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Top Civil Engineering Consultancy Firms in Nigeria

By
Ubani Obinna
-

The construction industry in Nigeria remains a very promising area for the present and for the future. Infrastructure and housing deficit in Nigeria has inspired government support, and public-private partnership (PPP) investments in construction, towards improving the standard of living for the masses. Civil engineering consultants are at the forefront of providing designs, consultancy, and supervision for most civil engineering projects in Nigeria. Consultancy firms are legally required to be registered with COREN in order to practice Engineering in Nigeria. Companies can also belong to the Association of Consulting Engineers in Nigeria (ACEN). This post will give the list of some of the top civil engineering consulting firms in Nigeria.

Read Also…
Problems of civil engineering consultancy in Nigeria

While there are many civil engineering consulting firms in Nigeria, here are some of the top consulting firms.

(1) Ove Arup and Partners

Ove Arup started civil engineering practice in London in the 1946, and today, is one of the leading civil engineering consultancy firms in the world with offices in over 34 countries including Nigeria. Arup has been operating in Nigeria for over 60 years and has delivered numerous projects across the country.

Address:  26, McCarthy Street, Onikan, PO Box 2088, Lagos
Telephone: +234 (0) 1 462 2580-4
E-mail: lagos@arup.com

(2) Sanni Ojo and Partners

Sanni Ojo and Partners is one of the leading consultancy and project management firms in Nigeria who started operation in the year 1991. They offer consultancy in civil engineering, buildings, an oil and gas services. Sanni Ojo and partners have delivered numerous projects in Nigeria, and they are members of Council for Tall Building and Urban Habitats (CTBUH).

Address: 1 George Alade Lane, Off Fola Agoro Street, Abule Ijesha, Shomolu Lagos
Telephone: 01-7928849
Website/URL Address: http://www.sop-consulting.com

(3) Etteh Aro and Partners

Etteh Aro and partners was established in the year 1970 by two founding partners, and have delivered over 1000 projects across Nigeria. The firm has recorded success in the design of major highways, bridges, fluid retaining structures, stadia, multi-storey buildings, environmental engineering fields, offshore infrastructures and so on.

Address: 35, Oshuntokun Avenue, Bodija Ibadan, Ibadan
Telephone: 09-5231845
Website/URL Address: http://www.etteharo.com/

(4) Nexant Consulting

Nexant Consulting Limited is an ISO 9001:2015 certified consulting firm with extensive expertise and experience in railway engineering works (tracks, signalling, telecoms, power & electrification), major civil engineering projects (stations, depots, highways, bridges, buildings, etc.), structural engineering works, as well as asset management. They have over 30 years experience across the globe.

Address: CITY HALL, 2nd Floor, West Wing, Catholic Mission Street, Lagos Island, Lagos State
Telephone: 01-2956505
E-mail: info@nexantconsult.com
Website: https://nexantconsult.com/

(5) PinConsult Associates Limited

PinConsults was established in the year 1985 to provide highly competent professional consultancy services in the fields of civil engineering, structural engineering and building management. They have delivered numerous projects across Nigeria.

Address: 27/29 King George V Way Onikan, Lagos
Telephone: 01-271-6259
Website: http://pinconsultnigeria.com

(6) Aurecon Group

Aurecon is an engineering, design and advisory company with a global presence. The Aurecon brand was created in 2009, through a merger of Connell Wagner with two African based businesses.  In October 2019, faced with changing conditions in Africa, where global models are no longer considered an advantage, Aurecon decided to demerge its African business, which is in the process of developing its own brand and identity. This process is expected to be completed in 2020.

Address: 5, Admiralty Street, Waterside, Off Admiralty way, Lekki Phase 1 Lagos State
Telephone: +234 7069 527 330
E-mail: nigeria@aurecongroup.com
Website: https://www.aurecongroup.com/

(7) Integrated Advanced Analysts Associates Limited

IAA Associates Limited is an independent organization providing consultancy and advisory services in the fields of structural and civil engineering. IAA Associates has well qualified engineers and technicians who have considerable expertise in both traditional and high-tech engineering. They delivered the popular Nestoil towers building.

Address: LAPLACE HOUSE Block III, Plot 3 Oniru Estate Off Ligali Ayorinde Street Victoria Island Annex, Lagos
Telephone: (+234) 1-7731029
E-mail: info@iaaassociates.com
Website: http://www.iaaassociates.com/

(8) Advanced Engineering Consultants

AEC provides complete consulting services from the initial investigation stages, through feasibility studies, inventory, condition survey, outline planning, production of detailed designs, preparation of contract documents, evaluation of tenders to construction supervision with successful completion of design and supervision for various types of projects. The firm has worked for Government, State and International organisations. They are the consultants for the proposed 4th Mainland Bridge project in Lagos.

Address: 18, Town Planning Way, Ilupeju, P.O. Box 6925, Shomolu, Lagos, Nigeria.
Telephone: +234 909 388 7975
E-mail: info@aec.org.ng
Website: https://aec-group.org/

(9) Consultants Collaborative Partnership

With over 25 years of experience in the Nigerian and African environment, CCP offers professional Architectural Design, Engineering, Project Management and quantity Surveying Consultancy Services. They have executed projects of excellent value and professional acclaim in most major cities of Nigeria – from private residences to shopping malls; from multi-storey residential blocks to 500 unit housing estates – cutting across the Residential, Commercial, Institutional, Hospitality and Industrial sectors.

Address: CCP Place, Plot 17, Block 25, Chief Abiodun Yesufu Way Oniru, Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria
Telephone: +234- 9038001564
E-mail: info@consultantscollaborative.com
Website: https://www.consultantscollaborative.com/

(10) UF-A Consultants

UF-A is a contemporary and innovative engineering firm with vast experience in civil/structural engineering within and outside Nigeria. UF-A have undertaken numerous projects of all sizes and levels of complexity including commercial, leisure, educational and worship center projects.

Address: S242 Ganiyu Crescent, Gbagada Phase II, Lagos
Telephone: 0801 7122 6944
Website: http://www.uf-a.com/

(11) Hancock Ogundiya and Partners

Hancock Ogundiya & Partners is a partnership of Civil, Structural Engineers and Project Managers engaged in engineering practice throughout Nigeria. This organization was first established in 1972 as Hancock & Partners, and the office was expanded in 1977 with the formation of Hancock Ogundiya & Partners. The consulting services of the organisation provides a complete design facility from feasibility studies to design and preparation of working drawings and tender documents and the subsequent project site supervision/management.

Address: 33 Glover Street, Banilux Compond Ebute-metta, Yaba, Lagos State
Telephone: +234-1-295-6522
E-mail: info@hancockogundiya.com
Website: https://hancockogundiya.com

(12) Royal HaskoningDHV

Royal HaskoningDHV is an independent international engineering and project management consultancy firm that has been around since the year 1881. They have been working with clients to successfully deliver projects which contribute to improving living circumstances around the world for more than 137 years. The firm has over 6,000 colleagues, spread over 140 countries in the world.

Address: 10 Ondo Street Osborne Estate Phase 1 Ikoyi Lagos
Telephone: +234 818 0817 555
E-mail: info.ng@rhdhv.com
Website: https://www.royalhaskoningdhv.com/en-gb

(13) Morgan Omonitan and Abe Limited

Founded in 1972, MO&A has over 40 years of experience and expertise in providing integrated engineering & development consulting services such as civil & structural engineering, project management and independent expert services to the private & public sectors. MO&A has built a legacy of several successfully executed projects and partnerships with clients and stakeholders. They were behind the Alpha One towers, Eko Atlantic Lagos, Dangote head office building Ikoyi, Access bank head office, and many other developments.

Address: 241, Igbosere Road, Lagos Island, Lagos
Telephone: +234(0)808-913-7683
E-mail: info@moanigeria.com
Website: https://moanigeria.com/

There are hosts of other consulting firms in Nigeria, but we will stop here for now.

Webinar 1

Structville Webinar on Structural Design (May, 2020)

By
Ubani Obinna
-

Structville Integrated Services Limited in their commitment to qualitative knowledge of civil engineering designs will be organising monthly webinars on selected topics in civil engineering. In this month of May, we will host the following webinars outlined below;

(1) Structural Analysis and Design of Raft and Pile Foundation
Date: Saturday, 9th of May, 2020
Time: 11:00 am – 1:00 pm (WAT)
Facilitator: Engr. Ubani Obinna (MNSE)

Features:
(1) Theories and philosophies in the design of shallow and deep foundations
(2) Practical design of pile foundations and pile caps using real life data
(3) Rigid and flexible approach to design of raft foundation
(4) Structural design of raft foundation
(5) Full design material (mini textbook) with detailed drawings covering the above topics

Webinar 2 1

(2) Structural Design of Industrial Framed Structures – Steel Portal frames
Date: Sunday, 10th of May, 2020
Time: 1:00pm to 3:00 pm (WAT)
Facilitator: Engr. Ubani Obinna (MNSE)

Features:
(1) Special features of industrial structures
(2) Considerations in the design of industrial structures
(3) How to apply wind load on portal frames
(4) Structural analysis and design of portal frames
(5) Full design material (mini textbook) with drawings covering the above topics

Discussions on real life projects followed with question and answer sessions will commence after every discussion. Participants will receive webinar materials and instructions on how to participate in their e-mail prior to the webinar date, therefore it is important that you register on time with a correct e-mail address.

Price: NGN 3,000:00 only for both events
Platform: Zoom/Telegram
To book your space for the month of May, click HERE

For further inquiries contact:
Phone calls: +2348060307054
WhatsApp: +2347053638996
E-mail: ubani@structville.com


Bentley System Software Solutions for Building Design

By
Ivy Ugorji
-

Bentley Systems is a software development company that supports the professional needs of those responsible for creating and managing the world’s infrastructure, including roadways, bridges, airports, skyscrapers, industrial and power plants as well as utility networks. Bentley delivers solutions for the entire lifecycle of the infrastructure asset, tailored to the needs of the various professions – the engineers, architects, geospatial professionals, planners, contractors, fabricators, IT managers, operators and maintenance engineers – who will work on and work with that asset over its lifetime.

In a rapidly evolving world where design and construction is becoming increasingly digitized, here are some products of Bentley systems that are very useful for design of buildings and infrastructures. These software support the building design and documentation process throughout all phases of the project – from conceptual design and documentation to coordination and construction.

(1) OpenBuildings Designer

Open buildings

This software can design, analyze, document, and visualize buildings of any size, form, and complexity. It can also simulate real-world performance and evaluate building system performances so you can quickly discover the best design choices. OpenBuildings Designer can inform decision on energy cosumption, carbon emission, and fuel cost of a building at the design stage.

By its multidisciplinary integration, collaboration between architects, electrical engineers, mechanical engineers, and structural engineers is enhanced irrespective of geographical barrier. OpenBuildings Designer also provides building information modeling (BIM) advancements that can enable you deliver buildings faster and with greater confidence in design, workflow, capabilities, and deliverables. 

Ultimately, the software can design buildings and facilities, MEP systems, building structures, refine design alternatives, improve collaboration between professionals, and generate building documentation and reports.

(2) OpenBuilding Station Designer

OpenBuildings Station Designer 1

OpenBuilding Station Designer is a multidisciplinary rail station and pedestrian simulation software. It can design, analyze, visualize, and simulate rail and metro stations of any size, form, and complexity. It improves design quality by optimizing the functional space layout of the station building and the path of travel for the pedestrian.

As a design and simulation software, it can carry out design of station building structures, stations and facilities, MEP, functional space layout, furniture fixture and equipment, pedestrian simulation, geographic coordination, etc.

(3) Legion Simulator

Legion

This is a simulation software which predicts and explores how pedestrians and crowds interact with infrastructure. It performs virtual experiments on the design and operation of a site and assess the impact of different levels of pedestrian demand. With sophisticated modeling, analysis, and presentation capabilities for projects ranging from airports to train stations to sports venues, LEGION Simulator helps enhance pedestrian flow and improve safety by allowing the users to test evacuation strategies at any point of the simulations.

Using the software, you can set up and run user-defined analyzes and generate rich outputs based on a variety of metrics. The software can mimic all aspects of an individual’s movement including personal preferences, surrounding awareness, spatial restrictions, and perception of behaviors. Play back and re-run of simulation capability is also available in the software.

(4) ProStructures

ProStructures is a concrete and steel design software which lets you create design drawings, fabrication details, and schedules that automatically update whenever you change the 3D model. The software enables you to accurately and efficiently model 3D structures for structural steel, metal work, and reinforced concrete structures.

The software models parametric structures in concrete and steel, produce structural details, quantities, structural design documentation, construction documentation, steel fabrication drawings, share structural models, etc.

Disclaimer: All videos and pictures belong to the copyright owners

TMT Reinforcements Can Change Design Specifications in Nigeria

By
Ubani Obinna
-

Nigeria’s reinforcement market is usually categorised into ‘local’ and ‘foreign’ reinforcements which are priced differently in the market. Local reinforcements are manufactured in the country, while foreign reinforcements are usually imported into the country from Germany, Ukraine, and Russia. Different researchers and quality control agencies have often reported low quality of reinforcements manufactured in the country, which usually fail to meet the standards required for reinforcing steel. Due to the problems of quality assurance of reinforcements in Nigeria, most structural engineers in Nigeria use yield strength of 410 MPa in reinforced concrete design (using BS 8110-1:1997).

However, in the middle of local and foreign reinforcements in Nigeria are the Thermo Mechanically Treated (TMT) reinforcements. TMT reinforcements are currently produced worldwide on a large scale for high strength steel. They are usually manufactured using recycled metal scraps.

TMT reinforcements are characterised by their softer inner core, and hardened outer core, and are manufactured by a process called Thermo Mechanical Treatment. This process combines plastic deformation processes such as forging, rolling, etc with thermal processes like heat treatment, water quenching, heating, and cooling at various rates into a single process. During the cooling process of TMT reinforcements, the inner core remains red hot, while the cooled outer surface gets auto tempered due to heat flow from the core to the surface, and turns the outer surface into a hardened martensitic layer.

rebars

A recent research carried out in Nigeria have shown that TMT reinforcements can change the face of design in the country, given the gradual switch of design code from BS 8110-1 to Eurocode 2. Researchers from Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, tested the mechanical properties of 70 samples of TMT reinforcements produced by four different companies in the country. The reinforcements tested were;

The diameter of reinforcement tested ranged from 10 mm diameter to 25 mm diameter. The research was published in the Journal of Science and Technology Research.

Out of the 70 samples tested, 91.5% met the required characteristic strength of 500 MPa (Eurocode 2, UK), and the percentage elongation at fracture satisfied all the requirements of BS 4449:2005. The mean yield strength of the samples was found to be 532.8 MPa with a standard deviation of 24.926 MPa, and coefficient of variation of 4.678%. The probability of the samples tested falling below the yield strength of 500 MPa was found to be 9.4% with a reliability index of 1.316. However, the ultimate tensile strength to yield strength ratio (Rm/Re) of the samples were found to be averagely high (with a mean of 1.356 and a standard deviation of 0.095).

According to the authors,

Design engineers are free to decide on the characteristic value of yield strength to use for design, since Eurocodes permits the use of yield strength ranging from 400 – 600 MPa. Manufacturers should however follow the recommendations in clause 8.2.2 of BS 4449 for assessment of long-term quality level of their characteristic strength… Future work should involve extensive testing of the chemical properties of TMT reinforcements produced in Nigeria, to see how they impart on the mechanical properties. Subsequently, reinforced concrete designers in Nigeria can confidently use fyk = 500 MPa, and a material factor of safety of 1.15 at ultimate limit state (design strength = 0.87fyk = 435 MPa) provided TMT reinforcements have been specified.

The mechanical properties of TMT reinforcements as reported in the study will therefore likely change the way designers specify reinforcements during designs. It is obvious that any design done using fyk = 410 N/mm2 will be more expensive than design done using reinforcement of yield strength, 500 N/mm2. Reinforcement dealers in Lagos are complaining that the demand for foreign reinforcement has reduced as more attention is being paid to TMT reinforcement by top construction companies. It will be interesting to see how TMT reinforcements will influence the construction market and design standards in Nigeria in the nearest future.

Reference:
Ubani O.U., Okonkwo V.O., Osayanmon O. (2020): Variability of Mechanical Properties and Reliability of Thermo Mechanically Treated Reinforcements in Nigeria. Journal of Science and Technology Research 2(1):1-12

To download the full research publication and findings, click HERE

How to Offset Beams in Staad Pro (with video tutorials)

By
Ubani Obinna
-

In some cases, structural members are not perfectly connected to each other along their centroidal axis. This can be as a result of structural arrangement, construction specifications, or feasibility of execution. There are provisions on Staad Pro software to offset beam members in order to reflect as closely as possible the real structural arrangement. In this article, we are going to show how you can offset beams on Staad Pro.

Step 1: Do a little calculation
You should know the value through which you wish to offset on structural member from the other. A little but simple calculation is required in order to know the value to input into staad Pro. Let us assume that a primary beam of 450 mm depth is supporting a secondary beam of 300 mm depth. By default, Staad will join the beams along their centrelines as shown in Figure 1.

Connection of two beams
Fig 1: Schematic representation of default connection of two beams on staad Pro

Let us assume that you want the top fibre of the primary and secondary beams to flush, you will notice that the secondary beam will need to move up by (450/2) – (300/2) = +75 mm. Note that the same effect will be achieved if the primary beam comes down by -75mm.

Beam 2

Also, if we want to the secondary beam to rest on top of the primary beam, then the secondary beam will need to move up by (75 mm + 300 mm = 375 mm). Note that additional internal stresses will be induced in the members due to the eccentricities in the connection.

Step 2: Input your values

After modelling your structure, go to GENERAL → SPEC → BEAM → OFFSET

Depending on the arrangement of the structure, you can offset in any direction you wish at the start and end of each member. Assign the the command to the beam in question.

OFFSET COMMAND

Step 3: Load the structure and analyse as usual

You can now apply the loading on the structure, and analyse as appropriate.

Watch a sample video tutorial below;

Cracking Due to Edge Restraint and Early Thermal Effects in Concrete

By
Peace Ikpotokin
-

Crack width is calculated by multiplying the crack inducing strain by the crack spacing (i.e. the movement over a length equal to the crack spacing). Crack inducing strain εcr is calculated based on whether the element is subjected to edge restraint (which can be early or long term thermal effects), end restraint, and flexure/direct tension. In this article, we are going to shown how to calculate the crack width of a structural element subjected to edge restraint and early thermal cracking.

Edge restraint occurs where the young concrete section (say a wall) is cast on a hardened concrete base. This means that restriction is only in one direction, and there is interaction between the old and new concrete in terms of distribution of cracks. Edge restraint is different from end restraint because the crack width is a function of restrained strain rather than the tensile capacity of the concrete.

At the early age of freshly poured concrete (within 3 days), the crack inducing strain due to edge restraint in concrete element is given in equation (3.6) of CIRIA C660 which is shown below.

εcr = K[αcT1 + εca] R1 – 0.5 εctu

where;
K = allowance for creep
= 0.65 when R is calculated using CIRIA C660
= 1.0 when R is calculated using BS EN 1992-3.

αc = coefficient of thermal expansion
T1 = difference between the peak temperature of concrete during hydration and ambient temperature °C (See Table 1).
εca = autogenous shrinkage strain – value for early age (3 days, see Table 2)
R1 = restraint factor from Figure L1 of BS EN 1992-3 for the short-term situation
εctu = tensile strain capacity of the concrete (see Table 3)

Table 1: Typical values of difference between the peak temperature of concrete during hydration and ambient temperature (Narayanan and Goodchild, 2012)

Values of T1

Table 2: Typical Values of Autogenous Shrinkage Strain

TYPICAL VALUES OF AUTOGENOUS SHRINKAGE STRAIN

Table 3: Values of Tensile Strain Capacity of Concrete (CIRIA C660)

TENSILE STRAIN CAPACITY OF CONCRETE

Calculation Example

Calculate the early thermal crack width of concrete wall cast in Nigeria with the following data;

Thickness of wall = 400 mm
Reinforcement provided = H12@150mm c/c on both faces
Concrete cover = 50 mm
Type of restriant = Edge restraint
Concrete grade = C30/37
Type of coarse aggregate = Granite

Solution

Crack width wk = sr,max εcr

The maximum crack spacing sr,max = 3.4c + 0.425 (k1 k2ϕ/ρp,eff)

To see the definition of these terms, see the post below;

Crack width and crack spacing calculation in concrete

c = 50 mm to outer face
k1 = 0.8
k2 = 1.0
ϕ = 12 mm
ρp,eff  = 754/{1000 × min[400/2; 2.5 × (50 + 12/2)]}
ρp,eff  = 754/(1000 × 140) = 0.00538

sr,max = 3.4 × 50 + 0.425 (0.8 × 1.0 × 12 / 0.00538) = 170 + 758.36 = 928.36 mm

Early age crack-inducing strain, εcr = K[αcT1 + εca] R – 0.5 εctu

Using CIRIA C660 the following parameters can be determined;

K = 0.65
αc = 10 × 10–6 (granite coarse aggregate, see coefficient of thermal expansion of concrete)
T1 = Using 35 °C (for a 400 mm thick wall cast in Nigeria, assuming Class N cement, 18 mm marine plywood, concrete grade C30/37 and cement content not less than 360 kg/m3, see Table 1)
εca (autogenous shrinkage strain for grade 30/37 concrete at 3 days) = 15 × 10–6 (see Table 2)
R = Restraint factor Rj =  1/(1 + EnAn/EoAo)

Where;

En and Eo are the elastic modulus of new and old concrete respectively
Assume En/Eo = 0.80 (CIRIA C660)
An and Ao are the areas of new and old concrete respectively (use An/Ao = hn/2ho assuming that the wall is cast remote from the edge of slab) = 0.4/2(0.4) = 0.5

R = 1/[1 + (0.8 × 0.5)] = 0.714

εctu = 76 × 10–6 (for early age thermal cracking, see Table 3)

εcr = K[αcT1 + εca] R – 0.5 εctu = 0.65 [(10 × 10–6 × 35) + 15 × 10–6] 0.714 – 0.5(76 × 10–6) = 1.3139 × 10–4

Therefore the early age crack width = wk = sr,max εcr = 928.36 x 1.3139 × 10–4 = 0.121 mm

Since this crack width is less than 0.2mm, the early crack width can be considered acceptable for water retaining structures.

Coefficient of Thermal Expansion of Concrete

By
Ubani Obinna
-

Coefficient of thermal expansion is defined as the change in unit length per degree of temperature change. In a concrete element, it is therefore a measure of the free strain produced in concrete subject to a unit change in temperature and is usually expressed in microstrain per degree centigrade (με/°C). It is a very important property of concrete which influences its behaviour under thermal actions. Thermal actions in concrete can come from the environment, stored materials, or during hydration reaction.

Concrete as a material will expand and contract when exposed to temperature change, and when this is not catered for in design, there will be cracks in the concrete element. The coefficient of thermal expansion of concrete largely depends on the aggregate, but a conservative value of 12 × 10–6/°C can be used in the absence of data in the UK. Eurocode states that a value of 10 × 10–6/°C but this value is deemed not to be conservative. The range of coefficient of thermal expansion of concrete ranges from 7 to 13 × 10–6/°C.

Factors such as cementitious material content, water-cement ratio, temperature range, concrete age, and ambient relative humidity can also influence the thermal properties of concrete. However, the nature of aggregates is the principal factor in determining the coefficient of thermal expansion, and the resistance of the concrete to fire since they make up about 70% of concrete. In design αc is assumed to be constant for a particular concrete, in fact it varies with both age and moisture content. Semi-dry concrete has a slightly higher coefficient of thermal expansion than saturated concrete.

Where the type of rock group of the coarse aggregate is known and can be guaranteed to be used, the appropriate value of the coefficient of thermal expansion from the table below may be used e.g. 10 × 10–6/°C for granites and 9 × 10–6/°C for limestones.

Table 1: Design values for coefficient of thermal expansion

Coefficient of thermal expansion of different types of concrete aggregates

There is no standard method for measuring the coefficient of thermal expansion for concrete in CEN, ISO or ASTM although a method for repair materials is provided in BS EN 1770. However, in-house methods can be used for laboratory mesurement. Typically, measuring points would be fixed to a concrete specimen that is placed on roller bearings in a water tank. The specimen is left in the water until there is equilibrium of temperature, and a set of length readings taken. The specimen is then heated to, say, 80°C and kept constant until this temperature is achieved throughout the specimen depth. A second set of readings is taken and the coefficient of thermal expansion calculated.

Thank you very much for reading, and God bless you.

Chained lintels in a building – What are the implications?

By
Ubani Obinna
-

A lintel is a horizontal structural member which spans across the supports of an opening such as a door or window in a building. Depending on the span of the opening, a lintel may be structurally significant or insignificant – considering whether it requires serious structural consideration or not. Lintels can be made of materials such as timber, concrete, or steel. Concrete lintels are usually provided with nominal reinforcement, due to the inherent low tensile strength of concrete. When a lintel is continuous in a building and connects all the structural members together, it is called a chained lintel.

In Nigeria, it is common to see residential buildings chained at the lintel level. What is meant by chaining is that all the structural members are joined monolithically at the lintel level with reinforced concrete. Chained lintels can also be called continuous lintels. This process is usually done when the blockwork is built alongside the columns of the building. It is rarely done in a purely framed building where the columns, beams, and slab are done before the blockwork panels are built.

Nicely done lintel in a building
Nicely done lintel in a building
Building with chained lintel
Building under construction with chained lintel

Eye brows can be raised over this ‘wasteful approach’ of using excessive concrete and reinforcement on elements that are not ‘structurally significant’. This can lead to questions such as;

(1) Is it possible that the amount of money spent on constructing blockwork simultaneously with the frame and adopting a chained lintel offsets the cost of constructing a purely framed building?
(2) Can chained lintels be entirely avoided irrespective of the approach used?
(3) Are there special advantages of doing chained lintel in a building?

This issue is pertinent because the structural frame of a building is usually designed to stand alone without considering the effect of such lintels. Also, such arrangement is not usually captured in the structural drawings of a building, but it is done on site for low scale residential buildings. Why the extra cost? The lintels are usually 230 x 230 mm in dimension.

Advantages of chained lintels

The perceived advantages of chained lintels are as follows;

(1) It can improves the rigidity of the building. This is a no-brainer since more redundants are being added to the frame of the building. As a result, the building can behave more as a unit due to the increased linking members.
(2) It improves the robustness of the building.
(3) It can improve the lateral stability of the building, even though it is rarely critical in simple residential buildings such as duplexes in a region of no seismic event.
(4) It can cover up the inherent dimensional inaccuracies associated with building the blockworks and the columns at the same time, even though strict quality control can improve that.
(5) Introducing chained lintels reduces the buckling length of columns.

Disadvantages of chained lintels
(1) All the advantages highlighted above are usually catered for when designing the building as a pure frame. What is then the need of the extra advantages in terms of cost?
(2) The reinforcements provided in the building are the same as when no consideration for chained lintels is made.
(3) The construction speed is reduced.

A Structural Perspective

To look at this issue from a structural perspective, let us investigate the effect of chained lintels on the structural response of a simple two storey building under the effect of normal actions. In order to achieve this, let us model a simple two storey residential building and investigate its structural behaviour with and without chained lintels. The building data is shown below;

General arrangement of the building
General layout of the building

Building Data
Dimension of all columns = 230 x 230 mm
Dimension of floor beams = 450 x 230 mm
Dimension of roof beams = 300 x 230 mm
Thickness of floor slab = 150 mm
Dimension of lintels (model 2) = 230 x 230 mm
ULS action on floor slabs = 12 kN/m2
ULS action on floor beams (blockwork + rendering + selfweight) = 15 kN/m
ULS action on roof beams = 5 kN/m
ULS action on lintels = 3.5 kN/m

(N/B): All loads were assumed.

MODEL 1
Model 1 of the building (No lintel)
BENDING MOMENT ON EXTERNAL BEAM
Bending moment on external floor beam of model 1
BENDING MOMENT ON INTERNAL BEAM
Bending moment on internal floor beam of model 1

From the figures above, the maximum hogging moment on the internal and external beams are 45.5 kNm and 68.4 kNm respectively, while the sagging moments are 28 kNm and 41.3 kNm respectively.

corner column
Internal forces on corner column of building model 1
external intermediate column 1
Internal forces on middle external columns of building model 1

The results below show the building model with lintels and the internal forces acting on the building.

model 2
Model 2 of the building (with lintels)
BM EXTERNAL MODEL 2
Bending moment on external floor beam of model 2
bm internal model 2
Bending moment on internal floor beam of model 2
corner column model 2
Internal forces on corner column of building Model 2
external intermediate column model 2
Internal forces on middle external columns of building model 1

Comparison of results

Under the effect of gravity actions, the following results were observed in the structural members;

(1) Beams
In the building with chained lintel, the bending moment on the intermediate support of the external beam reduced by about 6.8%. However, the end support moment increased by about 43.8% (from 7.47 kNm to 13.3 kNm). A reduction in span moment was also observed for floor beams in buildings with chained lintel. This same behaviour was observed in the internals beams.

(2) Columns
The bending moment in the corner columns increased from 5.69 kNm to 12.338 kNm when chained lintels were introduced. This is due to the fact that lintels are subjected to the load from the blockwork courses that get to the sofit of the beams. Axial load in the columns also increased from 101 kN to 143 kN. This same increase in internal forces was observed for the intermediate columns.

Therefore, introducing chained lintels appears to worsen action effects on the columns, but favours the floor beams, except for end support moments.

Limitation of the study: The loadings on the lintels appeared to be exaggerated, and some considerations were not made to reduce the wall load on the floor beams since the chained lintel will carry some of the loads. The author therefore welcomes discussions and further investigations in the study.

Thank you for reading.

Download Top Civil Engineering Books for Free on Springer – COVID-19

By
Ubani Obinna
-

Springer is a leading global scientific, technical and medical portfolio, providing researchers in academia, scientific institutions and corporate R&D departments with quality content through innovative information, products and services. With more than 2,900 journals and 300,000 books, Springer offers many opportunities for authors, customers and partners. Here is a list of top civil engineering related textbooks that you can download for free on Springer during this COVID-19 period.

(1) Fatigue of Structures and Materials (2nd Edition, 2009)
Author: J. Schijve

Fatigue of Structures and Materials

To download this textbook, click HERE

(2) Composite Materials (3rd Edition, 2012)
Author: Krishan K. Chawla

Composite materials

To download the text book, click HERE

(3) Introduction to Partial Differential Equations (1st Edition, 2016)
Author: David Borthwick

Introduction to partial differential equations

To download, click HERE

(4) Structural Analysis (2009)
Authors: O. A. Bauchau, J.I. Craig

structural analysis

Click HERE to download

(5) Irrigation and Drainage Engineering (1st Edition, 2016)
Authors: Peter Waller, Muluneh Yitayew

irrigation and drainage engineering

Click HERE to download

(6) Design and Analysis of Experiments (2nd Edition, 2017)
Authors: Angela Dean, Daniel Voss, Danel Draguljić

Design and Analysis of

To download the textbook, click HERE

(7) Engineering Mechanics 1 (2nd Edition, 2013)
Authors: Schröder, Wolfgang A. Wall, Nimal Rajapakse

Engineering Mechanics 1

To download the textbook, click HERE

(8) Fluid Dynamics (2015)
Author: Michel Rieutord

fluid dynamics

To download this textbook, click HERE

(9) Multivariate Calculus and Geometry (3rd Edition, 2014)
Author: Seán Dineen

Multivariate Calculus and Geometry

Click HERE to download

(10) Fundamentals of Structural Engineering (2nd Edition, 2016)
Authors: Jerome J. Connor, Susan Faraji

Fundamentals of Structural Engineering

Click HERE to download

(11) The Finite Element Method and Applications in Engineering Using ANSYS (2nd Edition, 2015)
Authors: Erdogan Madenci, Ibrahim Guven

fea ansys

Click HERE to download

(12) An Introduction to Soil Mechanics (1st Edition, 2020)
Author: Arnold Verruijt

An Introduction to Soil Mechanics

Click HERE to download

(13) The Finite Volume Method in Computational Fluid Dynamics (1st Edition, 2016)
Authors: F. Moukalled, L. Mangani, M. Darwish

The Finite Volume Method in Computational Fluid Dynamics

Click HERE to download

(14) Statics and Mechanics of Structures (2013)
Authors: Steen Krenk, Jan Høgsberg

Statics and Mechanics of Structures

Click HERE to download

(15) Engineering Mechanics 2 (2nd Edition, 2018)
Authors: Schröder, Wolfgang A. Wall, Javier Bonet

Engineering Mechanics 2

Click HERE to download

(16) Structural Dynamics (6th Edition, 2019)
Authors: Mario Paz, Young Hoon Kim

Structural dynmcis

Click HERE to download

(17) Excel Data Analysis (2nd Edition, 2019)
Author: Hector Guerrero

Excel Data Analysis

Click HERE to download

(18) Statistical Mechanics for Engineers (1st Edition, 2015)
Author: Isamu Kusaka

Statistical Mechanics for Engineers

Click HERE to download

(19) An Introduction to Machine Learning (2nd Edition, 2017)
Author: Miroslav Kubat

An introduction to machine learning

Click HERE to download

(20) Elementary Mechanics Using Matlab (2015)
Author: Anders Malthe-Sørenssen

Elementary Mechanics Using Matlab

Click HERE to download

(21) Introduction to Artificial Intelligence (2nd Edition, 2017)
Author: Wolfgang Ertel

Introduction to Artificial Intelligence

Click HERE to download

(22) Computational Geometry (3rd Edition, 2008)
Authors: Mark de Berg, Otfried Cheong, Marc van Kreveld, Mark Overmars

Computational Geometry

Click HERE to download

(23) Leadership Today (1st Edition, 2017)
Authors: Joan Marques, Satinder Dhiman

Leadership Today

Click HERE to download

(24) Handbook of Marriage and the family (3rd Edition, 2013)
Authors: Gary W. PetersonKevin R. Bush

Handboo of marriage

Click HERE to download

(25) Neural Networks and Deep Learning (1st Edition, 2018)
Authors: Charu C. Aggarwal

Neural Networks and Deep Learning

Click HERE to download

IStructE to hold Webinar on Structural Uses of Stone

By
Peace Ikpotokin
-

The Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE) will be organising a webinar on the structural uses of stone. Stones are naturally occurring rocks of igneous, sedimentary or metamorphic origin, and has been used for thousands of years in construction.

Most rocks are sufficiently consolidated to enable them to be cut or made into various shapes and blocks to be used as walling, paving or roofing materials. Stones are categorised into building stones, ornamental stones and dimension stones.

As admitted in IStructE’s website,

“Dimension stone has been a structural material for thousands of years, yet its use has steadily declined. The perception is that it is too expensive to quarry, cut and transport. Many now see this as suitable only for cladding or flooring. Yet, with a modern approach to structural usage, stone can realise its potential as a material fit for the 21st century”

Therefore, the webinar seeks to explore the contemporary use of stone in a variety of structural applications. It will showcase the versatility of this often-overlooked material.

Date: 29th April, 2020
Time: 12:30 (BST)
Price: £45.5 + VAT (members)
£70 + VAT (Standard)

Key Learning Objectives of Webinar

  • Gain a basic understanding of the primary considerations when designing in stone
  • Knowledge of the design parameters required for un-reinforced and reinforced stone structures
  • Introduction to the basic principles of post-tensioned stone
  • Improved awareness of structural stone applications through a series of case studies
  • The live webinar includes an interactive Q&A session with the expert speakers. Booking will close 24 hours prior to the webinar.

To Register for this Webinar, click HERE to be directed to IStructE’s page.

Disclaimer:
Structville.com is not an agent and is in no way affiliated to the organisation of the above named event. We have presented this as news so that the civil engineering family in the world can be aware of reputable online events that can be of benefit to their careers. This is the commitment of Structville.

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