Well. They block the hole so that literate shouldn't get into it. Although some little still find there way in there but not that much.


I think it would even be better if they use concrete cement to fill the holes. But you know we always try to save cost.

I think it's all about saving cost. And others are doing it because they sees other engineers doing it.

The red mud inside the block would not make any difference.since everything is part of the foundation

BluntCrazeMan:
Fellow builders and Engineers in the house..
Good Morning Ooo.
...
As we already know, in a situation where there was no foundation chaining-beam constructed before the filling of the foundation, it had always been a common practice to block-off the holes in the block-works (especially when hollow blocks were used in the block-works) while filling the foundation with laterite soil, and also during the casting of the DPC floor. (A labourer is actually being paid to do the blocking of the holes).
..
I am now asking...
Is there anything wrong in filling the holes of the foundation block-works with the laterite soil while the filling of the foundation was going on.??
..
In fact, what exactly is the main reason why the holes in the foundation block-works are being blocked-off during the filling of foundation with Laterite??
..
I really need to know the reason.
I need to learn this.

There's nothing wrong with blocking the holes with laterite. After all, the German floor is always cast on a compacted laterite. Some people block the holes with pieces of blocks just to avoid wastage of materials.

BluntCrazeMan:
Fellow builders and Engineers in the house..
Good Morning Ooo.
...
As we already know, in a situation where there was no foundation chaining-beam constructed before the filling of the foundation, it had always been a common practice to block-off the holes in the block-works (especially when hollow blocks were used in the block-works) while filling the foundation with laterite soil, and also during the casting of the DPC floor. (A labourer is actually being paid to do the blocking of the holes).
..
I am now asking...
Is there anything wrong in filling the holes of the foundation block-works with the laterite soil while the filling of the foundation was going on.??
..
In fact, what exactly is the main reason why the holes in the foundation block-works are being blocked-off during the filling of foundation with Laterite??
..
I really need to know the reason.
I need to learn this.

It is wrong . Lean or weak concrete mixed with water seal additives should be used to fill instead of laterite . This is recommended for areas with high tendency for capillary movement of water . It is the reason lower parts of both internal and external walls have serious water damages and people tend to use tiles to cover up .

It's practically something everyone ((bricklayer or laborer)) does when filling the building foundation,,and the reason for that is because it's the cheapest way...the best and costly way is to fill the blocks holes with concrete ((cement,sand, granite)),,so as to prevent the water that would be filling the blocks holes when rain falls from traveling down to damage the foundation blocks,,JUST MY OWN OPINION

The picture you attached didn't explained your question instead you are only showing us A pad footing foundation base with it starter bar.

The reason why hollow block are been fill is to prevent upright movement of water into our foundation "Capillary water" which reduced the strength of the foundation. In many cases, it caused dampness on the building wall.

Has you have said earlier if a chain beam can't be provided, the best to do is fill in the hollow block with weak concrete.
And it is always best you provide DPC with good Damp proof membrane on your foundation to avoid story that touch later in the future.

My own 2 Kobo

...
There is a reason why the block is a hollow block. Filling the block with laterite will always make your internal wall damp.....weaken ur foundation and eventually collapse the wall. You can only fill with a solid concrete not laterite

SecretReporter:
Fill it spiritually, let wait for Righteousness to tell us what the connection between filling this and Signs of End time

ofcos you have to fill your heart with the love of God and be unbothered about filling laterite in foundation hollow block holes.

Choosing the later above the former is a sign of end time. Your eternal house is with God and life is temporary. Give your life to christ today.

Hollow blocks shouldn't even be used for the foundation block work in the first place ... Filling it with earth is an improvised way for trying to reinforce it

Laterite and materials used for moulding Sandcrete block are dissimilar materials .
Their is no working compatibility nor bonding

The practice is called block in-filling

Concrete masonry units (CMU) are filled with grout in foundation walls whenever vertical and or horizontal reinforcement is used. he intent is to completely fill the void with a material that is equal in strength to the CMU. The purpose being to have wall constructed of individual units that acts as a monolithic structural element.

Lateritic filling is a no no for block in-filling

saferoom:
The best practice is to fill the Blocks in the foundation with weak concrete (or normal concrete if you can afford it). The reason for filling blocks with concrete is obvious: To make the blocks stronger as if they are concrete blocks.
There is what is called EARTH PRESSURE acting on the blocks which makes the blockwork act as if they are Retaining Walls. So leaving them Hollow like that is not the best however since to avoid the cost of filling them with concrete, they just assign a labourer to block the holes before putting the chain beam to connect all the columns (pillars)

Then coming to the question of filling the blocks with laterite (filling sand), is not a common practice thought some people do it. It is not advisable to have earth on both sides of the block and also inside the blocks. The soil inside the holes of the blocks doesnt offer added strength like concrete will do, so it becomes an added load on the blocks. It is like a pregnant woman. The baby inside her is an added load. Whatever doesnt make you stronger makes you weaker. It's a universal principle.

If you have added questions you can ask on this thread on Nairaland
https://www.nairaland.com/2406381/ask-all-questions-building-foundations

I clap for you guy. This was all I did to both my house and hotels. Hotels are being visited by a large number of people and this goes on for years so, the structures must be strong enough from foundation to withstand pressures.

So sad, the posts read here so far suggest to me that we still have a long way to go in Nigeria. The majority of our youths know nothing and instead of learning from those who know, they attack and rubbish you with abusive words. I've stopped blaming government( both state and federal) from engaging Chinese, Arabs and Lebanese for construction of ordinary drainage a long time ago. The reason is obvious

Its a very bad practice, fill it with broken blocks or weak concrete instead

Weak concrete or pieces of broken blocks are ideal for it.But this can only be done in an area with high water capillary density..

BluntCrazeMan:
Fellow builders and Engineers in the house..
Good Morning Ooo.
...
As we already know, in a situation where there was no foundation chaining-beam constructed before the filling of the foundation, it had always been a common practice to block-off the holes in the block-works (especially when hollow blocks were used in the block-works) while filling the foundation with laterite soil, and also during the casting of the DPC floor. (A labourer is actually being paid to do the blocking of the holes).
..
I am now asking...
Is there anything wrong in filling the holes of the foundation block-works with the laterite soil while the filling of the foundation was going on.??
..
In fact, what exactly is the main reason why the holes in the foundation block-works are being blocked-off during the filling of foundation with Laterite??
..
I really need to know the reason.
I need to learn this.

It is wrong to fill foundation hollow blockwork with Laterite. Lean mix concrete should be used because it adds to the structural strength of your foundation and also a measure to prevent horizontal dampness. It will be a bad practice to use Laterite. It cannot replace the use of lean mix concrete to fill solid in hollow blockwork.

saferoom:
The best practice is to fill the Blocks in the foundation with weak concrete (or normal concrete if you can afford it). The reason for filling blocks with concrete is obvious: To make the blocks stronger as if they are concrete blocks.
There is what is called EARTH PRESSURE acting on the blocks which makes the blockwork act as if they are Retaining Walls. So leaving them Hollow like that is not the best however since to avoid the cost of filling them with concrete, they just assign a labourer to block the holes before putting the chain beam to connect all the columns (pillars)

Then coming to the question of filling the blocks with laterite (filling sand), is not a common practice thought some people do it. It is not advisable to have earth on both sides of the block and also inside the blocks. The soil inside the holes of the blocks doesnt offer added strength like concrete will do, so it becomes an added load on the blocks. It is like a pregnant woman. The baby inside her is an added load. Whatever doesnt make you stronger makes you weaker. It's a universal principle.

If you have added questions you can ask on this thread on Nairaland
https://www.nairaland.com/2406381/ask-all-questions-building-foundations

though I know nothing about building, but I like this explanation.

Filling up the hollow blocks in a building's foundation with laterite is like voting Buhari in as President of Nigeria. Just like Nigeria has sunk under all sorts of terrorism, battered economy, etc, the building will... It's a disaster invited to happen!

The aim of grouting the block walls is to strengthen the foundation walls and offer better stability to the structure. Hence preventing the percolation of water from the site area into the the foundation itself. Laterite offers negligible strength and zero restraints to the percolation of water. It is therefore not a suitable material for that purpose. Also, using laterite increases the susceptibility to termite attack which in no distant time will affect the integrity of the structure. It is therefore best practice to use light concrete as a grouting material.

I don't know what you are talking about... I used red mold and I have been living in the same house for more than 15years now... my new project in the village the mold house my grand father built there, 4 rooms and parlour have been there for more than 90 years before I demolished it recently to give mine good and new face ... anyway depending on the soil you built ... get it tested, if it's bungalow and waterlogged free land , abeg use red mold and save cost but if its waterlogged land use concrete to avoid collapse

is better u use condemned blocks to enable it stop the cement from leaking during casting the dpc

Bigfish121:
As an fresh graduate from the department of civil engineering, what I under is that the main reason for the blockage of holes in hollow blocks in construction is to actually prevent the wastage of materials.

stop calling yourself a graduate, but a disgrace to the field if you practice at all.

You have explained better.

saferoom:
The best practice is to fill the Blocks in the foundation with weak concrete (or normal concrete if you can afford it). The reason for filling blocks with concrete is obvious: To make the blocks stronger as if they are concrete blocks.
There is what is called EARTH PRESSURE acting on the blocks which makes the blockwork act as if they are Retaining Walls. So leaving them Hollow like that is not the best however since to avoid the cost of filling them with concrete, they just assign a labourer to block the holes before putting the chain beam to connect all the columns (pillars)

Then coming to the question of filling the blocks with laterite (filling sand), is not a common practice thought some people do it. It is not advisable to have earth on both sides of the block and also inside the blocks. The soil inside the holes of the blocks doesnt offer added strength like concrete will do, so it becomes an added load on the blocks. It is like a pregnant woman. The baby inside her is an added load. Whatever doesnt make you stronger makes you weaker. It's a universal principle.

If you have added questions you can ask on this thread on Nairaland
https://www.nairaland.com/2406381/ask-all-questions-building-foundations

professore:
though I know nothing about building, but I like this explanation.

Yeah, you're right! Especially that maxim, 'whatever does not make you stronger makes you weaker'. It's like making a chief executive terrorist president, e.g. Buhari, and expect to be stronger, noooo, you'll be weaker.

Sonnobax15:

I studied civil engineering in school,but like seriously I don't understand what you're saying.....

Let other engineers come in.... Perhaps we can all learn from this..

Chai Nigeria My country and releasing half-baked graduate every year....

saferoom:
The best practice is to fill the Blocks in the foundation with weak concrete (or normal concrete if you can afford it). The reason for filling blocks with concrete is obvious: To make the blocks stronger as if they are concrete blocks.
There is what is called EARTH PRESSURE acting on the blocks which makes the blockwork act as if they are Retaining Walls. So leaving them Hollow like that is not the best however since to avoid the cost of filling them with concrete, they just assign a labourer to block the holes before putting the chain beam to connect all the columns (pillars)

Then coming to the question of filling the blocks with laterite (filling sand), is not a common practice thought some people do it. It is not advisable to have earth on both sides of the block and also inside the blocks. The soil inside the holes of the blocks doesnt offer added strength like concrete will do, so it becomes an added load on the blocks. It is like a pregnant woman. The baby inside her is an added load. Whatever doesnt make you stronger makes you weaker. It's a universal principle.

If you have added questions you can ask on this thread on Nairaland
https://www.nairaland.com/2406381/ask-all-questions-building-foundations

How about avoiding hollow blocks for foundation laying and going for solid block( block suppose be wetin no get hole, e block)

They should not be filled with anything. The reason why hollow blocks are sometimes used in foundations is to present a moisture barrier between the soil surrounding the building which can get very moist under rainfall and the materials used in filling to grade which should remain stable.

Laterite which is a derivative of clay compounds has distinctive properties of water affinity. It attracts and bonds to water easiily and thus will cause two undesirable effects.

It will increase in volume and place tensile stresses within hollow block structure degrading its lifespan.
Secondly, it will act as a capillary to transmit moisture into the foundation leading to the degredation of the fill material.

Where foundations have to be reinforced to provide retention concrete is the best material for that purpose however alternative waterproofing regimes should be provided to protect the fill.

it depends on the land surface... if the land is that which situated in a place where there is much of water then you can use weak concrete or perhaps if ur account is big then u can use pure concrete to fill the holes of the block. This will allow the foundation to be strong and also stop moisture from ascending to the top of the building.
If a hole is being filled with laterite, then be assured to spend more on full DPC.

Laterite is a very fine soil material that contains alot of clay. It is not permeable and has very high water retaining capacity.

Most foundation with sancrete blocks are filled with lean concrete to make the foundation wall stronger, resist water seeping into the foundation and also counter the effect of the earth pressure on the wall.




Is there anything wrong in filling the holes of the foundation block-works with the laterite soil while the filling of the foundation was going on.??
..
In fact, what exactly is the main reason why the holes in the foundation block-works are being blocked-off during the filling of foundation with Laterite??
..
I really need to know the reason.
I need to learn this.[/quote]

No a bad practice ....

Solid block is best for foundation and down floor. Hallow block is only popular in some part of the country.

It makes the house feel lite, heat free and not solid like solid block.

BluntCrazeMan:
Fellow builders and Engineers in the house..
Good Morning Ooo.
...
As we already know, in a situation where there was no foundation chaining-beam constructed before the filling of the foundation, it had always been a common practice to block-off the holes in the block-works (especially when hollow blocks were used in the block-works) while filling the foundation with laterite soil, and also during the casting of the DPC floor. (A labourer is actually being paid to do the blocking of the holes).
..
I am now asking...
Is there anything wrong in filling the holes of the foundation block-works with the laterite soil while the filling of the foundation was going on.??
..
In fact, what exactly is the main reason why the holes in the foundation block-works are being blocked-off during the filling of foundation with Laterite??
..
I really need to know the reason.
I need to learn this.

What prevents you from using solid blocks, it depends on the type of building, for a building not more than 1 floor 9inchs solid blocks is appropriate, bungalows can accommodate 6inhs solid block
Your foundation concrete Insitu should be allowed 21 days to harden or cure before laying any blocks.
In water log area or any other earth situation, the 1st to 4th foundation block coaches will be laid flat, convince the owner why it necessary to do this instead of standing.
This will prevent cracking as the building took the full weight of the roof.
Most importantly the foundation concrete must be allowed to cure, cake or harden for 21 days or more during raining periods.
But you didn't state the kind of structure you erecting

saferoom:
The best practice is to fill the Blocks in the foundation with weak concrete (or normal concrete if you can afford it). The reason for filling blocks with concrete is obvious: To make the blocks stronger as if they are concrete blocks.
There is what is called EARTH PRESSURE acting on the blocks which makes the blockwork act as if they are Retaining Walls. So leaving them Hollow like that is not the best however since to avoid the cost of filling them with concrete, they just assign a labourer to block the holes before putting the chain beam to connect all the columns (pillars)

Then coming to the question of filling the blocks with laterite (filling sand), is not a common practice thought some people do it. It is not advisable to have earth on both sides of the block and also inside the blocks. The soil inside the holes of the blocks doesnt offer added strength like concrete will do, so it becomes an added load on the blocks. It is like a pregnant woman. The baby inside her is an added load. Whatever doesnt make you stronger makes you weaker. It's a universal principle.

If you have added questions you can ask on this thread on Nairaland
https://www.nairaland.com/2406381/ask-all-questions-building-foundations

Why would he even want to fill the blocks in his foundations with sand that can't hold Itself? Common sense should have screamed a big no to him.

@op.
If you can't afford to use concrete use Virgin red earth sand. Never filling sand.

Na landlord experience dey talk not engineer biko.

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