The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2014 annual report for this blog.
Here’s an excerpt:
A San Francisco cable car holds 60 people. This blog was viewed about 770 times in 2014. If it were a cable car, it would take about 13 trips to carry that many people.
Before thinking about laying of your wall tiles, you must have tested all your water pipes against leakage. Since wall tiles are used majorly at kitchens, toilets and bathrooms where water outlets are, water pipes should be tested before tiling.
Unlike floor tiles, the processes involved in laying wall tiles successfully are quite different from that of floor tiles. Taking the picture below as a a case-study:
The processes are explained in the following steps :
i. Sock the tiles in a drum of water. This is a necessity when using ceramic tiles. Why so? Ceramic wall tiles can be so porous that they absorb the moisture content of the cement paste between them and the wall, thereby causing a weak bond between the wall and the tiles.
ii. Take the measurements of the wall to determine if you’ll be needing a cut at the bottom and top or not. If you’ll be needing a cut, then the cut must be equal at both top and bottom. Take your measurements as regards this and take a level at the bottom where you’d start your tiling with whole sized tiles.
However, if you don’t need a cut, then start tiling with whole sized tiles from the bottom to the top as shown above.
Please note that this depends on the design given.
iii. Unlike floor tiles, we don’t need and obviously we can’t use cement-sand screed on the wall. A mixture of cement and water is prepared in a head pan to form a moderate paste. This paste is then placed on the back of the tiles and slapped gently on the wall.
iv. Continue by repeating step iii. If you are using a spacing arrangement, ensure equal spacing otherwise, close up the gaps perfectly.
v. For a spaced arrangement, fill up spaces at the end of tiling with the paste earlier prepared, tilers call this putty filing.
That’s it! You’ve successfully laid your wall tiles!
Skirting; has a similar process with wall tiles because it’s laid on the wall too. It is done to cover up the edges of the floor tiles, moreso, for aesthetic reasons. However it is important to do the skirting after floor tiles. Some people use seasoned and polished timber in lieu of ceramic tiles, it all boils down to personal choices.
“It always seems impossible until it’s done.” — Nelson Mandela
“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”
Rules of the Quiz:
i.
The first entry to answer ALL THE FOUR questions correctly wins!
ii. Use Construction terms where necessary.
iii. Don’t use any word capable of sending the judges to the dictionary!
iv. Make sure you have Fun! If you don’t win today, prepare for the next time! Cheers!Answer questions in the comments box.
Quiz Questions
:
1. What is the percentage contribution of the construction industry to the national GDP?
2. Mention two types Insurance which applies to you as a builder?
3. In sequential order, list the stages involved in construction of pad foundation.
4. What Orientation should you give a building to enjoy natural thermal comfort?
With reference to my last post titled Setting out : The Rudiments, I wish to share the actual construction details of the column bases discussed earlier.
The portions set out are to be excavated to a depth of 1200mm (or more depending on the design of pad foundation but 1.2m is the usual).
The bottom of excavations are then blinded up to a height of 50mm.
Place the reinforcements and cast pad base to cover up the reinforcements’ baskets up to a height of 250mm.
Place the formworks for columns in foundations and set them in alignment using the plywood plates on them and the lines used for setting out their centres as described in the previous write up. Then brace up the formworks together to stop them from going out of place during casting.
Cast the columns in foundations leaving out the threaded part of the reinforcements. These threaded parts are to hold the stanchions’ plates which serve as their bases.
Strike out the formworks after 24 hours.
From this point on, steel workers should take over and erect the H-sections as shown below;
Angle irons should then be bolted to the gusset plates on the H-sections . I-sections are then welded to the top plates of the standing H sections. Then weld the wire mesh across the top of the I-sections. Handrails should also be provided at the top. Below is what the whole process should end up to;
There are no hard and fast rules to the construction of this but to adhere strictly to the engineer’s design.
“docendo discitur”: It is learned by teaching.
The very first step to the construction of any building is setting out. It is important to establish the positions of structural components. It is also essential to ensure that different components assume accurate dimensions.
Take a look at the illustration below:
click on the image to zoom and save.
First drawing on the left shows a typical setting out of column bases for columns carrying water storage tanks, While the other one on the right shows a typical setting out of a septic tank or sockaway pit.
For the first case, column bases;
1. Establish peg 1 at any convenient point according to the plan on the ground.
2. Drive a 3 inches nail 2 inches into the head of the 2 x 2 wooden pegs leaving an inch above.
3. Tie a line to the established peg 1 then take it to the next point to establish the second peg position. Ensure the line is straight by placing a spirit level along the line.
4. Drive the second peg into the ground, drive the nail into it’s head and tie the line to it.
5. Establish peg 3 at any close point as shown in the illustration. Tie the line to it then take it across to establish peg 4.
6. Place a builder’s square at the interception of the lines. Ensure the angle formed at the intercept is 90 then establish peg 4.
7. Measure the desired distance which in this case is 2.4m, between the the centres of the columns to be erected and establish peg 5.
8. To establish peg 6 from peg 5, place a builder’s square at the interception of the lines as in step 6.
9. From the interception of the lines 3-4 & 5-6, measure the required distance from the centre of the columns, which in this case is 4.8m. Establish peg 7 at this point.
10. Take the line across to establish peg 8. Ensure squareness using the builder’s square before driving the peg to the ground.
11. From peg 8, measure the distance between the centres of two columns as in step 7 then establish peg 9.
12. Take the line across to establish peg 10. Ensure squareness using builder’s square at intercepts. Drive peg 10 to the ground and tie the line.
As shown, the interceptions are the centres of the columns to be erected. Therefore, the portions to be excavated are pointed out using dotted lines. In this case, the columns’ bases are 1200 x 1200 mm. Measurements on actual ground are taken from the centres i.e 600mm to the four sides of the midpoint established.
In all we have 6 columns, 2.4m center to centre between two columns and 4.8m between one column and a third one.
PS: These steps explain the setting out for septic tanks and sockaway pits too. The only difference is we establish the portions to be excavated directly using the lines and not from the interceptions.
This is just the basis and amateurs and students should find this helpful but if by any means this has created any confusion please don’t hesitate to ask your questions in the comment box below. Cheers!
“docendo discitur”: It is learned by teaching.
Can you remember your first birthday? No? No worries, let me remind you. It was a bright sunny day on the eleventh day in the eleventh month of the year after you were born. I could remember you had a biscuits box and lots of sweets in a table before you. The cameraman was standing and waiting for you to assume the right posture for a shot but not until mummy came and held you in place, you were too young to put yourself together. Everyone wanted to take a picture with you because you were so handsome, innocent and free of worries. I could remember a very beautiful girl had a crush on you then but poor you, you were too young to notice. Hmmm.
Today, I thank God for me. You heard me right, I thank God for me. For the rare privilege of meeting you, I give great thanks. It’s far beyond ‘sweet words’ or ‘what you want to hear’ but ‘what I want to say and what I mean to say’ you’re more than a friend, you’re a brother. If I’m sure of anything today, I’m sure of you giving me a hand whenever I need it. I thank God for the man you’re growing into. I thank God for your mother, she’s lucky to have you and I’m sure you’re blessed to have her.
Live and live long in comfort and peace. On this path you walk, you shall not stumble…
Allah hafiz.
“docendo discitur”: It is learned by teaching.
About a week ago I was engaged in a discussion with two professionals in the construction industry. One of them being an Architect and the other an Engineer. As a student in the construction field, I inquired about the role of insurance in risk management in the construction industry but to my amazement, they attached no importance to insurance. They felt it is a waste by putting money where you might never need it. Their responses prompted me to go into research and I couldn’t keep to myself what I found.
Definition
‘Insurance is the equitable transfer of the risk of a loss, from one entity to another in exchange for payment. It is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of contingent, uncertain loss’ – Wikipedia
Taking a closer look at this definition, we can derive the following key words:
i. ‘equitable’ ; that is, amount of risk of a loss envisaged for equal amount of money paid.
ii. ‘one entity to another‘ ; typically, two parties are involved in an insurance arrangement. The insurer (also known as insurance carrier) and the insured (policy holder). The insurer is the company selling the insurance while the insured is the entity buying the insurance policy. However, an entity may be a person, group or a company driving towards a common goal.
The payment therein is called the ‘premium’. The contract between the two parties involved is called the insurance policy. The insurance policy will contain the conditions and circumstances under which the insured will be financially compensated.
An Insurance contract includes;
i. Identification of participating parties.
ii. Period of coverage
iii. Loss event covered
iv. The premium
v. The amount of coverage to be paid in event of loss.
vi. Events not covered.
Types of Insurance Contracts
i. ‘Pay on behalf ‘ policy
ii. ‘reimbursement’ policy and
iii. Indemnification policy
All these being said apply to insurance in general, however, how do they relate with the construction industry? Let’s take a look at the following:
Builder’s Risk Insurance
Building construction is capital intensive. Ranging from materials to equipment, everything on a builder’s site don’t come cheap. Imagine a situation where you have heavy equipment costing a fortune on your site and a warehouse housing materials costing millions. In an unfortunate incident of fire outbreak, how do you think you would survive it? Seeing equipment razed in fire or the warehouse burnt down could cause a heart attack for any onlooker not to talk of the project builder or manager. Insurance is the way to go. Once machineries and materials are insured, there would be a shoulder to cry on in an awkward moment like that.
Professional Liability Insurance;
Another area where insurance benefits us as professionals in the construction industry is this. This is commonly known as ‘error and omissions ‘ in the USA.
This insurance policy is the antidote against professional negligence trying to land you in a quick sand. For example, a quantity surveyor who in his course of estimating for a storey building omits a floor, the client is given a wrong bill ( underestimated bill). Without the knowledge of the negligence of the quantity surveyor, the project commenced up till the point where it is noticed that the client had exhausted his budget but the project is not near completion. Such a quantity surveyor is guilty of professional negligence and if he is not financially strong or has help from no one, he might not stand again after that fall. Therefore, no matter how professional you may be, mistakes can come in at any point in time. These mistakes are commonly due to negligence, misinterpretation and excess stress at work. Not to bear the loss all alone, you need a Professional liability insurance.
Claims:
Filling your claim may come as easy as a DIY thing if you don’t have complicated policies in your contract. However, if you do, you may hire a public adjuster who would help you negotiate your settlement on your behalf.
Putting money where it might never be needed sounds foolish but not when you are into insurance. Be not a penny wise and pounds foolish.
Get insured today!
Reference: Wikipedia.com
“docendo discitur”: It is learned by teaching.
To all my muslim brothers and sisters, hope you had a wonderful eid-ul-adha. May Allah give us the grace to witness more of it in life, amin.
After a great eid with my family, I had to return to work. Ever since I was hit by a motorcycle in 2005, I’ve never had a road accident. It is enough to say thanks to God for sparing my life till this moment. As I said, I had to return to work by road, bad road I must emphasize. The public transport I boarded looks good on the eye but we only travelled for twenty minutes before something broke out from around the front tire on the driver’s side. It was a long iron rod, I don’t know the name but I think it’s function is to raise the tire and keep it in place. All we heard was “clang clang clang” the sound of the broken metal on the bituminous road. We all yelled and the driver pulled over to the road side. Female passengers as expected were fretting thus blaming themselves for travelling in that bus. Some were saying thanks to God for saving our lives while others were saying prayers for us to have a safe journey. The journey continued as the driver assured us the damage can be managed till we get to a motor mechanic not far away. Before we could get to the mechanic workshop another public transport came to our rescue. While the two drivers were busy carrying out the repair, a lady approached them and asked for a little time for her observe her jumat prayer before we continue our journey. To my amazement, the driver and all other passengers disagreed even as many of them were also Muslims. Some encouraged her to say the prayers later since God has seen her intentions. I began to wonder, humans can be so forgetful and ungrateful. Minutes ago we were all calling on God but as soon as we are fine we forget what could have happened to us. The journey continued after all and we arrived safely. I felt so ashamed of our kind of being, even at the denial of God at the time He required us to call Him, He still see us through the journey. Living to tell this story is not by will but by grace. I thank God for everything. I had to reflect on this in my personal life. For me, God has always been good.
If the doors of heaven and hell are opened to man to have a view, man would still err and disbelief.
“docendo discitur”: It is learned by teaching.
Sandcrete Blocks and Mortar;
From time immemorial, when construction started, hitherto, construction has drastically changed, buildings were built with more unskilled workers who followed the instructions given by the professionals. It would take a long time to get a bungalow erected. But now, things have changed, storeys are built in little numbers of days, skyscrapers are constructed with high tech equipments in fortnights, there is reduction in the use of unskilled workers, as technology ease out most tiring and cumbersome activities.
Nonetheless, there is one custom that has remain constant for all generations,MATERIAL WASTAGE, from the early period of the construction of walls of China, the stepped pyramid of Egypt, the Eiffel tower of France, the Sidney Bridge in Australia, to the construction of Burj Arab in Dubai, and the flame tower in Baku, material wastage is still ravaging.
Of course, on a building construction site, there are materials to be used, starting from substructure to superstructure, for instance, hollow sandcrete blocks cum mortar (cement-sand) used for its joints.
Hollow sandcrete blocks are often made from sharp-sand and a binder (cement). This is then mixed with little volume of water, and then moulded in, to form a hollow sandcrete block. If not properly handled, it can be a real source of wastages. They are mainly used in walls- delineating occupancies and differentiating compartments. They are often arranged in many bonding types- Flemish, English, Stretcher, or Header, whichever is used, sand-cement mortar is inevitable in securing the joints
Mortar (cement-sand) is a true connector for blocks and bricks and also used for plastering and rendering based on/with reference to the mix ratio engaged.
Pics depicting the activities involved from stage of production to stage of delivery
There are many attributes resulting into sandcrete blocks cum mortar wastages on a construction site. First of which is;
Imagine a construction project without a waste management plan, I laugh, even though, material wastage of mortar might have been taken care of, in the bill, there is still a need for waste management plan, the absence of this document reduces profit margin.
Inefficiency of a bricklayer handling the arrangement of the sandcrete blocks may lead to poor workmanship which in turn leads to material wastages. Sandcrete blocks and mortar can be elements of wastages when the bricklayer in charge is not competent enough to handled them
I have handled a project where the consultants had to incorporate what was not in the original work order which led to detachment of several courses of sandcrete blocks spanning over four (4)meters. This led to sandcrete blocks and mortar wastages.A rework on site arising from variation or errors waste materials.
Poor communication and coordination between parties involved, arising from improper supervision by the site builder are worse factors influencing material wastages. If you want to employ someone, employ a competent and down-to-earth site builder who knows the pros and cons of the technicality of construction.
“Rain” is one of the climatic factors that enhances drawbacks in the rapidity of work processes in a building construction site. Bricklayers who want to reach the minimum requirements for daily work, who keeps on working when the rain is falling is prone to waste mortar and sandcrete blocks, because, there is no way the workability of such mortar will not be hindered.
Other factors that invoke material wastages on a construction site are;
And lots more
In conclusion, materials are purchased with part of the contract sum, if these same materials are not properly dealt with, they turn to real sources of waste which bounce back on the profit margin of the contract. You, as the site builder, must take it as a responsibility to protect the interest of the contractor.
–Olagunju Adewale Ridwan
(400L student of Building,
Obafemi Awolowo University,
Ile-Ife Nigeria)
Lately I’ve been surfing the internet for a suitable University oversea to continue my studies after my first degree. I was able to discover many schools offering my desired course. However, there is a limiting factor causing me cold feet when I think about it; “cost”!. The total cost of Postgraduate studies at these schools ranges from 4 to 5 million naira. Only if I’d be waiting for a miracle, I have no hope of such fund. I then began to look out for scholarships and there seems to be a future for me oversea.
Here is the result of my research;
Masters Degree Scholarships for Non-EU Students »
Leiden University Excellence Scholarships
The Leiden University Excellence Scholarship Programme (LExS) is open to outstanding Non-EU/EEA
students pursuing a master’s degree programme at Leiden University. Depending on the student’s
merit, the scholarship covers 25-100% of the tuition fees. The highest award covers the tuition fee
minus the home fee* and an allowance of €10,000 for living costs.
University of Maastricht High Potential Scholarships
Maastricht University (UM) aims to encourage talented students from outside the EEA to follow a
master’s programme at UM. These scholarships are fully-funded scholarships which includes tuition
fee, living expenses, visa costs, and insurance.
Radboud University Scholarship Programme
The Radboud Scholarship Programme offers a selected number of talented prospective non-EEA students the opportunity to receive a scholarship to pursue a complete English-taught Master’s degree programme at Radboud University Nijmegen (of one or two whole years). The scholarship is not an amount of money that you will receive on your bank account but consists of a partial tuition waiver. The tuition fee will be waived to the level of an EEA student. In addition the Radboud
Scholarship also covers costs such as for visa, residence permit, health insurance and liability
insurance.
University of Twente Scholarships
University Twente Scholarships (UTS) are scholarships for excellent students from non-EEA countries, applying for a graduate programme (MSc) at the University of Twente. The scholarship amount for students from non-EU/EEA countries is either € 10,000, € 12,500, €20,000, or € 22,500.
Read more at:
Culled from http://www.scholars4dev.com/9346/top-10-masters-degree-scholarships-for-international-students/
“docendo discitur”: It is learned by teaching.
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