Good evening everyone, I just have one question to ask. Is there a difference between those blocks with holes and those without in terms of strength? I was talking with my dad and he said there's no difference, one is 9inches and the other is 6inches. That's all. Please pardon the 'silly' question, I'm a greenhorn when it comes to building

Daboomb:


These sort of Vertical cracks are usually the result of "ground settlement" that affect the Foundation when such foundation is not done properly in terms of depth, thickness, strength of materials (Granite/Cement/Sand mix ratio), inadequate reinforcement/iron.

As the foundatin settles, due to the weight on it (or ground movements from nearby), the raft/pad/blinding is probably breaking apart and the sheer forces are being transmitted to the block work.
Result is that if there are no "columns firmly tied to Beams" which can "break" the transmission of such forces to the blocks, it will simply start to crack like Biscuits!
(I have ssen it a few times so l am speaking from experience).

I feel very sad to say this:
It will cost you more to try and rectify this problem because it is a "foundational problem" that wont ever go-away. (I bet your soil is poor even though l have not seen it properly). There is ground movement going on (Is someone building a bigger house with very sound foundations, within 250ft radius of you? Take a look around. They are not the cause of your problem just that such buildings do 'settle' and push ground away to other areas as they 'sink to their settlment point' so that nearby buildings with poor foundations will start 'feeling the heat'. )

If you have the wherewithal, (if and only if), you need to count your loses, pull this building down, remove the broken blocks, dig a one feet down into the ground and do a thick, inverted-T raft foundation to about three/four planks (to cater for future settlement/sinking) and ensure that builders dont cut-corners on the mix-ratios and the reinforcemnt.

This is one expensive mistake the builders have caused for you.
My sincere sympathy.

Thanks a lot

Dremca:
Safety first. Funny enough, you can't see those Chinese and Indian products in US market. Africa is just there dumping ground for low quality products.

lolz, its not by force naau, africa has high percentage of poor peeps, those who arent poor physically are pooor mentally. for examplse a 4kw 48v magnum usa made inverter is about 1.1m naira. while the indian/chinese model of same spec is about 220k, a n avg salary in naija is 100k to 200k, so the person will now use his 6months salary or more to just buy inverter, what of panels. battery etc,

the indian inverters are reliable and fill a niche, installed solar for my folks in the village going to 3yrs now, phcn only comes about once in 2months or 3.
opinion is cheap...and common like an a.sshole, every1 has one, live within ur budget is my motto

Flaghouse1:


Bros,

How many of us remember to put off our appliances on daily basis ,talkless of house owner remembering to put off electric fences with daily and at routined time , Bros that one day difficult with all these harsh economic realities men have a lot to think of oooo

seems there is a misconception about these electric fences, their principle of operation is similar to a taser..ultra high voltage..but low current..miliamps, unless u r unconcious or wedged inbetween..or installed wrongly, its pretty hard for the domestic electric fence to kill a human.

as per switching it on and off, a simpleprogrammable timer socket/switch takes care of that, bought a timer socket for less than 5k naira in the uk..and it helps with turn on my sec light by 6.30pm and turn them off by 6.00am, same for the refrigrator for my folks in the villa

EgunMogaji:


Try this Architect Nairaland.Com/Darenyx

He did similar on this thread https://www.nairaland.com/4353930/building-lagos-warehouse-temporary-structure/1

Baba,

See how you just bring out the required information for the OP as regards the warehouse BOQ,Idey suspect say you don get "portal" for Nairaland informations at your finger tips.

Good job sir, you are a detailed and organised personality I dey envy you ooo

earthrealm:


seems there is a misconception about these electric fences, their principle of operation is similar to a taser..ultra high voltage..but low current..miliamps, unless u r unconcious or wedged inbetween..or installed wrongly, its pretty hard for the domestic electric fence to kill a human.

as per switching it on and off, a simpleprogrammable timer socket/switch takes care of that, bought a timer socket for less than 5k naira in the uk..and it helps with turn on my sec light by 6.30pm and turn them off by 6.00am, same for the refrigrator for my folks in the villa

Very true my friend, but I would disagree slightly with you , how many of us when we build incorporate and intergrate technology into our builds , I believe only a minute fractions, some of these gadgets are out there in developed countries to make life easy but we refuse to incorporate in our buildings due to the following

1.Expert judgement
2.cost of installation
3.Technical know how

galax1:
.
If u are not interested in the Electrical fencing u can patronize me for ur Electrical designs,CCTV ,fire alarm,Intercom,DSTV,All Electrical Installation and Consultations and many more.....thanks
reach me on 0.8.0.3.4.1.6.3.9.1

Do you have remotely activated fire alarm?

Flaghouse1:


Very true my friend, but I would disagree slightly with you , how many of us when we build incorporate and intergrate technology into our builds , I believe only a minute fractions, some of these gadgets are out there in developed countries to make life easy but we refuse to incorporate in our buildings due to the following

1.Expert judgement
2.cost of installation
3.Technical know how

Very true and an example.

We hemmed and hawwed about burglary bar that can be opened a few years back on this very thread.

Contests were held, much drawings were submitted...blah blah blah.

How many of us followed through and installed an openable burglary bar?

Well, I did

Flaghouse1:


Baba,

See how you just bring out the required information for the OP as regards the warehouse BOQ,Idey suspect say you don get "portal" for Nairaland informations at your finger tips.

Good job sir, you are a detailed and organised personality I dey envy you ooo

Senior Man, Twale

I just happen to have kept track of that and most builds by Darenyx. His drawings and buildings speaks to me.

earthrealm:


lolz, its not by force naau, africa has high percentage of poor peeps, those who arent poor physically are pooor mentally. for examplse a 4kw 48v magnum usa made inverter is about 1.1m naira. while the indian/chinese model of same spec is about 220k, a n avg salary in naija is 100k to 200k, so the person will now use his 6months salary or more to just buy inverter, what of panels. battery etc,

the indian inverters are reliable and fill a niche, installed solar for my folks in the village going to 3yrs now, phcn only comes about once in 2months or 3.
opinion is cheap...and common like an a.sshole, every1 has one, live within ur budget is my motto

You may be right in terms of affordability but reliable and durability is not guaranteed. I always go for quality not quantity, if I don't have money for something, I would rather save than to go for an inferior one. Those Indian and Chinese will give you guarantee of 5-10 years, but on normal usage, it doesn't last up to that period. Is just penny wise, pound foolish.

Dremca:
You may be right in terms of affordability but reliable and durability is not guaranteed. I always go for quality not quantity, if I don't have money for something, I would rather save than to go for an inferior one. Those Indian and Chinese will give you guarantee of 5-10 years, but on normal usage, it doesn't last up to that period. Is just penny wise, pound foolish.

We're alike in this regard.

But be careful lest they molest you for showing big man

Thanks a lot to you and @ AngelicBeing!

EgunMogaji:


Try this Architect Nairaland.Com/Darenyx

He did similar on this thread https://www.nairaland.com/4353930/building-lagos-warehouse-temporary-structure/1

Flaghouse1:


Very true my friend, but I would disagree slightly with you , how many of us when we build incorporate and intergrate technology into our builds , I believe only a minute fractions, some of these gadgets are out there in developed countries to make life easy but we refuse to incorporate in our buildings due to the following

1.Expert judgement
2.cost of installation
3.Technical know how

Cost of internet data is also a limitaion. This was one of the setback I discovered in the use of tech gadgets at home when I made a post about smart door lock. Most of these tsmart techproducts ought to be operated via internet on the smart phone. If cost of data is not a problem, it can be installed in Nigerian homes, at least we have top three 4G ISP in Nigeria.

EgunMogaji:


We're alike in this regard.

But be careful lest they molest you for showing big man

Lol, for sure.

katamo:
Thanks a lot to you and @ AngelicBeing!

You're welcome.

I recommend Darenyx and I'm a twice paying customer.

If he defaults on any transaction with you I will pay you back. My stock in him is that high.

Good luck on your project.

Thank you sir. Good to know. I will contact him.

EgunMogaji:


You're welcome.

I recommend Darenyx and I'm a twice paying customer.

If he defaults on any transaction with you I will pay you back. My stock in him is that high.

Good luck on your project.

galax1:

that is where u are getting it wrong there is no system that we humans cannot breach but d unique thing is u cant breach it without it alerting the person in the inside the house

Try breaching my brooms.

Na you go sweep compound tire.

/

InvertedHammer:

Try breaching my brooms.
Na you go sweep compound tire.

Asabari style...

Hajji M.

alstacs:

God bless you Oga mi.
Even on roof, weed will grow.
If you park your car in a single place long enough without touching it... Weed will grow on it.
This therefore brings us to the question on how to prevent weed from growing on interlocked tiles in our premises.

Do you know constant morning sweeping can make your compound or surroundings weed free..., regular spray of anti weed also will stop weed but the best is sweeping.

EgunMogaji:


Senior Man, Twale

I just happen to have kept track of that and most builds by Darenyx. His drawings and buildings speaks to me.

Good one!

Flaghouse1:


Bros,

How many of us remember to put off our appliances on daily basis ,talkless of house owner remembering to put off electric fences with daily and at routined time , Bros that one day difficult with all these harsh economic realities men have a lot to think of oooo

well, that's true anyway.
Maybe a preferable way out will be the use of automatic switcher for on and off at your desired time but actually depends on the financial ability of that owner and ways he handle his things.
Similar idea or maybe same has been stated up there of 6:30am to 6:30pm.

In addition, the 2.5m height mentioned by someone earlier, a sensible normal man won't go there and touch it,plus it's not that close to the ground level for kids which are even less in height.

Was it not few days back when a thought of automatic window opener came across my thought, just some buttons are required for settings and it's less stressed.
Imagine trying to open part and not all,your settings shall be required but notwithstanding, it's best in bigger house and large buildings/commercial instead of time used in opening d windows one after the other.

Might this be meaningful a bit?
#My thought
#cornerstone

EgunMogaji:


http://www.adomonline.com/ghana-news/video-barbed-wire-electrocutes-thief-death/

https://www.iol.co.za/news/crime-courts/electric-fence-kills-man-1677451

https://www.nairaland.com/3794712/barbed-wire-electrocutes-kogi-robber

https://www.agrisellex.co.uk/blog/are-electric-fences-a-serious-safety-risk-to-humans/253

https://www.nytimes.com/1986/10/05/us/merchant-is-held-in-burglar-s-death.html

below is from one of your links, which supports exactly what i said earlier

[b]ARE ELECTRIC FENCES A SERIOUS SAFETY RISK TO HUMANS?
This entry was posted on May 15, 2012 by admin.

Touching an electric fence leaves a vivid and painful memory and the voltages are also high in comparison with standard mains electricity, because of this most will assume that the risk to life and limb must also be high. In fact, the opposite is true. Consider that hundreds of thousands of people throughout the world are “exposed” to the millions of electric fences every day—yet electric fences account for (but are not always the cause of) less than one serious injury per year worldwide. Compare that to the number of annual injuries and deaths that occur from human exposure to tractors, skid loaders, ladders, PTO shafts, balers, mowers, combines, bulls,stallions, shotguns, knives, etc. This is not to suggest that there is no risk. There is, indeed, a small level of risk. And with risk, there is also liability to the fence’s owner.

The voltage being sent through the wires is high, but the current or amplification (amps) is very low. A 220 volt or a 110 volt shock will hurt just as much as a 10,000-volt shock, as long as the current or amps are the same. These currents are constant and have high amperage's (13 and 20 Amps) to power machinery and utensils. Muscles - human and animal - will tense up when coming in contact with 220 or 120v and are well grounded in dew or a good ground. There is no way to release from the contact in that case. You are just physically clamped on to the source, and try as you might, you can't let go - the steady voltage keeps your muscle locked and with the high current - You will fry.

Amps are what kills. Voltage gets your attention - it hurts.

Electric fence energisers put out high voltage (around 8,000 volts) this makes a very clear mental imprint that really gets the attention of the target. However they also reduce the deadly amps to a very low amperage of around 120 milliamps (It varies with manufacturers). This is 120 Thousands of an Amp ( normal mains electricity is 13 Amps). It should not even kill a squirrel.

This output is made safe in two ways, firstly by releasing the flow of electrons from the capacitor in regular pulses of about 1/300th of a second approximately a second apart. The amperage component of the electrical charge is greatly reduced to figures in the range of 15 - 500milliamps. (The majority of units operate in the 100-150milliamp range)*. Compare this with two other scenarios.

Static Electricity when you touch a door, about 30000 volts at .5 milliamps for 1/1000th. of a second, unpleasant but not lasting.
Mains Electricity. 220volts at 13 Amps and constant, unpleasant and regularly causes death, there are many incidences of people running out wires directly plugged into 220v or 110v circuits killing both animals and people.
A welder uses a current of 200 amps to burn through steel.
Modern fence energisers use low impedance circuitry, in which a capacitor is charged by a solid-state circuit. If an animal (or a person) comes into contact with the fence, the charge is released by a thyristor. This is an electronic component which can be thought of as an automatic switch so the voltage delivered is more controlled, and the shock pulse is much shorter – typically just a few milliseconds. The energy pulses through the wires or conductors. This means once every second for 1/300th of a second it sends a pulse of electricity down the line.

The reason for the pulsating current is that when the wires are touched and deliver a shock - whatever touches it has a chance to remove itself because when an animal touches an electrical wire, it causes a muscle contraction in the animal that is similar to what humans feel as a muscle cramp but this is transitory and the affected animal is able to get away from the source of electricity. With a continuous supply of current as you get with mains electricity this results in the grabbing effect that is so dangerous and the victim is unable to release the source of the current. With the pulsing of an electric fence this cramping is transitory and the victim is able to retreat from the source of energy. The animal will associate this unpleasant feeling with touching the fence and will be discouraged from touching it again in the future.

If the current did not pulse (like most electrical appliances - hair dryer, radio, toaster, etc.), then whatever touched it would continue to be shocked until the power went out or something pried them off.

With low amps and a pulsating current, electrical fencing is a safe product. It is the amperage within the electrical charge and the constant connection that makes electricity dangerous.

The one issue may occur if an animal gets trapped in the fence for a period of time and is unable to extricate itself. This could be as a result of animals with horns, hedgehogs that roll up into a ball or any other reason they have become trapped. This varies for different animals and unfortunately can result in the death of the animal. Fortunately this is very rare and in my 30 years of working with electric fencing I know of 3 incidences where an animal has been killed. For this reason, the HoriSmart energisers has been developed that are able to recognise what is touching the fence, treat it accordingly so increasing the safety accordingly.

What NOT to do!

Never Place your head near an electrified wire. Accidental head or neck contact can occur when pushing a voltage probe into the soil or when checking voltage. Be very careful when you do so to avoid head-to-wire contact!
Never allow anyone else to touch a modern electric fence. It is not a game!
What to do!

Instruct all visitors and children to never touch electric fencing.
The legislation that applies in Europe to fences accessible to the general public stipulates that an internationally recognised warning sign be displayed at the beginning and end of a fence and at every 50 meters interval
Warning: In 1991 an accidental fatality occurred when a young child’s head contacted an electrified fence while the child was crawling on wet grass. The fence was correctly installed and functioning properly. The energiser was an approved unit. As a result, we strongly advise against allowing toddlers access to any electrified fences. Also, due to this incident and others, experts now suggest that human contact by an energised wire to the head and neck maybe the
most dangerous point of contact. We urge all to especially avoid this kind of contact with electric fencing.[/b]
also the picture you posted , is a razor wire that some clowns tried to covert to an electric fence..without installing all the other accessories that go with a standard electric fence.
didnt bother opening the other links..ghana and nigeria..most likely wrong installlation or shoddy workmanship.....just like the normal thing done in this part of the world, removing a cars thermostat, or using wrong oil grade in automobiles...even the so called technician doesnt know any better..

my final advice is, if you cant get a reputal installer to install your electric fence, or you cant be bothered to reseach and understand how it works...so you can direct the technician...THEN DONT BOTHER INSTALLING ELECTRIC FENCES

earthrealm:



below is from one of your links, which supports exactly what i said earlier

[b]ARE ELECTRIC FENCES A SERIOUS SAFETY RISK TO HUMANS?
This entry was posted on May 15, 2012 by admin.

Touching an electric fence leaves a vivid and painful memory and the voltages are also high in comparison with standard mains electricity, because of this most will assume that the risk to life and limb must also be high. In fact, the opposite is true. Consider that hundreds of thousands of people throughout the world are “exposed” to the millions of electric fences every day—yet electric fences account for (but are not always the cause of) less than one serious injury per year worldwide. Compare that to the number of annual injuries and deaths that occur from human exposure to tractors, skid loaders, ladders, PTO shafts, balers, mowers, combines, bulls,stallions, shotguns, knives, etc. This is not to suggest that there is no risk. There is, indeed, a small level of risk. And with risk, there is also liability to the fence’s owner.

The voltage being sent through the wires is high, but the current or amplification (amps) is very low. A 220 volt or a 110 volt shock will hurt just as much as a 10,000-volt shock, as long as the current or amps are the same. These currents are constant and have high amperage's (13 and 20 Amps) to power machinery and utensils. Muscles - human and animal - will tense up when coming in contact with 220 or 120v and are well grounded in dew or a good ground. There is no way to release from the contact in that case. You are just physically clamped on to the source, and try as you might, you can't let go - the steady voltage keeps your muscle locked and with the high current - You will fry.

Amps are what kills. Voltage gets your attention - it hurts.

Electric fence energisers put out high voltage (around 8,000 volts) this makes a very clear mental imprint that really gets the attention of the target. However they also reduce the deadly amps to a very low amperage of around 120 milliamps (It varies with manufacturers). This is 120 Thousands of an Amp ( normal mains electricity is 13 Amps). It should not even kill a squirrel.

This output is made safe in two ways, firstly by releasing the flow of electrons from the capacitor in regular pulses of about 1/300th of a second approximately a second apart. The amperage component of the electrical charge is greatly reduced to figures in the range of 15 - 500milliamps. (The majority of units operate in the 100-150milliamp range)*. Compare this with two other scenarios.

Static Electricity when you touch a door, about 30000 volts at .5 milliamps for 1/1000th. of a second, unpleasant but not lasting.
Mains Electricity. 220volts at 13 Amps and constant, unpleasant and regularly causes death, there are many incidences of people running out wires directly plugged into 220v or 110v circuits killing both animals and people.
A welder uses a current of 200 amps to burn through steel.
Modern fence energisers use low impedance circuitry, in which a capacitor is charged by a solid-state circuit. If an animal (or a person) comes into contact with the fence, the charge is released by a thyristor. This is an electronic component which can be thought of as an automatic switch so the voltage delivered is more controlled, and the shock pulse is much shorter – typically just a few milliseconds. The energy pulses through the wires or conductors. This means once every second for 1/300th of a second it sends a pulse of electricity down the line.

The reason for the pulsating current is that when the wires are touched and deliver a shock - whatever touches it has a chance to remove itself because when an animal touches an electrical wire, it causes a muscle contraction in the animal that is similar to what humans feel as a muscle cramp but this is transitory and the affected animal is able to get away from the source of electricity. With a continuous supply of current as you get with mains electricity this results in the grabbing effect that is so dangerous and the victim is unable to release the source of the current. With the pulsing of an electric fence this cramping is transitory and the victim is able to retreat from the source of energy. The animal will associate this unpleasant feeling with touching the fence and will be discouraged from touching it again in the future.

If the current did not pulse (like most electrical appliances - hair dryer, radio, toaster, etc.), then whatever touched it would continue to be shocked until the power went out or something pried them off.

With low amps and a pulsating current, electrical fencing is a safe product. It is the amperage within the electrical charge and the constant connection that makes electricity dangerous.

The one issue may occur if an animal gets trapped in the fence for a period of time and is unable to extricate itself. This could be as a result of animals with horns, hedgehogs that roll up into a ball or any other reason they have become trapped. This varies for different animals and unfortunately can result in the death of the animal. Fortunately this is very rare and in my 30 years of working with electric fencing I know of 3 incidences where an animal has been killed. For this reason, the HoriSmart energisers has been developed that are able to recognise what is touching the fence, treat it accordingly so increasing the safety accordingly.

What NOT to do!

Never Place your head near an electrified wire. Accidental head or neck contact can occur when pushing a voltage probe into the soil or when checking voltage. Be very careful when you do so to avoid head-to-wire contact!
Never allow anyone else to touch a modern electric fence. It is not a game!
What to do!

Instruct all visitors and children to never touch electric fencing.
The legislation that applies in Europe to fences accessible to the general public stipulates that an internationally recognised warning sign be displayed at the beginning and end of a fence and at every 50 meters interval
Warning: In 1991 an accidental fatality occurred when a young child’s head contacted an electrified fence while the child was crawling on wet grass. The fence was correctly installed and functioning properly. The energiser was an approved unit. As a result, we strongly advise against allowing toddlers access to any electrified fences. Also, due to this incident and others, experts now suggest that human contact by an energised wire to the head and neck maybe the
most dangerous point of contact. We urge all to especially avoid this kind of contact with electric fencing.[/b]
also the picture you posted , is a razor wire that some clowns tried to covert to an electric fence..without installing all the other accessories that go with a standard electric fence.
didnt bother opening the other links..ghana and nigeria..most likely wrong installlation or shoddy workmanship.....just like the normal thing done in this part of the world, removing a cars thermostat, or using wrong oil grade in automobiles...even the so called technician doesnt know any better..

my final advice is, if you cant get a reputal installer to install your electric fence, or you cant be bothered to reseach and understand how it works...so you can direct the technician...THEN DONT BOTHER INSTALLING ELECTRIC FENCES

I specifically placed that link there.

It’s just an opinion of one person and means nothing.

One death per century due to silly charged fence is one too many when there are numerous safer alternatives.

Ask that author how many private homes in the modern world have charged fences. Then ask him about those in third world countries.

.

TheMinimalist:
Examine your photo . Your workers have zero safety. No eye protection, no safety shoes ,no nasal protection despite all the dangerous concrete dust .

This is Nigeria, the labourers are already use to working hard not working smart.

EgunMogaji:


Very true and an example.

We hemmed and hawwed about burglary bar that can be opened a few years back on this very thread.

Contests were held, much drawings were submitted...blah blah blah.

How many of us followed through and installed an openable burglary bar?

Well, I did

Can I see pictures sir.

akinolaolujide:

Can I see pictures sir.

Unfortunately I can’t. At least for now until I figure some things out.

I’ll continue to encourage all of us to do something about entrapment during a fire.

Thanks.

TheMinimalist:
Examine your photo . Your workers have zero safety. No eye protection, no safety shoes ,no nasal protection despite all the dangerous concrete dust .

hehehe nobody care about all this brother... Was in a site asking one of the guy to wear an helmet he said that Wil slow him down..

Okay put on safety booth he said it's too heavy... What else?

iphenon:
Good evening everyone, I just have one question to ask. Is there a difference between those blocks with holes and those without in terms of strength? I was talking with my dad and he said there's no difference, one is 9inches and the other is 6inches. That's all. Please pardon the 'silly' question, I'm a greenhorn when it comes to building

In order of strength;
1. 9 inches hollow block
2. 6 inches solid block
3. 6 inches hollow block

katamo:
Good day my brothers and sisters - Can anyone give me a rough estimate of how much it will cost to build a bay warehouse (30m length x 15m width x 7.5m height). It will be a standard rectangular building with aluminum roofing and concrete flooring that can support the storage of agricultural products. The project will be in the outskirts of Abuja.

The numbers do not have to be accurate. I just want to have an idea of what kind of amount I should be looking at. Any help from experts in the house will be appreciated!!

I will advise u to go for portal frame sir

twinskenny:
hehehe nobody care about all this brother... Was in a site asking one of the guy to wear an helmet he said that Wil slow him down..

Okay put on safety booth he said it's too heavy... What else?

It's not the job of the homeowner to supply safety equipment anyways. It's the job of the COntractor to supply his crew with necessary safety equipment and the onus is on the individual professional employee to wear them.

Helmet: Oga, I'm not used to this thing o, e dey slow my work.

Safety Vest: Oga, the thing dey make me too hot.

Bricklayer Edging Tool: I can make it better with "obe".

You can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink.