Author: Mezie Ethelbert

Reading Time: 6 minutes Introduction Slope failures occur as a result of slope instability which is the movement of a mass of soil, rock, debris, or snow in response to gravity when the support for such mass of body has been removed or disturbed. Slope instability is one of the major ecological challenges in the world presently. Slope instability can be induced by natural processes such as earthquake-induced soil liquefaction, heavy and sustained rainfall that triggers gully erosion, etc., however, most cases of slope instability are caused by the actions of man such as construction activities that lead to the disturbance of natural soil…

Reading Time: 5 minutes Every profession has success and failure stories, however, everyone entering the four walls of an institution aspires to succeed. In certain places, one may enter a profession just to answer graduate and obtain a degree but this may not be the case in the civil engineering profession. The civil engineering profession requires good mathematical and technical ability and prowess to achieve excellence in the classroom and in the field. Thus, a student who was admitted to study civil engineering in a tertiary institution has a wide vision and deserves to achieve success and a good living in the career. Outlining…

Reading Time: < 1 minute Some complete building plans are listed below as attachments in PDF. To VIEW, click on each plan.  The plans listed here are previous works done by the author which were tailored to available land spaces. We give services both in Architectural and Structural Design of Buildings. When you contact us for design, we first look at your available land space through information on your survey plan. Then we proceed to give a design that would suit your brief and available land space. PLAN 1 (BLOCK OF FLATS) PLAN 2 (DUPLEX) PLAN 3 (BLOCK OF FLATS) PLAN 4 (DUPLEX) PLAN 5…

Reading Time: 8 minutes The history of soil mechanics and geotechnical engineering cannot be complete without mentioning the following persons and their contributions to the development of the field. Henri Gautier Gautier was a French Royal engineer who was born in 1660 and died in 1737. In 1717, he studied the natural slopes of soils when tipped in a heap for formulating the design procedures of retaining walls. The natural slope is what we now refer to as the angle of repose. According to this study, the natural slopes of clean dry sand and ordinary earth were 31o and 45o, respectively. Also, the unit…

Reading Time: 5 minutes Compaction is known to be one of the most important methods used to improve the shear strength of soils. In the construction of roads, dams, buildings, airfields, etc., different methods of compaction come into play. Common methods of compaction involve the use of tampers, rollers, or vibrators. These methods are very suitable but they are usually effective at compacting layers of soil from 0.1 m – 1 m. In situations where deep compaction is required, especially at greater depths, other methods are more suitable for this type of compaction. These methods are called deep compaction methods and they include: Vibroflotation…

Reading Time: 4 minutes Introduction Adaptive structures can be defined as structures designed to respond continuously and automatically to changes in the environment that are actuated by variations in temperature and other environmental conditions that affect the internal structure of civil engineering materials. This technology is most important for civil engineering structures in this modern age owing in part to the emissions that lead to more glaring and negative impacts on the stability of the climate as well as the shortage of civil engineering materials (Geiger, 2020). Adaptive structures consist of the marriage of two design principles that have guided civil engineering designs for…

Reading Time: 2 minutes To the civil engineer, soils serve as foundation material and as construction material. For soil to be efficiently used for either of these purposes, it must pass some minimum specification limits to ensure that its engineering properties are suitable for the intended purposes. Some soils known as problem soils are often encountered in the process of construction. These soils have the potential to expand, collapse, disperse, undergo excessive settlement, or even fail under relatively low stress conditions and they are not usually suitable for engineering applications in their natural state. Considering economy and use, these soils may be either removed…

Reading Time: 4 minutes Many developed countries of the world achieved technological development through the transfer of technology which is a duty that lies more with the engineers. Thus, understanding the concept and means of technology transfer is suitable for aspiring engineers, especially in the developing countries of the world. Technology E.J. Kolade defined technology as the development and implementation of formats and formulas as set out in blueprints, process charts, materials, specifications, and the operating institutions required for the manufacture of products and/or services plus the technical and managerial capabilities required to operate the facilities. Technology was also defined in another context as…