₦airaland Forum

This is ridiculous. The federal government needs to allow importers flood the country with cheap, foreign cement. The same thong needs to happen with reinforcement steel rods.

laplace19:
Oversite concrete
We used 130 bags for the oversite concrete with 4 inches to 5 inches thickness.

Excuse my ignorance. I always wonder how you guys are able to line the walls of a building (the superstructure) squarely on the strip foundation after you have completely covered the foundation with the oversite concrete. Do you guys leave landmarks as a guide before casting the oversite concrete?

What is the cost (per foot or per meter) of constructing a plinth beam in Nigeria today (year 2020), using the mix ratio 1:2:4?

The construction of plinth beams (a beam at the plinth level) for duplexes in Nigeria is growing in popularity. I am wondering if this is not just a waste of rods (for the reinforced plinth beam), granite, and cement. We have homes--lots of them all across Nigeria-- that have stood the test of time, which have no plinth beams. Are plinth beams necessary for duplexes or is this trend just a fad with no real value?

Analyst01:
A typical 6" solid block has dimensions of 150mm x 450mm x 225mm.
The volume is, 0.0152 cumec.

30 blocks will be 0.0152 x 30 = ~0.46 cumec.

So, you will need 0.035.cumec of cement for ~0.46 cumec of blocks. (50kg bag = 0.035 cumec)

Subtract cement from the block your have 0.421 cumec of sand.

Cement : Sand = 0.035 : 0.421 = 1 : 12

Your bag of cement is equivalent to 2 standard construction headpans. However, what ever the measuring container you wish to use make sure that for every one measure of cement that you add 12 measures of sand.

Another important point to note is the water-cement ratio. But that's a topic for some other time. Cheers!!



P.S.
Cumec = Cubic meters (m3)
I'm a civil engineer (COREN)
07033544353

Thanks. This was helpful.

I've noticed that the molders could "eyeball" the ratio of cement to sand, but they could not give me this sort of answer. They used their shovels and were able to get between 29 and 31 block from each bag of cement. But I wanted an answer that's "mathematical" in order to have a standard "recipe" for making 30 solid 6" blocks out of a 50 kg bag of cement. That way, I can ensure consistency in the strength of the blocks regardless of the molder.

Again, thanks for the answer.

I am planning to mold 6" solid blocks (not hollow) for a duplex I'm about to start working on. The building will have two floors (a ground floor and a second level above the ground floor). In Nigeria, this will be called a one-story building; in the US, it will be a two-story building.

I have talked with various block molders who assured me that they've been molding blocks for years. But I'm not naïve when it comes to the level of quackery in Nigeria. For every stage of this project, I want to go in with reliable information. Help me out, guys.

The cement I have bought are Dangote 50 kg bags. My architect and the molders say for my blocks (6" solid blocks) to be strong, I should mold 30 blocks from each bag of cement. Here is my question: In order to obtain thirty 6" solid blocks from a 50 kg bag of cement (Dangote cement), what should be the ratio of cement to sand and water? How many head-pans of cement should be mixed with how many head-pans of sand? How much water should be in the mix? In other words, how many parts of cement should be mixed with how many parts of sand and water?

As I flew back and forth through Biblical times, from Moses through Elijah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Amos, etc., to John the Baptist and the apostles, I was re-awakened to the fact that these men, in their day, led the struggle against corruption, misgovernance, and injustice. In contrast, most of our modern, respectable men of God, for whom I have high regard, have never demanded or led their congregation to demand good governance and justice for God's children here on earth.



Contrarily, what I have seen is a sorry state of affair, where pastors (and imams too) bless the very oppressors of God's children and are eager to revel in style in the company of the oppressors. They maintain an ungodly and inexcusable indifference to brazen corruption in high places and refuse to denounce misgovernance.



At the same time, they tell their followers that God is a God of justice and that he detests corruption. That, you would think, should make them the most fiery apostles for justice and institutional uprightness. They exhort their followers to be good citizens and obey the laws of the land. Yet they very much enjoy the company of those who break the laws the most, i.e. our rulers, not because it affords them the opportunity to declare to these oppressors the massage of truth, justice, and good governance, but because it affords them opportunity to supplicate for money and other material goods.



How is it that highly respected men of God are not on the front line of our national struggle for justice and against corruption. They have the clout and resources to stand up and fight for God's children and for this nation. But they have maintained an indifference that continue to strengthen the oppressors and despoilers of this nation. No, prayer is not enough. They have a solemn duty to demand and move their people to demand for good governance and justice.



Yes, it is their calling to prepare their followers for that heavenly utopia, where God’s children shall be clothed in flowing, dazzling robes; where there shall be neither hunger nor crime; where oppression should have been eternally banished.  But here on earth, in this present world of which we are most certain, God’s children need three healthy meals a day; God’s children need shoes for their feet and shirts on their backs; God’s children need decent housing for their families. Yes, God’s children need justice and respect for their humanity. God’s children need truth and good governance from their leaders.