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um I can't even remember. Okay welcome to the sixth episode of the build your home yourself podcast. The objective of the build your home podcast is to show you how to build your own house in a pain free and economically efficient way. Even in a fun way my name is William. Maybe I will speak on topics I have experienced with an interview, guest speakers and product managers on others. The objective is to demystify the process and elements involved in home construction so you can have the confidence to start that project or complete the one you already started. The main discussion will be in the form of a list with descriptions of the key components of the system or item under discussion. Today we have a guest and his name is Engineer Talebi. Engineer Talebi is the M. D. Managing director Ceo of the toll tops integrated services limited before joining the toe tops integrated services LTD Engineer Talebi was a general manager with the Nigerian Ports Authority Engineer Taleb you are welcome. Thank you very much. So uh the first question I will ask you today topic of discussion is foundations, building foundations. Can you please define what a foundation is? Thank you very much. What is foundation? What is a foundation? The foundation is the lowest part of a structure that transmits or transfer the load of the building to the soil bearing in mind the conditions the ground conditions simply put So in other words one has to find out the ground conditions before you even design a foundation exactly. We need to look at the nature of the ground condition and probably in some cases you need to do some soil investigations. Salt test engineers, cell test and stuff like that. Okay, so the first thing to do when you want to build is do soil test then you design a foundation. Yes, essentially because if it's not a big building like loads you can use average values. Yes, it works. When you start talking of reasonable loads going to the ground, you have to find a way of getting allowable transmission to the ground to safe to be safe. Okay, to be on the safe side. Now, um in Lagos or let's say Nigeria generally, uh what types of foundations um do we have? Yes, thank you very much for that question. Nigeria asked types of soils, foundations are a subject of boats problem. Yeah. Okay, the question again. Right, okay. So in Lagos or in Nigeria generally, how many types of foundations do we have? Yes, thank you. The country Nigeria as different types of soils from the north and the south to the east and west. So financials are a function of the soil type. This is why I refer to as the grand conditions. So in Kano, in just in a gig, in Lagos in lucky the salts are different, some a sandy, some are swamp, some are clay, some are clay. So you need to know the condition of the water and probably the water table because water lubricates the whole interaction. So that reduces the capacity of the ground to carry load. So there are many types of foundations basically for the average foundation in Nigeria, most people do not build more than apart from urban centers. Two story buildings or one story building depends on whether you're american or british british, two story building. Usually most dry areas like in just are on type of geology that is strong. So you don't need to do more than a pad footing. A pad footing is just a pillar at this common A column actually going to the ground and having a base transmitting the load of that column to the ground safely. But in parts of waterlogged areas, alluvial areas, areas where they use pitch in to do more investigation check the water table, check the type of soil. Is it recently field you have to wait for it to settle and stuff like that. Then there's something in between clay then that's why sometimes if you're doing more than 34 story buildings, you cannot soil test a soil test is not so expensive. Just to tell you the characteristics of the soil. Usually then in the main mouth there's what they call the heaven heaven effect. Even even soils, soils that heave. So we need to go beyond that, that means go a little deeper. What does it mean? When you said heaving soil, what does that mean? It's expands in volume. Unlike the temperate areas where the cold the winter and the summer has effects has has some particular properties that the soldiers heaves. So you need to clear away the heavens. No, no, no you don't like it go below it, you just make sure you have reasonable that the layer that. Okay, so um in Lagos generally and in the lake area we always hear of raft foundation or sinking piles and all that. What is the raft foundation? A raft foundation is a type of foundation. Where did load is spread through like a slab, a wide area because one in lake area the water table is high. Too many too many boats. Today. I take it again. Okay. So um we always hear of raft foundations in some parts of Lagos like lucky area and so on. So what is a raft foundation? A rat foundation is a type of foundation that spreads the load in a wide area. Another one again. Okay, he's living here. I don't know why. Maybe today is the business now. Now don't fall again massively. Money is coming. No, no, no, no don't fall. What is it now? I've not gone inside. No, they can't do that again because of that boy. CBN. They're very careful. You know, not again, but might do what you said you do just masters part of masters only because he mentioned it before and I said you're joking. But you know after discussing on, okay, we exactly, middle of the road. Okay. Kill you in your old age. Okay. So um we hear of raft foundations in parts of Lagos like Lakey and the coastal areas generally. So sir, what is a raft foundation? A raft foundation is a solid foundation that spreads the load in a poor bearing capacity soil. Usually in lucky, as you said, the water table is high, usually sand field usually it's it's it's low bearing capacity. So it's more like a slab suspended slab decking again being done invited. So in order to spread the area of the load to the ground invited so that the load is not from your reaction. Yeah. Oh, I don't know what is coming. We've done this a few times without this kind of trouble. Yes. Something Yes, maybe something. It's such a market market people go like I want to so that happens here but this is unprecedented. Okay. Yes, yes, yes, yes. Fine tune. Some years ago. The business, the pain. I think something industry, somewhere industrialist. Yeah. Boy Yeah, boy friendly. Yeah, when he was a couple couple couple. Yes, captain. What about went once? Yes, there was this one doesn't make nice. You'd be surprised and it's quite quiet to be honest, it's quite busy because it's saturday sunday, there's a lot of traffic. Then there are some of these loud motor boats that have their engine inside the boats. Those ones are allowed, is it? I don't know what they call it. It's in line or something, you know, these ones are outboard, those ones are in the middle of the boat. So I think because it's enclosed very loud. Okay, okay, we'll take it again. Okay, let's let's go again. Um so engineer Talebi, we hear about raft foundations in Lagos, especially the lake area and the coastal areas. Can you tell us what a rough foundation is? Thank you very much. You said coastal areas in Lagos, you find coastal areas are have what you call alluvial deposits, sand deposits, usually some swampy, some comet water you need to feel, you need to wait for subsidence and characteristic nominator. Is that the bearing capacities are low. So rough foundation is a solid foundation that is spreading the load taken from the columns to the ground. In another slab, just like the suspended slab, it's like invited suspended slab because the area is needed to get an allowable bearing capacity, transmitting 11 bearing capacity to the ground. That's why the foundation is prevalent in lucky area. Week bearing capacity. So another slab, you know, at the ground level. Exactly. So that's why it's so expensive to have a rough foundation. Yes costs because not just the slab, it's reinforced lab, it's re invite invited suspended slab. Okay. Um so um, if one is building, you know, the objective of the podcast is to kind of um give people who are building, you know, their homes, especially uh those who are not technical an idea of what to expect. Uh So they are not intimidated by contractors or workmen. So how do I determine the kind of foundation that is suitable? How does a person, how can a person determine the kind of foundation that is suitable for their own home? Good for example. That's what's called general knowledge for lucky you know that foundation works because the bearing capacity are gonna get eventually will be enough because of the wide area is used. So I might not do a test really because I can assess maybe I'm technical but for average person, the best things to do a soil test to get the value you're going to design with. Which would be economic for people run away from soil test what it need not be because they're not so expensive. Nowadays laps car and L. A. P. P. R. A insisting because they monitor your sites are the government agency. Yes, regulating the industry. So recommendations can be determined from the saltiest you do to know the value to design with. And usually what's important is that concrete is good in compression and weak intention. That is expanding cracks. So that's why we use reinforcement iron to take that. I mean that tension in a way it's a composite action is still on the concrete work together. But if there's no steel inside the concrete just cracks. Probably so failure. So what's important is you should not deface that it cracks. For example, I was in a place as little as a culvert, uh, drainage cover the people that do not know where to put their enforcement, They're putting this in the middle and at the top and yet cars are parking on this something. It should be the bottom because that's the part that is stressed tensed. I almost take detention. So little knowledge, you know any side that is on the attention series, something is going on today, definitely a visit to somebody, all of the marketing people because you know they are wearing, what do you call it? And there are quite a few of them shooting movies on water. They okay. You have passed the dangerous september when you know, when they say the water carries people, that's their own understanding that carries people. Funny enough we discussed no fisher died when the welcomes, the current is so strong. You don't swim if you get the best swimmer dissipate your energy but don't swim. Just let's carry it with you. Yes. You drop you at the end. You can swim from there. But if you start swimming against it, if you don't know if you don't know what, you're so sad. Where were we? Um, you have foundation I guess you have to repeat the gate about the rough foundation. I can't, I was saying that what type of foundation is suitable. Yes, no, no, no intention. What side this general knowledge anywhere. Let's take it from. I think I know where we are now. So the question now, Engineer Talebi is how can a person determine the kind of foundation suitable for their home, you know, like I said earlier, the objective of the podcast is to demystify the building construction process so that people are not intimidated by technical people or contractors. So how does the person determine the kind of foundation suitable for their home construction? Basically we've said the best way and the most economic way is to do a soil test this will characterize the soil and give us the allowable load allowable load the soil can carry bending mind, safety factors, factor of safety in the design of the building. Now to determine the type of foundation, you need to know your structure. How many flaws are you building judicial things money, I think what has happened is we've been very lucky in the past so we take it for granted. Well the traffic is fair everywhere recording we go through uh, you know, recording without maybe one interference. This is three, it's you must put it on silent. I just have to interest which should be thankful all this time for granted. Wait, let me, I'm not sure used to this one. Just let me get set since Engineer Talebi, how does a person determine the kind of foundation suitable for their home construction? You do not determine the type of financial suitable for you except a professional. The engineer who looks at your design transfers the load through the foundation and from the financial knows what to do because of the soul report. He has, he has to marry the load coming down with what is allowable. So the engineer the professional is the one that does that to determine the type of foundation. Apart from the general knowledge that we know if you're building to one story, you know in like usually people know it's wrapped because of the nature so that might save you general knowledge. But apart from that you're bringing 34 stories you need to determine so that accurately, you know the depth to go. You know the economic level of the foundation, the type of foundation. Sometimes you might not need the foundation but usually the soldiers reveals this. Any load c load of the building, the pillar or the column as a reaction from the ground because nothing is suspended in space is most go to the ground. And that's where the interaction with the foundation is important. Financial balances the loot coming and the building is acceptable state. And it will be like that for as long as possible the design life of the of the building. So you cannot determine strictly speaking the type of foundation until you get your design of the superstructure load above the grant and the soil test that will determine the suitable foundation to use. Okay, I hear you and I'd like to uh you know state clearly for our listeners, um professionals will give you the desired outcome in your building construction. Always refer to the professionals on our website. Well dot com dot n G W O E L dot com dot n G. We have a list of recommended professionals that you can refer to and if you have any questions, please send email to info at well dot com dot N G. Now the question I'd like to ask now engineer Talebi is why do buildings collapse? I mean, can you tell us uh in Lagos, especially with that, a series of building collapses, why do buildings collapse? Building collapse has become common, not just in Lagos. All overnight share in Kadena in Kano, in some other areas and some happen and it's not in the news. Why do buildings collapse? One is insufficient materials being used too? Unprofessional conduct of the constructors of such structures. The first things material, material, poor quality materials, eg concrete. They use pour concrete instead of the correct and adequate mix of cement, sand aggregate. So they have some soul lose it cannot stand to overloading Of if a foundation when foundation designed to carry 15 slabs, 15 flaws and you take it to 21 floors, you have added six extra flaws, six extra weights even though they're dead. They're not yet. For example, the one that collapsed in Lagos. One of the reasons you overloaded the finish in the nation was designed for a lower amount of flaws, number of laws and overloaded the foundation so that's what caused that failure then can come from workmanship as well. As I said earlier on when work mine deliberately because of making money from the promoter. They use materials that are not good. They use the quantity that is not adequate and such, you get pressure on them as well. But because the regulators are not there all the time. The owner needs to take some, take notes that they follow professional practice, standard professional practice and bringing it back home. I'd like to ask what can, uh, like a person building who has hired, uh, contractors and so on. How can you ensure that um, your building is properly done or you're building does not collapse. I mean assuming you are not even technical, you're not an engineer. You just want to build a home for two house yourself, your family. How can such a person ensure that it gets value for money. Yes. Getting money for money is important. When you engage professionals, make sure they are registered professionals, they belong to a professional body who can sanction them in case of misconduct. That's the first thing. Make sure you engage registered professionals. If an engineer the country severe, they are registered so that the services, whether you're there or not will be tiptop will be economic, give you value for your money and when you do such, put it in a contract, get it frozen down a contract, not just viable, come and help him do this and that's you know, adopt things. There's nobody that's nobody accepts responsibility. So make sure it is reason now it's a contract that's engaged and the guy is a registered professional in that way you will give you quality work and that's resulting to value for money and again, you should be over oversight, be checking your sights once a while to make sure that all is correct because sometimes people designed properly and they tend to do other things on site because they want to make money. I have seen it a couple of times. They still cement bags so they should change the owner. You have bought adequate number of cement for the mix, but because of the dubious nature of the forming and the men on site, you won't see the mixes, cement and the sand, there's so much sand, have too much stones and equality is not right. So these are the things that happen. Okay, Thanks. I mean that's a good one. So, um, for our listeners, if you are building, make sure you visit your site from time to time and ensure that materials you are bought adequately used now. Um, one thing I've always wondered about is okay, some people build, then some other people buy already built property. Now, if a person is going to buy a house that has been built already uh, especially um, the ones you buy as a carcass or even completed building. What should one look out for when you are buying to make sure that you're buying a quality property. Um, what should a layman look out for all? How can a layman ensure that he has bought property? That will stand the test of time? Good question. Thank you very much. A lot of developers in Lagos now see the estates business as a profitable business. Everybody is building, everybody's engaging professionals, everybody's both quacks and original. So documentation is very important. When you're buying ready made houses, build some is built houses. You need to engage somebody realize that related to look for these type of houses, then check their documentation. Their track record is important. That documentation so that, you know, it was well constructed. An example is the case of the lucky consumes that. And even though it's a company that sells houses, builds estates, they made mistakes and lego states sanction them before they were allowed to continue work. So companies can make mistakes as well. It's not just individuals when you deliberately become miss serious to make money. Yes. So what you need to check out for is the one the grapevine. If you engage your realtor, he notes and knows that this type of people have a track record of not cheating to the documentation that they got the necessary approvals. I mean the lab ska and the L. A. P. P. R. A. You are there in between the certificates and stuff like that. So this needs to be checked. The conversation needs to be checked. Just give you assurance comfort that you are investing. You're buying what is claimed to be. Yes I I hear you um check the track record of the developer and asked for the documents relating to the business um to the building. So as we round up, tell us a bit about the toll tops. Integrated Services Limited. Do you offer structural engineering design services or construction services? Tell us a bit about your organization. Yes. Uh The Integrated Services Limited as the name says it's integrated is put engineering and maritime consultancy firm. We can do construction as well. I mean like I said my basic degree, my first training skills acquired was in civil engineering where I had some interest in hydraulics and some mechanics. Now I proceeded I walked in a couple of places. Maritime area. Yes but now we are integrated. Now I'm this business is integrated services. Both we handle all sorts and if we cannot have the in house capacity we engage professionals which we supervise like a donkey thing. So this gives you assurance that you have the right person. Like a project manager. That's what it's all about. One manager handles multi face aspects of a building, engaging direct professionals knowing what to do. No you to call and knowing what to expect so much. The touch ups. D. T. I. C. S L does that. We do also all engineering and in maritime as well. Thank you very much. Um Engineer Talebi, um for listeners who are interested in engaging Engineer Talebi, you will find uh its details in on our website. Well dot com dot N G. That w E L dot com dot n G. And will give you you'll find more details on how to contact him on our website. And if you have any questions for Engineer Talebi, you can't send a mail to our email info at well dot com dot N G. Well, is W O E L uh you're welcome to send questions regarding uh this episode of the build your Home yourself podcast. And we will do our best to respond to you promptly. So thank you for listening into episode six of the build your home yourself podcast and we look forward to having you in further episodes. Thank you and bye. Thank you very much. Thank you. Nice one. Thanks