mercylicious:
nice.

brabus:
Soil test/investigation also called Geotechnical Survey is carried out by Soil Scientist. Interestingly, it is not enough to have anyone carry out soil investigation, the most important thing is to have the result confirmed in the Labs.

And they carry out so many types of tests ranging from CPT (Cone penetration Test) to SPT (Standard penetration test). Triaxial testing, Bearing Capacity Test, Borehole drilling and Geophysical survey, Pile integrity test and Pile construction, Pile load test and more.

The most common type of test carried out in Ajah area is CPT. Most building engineers rely on given datas for areas they're working on than carrying out the test.

msogunro:


From your experience, what should someone expect to pay for these various tests? A range of each will be appreciated.

olumide4christ:


@Brabus, this question is directed to you based on your comments...over to you to respond.

msogunro:


Please feel free to respond if you know.

Thank you.

msogunro:


From your experience, what should someone expect to pay for these various tests? A range of each will be appreciated.

mavverick:
I have some questions.

Who carries out a soil test ? Civil engineer or a geologist ? In Nigeria, most people claim to be everything. Do you have a trusted soil engineer or geologist that you can recommend ?

From your write-up, does this mean that virtually almost everywhere in Lekki there is no running away from either raft/pile ?

In which cases can you have a mixture of raft + blocks to reduce cost without compromising on structural integrity ?

olumide4christ:


[b]Answer to Q1 - In Nigeria, soil test can be carried out by both civil (structural) engineers & geologists. Note that not all civil engineers are structural engineers, its an area of specialization. However, in projects I have worked on, structural engineers have carried out the soil tests and gotten the actual results. In some projects, some prime consultants (architects) on a project mandate that the structural engineer who would prepare the structural drawings for the project should not be the same person who should carry out the soil test i.e. they advise the client on the need to invite another engineer or geologist, aside the structural engineer on the project to carry out the soil test. It has to do with some form of professional ethics, won't indulge into that here.
If you need someone to carry out a soil test, I have a trusted structural engineer who I can refer to you.

Answer to Q2 - I'm afraid that such is the case...Lekki is majorly sand-filled (reclaimed) ground and as such cheaper foundations like strip or strip-and-pad foundations can't be structurally stable on such ground. If I can remember, there was a thread in this section where a bungalow was to be built on raft foundation because of the soil conditions...imagine that!!

Answer to Q3 - Building with raft and blocks in foundation SHOULD AND ONLY SHOULD be done based on the instruction of the engineer who designed the foundation. Raft is supposed to be a monolithic foundation but if the engineer based on his calculations ascertains that blocks can be used to make up the top of the raft foundation, then its his call and if any issues come up in future, he would be held liable for that decision. So therefore, let the structural engineer consent to that before you mix raft foundation with blocks. [/b]

olumide4christ:


[b]Answer to Q1 - In Nigeria, soil test can be carried out by both civil (structural) engineers & geologists. Note that not all civil engineers are structural engineers, its an area of specialization. However, in projects I have worked on, structural engineers have carried out the soil tests and gotten the actual results. In some projects, some prime consultants (architects) on a project mandate that the structural engineer who would prepare the structural drawings for the project should not be the same person who should carry out the soil test i.e. they advise the client on the need to invite another engineer or geologist, aside the structural engineer on the project to carry out the soil test. It has to do with some form of professional ethics, won't indulge into that here.
If you need someone to carry out a soil test, I have a trusted structural engineer who I can refer to you.

Answer to Q2 - I'm afraid that such is the case...Lekki is majorly sand-filled (reclaimed) ground and as such cheaper foundations like strip or strip-and-pad foundations can't be structurally stable on such ground. If I can remember, there was a thread in this section where a bungalow was to be built on raft foundation because of the soil conditions...imagine that!!

Answer to Q3 - Building with raft and blocks in foundation SHOULD AND ONLY SHOULD be done based on the instruction of the engineer who designed the foundation. Raft is supposed to be a monolithic foundation but if the engineer based on his calculations ascertains that blocks can be used to make up the top of the raft foundation, then its his call and if any issues come up in future, he would be held liable for that decision. So therefore, let the structural engineer consent to that before you mix raft foundation with blocks. [/b]

alpontif:


A geologist has no business carrying out Geotechnical Investigations( Soil Test). Geotechnical Investigation is different from Geophysical Investigation, which is also different from Geological Investigations. Dont confuse things.

Also, all propoerly trained Civil Engineers can Design for and Supervise Geotechnical Investigations to be carried out by the Geotechnical Specialist, also....a Structural Engineer HAS NO BUSINESS carrying out Geotechnical Investigations. We are all Civil Engineers, but we specialise at some stage in our carreers, some become Structural Engineers, some geotech engineers, some Transport Engineers, some Water engineers..etc...All are Civil Engineers who Can Supervise, but cannot Carry out work specialities of the different specializations.

professore:
It has become increasingly important for prospective buyers of land to not hurriedly pay money for lands because they are cheap, but to ensure they do some due diligence to determine how economical it would be to build on such land

Some people have said that if they see a plot of land which looks good on the surface, taking out time to carry out this due diligence might make them lose the land to another buyer, but let me say here that “it is better to be sure about a thing than to be sorry about it later.”

This is the reason why some people have said that the rainy season is always the best time to source for and purchase land, as it shows the land in its actual physical state.

These statements impressed me,nice post.

MansaMoussa:
Op! Na only God go bless u for dis advice u dey give upcoming boys like us for free.

E get on Small 1200sqm wey I buy way back to develop..Govment allocation directly behind Bwari law school in Abuja. Now this land is situated in a huge expanse of undeveloped flatland of about 100 hectares or more. It's been surveyed and beacons shoot everywhere from d ground. Typical of most abuja lands, dia's a stream that bisects the land in two..
1. bad news is that my plot is just about 50m away from d stream.
2. Bad news, the first building besides d access road (the extreme end of the place) is a bungalow with a Raft foundation.
3. Bad News, my plot is situated at the junction between two roads in the layout( which we intend to open up eventually)
4.the thing slope small o
5. I'm determined to start developing that place dis year..even going to te extent of flinging some assets to raise funds to comit to this small project.
But as u don mention these things now, na to drink Sniper dey hungry me because I just d dont have d bar for some of dis Remedial measures in dis economic meltdown.
Thanks all the same....pls, d u know how much it may cost in Abuja to rent a bulldozer to open a road from the tarred road to about 200m inwards...mainly cassava and brushes, e be like say some guyz wan rip us off.. pls pardon my typos, my phone is a miniature Nigeria
Have a nice day

MansaMoussa:
Op! Na only God go bless u for dis advice u dey give upcoming boys like us for free.

E get on Small 1200sqm wey I buy way back to develop..Govment allocation directly behind Bwari law school in Abuja. Now this land is situated in a huge expanse of undeveloped flatland of about 100 hectares or more. It's been surveyed and beacons shoot everywhere from d ground. Typical of most abuja lands, dia's a stream that bisects the land in two..
1. bad news is that my plot is just about 50m away from d stream.
2. Bad news, the first building besides d access road (the extreme end of the place) is a bungalow with a Raft foundation.
3. Bad News, my plot is situated at the junction between two roads in the layout( which we intend to open up eventually)
4.the thing slope small o
5. I'm determined to start developing that place dis year..even going to te extent of flinging some assets to raise funds to comit to this small project.
But as u don mention these things now, na to drink Sniper dey hungry me because I just d dont have d bar for some of dis Remedial measures in dis economic meltdown.
Thanks all the same....pls, d u know how much it may cost in Abuja to rent a bulldozer to open a road from the tarred road to about 200m inwards...mainly cassava and brushes, e be like say some guyz wan rip us off.. pls pardon my typos, my phone is a miniature Nigeria
Have a nice day