n3xt:


Ok. If that's the case, the fix been applied is not the final solution. The walls equally need to be replaced with impermeable solutions 600mm down the DPC and 600mm above the DPC.

I saw blocks and slurry concrete in one of the fixes done. That won't work. Anything that will not allow water to flow is what we need.

Meanwhile, let me check and see what I can come up with after my visit.

Thanks for your understanding bro.

n3xt:


I'll be there. I just need to get more info. I'm sure you know nobody can do better explanation than yourself cos we're both in it from the beginning. And you'll understand everything I'm saying faster than anyone else.

If the picture you posted yesterday is from any of those two areas mentioned (private lounge or guest bedroom, or underneath the stairwell, let me congratulate you and ask you to put your mind at rest.

Those areas have already gone beyond flood level when I last visited and that's What made me to quickly suggest underpinning.

So if you're seeing water in those areas, I can understand.

n3xt:


I guess as much cos those areas were stepped down by one board. And I am not leaving out the possibility of seepage or water ingress from the wall.

n3xt:
I'll visit but I'm tempted to ask this question bros.

What part of the house is that? Is it the private lounge? Or the guest bedroom? Or the main lounge?

The private lounge at the void section and guest bedroom are highly susceptible based on what I saw during my last visit. Especially the guest bedroom.

From the last pictures, I know you won't have such issue in the kitchen, dining and the bedrooms at the back.

n3xt:
@ Qc1

Can we take this to private chat? Who will be at the site?
Also have you been able to complete your septic tank? Cos I may need it for a different purpose.

n3xt:
@ Skimanski, I completely understand your point about soil test. And also I'm actually responding to this in case there are people who might be experiencing a similar situation so as to know exactly what causes and how best you can fix the problem.


Before anything, let's do a simple diagnosis or try to recreate the problem. You can't fix what you don't understand.

Let's put a ball in bowl filled with sand up to 1/2 of the bowl and water up to 1/4 of the bowl. The ball will stay despite having water underneath the sand.
Now, let's start to apply pressure (put more loads in case of structure) on the ball. The sand will witness upward lift on all sides.

Again, let's start to put more water without a drain off point up to 3/4 of the bowl, what happens the ball will be lifted. Now, if the ball is under a pressure that suppresses the upward lift, water will find a way into the structure through cracks and holes on the slab.

Now, let's do the same experiments using granite as the base, if water level continues to increase in the bowl, there may be uplift or total disconnection of the footing from the bearing soil.

I hope this simple analogy will make any meaning to us now to be able to diagnose the problem and the fixes.

But just like you rightly recommended, I think an independent water/foundation expert should take a look and recommend a fix.
I believe it can be fixed. It just shouldn't be too long and work must stop at least for the time being.

_______
As it is, the ponding water is causing upward lift of the slab. That's the reason why water is found in the building and not outside because the slab is resisting the water.
Such a challenge can only be fixed by reducing the water level or keeping an eye on the flood level.

n3xt:
@ QC1 baba, sometimes last year you wrote this


https://www.nairaland.com/2486191/ikorodu-mansion-diy-report/2#36484247

Baba, the bolded part is one of the major mistakes you're doing while trying to fix this problem. The more load you impose while trying to raise your DPC, the faster the building continue to sink. There are times the person you really don't want to hear might be the person who has the right solution to your problem.
You agree the foundation sank, right? Would it have been different if the foundation is 10 boards? NO! It'll only take much longer time but the problem will still remain and the worse part is that the building can even tilt.



I thank God you heeded my advice to do underpinning the last time I visited the site (after January 2014) when I saw how fast the building is settling. I told you, no roof until the settlement is stopped and thank God you allowed me to implement the fix and it yielded a positive result. It stopped the settlement.

I went ahead to suggest other things that needed to be done but nothing was said about it. I wonder why you agreed with me that time to implement the underpinning fix as recommended and carried out by my men to stop the sinking.

I saw a bigger challenge then and proposed a fix but you saw a man who is after 50k egunje from a carpenter when I could have just move in to the site to roof the house just like every other tradespeople who have been patronizing the structure yet unable to recommend a good fix. Even though it was just only one visit in 2 years. I was able to spot and correct a major problem.
Since then, I just heard again from you.
Whether you choose to adopt them or not, I won't stop throwing the advices from here. It's all about finding solutions.

________
Bros, again the damn fence on the left must carry a very big drain or require you digging a big trench to collect all waters before channeling them down to the govt drainage because that side has always been the receiving end and that's where the larger water comes from. Interestingly, this fix doesn't have to be overly expensive. You can use earthbag to construct the trench and fill with construction wastes and Rubbles or sharp sands.

And a V-ditch on the right side to about 1.2m depth is very necessary. This will take care of any leaky pipes and re-routed pipes directinbf water into your foundation. You're not living there yet so you can't tell what might have happened overnight especially now that your building has been fenced out.

In a waterlogged terrain or flood zones, the fix is never ending. You need to constantly monitor the water level; clear the drainages; observe; check and check everything.

n3xt:


Once again a big amen! May your God fight for you and every other persons around you affected. I like as you put it to God.

One thing you know is I'm not a greedy person when it comes to money and that you know for sure.

But to clear the air, I didn't throw any suggestion from distance. I tidied up my job since January 2014 and never had any backlog of work left undone except you have a contrary proof.

I didn't take money from you for any job and not do it. So apportioning blame to me for what we didn't agree on its cost is what I really don't know. I'm never keen about what comes in or out other than advice you on the best selection.

In sure you know I was just a builder on paid commission on the project and not a contractors and as such I'm limited in my capacity to make judgement for you sir. Neither do I make a unilateral decision.

A visit to the thread will show that I was upfront with all the site challenges right from the beginning of the project. And proposed all the known fixes to you right in the thread and on site. I never had to carry out any of the solution for you because you have your own way to do them. I can recollect how mumuni led a team of abokis to come and backfill the house with the laterite. I was just an observer and cannot do anything about it.

Bros, I'm sure you knew I even advised against using laterite for the Sandfilling of the house because it's not good for the terrain but before I got back to the site after completion of the raft, Sandfilling has been done. Even though I recommended getting rubbles from Julius Berger site at Ikorodu and the road construction. Your supplier and bro can attest to this. I didn't have to impose anything on you. The only time I suggested a supplier to you was a granite supplier who did just one trip and nothing more.

Bros, how am I a fraudster? For telling the problems and challenges faced on site that you visit everyday we were there but chose to take with a pinch of salt or allowing you to take a lead while watching your back and advising you on the challenges ahead.

When we found neighbors waste pipe as the main culprit in your compound, I asked that we do everything on our part to safe your structure forgetting what the neighbour should have done because we are at the receiving end. Did we do that?

I'm sure you'll agree I'm not a fraudster when I went to locate where govt drainage in the area and the affected buildings around so that we can plan a proper channelisation of water in that area. Has that been done? Because I know there was never a kobo credited to me over this.

Bro's lastly, when you called me back a year after for your roofing, and I got to know about the fence you did that fell, I told you that you need to fix the water issue ASAP and adviced against using stone coated roofing. I'm sure you'll remember we walk this same walk sometimes last year.

It's so painful but how I wish there's something I can do other than telling you what I know. The structure isn't the problem, the water is. The same water affecting everyone around you.

You just have to deal with problem and not the cosmetic effects.

I believe my mess didn't fall the fence you did by yourself. The water (lateral pressure) did. Neither did it do any damage to other structures affected in the neighbourhood but the uncontrolled flow of water did.
The earlier a combined effort is taken to fix this source, the better.

Beside, I'm not here to score cheap points. I just need to reiterate my points which remain unchanged since 2013.

mavverick:
Sorry to hear about what happened in your site.
I was lucky I came up 12 months ago when my foundation was being done, I was under the impression and asked for 5 board, yet i got 4 board. The foundation was low as they dug the ground first which my neighbor didn't do and I understand ought not to have been done. Anyway moving on

But hey, I pray God gives you the strength to deal with this and find a lasting solution. Also, health is important oo, forget riches, so take it easy. You dont want to be having high BP, where the perpetrator Bosun is there making jest of you with others to prove a point, I wonder how many times he would have done same to me.

Engage professionals: Forget all these internet suggestions, take the good bit and have an open mind. Let someone visit site and ascertain what needs to be done. Cost it and let them do it.

It will cost you in the end, but its better to have piece of mind. I cannot start to tell you the list of things that I have fixed

The atrocities committed on my site are way too much for me to be listing here, I had to grab the bull by the horn and fix them one after the other. Clearly he's not a professional nor a builder, and those people who claim he has talent (I read one today), I was just shaking my head. What a bunch of naive sympathizers, the person claiming he has huge talent, I will ask him one question (Can you give him your project to build, or why have you not given him your project to build ?). The main talent is how to defraud you, simple. The rest na just google work and neat pictures.

I am counting down to 5 weeks now so that I can get the remaining of my money for the fake building plan, I have chosen to swallow the cost of fixing his mess. Let me ask everyone, do you guys think that brabus/ Bosun / Nexthome does this for the following reasons.

*Greedy
*Wickedness
*Complete lack of knowledge on building matters
*Proving a point on how good he is

I would like to know, I have my own mind made up, but it would be good to know what others think.

OnetimeOnly:


I am so sorry you are in this position...it breaks my heart to see people loose hard earned money in such ways. This is why I have been shouting up and dahn this forum about brabus and his fraudulent schemes especially for 1st time home builders and diaspora.

Please pay the extra and consult a civil engineer....to do soil test and a comprehensive overview...this does not look like a small thing to me.it does not look only like site water but water seeping from underneath the foundation(don't take my observation, just trying to stay that you need an engineer to find out what is really going on)

3strikes:
[size=24pt]@ QC1 you cannot solve a problem with the same thinking used when creating them. find a professional to look into this sir. If na lie ask Albert Einstein.[/size]

OnetimeOnly:
Pls engage a professional.Brabus is not a professional. He is a fraudster that posts pictures. That is why you are in this mess. Pay the extra and have peace of mind

agarawu23:
Oga qc1, i will strictly advice you to put any blame game and argument aside for now and let Oga brabus visit the site to see what he can do about it since he was the one that constructed it.

If his suggestion will cost u money and deal with the water once and for all, its better than spending millions yearly to control water.

You have been bringing different set of ppl yet no solution and i know how you feel cos i will feel bad too if i am in your shoes.

Should he visit your site to fix it up for u?.

Blv me, brabus might/maybe controversial here but i respect his talent and how he deal and respond to building issues here.

I am just saying my own as a concernced person and cos I know the problem you are facing presently.

n3xt:


Once again a big amen! May your God fight for you and every other persons around you affected. I like as you put it to God.

One thing you know is I'm not a greedy person when it comes to money and that you know for sure.

But to clear the air, I didn't throw any suggestion from distance. I tidied up my job since January 2014 and never had any backlog of work left undone except you have a contrary proof.

I didn't take money from you for any job and not do it. So apportioning blame to me for what we didn't agree on its cost is what I really don't know. I'm never keen about what comes in or out other than advice you on the best selection.

In sure you know I was just a builder on paid commission on the project and not a contractors and as such I'm limited in my capacity to make judgement for you sir. Neither do I make a unilateral decision.

A visit to the thread will show that I was upfront with all the site challenges right from the beginning of the project. And proposed all the known fixes to you right in the thread and on site. I never had to carry out any of the solution for you because you have your own way to do them. I can recollect how mumuni led a team of abokis to come and backfill the house with the laterite. I was just an observer and cannot do anything about it.

Bros, I'm sure you knew I even advised against using laterite for the Sandfilling of the house because it's not good for the terrain but before I got back to the site after completion of the raft, Sandfilling has been done. Even though I recommended getting rubbles from Julius Berger site at Ikorodu and the road construction. Your supplier and bro can attest to this. I didn't have to impose anything on you. The only time I suggested a supplier to you was a granite supplier who did just one trip and nothing more.

Bros, how am I a fraudster? For telling the problems and challenges faced on site that you visit everyday we were there but chose to take with a pinch of salt or allowing you to take a lead while watching your back and advising you on the challenges ahead.

When we found neighbors waste pipe as the main culprit in your compound, I asked that we do everything on our part to safe your structure forgetting what the neighbour should have done because we are at the receiving end. Did we do that?

I'm sure you'll agree I'm not a fraudster when I went to locate where govt drainage in the area and the affected buildings around so that we can plan a proper channelisation of water in that area. Has that been done? Because I know there was never a kobo credited to me over this.

Bro's lastly, when you called me back a year after for your roofing, and I got to know about the fence you did that fell, I told you that you need to fix the water issue ASAP and adviced against using stone coated roofing. I'm sure you'll remember we walk this same walk sometimes last year.

It's so painful but how I wish there's something I can do other than telling you what I know. The structure isn't the problem, the water is. The same water affecting everyone around you.

You just have to deal with problem and not the cosmetic effects.

EgunMogaji:


This part got to me, I'm sorry my Brother but you'll conquer this one too in sha Allah.

n3xt:
Baba Qc1

Pls hold on tiling. Deal with the compound. If possible, floor the compound. When the soil (laterite) beneath the foundation gets wet, it become a problem. It won't be able to support the structure anymore.

I know your terrain more than anyone here and I'm speaking from experience. You know I've walked the whole estate behind you, the buildings beside and in front of you and even the Cele Church behind experiencing similar problem and their fix.

Water must be kept off the property. The building or foundation is not the problem. The problem is non-stop flow of water usually experienced during period of heavy rain or 2 - 3 days rain.

For me, I want to collect all the rainwater coming from the roof and channel them out of the compound to a safer distance.

I agree I'm a Mr-Internet-Fix-It but what I'm telling you since 2013 hasn't change and it might worth trying.
You won't have a need to fix a foundation if there's no water in the first place.

So deal with the cause of the problem and not the effect of the problem.

Crack, damp, water ingress are all effect of water in foundation and not the cause.

The causes remains leaky pipes, roof rainwater, runoff, drainage spill, blocked drainage etc.

twinskenny:


By God Grace it will work...it can be frustrating

twinskenny:
I am not an engr...but there was a site I worked around makoko with similar problem..the engr raise the floor level by using filling sand...the problem stop I believed. Not sure if this will work in your own case. You can contact the engr sir fastshipping recommend

FastShipping:


I just called him to explain the situation to him. He is working for me now but I don't mind him leaving mine to solve your emergency situation.

FastShipping:


I have a professional that can come out there to take a look at it. This is not something you can fix on your own. You need to hands-off to professionals now and let them do the right thing. It is going to cost you a lot of money to you have no choice but to fix it once and for all and be happy.

Call 08027355235.

FastShipping:


Suing him wont stop the problem. Top notch engineering work is what you urgently need.

FastShipping:


Forget about Brabus for a minute. Have you got competent hands to fix this problem once and for all or do you need me to link you up?

FastShipping:


Wow!!

This is a big problem. I remember this problem. I thought it was fixed.

This problem would have been best fixed during the dry season. All hands must be on deck. I have a competent hand I can recommend to help you.

Should I link you up?

3strikes:
Oga QC1 so this is what you've been going through for your site?

But Bosun said he advised you na.

n3xt:
Sir Qc1, I can remember pointing out all these problems to you.

I told you I witness the same challenge as your site. Also at the end of a slope (not steep) and few metres away from river overflow.
I didn't bother about the fence. I did everything and anything I can to protect the property. I dug a fish pond, almost half a plot. I've dug a new one again. Not because unwanted to be a fisherman. Install Damproof membrane round it. Redirect the water course. Put reinforcement on the fish pond walls and pour the concrete.

I poured my compound to keep water from entering into the ground after Sandfilling with stonebase.

I knew when the pond overflow, then there a bigger problem.

The more drainages kept getting blocked, water keeps percolating on site and runoff from the slope keeps wet the sand, the foundation will experience trouble. Hence the reason why keeping off water has been my shout from the beginning till handoff.

_______
Anyway, this is not to exonerate or apportion blames but to find a fix.

n3xt:
Sir Qc1, if it is the foundation height, I believe we did the needful. The only thing we didn't do is to stop the water which I was constantly hammering on.

The building is at the receiving end of a valley (two steep slopes). A proper channeling of water away from the foundation to government drainage is the fix bro.
Whenever it rains, the water will carry leftover sands and dirts off the road and they'll fill up the compound at the end of the road if not properly channeled away from the building.

We discussed this all this but none was implemented.

abdulwastecx:


The problem is this type of foundation is not a raft foundation. It is more like beam on grade foundation but we always confused it with raft in this part of the world. The construction techniques and reinforcement pattern of this type foundation is quit different.

All raft foundation must have the beam and slab monolithically cast together and the slab is designed to have contact with the soil with reasonable bearing capacity to support the building , hence excavation must be done to a suitable soil specify by soil investigation. These raft may be only slab (an inverted flat slab) or with beams to reduce punching shear of columns (up stand or down stand beams). That is the major reason why all raft foundation comes with basement.

The type of foundation use for this structure is beam on grade foundation. The settlement problem results from the uniform settlement of expansive clay and not from bearing capacity failure. If water can be avoided along the foundation area then the building will stand

n3xt:


Baba, I proposed a different solution for your terrain which is on the receiving end of a very steep slope.

If you'll remember the pictures attached below. I made the drawing in 2013 to explain the solution. A v-ditch collects the water and takes it away from your property further down into communal drain.
The aim is to stop the inflow of water coming from uphill.

It's not a cheap solution because you'll have to take care of your property and all beside you to get result. The solution can mean acquiring the next plot to you to protect your property since no one is building after you and you're at the receiving end.

n3xt:


@ AZUH, all solutions and suggestions given here still point to the same thing I've told you earlier. Keep the water away from your foundation.

It doesn't take a rocket science to do this. A perimeter drain will solve this issue once and for all. I stopped responding to the whatsapp chats because it seems you have your own solution, you just wanted someone to give you a nod. I've asked you to allow me speak with at least one professional on your site so that we can rub minds but it seems you doubt my proposed solution.

Wraparound will help you deal with surface water but perimeter drain can help you with ground water.
Interestingly you can do this even in the interiors. And it's cheaper than you can ever imagine.

Just do the perimeter drain (internally/externally as you deem fit) and tie everything to a sump. Finish!

engrdubem:
Many reasons,chief is epileptic power supply....shikena.