₦airaland Forum

EgunMogaji2:
A VT in a compact space like mine is designed specifically for #1. I don’t remember when I’ve done #2 in someone else’s house.

I’m comfortable with my design. Nothing is more ghetto than to see a toilet opening to the balcony .Us humans with our individual peculiarities.

PS: I was flogged before for daring to give renters a visitors toilet. Those undeserving rental cretins, we’re spoiling them

It no longer remains a VT but a Passers By Toilet.

spyder880:
Yes I know it will be costly to cool, that's why we are thinking of using fancy blocks to aerate the upper section of the rooms against heat congestion which might lead to dampness. The air conditioning might not reach all the way up.

If you use these fancy blocks will it not deface the house and also is that not an avenue to increased insects and pests into the building?

Have you considered using ceiling mounted ACs or a combination of ceiling mounted fans and standing unit ACs in appropriate position.

samoranononi:
Happy Sunday my bosses. Please Can someone use 3’8 Sand mix with cement for blinding a bungalow instead of normal granite or gravel. I noticed people around my area uses 3’8 sand for blinding than normal granite. Please help me throw more light. Thanks

It's used but not advisable even if the land is dry land. You can use that 3/8" for your german floor or casting of lintel.
Though I've used such based on clients directive for blinding. In engineering construction it's best you use granite/gravel for blinding.

capsogiga:
WHAT ARE THE NUMEROUS ADVANTAGES OF FULL ROUND CHAIN LINTEL SIR?

I'm very sure I've responded to that in one of my posts.
Thanks.

Gratefulheart1:
Alright sir, but like you claimed, you're yet to list some of the numerous advantages of having a chain lintel round, including internal walls.
And there after having another roof beam round.

The Op says he will do a parapet(concrete fascia). Every parapet(concreted fascia) is connected/linked to a beam. It's that beam that holds the parapet in place because it's placed at an inclined position.

In the instance where the client does not need a parapet, I do not insist to do a roof beam where I already have a full chained lintel(internal and external).

But there are certain jobs that all the above is requested as part of the working schedule. By so it's paramount the schedule is followed completely to avoid penalty or withdrawal of contract by the client.

segzy14:


Yes. There must be columns at least at the four corners of the building when constructing the concrete fascia(parapet).

Thanks.

capsogiga:
Thank you sir.
Yes sir. I am doing parapet with beam.

A parapet will always come with a beam because it's the beam that holds the parapet in place. If there are columns then it's just to act as supports to reduce the transfered load.

One of the benefits of doing full chained lintel internally and externally is that it bonds the build together.
In the event that cracks occur in the build in future which may arise due to certain reasons the placement of the lintel eliminates it from crossing beyond that point.
Also, it's easier to do modification on the build without fear if it requires the breaking of some sections of the wall.

As an engineer I have found myself in such situations with certain clients and what we do agree on to do is rectangular(4) external while triangular(3) internal for lintels.
Thanks.

Gratefulheart1:
Don't mislead the OP.
Type the word 'Lintel' in Google search and see the conventional way it's done in different parts of the world where real building construction standards are adhered to.
In fact, a Lintel wouldn't have existed in construction assuming it were possible to place your walls directly on the window/opening voids.
You claimed the advantages of round Lintels are numerous? Kindly list some of them here.

Sometimes when I open a thread, I pity those OP who come to Nairaland to seek advice, most people just read the first comment and start following it like sheeps, further misleading the OP who needs help.

As an engineer in the built environment one of my purpose is to advice my clients on what's obtainable. The client can choose to take or reject it. In this environment one considers what's best given the time. If there are constraints then one can do the alternative.

capsogiga:
THANKS FOR YOUR CONTRIBUTION SIR.
MY 'CONSTRAINT' IS REASONABLENESS ! IF THERE IS GOOD REASON TO DO IT, THEN I WILL SURELY DO IT. OTHERWISE WHY DO IT AND WASTE MONEY?

Apologies but before I comment are you still going to do a parapet(concrete fascia) on the build?

capsogiga:
GOOD DAY.
I AM CURRENTLY BUILDING A 5 BEDROOM BUNGALOW.

ENGINEER B- DO LINTEL ROUND THE WHOLE BUILDING INCLUDING INTERNAL WALLS. YOU WILL ALSO DO ROOM BEAM ROUND WHOLE HOUSE AT PARAPET TO AVOID CRACKS IN THE FUTURE.

PLEASE WHAT DO I DO ? BUILDING IS A BUNGALOW AND HAS PILLARS.

I had to read all comments though.
It's best you go for engineer b advice. And the advantages are numerous.
My question to you is what are your constraints not to go with engineer b advice and what would you prefer?

segzy14:




I did a project for a client with no single column and no parapet, we did a roof beam and used 6inches blocks all through.
The building is about 6years old now.

Is it possible if this roof beam was to have a parapet(concrete fascia) attached to it would there have been some sort of failure at that section of the build?

UC92:
So sorry about this failure.
I think the issue here is:
1.Since there are no vertical support for the concrete fascia, Beams should have been introduced in the internal walls to anchor the fascia
2. Since the builder opted for 6inches blocks he would have used the 6inches solid blocks even thou this isn't the cause.
3. Chained lintel is important for bungalows without columns.

The bungalow here is a 6bedroom, done without columns except for the fancy ones at the approach.

And when God created man, He said His creation was very good.

KolaShangOne:
You forgot..

"I'm trying several things on......"

Keyword is I.

First person singular.

Okay. That's nice.
Just a question......

I saw some pix of building on here and quite a few don't carry the recommended size for wall plate fixed on parapet beams but a smaller size looking like 2*2 or less wood.!!!!
Just curious if you've come across such......

KolaShangOne:
The build I posted is an Experimental build.

It wholly belongs to my construction company..

I'm trying several things on it.

- 6" block foundation. Surface.
- Concrete fascia on 6" blocks
- 2.5m iron span (unsupported)
- 8ft doors
- electrical piping before casting lintels so we dont have to break lintels.
- Fire blanket nailed to kitchen ceiling to stop fire spread.
-Full house automation using Alexa

Etc etc..

Oga Bixton.. further discussions when I come to Port Harcourt.

None of this looks new.
Welcome to PHC.

KolaShangOne:
Thats why Its MY advice.

Shaped by my own experience in construction.

Yours will be different, shaped by your own experience.

Well my advice to you is that don't do an experiment on a clients build again. So if a mishap happen you don't go blaming the client.

sconp:
I think you didn't quite get my point, you might have to read that post again.

Both internal walls and external walls were made with 6inch hollow blocks which are non-load bearing , what this means is that they are not expected to carry loads. Blocks are not designed to carry loads.

You also probably don't understand what I mean by a frame model. If this build was a framed model, beams would have been rigidly connected to one another and then to the column and then the footing.

At the moment, as far as I know, the frame method is the best for different kind of builds, from bungalows to high rise structures.

I got your explanation completely.
As false as it is.

sconp:
Irrespective of the strength, non load bearing blocks shouldn't be carrying load in any case.

This is why the frame model is often the best, where load gets transferred from beams to columns and then to the foundation and blocks act as partitions.

Are you now referring to the external walls as a non load bearing wall and that was why the parapet partially collapsed and probably the parapet should have been placed on the internal walls? You sure do know what you're posting and that is why the frame model is the best for a bungalow house!!!! Are you for real?
And you certainly did comment the thoughts of others based on the likes you got........keep it going.

KolaShangOne:
Apologies ma'am. When I read your chats, I concluded you're probably even a better builder than your architect.

If he had used 9" blocks, I believe it probably will be able to withstand those loads.

Building with 6 inch blocks is very dicey. It's a slippery slope. I have done it in my "experimental build" and I know its dicey.

In the pic below (experimental build), we put an insitu concrete fascia on 6 inch blocks!

I would have shown more things we did with 6 inch blocks but .....

6" blocks struggle to carry loads except you make them extra strong.

My advice is that, introduce columns at span of 4-5 metres. Your beams sit on these columns. Each column MUST have a footing.

Your advice counts.
But all that precedes it is a fallacy of generalization and myth.

FreeConCiencE:
But I also challenged him on using 6 inches block and he said he had done one before with 6 inchesbblock and that the house is still standing well.......

The building issue is not as a result of the use of 6" blocks. A precast is expected to be of lesser weight compared to cast in-situ and it failed, which shows the underlying issue is beyond block size.
You can get someone else to do physical inspection and recommend appropriate fixing measures.

diordaves:
No, I did not see my lapses as there are none. That ballpark figure was given from the photo, I counted the blocks (as best I can from the photos) and board partitions to hazard a guess of the dimension of the building. From the photos, I noticed that hollow blocks were used and hazard a guess for the amount of mix pour that will go into the hollow and the thickness of the beams which I guess should be 9" - 12". He may have done things differently to arrive at 181 bags of cement. So it is a lapse on your part to expect a spot-on figure when I was not privy to the structural drawings.

That said, did you read the part of 200 bags final assumption? 200 bags hazard; 181 bags eventually used. That should fly in the circumstances. Now juxtapose this against the estimate of 80 bags of cement and then go on looking for further lapses.

Very Good Sir
Maybe next time you can request for the structural drawings to be more accurate. Because he used 181 bags of cement to achieve such you're stating he did it differently. Please how different does it have to be done? Your insinuation is something else......

spyder880:
These were about 7.5 ton loads.

Kudos.

spyder880:
List of Materials and workmanship for the construction of the suspended slab for a double wing of 2 bedroom flats at Asaba.

1. 1x12x12 wood (345) x 1300 = N448,500
2. 2x2x12 wood (100) x 350 = N35,000
3. Long bamboo (178) x 400 = N71,200
4. 1x9x12 wood (10) 1,100 = N11,000
5. 1x6x12 wood (75) 650 = N48,750
6. Bag of 3" nails (2) 13,500 = N27,000
7. Half bag of 2" nails N8,500
8. Roll of nylon sheets (6) 7,000 = N42,000
9. 16mm rods (80) x 6,262 = N501,000
10. 12mm rods (245) x 3,522.24 = N862,950
11. 8mm rods (45) x 1733.33 = N78,000
12. Roll of binding wire N13,300
13. Electrical pipes, boxes,gum etc. N122,053.75
14. Bags of cement (181) x 3450 = N624,450
15. Trips of sharp sand (7) x 19,714.28 = N138,000
16. Trips of chippings (6) x 60,000 = N360,000
17. Carpentry N130,000
18. Iron fitters N120,000
19. Electricians N60,000
20. Concrete casters N250,000
21. Site foreman 20,000
22. Security man N20,000
23. Transportation and loading N47,950

Grand total N4,052,953.75

Promise kept, I will be around to entertain some questions. Thanks all.

Edit: Cost prices in fractions indicate that we bought several quantities at different times and at different prices, so you are likely seeing average costs as unit prices in some materials.

Well done.
Please what's the tonnage per truck of the chippings procured?
Thanks.

diordaves:
I don't have any questions. The budget is just about right as expected. But I have one observation: the total cost of wood and bamboo is about 700k.

I still strongly think you Nigerian builders should invest as a matter of priority in formwork and props. Hiring a formwork panel and props for about 200 - 300k could result in 400k effeciency savings on the decking and even more with the whole project.

Formwork and decking panels are available in Alibaba. There are even second hand on ebay. I may look into importing some for resale in Nigeria. With 700k cost outlay for wood, there's is a market waiting to be tapped.

Many a times there are certain things you should desist from doing. I looked at your initial post and the number of bags of cement you assumed was 230 bags........did you see the much difference when sypder880 posted his quotation. Is that how you've been using best construction practices to waste cement in your builds? I hope you saw your lapses as you dey see another person own...............

OAKGroup:
Hmmm, that could be dangerous, because it should have been taken care of from it's foundation. Enough columns should have been erected, the block walls should av been filled with weak concrete too. If the above was done. That's cool.
Ensure the reinforcement is very sound, make the thickness 175-200mm.

This your recommendation of 175-200mm is it inclusive of the beams+slab or only slab?

Gvnl:
Whether its cold or not, it's just there...

From experience I do know something normally triggers it.
But just give this a try.........
Do a mix of (ginger+garlic) tea. Take a cup in the morning and evening. You can take vitamin C tabs and take as well.
If your deodorant/body spray/perfume have a strong fragrance.......avoid using it for the next 7 days and observe if there are any changes.
Most importantly give yourself more to natural air if you spend more time in air conditioned spaces.

Zooposki:
Don’t take this guys advice. Drinking 2 cups of water every morning or before meals when your blood sugar is low will definitely trigger your stress hormones. Your body has an innate thirst system that will let you know when you are thirsty.

I don't think his advice will be that effective concerning the kind of catarrh the Op is trying to find a solution to.
Also how would one know if his/her blood sugar is low to avoid drinking water and how does drinking water triggers stress hormones.

As a habit I drink minimum 1-2 glass of water even before having my morning bath and do same before I sleep.

Gvnl:
Good evening everyone and Happy Sunday.

This Catarrh has lasted for almost 9yrs now. I've taken different medications but it's still persisting.

I have also done some laboratory test and taken prescribed medication, but no permanent solution.

Please help what else should or can I do to put an end to this menace.

Thank you.

Do you have allergies of some sort to smells, fragrance, odours, dust, etc,etc?
Do you get the cataarh when you allow cold set in your body?


Or what do you think triggers the catarrh?

stunnert:
I'm actually looking forward to this, because I have a feeling it will cripple the value of dollar here in Nigeria if its exchange rate is better than that of naira

Already CFA=Naira..........of what value do you think the naira will have in future that will cripple the dollar value.......or are you referring to another dollar currency maybe the Zimbabwe dollar

kopell:
My brother when I say prefabricate home I mean houses, are you telling the won’t live in a home of $200k and above. I’m not talking of the junk houses they are building over there. Please tell me if the will not like to live here

It's not about how much it cost to put it.......
Let me put it this way.........
If the target is for low/medium income owners it may not work.
If you can get high income owners, notable people and people with class from the public to live in such then you can get a good number of the former to live in same.
The typical Nigerian mentality functions as "now we belong".

kopell:
Please stop this your old ideology for building mass housing. Your cost analysis may not be possible, if government is determined to build homes for its citizens at low cost the, can do it with today technology. Most houses are prefabricated in factories, if Chinese can build 1,500 rooms of emergency hospitals in one week what stop us doing the same. I wish I can upload a video of a community of 500 houses including all its utilities, part ways, recreative center, etc that was built here in 6 months. Please house can be pre-fabricated in factory assembly in 48 hours with the present technology. It is possible to build over 1000 houses in three months. Sorry jare, the reply is for Brabus ooo

How many Nigerians do you think would want to really actually literally live in a prefabricated home even if you make it free?

bobkezel:
I was actually thinking keeping all the rooms same level, ie if I'm stepping down I will step down the whole rooms in the house to be same level . But if I'm not stepping down then no room (including the sitting room) will be stepped down.
So I don't know how it will look like make the whole rooms step down. Any body has similar structures?

So you're envisaging that while the lobby(s) will be stepped up every other section of the house will be stepped down. It will look good. It's all about your choice. But I'll advice if you're doing such, ensure the stepped down is 100mm(4" instead of 150mm(6".

sonnie10:
In the future, when people grow old and are wheel chair bound or use some sort of mobility aid, how do they navigate this step down design?

The best response to your question is to do a "ramp" as part of it to accommodate such for the aged/elderly.