twinskenny:
evening chief.. how is it going down there> good progress?

adeekiti:
that lunch sir pass the crew members here

mufutau55:


Little bungalow eh! You used the whole 60x120ft plot for house and no more space for parking, and you call that little.
Wetin you want? Ranch house?

Hajji M.

EgunMogaji:


I'll trade all these nonsense for amala at Iya dunni

adeekiti:
sir, if I eat too much of dis grandview meals, make person no get jedijedi.. Hope u could get enough agbojedi from naija , all dis mendemende meals

EgunMogaji:


Not to worry as I'm with some good stuff from Iya Wale Oyo that will bind and cast any weapon fashioned of jedijedi

Chekitaut:
That is Abeokuta Shoprite site.

EgunMogaji:


Not to worry as I'm with some good stuff from Iya Wale Oyo that will bind and cast any weapon fashioned of jedijedi

smiley001:



Abeokuta, a city I love so much.
A peaceful city.
City of the first whites in SW.
A city of great leaders.
Abeokuta, my second city.



I'm a proud Alumnus of the only Federal University in that great City!!

brabus:


The oriki is not complete without this:

"[size=14pt]A city where Omo Onile still collects Orogbo and 1 Bottle of Seaman Aromatic Schnapp."[/size]

Xzevian:
boss abi you wan say origin.... but recent happening has changed the perspective. Everyone is aiming high

brabus:
@Donswampo, @all

Structural engineers work their whole careers designing a non-breathtaking and normal structure but yet the everyday structures on which we all travel and in which we all live and work.

Unfortunately, when a new house is built or considered by a homeowner, designer, builder or developer; little thought is given to the loading or load resistance of the structural elements supporting the house.

The primary focus of majority homeowners, is always on the floor plan (at least I can say that with authority on this platform), landscaping, and finesse. So, the structural elements that supports the house always receives little or no structural engineering input.

I'm lucky to have worked with big engineering guys and I can say it with authority that structural engineering is fun if you can be attentive.

Take a look at this simple scenario of how we build here on Nairaland:

Mr A wanted a residential building. First, he start to look at the area he'll like to live. Next, he start thinking about the house itself. How big, how many rooms, and the shapes. He gave very little or no thought to the structural elements which supports the house. He called his designer and they came up with a fantastic house with interesting features like the helical spiral staircase, unsupported beams spanning over 6m, wraparound terrace on 1.5m cantilever and many more. The next thing, he came online to ask for quotation to build the modern edifice exactly as the 3D presentation. Got a builder and construction began.

At what point did he require structural engineers input? Point of construction (just as you came and ask how a staircase which is an integral part of the building will be constructed)? Or while the idea is still on paper? That's how we roll and what leads to 99.9% of structural failure we see today.

Now, let's look at the following variables:

A floor plan is a floor plan. But two parcel of land are never the same. One land may be sloped, or adjacent to a river, while the soils of the other may have low bearing capacities or have a high water table. What about bad weather during construction? The construction practices to be adopted on Site A and B always differs, so also the skills and technical requirements.

So my questions are, why aren't Structural Engineers more involved in our designs at the conception? Why are we more particular about the cost, the materials and the esthetics?
Why aren't topics like the strength, stability and durability of structures, interpretation of building codes, calculation of stress, discussed until there's a major need?

Why aren't SE's more involved in our projects? Anybody can design, we have thousands of DIY homeowners but how many can design a structure considering the different variable and conditions of a given land?Oga Brabus you make a nice point, but I disagree with you that the structural engineers are the ones not up and doing. Most architectural designs that comes to us are nominal and common residential designs and so what do we do. In cases where we have challenging site soil condition some architect (the first contact of the client) often do not do enough to orientate clients. The reason is not far fetched, instead of organizing a meeting that will involve all the stakeholders (client, architect, structural engineer, soil engineer) most architect will not do this because they prefer to keep all other professionals hidden and then charged the client on behalf of all other professionals, thereafter the architect will come and claim that the client pay token so we should just manage 40k whereas he has collected like 120k on your behalf even after delivering the job he wont pay you up claiming that the client is owing him and that goes forever. Now tell me how do you expect such structural engineer to do a good job.

Structural engineer can not face any challenging design except (1) there is a superb architectural design that differs from everyday design and the client is also ready to pay the price (2) Also there is no major challenge when the site soil formation is firm or rocky. I wish to refer all of us to the video clip of the design and construction of Alburj hotel in Dubai (the Architect and the SE are young brilliant chaps in their mid 30's from Britain) The location and several features of the project poses an unprecedented challenges and they face it headlong and they were successful.

And many atimes the client will shout you down and tell you to do it the way baba biliki did their grandfather's house, as for me I do walk away from such project but some SE will concur. For instance I met a client recently unlike the baba biliki followership the man put me on my toes and we now have a brand new foundation type that can help reduce the depth of piling, reduced the number of piles up to 60% less ' more reliable foundation. Both myself and the client worked really hard and thank God we are done and we ll soon unfold the details.


NextHome

Aventures:



.............
.....................we now have a brand new foundation type that can help reduce the depth of piling, reduced the number of piles up to 60% less ' more reliable foundation.
Both myself and the client worked really hard and thank God we are done and we ll soon unfold the details.

Aventures:
For instance I met a client recently unlike the baba biliki followership the man put me on my toes and we now have a brand new foundation type that can help reduce the depth of piling, reduced the number of piles up to 60% less ' more reliable foundation. Both myself and the client worked really hard and thank God we are done and we ll soon unfold the details.

adeekiti:
Pls experts in the house, what can one do to control peeling and swollen of walls after painting? The building is just 4/5yrs and some of the rooms are peeling and swollen with signs of water soaked on the walls and the outside painting are peeling off from the ground wall. See pic pls

EgunMogaji:
Are there consideration and interest in tiny houses in Nigeria?

For those uninformed that thinks Americans build grotesquely big houses, they also build the smallest

Onuokwu:


30 tonne granite to Port harcourt will most probably be bought from Abia State along Enugu express road...you should pay between N125,000 - N150,000.00 for that though i am not a supplier o. I am just estimating based on prices in the East.

EgunMogaji:


There's a tool used to test water presence.

There are special water proof paint but beware of mould.

brabus:


Americana, no fit do me shakara!

Some of the available properties while searching for a place to rent at my beachfront project site.

We sef get am. I'll take a closer picture once I return to site in 15 minute. It even have movable staircase. You get that one?

They're even offering me 3 floors but I told them I have phobia for heights.

______
Picture taken just about 40 minutes ago at Okun Ise, Lagos

abouzaid:
please do anyone know the current prices of fibre cement roofing sheets like the one made by nigerite? please does it need specially trained carpenters?. @adeekiti, does that house have a German floor before the blockwork was done? does it have a damp proof membrane? oil based water proofed paint would help but the cost might be very high.

abouzaid:
please do anyone know the current prices of fibre cement roofing sheets like the one made by nigerite? please does it need specially trained carpenters?. @adeekiti, does that house have a German floor before the blockwork was done? does it have a damp proof membrane? oil based water proofed paint would help but the cost might be very high.

adeekiti:
thanks boss, no German floor but what can be done in dis situation @ abouzaid..location: ogun state, owner lives far away from the house. A 4bedroom flat , other problems are crack floors in the compound.

brabus:


Do you have picture of the foundation (external side)? I fixed something similar for a client in Diamond Estate, Sangotedo in 2013 and the problem has stopped since the fix.

johnson232:

@bold, pls do. We are keenly waiting... That's by the way, as a SE what type of foundation would u suggest for a 5 storey building to be situated on a very dry land? To be located in edo.. Cc: abdulwastecx and to all other SE in the house...

adeekiti:
i can get the pic later, I think the foundation started with 9 inches block and 6inches followed up