinforced concrete to water.) However, I feel that you do not accept this either. Please use "blinding concrete" and, although you will be wrong, you will probably _feel _correct.


isabel... said:


> Could you explain to me in short what they meant by *EXTERNAL FACES CAST ON/AGAINST SOIL, etc. *please?


What do you not understand about my explanation in the fourth line of #4?
Do you know what "to cast" means?
Do you realise that *ON/AGAINST = either on or against*?


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## isabel...

PaulQ said:


> It seems clear to me that you want to say "blinding concrete" - I have told you twice that this is wrong. The article you linked to uses *"concrete blinding"*: it means concrete that blinds (renders something invisible to something - in this case, the reinforced concrete to water.) However, I feel that you do not accept this either. Please use "blinding concrete" and, although you will be wrong, you will probably _feel _correct.
> What do you not understand about my explanation in the fourth line of #4?
> Do you know what "to cast" means?
> Do you realise that *ON/AGAINST = either on or against*?



I do understand your explanation.

_"According to your context, the reinforcing mesh must be above the surface by at least 75mm and 75mm away from any vertical surface where that surface is SOIL, ROCK OR CONCRETE BLINDING. this will allow the concrete, when poured/cast to fill that gap. The idea is to give 75mm thickness of concrete between any surface of the type described and the reinforcing mesh."
_
Then, may I paraphrase it like this?
Any mesh of external faces are laid on/against soil, etc  - 75 mm?


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## PaulQ

No.

I am sorry but it seems that your English and technical knowledge is limited and this makes it very difficult for me to explain things. The Spanish Forum has a section for Technical Vocabulary - I will ask a moderator to move the question there.


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## PaulQ

see: Blinding | Construction terms, glossary of building construction


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