ekoibile:
Ol boy these are not vertical cracks oh These horizontal cracks implies serious structural foundation problems of which inadequate soil compaction could be one of the culprits. Nigeria is experiencing heavy rainfalls this year of which Ibolands's Enugu airport's runway was equally submerged in water. So i don't know why this builder found it proper to expose what amounts to a professional INCOMPETENCE to the full glare of the world. Preparations for constructing a fence is not the same as that of building a house which in saner climes must follow strict codes. To subtly equate the two was only but trying to be smart by half. Rainy seasons exposes the competence or otherwise of those who say they are builders. And the verdict is clear here.

I have just followed the pictures of this foundation till the Nairaland data loss, and what i saw was a normal dry land before the beginning of the current rainy season. I saw the soak away pit when it was under construction. It was a clean dry 12 feet deep pit, a very important pointer.

Therefore, what will make a normal foundation on a dry land (as the pictures suggest) to settle and develop cracks while work is still ongoing, and not to withstand its first rainy season, was purely a case of quackery on the part of this builder. And like i said several weeks ago on this thread, my heart goes to the owner of this structure who has been traumatized serially. For small contractors, the lesson here is to accept only the number of contracts you can afford to cope with it. Employ capable hands who can function in your absence. Empathy for your clients satisfaction is very important and not only empathy for your pocket, opari.

passion007:

You're so glad this happened, as though it were a dream come true for you.
The OP is not afraid to admit his faults. Of his volition, he posted the very pictures that now feed your appetite to gloat. Apparently you're one of those small people who feel better by putting others down. Smh.
The OP has scores of threads here, and has only encountered this issue this once.

spyder880: Others preparing to move in.

mufutau55:

Oga Spyder, how much to make this full Verandah Burglary proof, and what is the size, is that a 1inch pipe too?. Thanks.

Hajji M.

passion007:

You're so glad this happened, as though it were a dream come true for you.
The OP is not afraid to admit his faults. Of his volition, he posted the very pictures that now feed your appetite to gloat. Apparently you're one of those small people who feel better by putting others down. Smh.
The OP has scores of threads here, and has only encountered this issue this once.

gabbytabby: Ekoibile thank you for your contribution to this thread my only wish was that you had something constructive to suggest as a remedy. While l am not a structural engineer there are practical remedies that would work. The rains teaches us how to better protect our property especially the one of this year.

It is not so much a problem with the building per say since the fortifications are adequate. My belief is that what is needed is to better prepare the surrounding with concrete such that water flows away from it.

We do not need to make mountain out of a mole hill.

spyder880:
Yes this is 1" square pipe, to make a complete one with a door at the entrance should cost about N25k, but its the tenant that made this one and called my workers to install it.

spyder880: I will not comment on these anymore.
Have a good day everyone, whatever you do, remain focused and give your best, always. IT SHALL BE WELL!

spyder880: If I continue to ignore some comments made in this thread, they may start to look like the commenter knows anything about what he is saying.

So I have decided to spend a few minutes to explain how we built this house. I usually spend a whole lot of time planning a project, I am not the one to dive into a building project without considering a lot of variables about the environment, and trying to mitigate them. I usually ask questions, review processes and procedures and when in doubt, I will retreat to learn about the step or consult a superior in the field. At every point in time, I have at least a couple of trained professionals in my sites so we put heads together to execute projects.

I am so confident of my methods that I put up pictures of everything I do for public scrutiny, each step, each action is always captured on camera and placed in the public domain, for other competent eyes to look and make comments. I always love to remain transparent. You never know who is reading from any part of the world, so I am always careful to do the right things always. I am not the type to cut corners, I am not poor, never has been, so I am not desperate and looking for money.

It might interest us to know that I have personally built these types of multiple room houses, I own at least four of these houses in Enugu state in different locations now, over 100 rooms combined, all are still solid after so many years. The first one I built was in 1998. Nothing wrong with it in any way at all. I will go around and snap some of my houses which I started life with. It might also interest us to know that I have never used reinforcements in any of my previous multi rooms like this one before, no pillars, just short beams in door and window positions as lintels, no chaining, nothing else.

Many people stopped and questioned me over my decision to use reinforcements in this project in the center of the dry season, and I told them that I dont like the texture of the soil I found there, I was taking extra measures which people considered "wasting money" but I will rather waste materials and money than do a bad work.

SO, WHY DO WE BUILD THE WAY WE DO IN ENUGU?

Most of the lands in Enugu state are sitting on a rock crust which is more stony than sandy. This land is usually very hard to cut through, you cannot attempt to do a foundation excavation in Enugu without pick axe. We are confident about the soil bearing capacity of the land in most of Enugu metropolis. But I still build in Enugu like they do in Port Harcourt, no need to economize.

SO, WHAT REALLY WENT WRONG?

The seller of this land, who is also a neighbor, refused to explain to us the nature of this land, he was still feeling annoyed after I refused to give him the contract of supplying blocks, as a consequence, he hid the fact that he sold a river bed to us, not a land. I though there might be some swamp in the land after the first dig, but this is a full blown stream, flowing with some surprising speed, of course the foundation was not prepared for this, a full ground beam would have been more adequate, but has anyone else done a ground beam for a bungalow in Enugu? In fact, most upstairs in Enugu does not have ground beams, so I wonder who will blame me for not putting the type of foundation done in SOME Lagos buildings in a row of rooms, note that I said "SOME"

SOAKAWAY PITS

Since we dont have sandy soil in Enugu, its perfectly safe to site toilet pits close to the house, please look at pictures of all the houses we have built everywhere and measure the distance from the foundation walls, Port Harcourt, Owerri, even Lagos, Soak away tanks are built like houses, columns, beams, even a decking on top of it.

Have we not seen those who covered their toilet soak away and built their house on top of it?

Have we not seen cars parked on top of toilet soak away pits?

Na me build all those ones?

Someone even mentioned in this property section that his septic tank is under his living room!

SOLUTION

I chose to bring this up and attach the pictures on the thread, nobody forced me, its part of my determination to remain honest and transparent, and that's how I will always be. Its also a way to educate the people who read my posts, if we have enjoyed some fantastic victories in the wonderful buildings we have built here in the past, lets know that life is not a straight walk, there must be ups and downs. But our ups must be much longer and better than our few downs.

Some actions are being taken, but I don't want to rush the corrections as the land is still flooded, this is not an overly big problem, we have seen worse attacks, we shall win at the end like we always do, coming out stronger with more experience, this is one thing I am very sure of.

I will not comment on these anymore.

Have a good day everyone, whatever you do, remain focused and give your best, always. IT SHALL BE WELL!

spyder880: Still watching the cracks and taking notes. Would have rushed the corrections but too much water in the ground.

spyder880: If I continue to ignore some comments made in this thread, they may start to look like the commenter knows anything about what he is saying.

So I have decided to spend a few minutes to explain how we built this house. I usually spend a whole lot of time planning a project, I am not the one to dive into a building project without considering a lot of variables about the environment, and trying to mitigate them. I usually ask questions, review processes and procedures and when in doubt, I will retreat to learn about the step or consult a superior in the field. At every point in time, I have at least a couple of trained professionals in my sites so we put heads together to execute projects.

I am so confident of my methods that I put up pictures of everything I do for public scrutiny, each step, each action is always captured on camera and placed in the public domain, for other competent eyes to look and make comments. I always love to remain transparent. You never know who is reading from any part of the world, so I am always careful to do the right things always. I am not the type to cut corners, I am not poor, never has been, so I am not desperate and looking for money.

It might interest us to know that I have personally built these types of multiple room houses, I own at least four of these houses in Enugu state in different locations now, over 100 rooms combined, all are still solid after so many years. The first one I built was in 1998. Nothing wrong with it in any way at all. I will go around and snap some of my houses which I started life with. It might also interest us to know that I have never used reinforcements in any of my previous multi rooms like this one before, no pillars, just short beams in door and window positions as lintels, no chaining, nothing else.

Many people stopped and questioned me over my decision to use reinforcements in this project in the center of the dry season, and I told them that I dont like the texture of the soil I found there, I was taking extra measures which people considered "wasting money" but I will rather waste materials and money than do a bad work.

SO, WHY DO WE BUILD THE WAY WE DO IN ENUGU?

Most of the lands in Enugu state are sitting on a rock crust which is more stony than sandy. This land is usually very hard to cut through, you cannot attempt to do a foundation excavation in Enugu without pick axe. We are confident about the soil bearing capacity of the land in most of Enugu metropolis. But I still build in Enugu like they do in Port Harcourt, no need to economize.

SO, WHAT REALLY WENT WRONG?

The seller of this land, who is also a neighbor, refused to explain to us the nature of this land, he was still feeling annoyed after I refused to give him the contract of supplying blocks, as a consequence, he hid the fact that he sold a river bed to us, not a land. I though there might be some swamp in the land after the first dig, but this is a full blown stream, flowing with some surprising speed, of course the foundation was not prepared for this, a full ground beam would have been more adequate, but has anyone else done a ground beam for a bungalow in Enugu? In fact, most upstairs in Enugu does not have ground beams, so I wonder who will blame me for not putting the type of foundation done in SOME Lagos buildings in a row of rooms, note that I said "SOME"

SOAKAWAY PITS

Since we dont have sandy soil in Enugu, its perfectly safe to site toilet pits close to the house, please look at pictures of all the houses we have built everywhere and measure the distance from the foundation walls, Port Harcourt, Owerri, even Lagos, Soak away tanks are built like houses, columns, beams, even a decking on top of it.

Have we not seen those who covered their toilet soak away and built their house on top of it?

Have we not seen cars parked on top of toilet soak away pits?

Na me build all those ones?

Someone even mentioned in this property section that his septic tank is under his living room!

SOLUTION

I chose to bring this up and attach the pictures on the thread, nobody forced me, its part of my determination to remain honest and transparent, and that's how I will always be. Its also a way to educate the people who read my posts, if we have enjoyed some fantastic victories in the wonderful buildings we have built here in the past, lets know that life is not a straight walk, there must be ups and downs. But our ups must be much longer and better than our few downs.

Some actions are being taken, but I don't want to rush the corrections as the land is still flooded, this is not an overly big problem, we have seen worse attacks, we shall win at the end like we always do, coming out stronger with more experience, this is one thing I am very sure of.

I will not comment on these anymore.

Have a good day everyone, whatever you do, remain focused and give your best, always. IT SHALL BE WELL!

plasgidy: @ekoibile, why are you over floging this unespected occurrence? i dont think you do follow all the projects this gentle man called spyder is handling. this guys has built more than 15 up stays on this forum, from clearing of grass to completion.

did you see the port harcourt mansion which after foundation the pit become flooded, immediately this spyder swoped into action and intruduced a raft foundation, today that building is standing firm. this down stay project at enugu is a very small thing to this guy, he has really proved him self with better and more defficult building techinology than this slum if i may be allowed to down grade this enugu f.m.a,f,u.

ekobile, pls simplly see this as an unforseen circumstance, pit can be dug any where within the compound so far as is well fortified, after all patients do die in theater after quolified doctors finish surgical oppresions, if you need to build in the south east zone as i guess you are an engineer simplly go and make friend with spyder he will always sub contract some of his contracts to you than exbiting your envy on the WEB you dont know who is reading all this your exbition, not every body will read this your crap and ignore it. pls dont insult our intelligence here. thank you

vivienbabe: Please, what is the current situation in this project? I know the cracks issue is different from the remodelling. Is it fnished, if not what is holding it?
It remains my best project here.

spyder880: It flows very close to the house during rainfalls.

vivienbabe:
My brother, in as much as you don’t have this water inside the compound and the flowing water is only outside the building on one side, not touching the walls, so it seems, I advice you ignore it. Leave it for another one more month for the dry season to set in. Then erect a long dwarf reinforced barrier on that one side, shikena. There is a similar situation around my area now. The good news here is that no changes in the cracks. Stay strong brother.

spyder880: Almost done with the painting of the renovated areas.

daroseconcepts:
Spyder880,

We are with you on this. No shaking. We will see to the end. This is a whole new chapter of lessons opened. Open your mind folks and let the learning begin! Meanwhile, in other news....i wan roof my bungalow [3-2-2 formation]. Through the inspiration on this forum, I boldly started and learnt from the masters, now I dey form 'engineer'...