₦airaland Forum

DeLaRue:
Brabus, well done.

Please, couple of questions for you and anyone who may be familiar - I am at the planning stage for a renovation (conversion from flats to open plan offices) of a 1980's building. My problem is I can't locate the original drawings or even a copy. Would I be able to get a copy from Town planning, Land registry or any other department where the original/copy will have been submitted? My initial enquiries from a friend in the building trade suggest this is unlikely. What do you reckon?

If I don't get a copy of the plan, I assume any architect, builder, or structural enginneer that I engage will work on assumptions/ Might this lead to some hits & misses, and prove more costly.

Conversion of flats to office space is critical in the sense that the building design factor of safety for residential building is quite different from that of commercial building, that is why in Nigeria we always put into consideration change of use in our design because we do not have reliable authority to check change of us without following due process in 9ja. Most of the recent collapsed bldg in Lagos was due to this reason. Therefore, your structural engineer will not only need the drawings but also the calculation sheets so as to check if the design will be safe for the conversion.
The challenges I envisage are:
1. Even if there is structural, architectural drawing & calculation sheet, was the building built according to the drawings specification.
2. In 80’s those are the period we have good cement and quality sandcrete blocks and most designs are load bearing wall. If that be the case then DO NOT bother to do any conversion, because it is the blocks that is carrying the load of the house. If the design is frame structure you are at maximum liberty as soon as your structural engineer comfirms the design fit for the conversion. The advantage of frame structure is that the block is just serving a purpose of partion and its removal will have no effect on the building.
Good Luck

:d

Brabus: this tye of snake is a common features in Ogombo we killed so many of it while we started clearing one of our estate site. I think it is time we start charging clients for snake allowance. LOL

we at ur service call us we will be there

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There are other several massive building in this location that are standing while some are subnerged, tilted & collapsed. having some building standing in a particular area does not give u an assurance that others will stand if built without proper investigation.

Brabus, may be with this pictures people will understand the need to allow Engineering practise to take its course. Soil investigation and proper construction will definitely have saved this building. It is better to spend some hundred thousand to save several millions. Let us not be pennywise and pound foolish. Do not question engineering integrity.

blink182:
Yeah, back in the days when I was a sculpture student, we were advised to wrap our clay models with damp cloth and store in a cool place away from direct sun light. I see it also applies on a larger scale.

Wonderfull! it is worth noting that the man that discover the reinforced concrete was discovered was a potter who noticed that adding mesh to his work makes it more stronger.

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grab this now

thanks brabus, hope to hear from you.

zayzee:
Please, anyone who is an architect here that can help me with this info.

How to build on a swampy land so the house does not sink later on. Is it advisable to do storey buildings on a swampy land or bungalows are better?

And please what are the signs that a house needs to be renovated?

Pleas please please, I need this. Its for a story I am writing. I report properties in Business Hallmark Newspaper, and I will give the architect who contributes his or her full credit and make sure I get the paper across to him/her. Thanks.

What to build on a swampy land?
You can build any structure of ur choice either storey or bungalow on a swampy land. It all depends on your financial capability and the purpose of the structure ( for instance in 2002 we built a mighty catholic cathedral on a swampy land at Ajao Estate close to Oke afa Canal, the church must be sited at this location because the of their existing church and to retain their membership, the foundation gulp so much). It worth noting that failure to put engineering practice into full use that makes building to fail, what do we say about the 7 star Al-Burj Hotel (over 300meter high) in Dubai built on an artificial island in the heart of an ocean in a city lying on a major fault line. Hw do I know I have full documentary of the project from scratch to finishing; interesting, inspiring and challenging.
Earth has several formations; it is worth noting that after the swampy formation there are usually a layer of sandy formation, and possibly a rocky formation. So either I am building bungalow or storey bldg, what do I need to do carry soil investigation test (ensure the test is actually carry out some are specialised in sitting in their office and give u false report). The investigation will help the structural engr to design the building well and u are sure of the safety. For instance the cathedral I mention earlier on was not built on pile built an alternative design to pilling in other to save cost we took the foundation to sandy formation level, how we did it don’t ask me (LOL), but the depth can swallow a bungalow completely.
How do I build on swampy land?
Simple, your soil investigation will determine the type of foundation, and expert constructor knows how to go about it.
How do I know when a building is due for renovation?
A well built house may not require renovation in a long time but rather a facelift. Facelift is necessary when the paint is fading or u want to upgrade the aesthetic.
In my own opinion I believe that a building is due for renovation when it is no more functional, aesthetically unpleasant i:e the plastering is peeling off, pillars are buckling, roof is leaking, plumbing problems, electrical disorder. Besides, there could be a deliberate renovation in order to upgrade the structure to modern ones; for instance you may wish to change ur doors, windows, plumbing and electrical fittings to the latest in vogue.
Engr Niyi.
Contact us for your soil investigation and engineering services. abidoyventures@gmail.com

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still on

great deal awaits u!

brabus, u ve got a chalenging task to do. restructuring is highly brain and professionalism tasking. u ve done the right thing by starting the restructuring on paper but not by trial & error as some quacks will do. I can passive a fundanmental error in the construction, thee previous builder did not take level to consider the difference in leve b4 embarking on construction, the difference in level is not sufficient to have a basement wt adequate head room iit seem the window level is almost at the grd level at some points therefore there cld be a little challenge in taking care of the rain run off, possibly dampness pls becareful this kind of job can rubbish ones professionalism. best of luck

Call Now for inspection, the site is ideal for filling station , Hotel and Guest house because of the nearness to the deeper life and RCCG infact it share its boundary with the fence of Deeper life by the side of their Main gate.