Author: Mezie Ethelbert

Reading Time: 2 minutes Dimensions are defined as quantities that can be measured. Each dimension has units which are arbitrary names that correlate to particular dimensions to make it relative. In Systeme International (S.I.) system of units which is the commonest system used for scientific measurement in the world, seven (7) dimensions correspond to seven (7) fundamental/base quantities that commonly apply to all kinds of quantities in existence. These fundamental quantities and their corresponding dimensions include: mass [M], length [L], time [T], thermodynamic temperature [θ], amount of substance [N], electric current [A], and luminous intensity [CD]. Note that N stands for number of substances,…

Reading Time: 3 minutes Earth retaining structures are frequently found in civil engineering practice because of the need to resist lateral pressures from soil often due to unbalanced earth distribution on earth surface or from manmade creations. There are different and configurations of earth retaining system which depends on purpose and choice of the designer. For structural design purposes, Reynold et al (2008) gave the following common systems of earth retaining structures: The structural design of retaining walls just as other civil engineering structures considers the loads (actions) coming on the retaining wall. The retaining wall may be subject to vertical or horizontal loads…

Reading Time: 2 minutes The preparation of bill of civil engineering works can be done by the civil engineer or the quantity surveyor who is specifically trained on how to do it. The person preparing the bill should consider the following: The cost of the tangible construction to be done;The cost associated with the adverse conditions under which some of the work would be executed such as bodies of water, banks of rivers or sea coast, low-lying marshy land etc.The cost of temporary works or plant. This is important because a truly useful bill of quantities (BOQ) should reflect the nature of the work…

Reading Time: 3 minutes Plate load tests is a short-term model loading test used to obtain information about the bearing capacity and settlement characteristics of soil. It is often adjudged the most direct approach to obtain this information and it is used as replacement for tests on prototype foundation which is practically impossible. To conduct this test, a pit of the size 5 Bp x 5 Bp, where Bp is the size of the plate is excavated to a depth equal to the foundation depth (Df). The plate is usually square or circular in shape and range from size of 300 mm to 750…

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Reading Time: < 1 minute Geotechnical engineering is the application of the sciences of soil mechanics and rock mechanics in providing solutions to civil engineering problems for the preservation and enhancement of the environment. The role of geotechnical engineers is very widespread in the world because most of man’s activities are supported by structures that bear on the soil. Thus, from the construction of simple structures to megastructures such as highrise buildings, roads, airports, tunnels, dams, offshore oil and gas facilities, mining operations, etc, the geotechnical engineer has a role to play. Failure of megastructures often has a connection to geotechnical (foundation) failure. This is…

Reading Time: 11 minutes Principle: This method covers the laboratory determination of the California Bearing Ration (CBR) of a compacted or undisturbed sample of soil. The principle is to determine the relationship between force and penetration when a cylindrical plunger of a standard cross-sectional area is made to penetrate the soil at a given rate. At certain values of penetration the ratio of the applied force to a standard force, expressed as a percentage, is defined as the California Bearing Ratio (CBR). The procedure for soaking the specimen, if required, is included Test Limitations Because of the size of the sample and of the…

Reading Time: < 1 minute Modulus is a term used to describe how a particular property of a soil or substance would perform when compared to another of its property. It is commonly used in making designs and in prediction. In soil for instance, the modulus related to plasticity represents the effective contribution of the plasticity of the fines to the performance of the whole material, which depends on the proportion of the fines measured from sieve analysis (find attached US standard sieve numbers and sizes commonly used around the world and in Nigeria). Common modulus usually encountered in civil engineering studies are shown in…