@ SRIS, I did an elaborate calculation for you to see earlier but unfortunately, nairaland mods have hid the post for reasons best known to them. Anyway, the summary is that u need about 2800 blocks for this.

120" is about 37m
60" is about 18m

Perimeter of building = 2 x (37+18) = 110m
Subtract the portion occupied by the gate (Assume a single 3m wide gate)
New perimeter = 107m

Assuming you need 3 layers of block below ground (0.25x3=0.75m) and 2 meters above ground, that will be a total height of 2.75m height of block wall. Therefore, area of fencing = 107m x 2.75m = 294.25 sq.m.

A single block is approx 0.45m x 0.25m = 0.1125sq.m

Thus, number of blocks needed = 294.25/0.1125 = 2616 blocks.
You can add 10% to that for blocks that may break during the purchase and any other contingencies. So 2800 blocks is a fair estimate.

The foundation of the blocks is also important. You will need at least (300 x 0.15 x 0. 675 =) 31cu.m of mass concrete for that.

Hope this helps.

Hello all,

I am a practicing Structural Engineer and its nice to interact with you here. I will post more later. For now, feel free to ask me any Civil / Structural Engineering question and I will attempt to answer as much as I can.

Let me come in here as a professional .
The people involved in the building of a structure depends on the type of structure to be built. In general, the professionals you will find in a large building project are:
1. Architect
2. Civil Engineer
3. Structural Engineer (Who could also be a civil Engr.)
4. Geotechnical Engineer (Could also be a Civil Engr.)

5. Mechanical Engineer
6. Electrical Engineer
7. Geologist (only required for very large projects and plays more of a supporting role to the geotechnical Engr. He cannot replace a Geotechnical Engr. as far as buildings are concerned)
8. Surveyors
9. Builders (Technicians)
10. Other support professionals who do not play technical roles (Accountant, Lawyer, etc)

For an average building project, you need just the Architect (ARCON registered), structural / geotechnical engr. (COREN registered), surveyor and builder.

Why spread false information? It doesn't do anyone good. Anyway, here's what is happening now:

No policy initiative of President Goodluck Jonathan has excited as much public interest and the imagination of the international community as the launch on August 26, 2010, of the Road Map for the Power Sector Reform, a compendium of short-, medium- and long-term measures-- as well as the costs and timelines—to provide robust electricity in Nigeria. Nine months into the Road Map, the public expectations seem justified. There has been a substantial improvement in power supply across the country. Nigeria now generates 4,000Megawatts. Though this is only 10% the 40,000MW produced by South Africa, it is the greatest quantum of power ever generated in our history. In other words, Nigeria has, under Jonathan’s leadership, generated an additional 1,000MW in just one year. This is impressive by every account.

Yet, the improved power supply we have noticed in the last two months in particular does not owe to only increased power generation. There are two critical factors at play here which are often ignored in popular discourse, namely, system stability and adequate attention now paid to other critical sections of the power supply chain such as transmission and distribution, to say nothing about marketing or revenue generation. System stability may sound abstract to non-technical people or to those outside the power sector, but in elementary terms it refers typically to a situation where the biggest power generating unit in a given environment is set aside as a back-up or reserve margin, that is, it comes up only when there is an unusually high demand or a disruption in the quantum of power ordinarily given out, and the disruption is consequently corrected within a split second. Public electricity supply, as a result, remains stable. Until recently Nigeria used to experience system failures at least twice a month, with all the severe consequences for equipment, plants and appliances and even the people running the system because there was no reserve margin at all. But we have recorded only two system collapses this year. This means that power supply to many Nigerian cities and towns and communities is now stable, a log leap from the days of wild fluctuations. Quite a number of places now receive up to 18 hours of daily supply. The situation can only get better.
The other issue often overlooked in public commentary on the improved supply in Nigeria is that this is the first time in our recent history that considerable attention has been devoted to parts of the power supply chain other than generation. Right from the Olusegun Obasanjo presidency, Nigerians have been made to believe that the only solution to our perennial power crisis is to dramatically increase the quantum of power produced in the country. Hence, public discourse has been abuzz with “5,000MW this year”, “10,000MW next year”, etc. But experience has eloquently demonstrated that this is wrong. Last August, for instance, 3,800MW was generated, then the largest quantum of power ever produced in our nation, but no one felt it. In fact, it lasted for a few minutes. The system collapsed. Why? Because the transmission infrastructure was too weak, too dilapidated and too old to wheel this quantum of power from Egbin, Sapele, Kainji, Afam, Jeba and other generation facilities to different parts of the country. It is, therefore, reassuring that Jonathan has approved the installation of the Super Grade transmission facility in Nigeria.
The distribution network has not been wonderful, either. Basic things like distribution transformers, feeder pillars and cables have been neglected over the years. Still, without distribution facilities we cannot have light in our homes, offices and factories. No less important is the marketing arm, which provides revenues for the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN). It is gratifying to learn the other day from the media that the Presidential Task Force on Power (PTFP) is leading the PHCN to recover billions of naira owed it across the country by consumers, especially the federal and state governments and their agencies. The PHCN, as a business, should be as self sufficient as possible by effectively and efficiently relying on its internally generated revenue.  
So much is currently going on in different sections of the power supply chain. Some parts are being replaced, some repaired, some upgraded, new ones added and some others are being modernised. About 3000 distribution transformers, for instance, have been installed in recent times throughout the country. Ironically, these works have in many instances meant cessation of power supply to affected areas for several hours, days and even weeks as the case may be. PHCN officers seldom explain to the people affected, let alone apologise for the power interruptions.
Things are, indeed, looking up. Power generation will jump to 5,000MW by the end of this year from the present 4,000MW. It will climb to 6,000MW next year, to 10,000MW in 2013 and 14,000MW in 2014. No wonder that buoyed by the business prospect in the power, as many as 331 firms took part in the Expressions of Interest (EoIs) when the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) called for them as the first step in the privatization of 17 PHCN successor companies. No less impressive is the calibre of the firms, which include Essar of India, a $15billion company which last October at the Presidential Retreat at State House, Abuja, pledged to invest a whopping $2b in our power sector if we maintain the reform momentum; Tata, also of India, which recently acquired the world famous Rolls Royce of the United Kingdom; Manitoba Electricity Corporation of Canada; and the Israeli Electricity Company. Not to be forgotten is NRECA , the world’s largest electricity distribution company which accounts for 10% of the one million megawatts produced in the whole of the United States. These international firms, apparently, do not want to miss out on Nigeria as Vodacom did in 2001when it refused to invest in the Nigerian GSM telephony market, only to bite its fingers endlessly when it saw how smaller companies like the MTN, Glo and Airtel  were cleaning out, as the Americans would say. Return on investment in Nigeria remains among the highest in the world.
With President Jonathan receiving an overwhelming mandate in the April 16 election, he has to accelerate the pace of the power sector reform. The privatisation of all 17 PHCN generation and distribution companies has to be concluded this year. Good a thing that labour issues are all but concluded. PHCN employees have received N57b for the monetisation benefits denied them since 2003. Over N147b has been provided in the budget since last year for the prompt payment of benefits when government’s stake in the PHCN successor companies is diluted considerably this year. A substantial percentage of shares is being reserved for them so that they can become part owners of the PHCN successor firms. The issue of thousands of PHCN employees remaining casual workers for years, which is unacceptable, is being sorted out. With the private sector now driving public electricity supply, more and more people will be employed in the power sector and they will enjoy pay and conditions of service comparable to what their colleagues in the MTN, Airtel and Glo enjoy. What is more, they will work with state of the art facilities, apart from having the experience of travelling abroad from time to time.
The Presidential Task Force on Power has inspired the confidence of all Nigerians. Could have done so if it been headed by a professional politician, rather than a technocrat of international renown, Prof Bart Nnaji? Given the critical nature of power in Nigeria, there is no justification for upholding the bizarre tradition where the Ministry of Power has always been headed by greenhorns in the power sector, a tradition that makes the ministry underperform from year to year. Jonathan should chart a new direction.  
•Chief Makanjuola, an engineer, is coordinator, National Electricity Consumers Association of Nigeria and Chairman of Nigerian Ports Authority Welfare Association, Lagos State Chapter.

http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/electricity-getting-it-right-finally/91831/

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I actually have not heard what Buhari's plan for power is. Smh

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You need a COREN registered Geotechnical Engineer or Structural Engineer. A Geotechnical Engineer specialises in soils and foundations. A Structural Engineer specialises in structures! (i.e. buildings, bridges, towers, etc). Pls look for a professional and dont patronize quacks. There are many peeps who will claim expertise but can only make things worse. Post d pics if u can and I'll be glad to give any additional advice.

Settlement occurs in soils that are not properly consolidated. Not all forms of settlement are bad and not all houses settle. It depends on the type of foundation and the soil. In many cases, when you observe cracking that gives serious concern, differential settlement may be the culprit. Differential settlement occurs when one side of the building is "settling" faster relatively to another side. This causes stresses to be induced at certain points in the foundation. This is then propagated upwards to the walls leading to the cracks you can observe. Note also that not all cracks you observe are of structural significance. Cracking can be due to poor rendering (plastering) and many other factors. As a professional , I will tell you that proper diagnosis can only be made upon physical inspection of your building. I will therefore recommend that you invite a professional to take a look at your house and tell you what exactly the problem is and how you can solve it. If you would like others to benefit from this, you can as well post a picture of the crack and tell us where the crack is coming from (is it growing from the ground up or from the roof down or is it isolated). At what rate is this crack growing? All these may give us more clues. Please act fast because if this is what I think it is, it's better solved ealier than later. Cheers

If you have a degree in Civil/ Structural Engineering, then you may have a shot at the oil and gas industry. There are currently vacancies in a Multinational seeking to establish its subsea operations in West Africa. The company needs experienced, brilliant and trainable Structural Engineers familiar with structural analysis software such as SACS and Staadpro. This need arises from the magnitude of projects to be handled in Nigeria particularly in the Niger - Delta region. Applications are welcome from Nigerians and foreign nationals. The typical candidate should have at least two (2) years experience working in the oil and gas industry. The candidate should also have adequate knowledge of Structural Analysis software or modelling software. Highly experienced engineers in the order of 5 to 15 years experience in the offshore oil and gas industry are also needed. Candidates with subsea experience have an added advantage. Training will be given to succesful candidates based on particular needs. The renumeration is also attractive as it applies in the oil and gas industry.

How to apply: Send your cv to structural_guru@live.com [i.e structural(underscore)guru@live.com] with the subject: SUBSEA STRUCTURAL ENGINEER NIGERIA.

Thank you.

If you have a degree in Civil/ Structural Engineering, then you may have a shot at the oil and gas industry. There are currently vacancies in a Multinational seeking to establish its subsea operations in West Africa. The company needs experienced, brilliant and trainable Structural Engineers familiar with structural analysis software such as SACS and Staadpro. This need arises from the magnitude of projects to be handled in Nigeria particularly in the Niger - Delta region. Applications are welcome from Nigerians and foreign nationals. The typical candidate should have at least two (2) years experience working in the oil and gas industry. The candidate should also have adequate knowledge of Structural Analysis software or modelling software. Highly experienced engineers in the order of 5 to 15 years experience in the offshore oil and gas industry are also needed. Candidates with subsea experience have an added advantage. Training will be given to succesful candidates based on particular needs. The renumeration is also attractive as it applies in the oil and gas industry.

How to apply: Send your cv to structural_guru@live.com [i.e structural(underscore)guru@live.com] with the subject: SUBSEA STRUCTURAL ENGINEER NIGERIA.

Thank you.

Everyone needs to update himself properly cos things are changing seriously in the oil and gas industry. Those figures are very accurate and believe me or not, there are many who earn even more than that at entry level. The current range is (350 - 550k) for producing companies. For some, u can even get up to 750k. It all depends on how u enter and what position u are getting into. I dont know much about banks but I can tell u that the banking industry (on the average) can not get u as much as what the oil and gas industry can. Do ur research properly, there are many silent Millionnaires in the industry right NOW. Get on board and u will see dat YAHOO or whatever scam people may be doin cannot even pay as much as what the oil and gas companies can. Remember also dat the oil and gas industry is not only 4 engineers. The industry needs Accountants, Lawyers, Doctors etc definitely not as much as engineers but at least a good number. What more can I say but build urself and go for it God will definitely reward ur efforts if u stay true to it.

The oil and gas industry definitely offers the best pay for professionals. Those figures given by Obilizy are very accurate and even beyond that, with few years of experience, you can earn over N1m monthly plus all manner of freebies. Oil and gas companies (especially E&P) usually give a lot of bonuses. I know a staff of an E&P company who got over N20m annual bonus in 2007. Whats better is that there is so much room for career growth and the demand for professionals in the industry is very high hence, companies are ready to pay u a fortune when u are really good. Just imagine hw much a manager in such a company would be getting.