VISA EXTENSION - INDIA - PROCEEDURE AND GUIDELINES

If you live or work in India and you are looking for the proceedure for extending your current visa to afford you more time to complete your purpose of visit, then you may want to be careful with the website(s) you visit because there are lots of websites purporting to be visa and travel agencies who may ask for money where there MAY BE absolutely no fee - Yes, absolutely no fee.

For avoidance of any doubts, it is advised that anyone seeking to extend a subsisting visa within India should log on to the efrro official website and follow the simple steps specified on the visa extension form.

You will have to complete the application form for visa extemsion ( it is advised that the individual be present in India at the time of completing the application). The office would typically reachout to you via the email address you provided when registering on the frro portal. They may request additional documentation depending upon the nature of the susbsisting visa or where necessary.

Once your submitted documents are vetted and deemed satisfactory, you may be required to make some payment - especially in the case of a research visa. Note that there is no payment as of date for extension of other categories of student visa.

At every stage of your application, you may communicate with the frro office through the official website for any clarifications you may require. Be ware of predatory websites that may purport to be "accredited" agents of the frro office and may charge you a fee in the name of helping you apply for your visa extension. You can do it all yourself through your official account on the official  efrro official website

I wish you the best of luck!

Ph.D in India Vs. Ph.D in Nigeria - A Contemplation

 

Kosi Emmanuel Chukwujindu - During Ph.D in India - 2021

A PhD in any field of study is a rigorous self-undertaking that usually involves a lot of sacrifice on the part of the scholar.  The entire process leading up to the award of a Doctorate degree in any discipline is structured to ensure that the researcher makes a real contribution to knowledge in that field.

Often times, what we consider as the task at the beginning of our expression of interest to undertake a PhD research changes many times during the process and it helps to have proper guidance and a tailored program of work.

Speaking of proper guidance, it is expected that a Ph.D. research scholar must be guided by a supervisor who him / her self have earned their own doctorate in a related field. As a Nigerian who had enrolled for a Ph.D. study in Nigeria for six(6) years before deciding to leave the country to pursue the same degree abroad, my experience has been tough but I have learnt a lot for which I am immensely grateful.

In this post, I share the highlights of my experience as I can't help comparing conditions of study in both countries.

1. IMPROVED LECTURER'S ACCESSIBILITY 

In Nigeria, I had a hard time accessing my supervisor, he was of the Professor cadre and this meant he was only in school on scheduled days. If you didn't catch him on any of those, then you had to wait till the next time. It's different here in India. The Professors are always on seat and willing to discuss your work anytime. This was a real consolation to me because now I knew I only had to focus on the progress of my research and not bother about chasing the guide, since he's always on sit.

2. INFO/EXPOSURE TO LATEST RESEARCH TOOLS 

In my university in Nigeria, because the lecturers are not very accessible, it's harder to grab guidance on what best research tools are there and how best to combine them. There seems to be a certain "darkness" surrounding this and sometimes one would almost conclude it appears they are not very hands-on with the tools, themselves. This makes it tougher for research scholars in Nigeria to compete with their global counterparts. In India however, I found most research guides had practical current knowledge of research tools and software applications. We were literally thought the use of simulation softwares during the coursework part of our first year. 

This was a huge departure from my African background where if you learnt to use any software at all, you either enrolled for a private lesson at a private tutor place or you got a friend to show you privately, practical exposure to research/simulation software never came from my supervisors.

3. FEWER DISTRACTIONS

The biggest challenge I faced while enrolled as a Ph.D. research scholar in Nigeria was my own inability to focus on the research due to multiple distractions from other engagements such as my very demanding private practice, family, and lecturing. It was easy to drift off from the research when you had a thriving Architecture practice and a demanding lecturing job. I figured if I would make any headway with my PhD work, then I had to get away from all the distractions and the only way to do so was to leave the country to the greatest surprise of everyone, to go somewhere I can focus and finish off the research and probably get better supervision. I had to leave and I had to do so quickly!

I realized PhD research was in itself a full time engagement.

4. NO STUDENT LEVIES

In Nigeria, it was common to have the students levied by lecturers and the school for buying research related equipment for the department. One time we had to pay NGN5,000 each in order to procure a new set of public address system and projector for the department seminar room. The condition was that whoever did not contribute this sum, would not be permitted to present his work in the seminar room and ofcourse you could forget about getting any objective feedback on your work.

In India, I havent paid a rupee for anything departmental asides my tuition and exam fees. Everything is taken care of by the department and maintained by the school authority. This was also a relief.

5. HIGHER GLOBAL BEST PRACTISE AWARENESS

As they say, PhD degree is the highest academic degree obtainable and it is a globally recognized academic venture. Coming to India helped me refine my research to take a global perspective on the research questions I was trying to find answers to. 

6. BETTER QUALITY OF RESEARCH OUTPUT

For some reason Nigerian scholars abroad seemed to be producing richer quality of research output in many disciplines compared to our colleagues in Nigeria. This is a personal observation and I am still unsure why it is so. I think there is no pressure to compete international scheme of things at home in Nigeria, this has a negative effect on researchers ambitions. We settle for whatever can get us past the degree, even if its not relevant anywhere else. 

Also, I saw a metric somewhere that rated research publications from Nigeria, Kenya South Africa and the United States. In terms of economic impact of research, Nigeria scored zero. This points to the fact that in Nigeria, it's either the government does not rely on research output for making economic decision or the research output do not have any immediate or midterm economic relevance. This should be looked into.

7. EXPOSURE TO OTHER INTERNATIONAL SCHOLARS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

Doing research while surrounded by a diverse community of co-researchers and scholars naturally lifts your threshold for excellence.

Subscribe to this blog for more of such discussions and leave a comment below if you find any more differences or think differently about something I've highlighted here. Would be glad to discuss

A PERSONAL REALIZATION ON HUMAN DESIRES

Everything we desire in life comes to us at the right time if we truly need it and continue to apply the right effort with the right attitude (state of mind) towards it and if it is in the overall good of the universe. No matter how difficult or how far away it seems, at the right time it will come to us. 

As humans we have an insatiable desire for materials; cars, houses, clothes, food, sex, money etc - the list is endless. Sometimes we really need these things, most times we only want them because our friend does or because it makes us look better than others. Even when we have what we need already, we continue to want more, we imagine that we may run out of stock and so we are always trapped in an endless cycle of get this - get that, get this - get that, then get that, and then get this..

Sometimes when we have everything we desire, it hampers our spiritual growth. Some level of pain is important for us to understand joy. Other times when we don't have enough of what we need, it can also delay us from realizing our goals. Some level of stability is required for us to stay productive.

Balance is the key.

Understanding that nothing is a do-or-die affair and at the same time being able to set goals, work toward them and achieve them is what we need to get through life.

Food for thought: Why were the Isrealites instructed not to keep any of the manna from heaven overnight? They were to eat only their "daily bread" and not attempt to stock up any for the next day?

Share your thoughts using the comment box below.

THE IMPACTS OF DUPLICATE OR OVERLAPPING PUBLICATIONS

Duplicate or overlapping publications is a situation where an author publishes the same body of work in its entirety or at least 2/3rd of the original work in multiple journals in order to increase his or her publication count.

Authors and researchers are usually caught in such situations due to pressure to publish or pressure to obtain certain privileges from their academic institution or grant agency. 

There are several drawbacks associated with this kind of unethical research conduct and they include: 

i).  Redundancy : 

this means that there are multiple publications with the same content and value, hence there is no real progress made, They are all saying the same thing. They do not help the future readers or researchers to make positive progress in subsequent works, they only keep repeating the same old knowledge into many places.

ii). Waste of Time : 

Such a practice amounts to a waste of the author's time as well as the reader's time. This is because research is dynamic and every day new knowledge is expected to emerge in every discipline. However, an author who takes to redundant, duplicate, or overlapping publications is actually wasting valuable research time which would otherwise have been channeled to discover new knowledge in the given research area.

iii). Confusion: 

Where multiple publications are made of the same literary content, it tends to cause confusion to the editors, reviewers, and researchers who struggle to identify if there is any new knowledge in the multiple publications. This ultimately leads to confusion because in the end they may be forced to retract some of the publications which may have already been cited by other researchers who did not realize that the works were duplicated or overlapping.

iv). Poor Literary Development of The Scholar :

When a research scholar resorts to duplicate or redundant publishing, he or she fails to develop his / her literary prowess and this ultimately leads to poor quality of researchers who may not be well fitted for technical positions in life and career paths where they belong.

v). Public Loss of Trust in the Parent Organisation : 

Any organization whose members are identified to consistently indulge in duplicate or overlapping publications will eventually lose the trust of the public or funding agency. It is therefore the responsibility of such organizations to ensure that they set up a research and publication ethics committee to vet and approve research works coming from members of their organization in order to ensure quality and guarantee adherence to ethical standards. Also, it is important for such organizations to retract any identified duplication or overlapping publications without recourse to who it is.

EXPLAINING THE USE OF PLAGIARISM SOFTWARE IN RESEARCH PUBLICATIONS

Source : clipartstation.com

A plagiarism software is a computer application that is designed to identify and quantify the extent of "external material" or "similarity to external material" that is contained in any given literary work. 

Plagiarism is a serious and unpardonable misconduct when it comes to academic publishing. It is a situation where an author presents part or whole of another authors work within his own work as if it originally belonged to him and goes ahead to publish same into public domain without making citation or reference to the origin or source of the material.

Because research is a continuum, it is expected that future researchers fall back on already existing body of knowledge for guidance and direction while conducting their own original research which will in turn lead to their own original new found knowledge. However ethical guidelines for research, mandates the researcher to make proper declarations wherever he has borrowed material from another author. This would ultimately contribute to and enrich the existing body of knowledge in the given research field.

However since it has been observed that researchers frequently fail to declare the borrowed contents in their works, the plagiarism software tool is applied while reviewing articles in order identify any such similarities between the current proposed publication and existing database of knowledge.

HOW IT WORKS

i). Submission : 

First the author submits his proposed literary work to a given journal or group of editors who call for papers or are desirous of compiling new knowledge in the given field of interest. The submission is required to be made in a soft copy (editable).

ii). Plagiarism check : 

The group of editors or reviewers usually have an in-house software application installed on their computer or available online where they pass the softcopy proposal through in order to check it for any possible similarities between existing database in the given field. The software is usually designed to read through the entire proposal and check it against the existing published works that have been catalogued in its memory. 

iii). Plagiarism quantification : 

The software usually presents the result of its check in terms of number of phrases, sentences and paragraphs that bear significant similarity to existing publications known to the software. This number of similarity occurrence is calculated a s percentage and usually only 10-15% of similarity is allowed. Literary works bearing similarity beyond 15% may require further human investigation to determine and establish possible plagiarism.

iv). Acceptance or Rejection : 

Based on the results from the plagiarism quantification by the software, the group of editors will either accept or reject the submitted proposal and will advice the author to make adjustments accordingly and resubmit for further evaluations.

Plagiarism detection software works as a safeguard for original content and serious writers, to protect their creative properties from literary thieves.

DO ONE THING, DO IT WELL - EXPECT NO MERCY

 

Life is simple, but we are overwhelmed by it on a daily basis. We seem to be on an endless clock that keeps moving whether we do anything or not. Life happens to us anyways, if we don't happen to it quickly enough. 

We don't know when we'll be done here, none of us knows his exit date, time or location, It can happen any moment, from the time you wake up in the morning to the time you lay down again in the night. There is no guarantee that everyone who woke up today will go to sleep again this night. Yet we make plans for 10, 15, 20 years time as if any part of it was guaranteed. We brag and carry our shoulders up as if we are anything. We look down on others and judge everyone else but ourselves. We refuse to help others on their own life journeys as if we were already done with ours.😃😃

Each of us have our unique challenges, its a full time job to figure them out and solve them on a daily basis. The lessons we learn while at it enriches us, the mistakes we fall into purnish us harshly and the clock continues tick - tack.. tick - tack 

For anyone who even bothers to think, it is crucial to figure out what you are doing here on Earth and what you want to leave for the next generation when you are gone. Of course, we already know that we don't take anything material from here when we pass on. We just go as light as we come, no baggages at least not physical. We have also come to understand that material belongings are perishable and only have relevance or value on this material plane. If this is the truthful case, then whatever we acquire here and now, cannot be ours forever. 

So what do we do? 

Our existential realities and conditions differ largely along lines of culture, religion, location and temperament. We are consistently under intense mental, physical, sociological, economic, cultural and religious pressure. Some people are lucky to figure out their way through these pressures and contain them, others are torn apart trying to even understand what is going on. 

We build institutions to help us calm the pressures, we join alliances (cultural and religious) to assure us that we are not alone while at it and ultimately we struggle to pay bills to continue living.  Money has become the biggest agent of control, It appears the more of it you have, the more able you are to contain your own pressures. Everyone strives to acquire more of it, in order to stand a chance to master our existence and liberate ourselves from suffering even if the acquisition causes pain to us and others.

What's more, even time has been equated to money. You spend time to get money and you spend money to buy time. It appears we are all rich in time, but not so equal on money.

Whatever is going on, we are in an intelligent system. The universe is a training school. There are lessons everywhere we look. Most of them come in disguise. We are not only living, but we are also learning. The natural laws of existence ensure that there is always a balance in the system. 

We don't know how for sure, but we can live each day as if it was our last. We can try to do one thing, do it well and expect no mercy!

IN THE WAKE OF AN UNDESIRABLE WAR - NIGERIAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE EXAMINATION (P.P.E) VS. ARCHITECTS REGISTRATION COUNCIL OF NIGERIA ARCON (A.C.P)

The Nigerian institute of Architects N.I.A professional practice examination P.P.E held in two diets annually has just been concluded for the year 2017. No other exams organised by the institute will be held in the year 2017. In the wake of the growing impasse between the veteran examination conducting body and its national cousin; the Architect's Registration Council of Nigeria ARCON,  mixed feelings engulfed almost every examinee this year. The disagreement which has been described by many as everything including 'embarrassing' is rumored to be hinged on major administrative, tribalist and financial related prejudices. 

The Nigerian Institute of Architects, N.I.A set up in April 1960 has been the body responsible for pre-qualification of candidates and conduction of professional practice competence examination in the country, while the Architects registration council of Nigeria had hitherto relied on her for advice on successfully qualified candidates to be furnished with a practice license and a seal. This meant that once one scaled through the notoriously revered N.I.A exams, he/she was expressly admitted by ARCON and is deemed qualified to practice the profession of Architecture within Nigeria.

While this bi-laterral qualification requirement/proceedure had been questioned by many due to its rigorous nature, it had been accepted to be the 'norm' for over twenty (20) years.

Sadly, this amiable,

HOW TO FIX THE MISSING 'CONFIGURE SWITCHABLE GRAPHICS' OPTION ON AMD RADEON GRAPHCS CARD

I am an Architect and I use a HP pavillion G6-2304tx laptop with a dedicated AMD Radeon graphics card asides the basic Intel graphics card. The reason I requested a laptop with a dedicated graphics card was to enable me use Lumion (app) in rendering my Revit-Architecture models. I bought this PC back in 2013 when I had just rounded off my M.Arch degree from SRM University, Chennai and it was quite pricey at the time. Four(4) years down the line, the laptop, is still working perfectly, and has helped me land and deliver a lot of wonderful projects. But something happened. One day, one of the staff, accidentally pours water into the keyboard. We quickly rushed to a service centre where the Engineers opened the laptop up and tried to sun-dry. Four (4) straight hours of intense sunshine, was allowed before it was put back together, only it developed more problems.

First the keypad typed selectively, some keys wont work in upper case while others didnt work at all. But this was not a big deal, I just bought and replaced the HP keypad, and it was back in order. The major problem resulted when, I tried to work on a project on lumion as usual. I discovered serious graphic inconsistencies and when I checked I realised the 'configure switchable graphics'

option which usually shows up when I right-click anywhere on my desktop (as shown in the image) was missing.

I found a way to

PROJECT MANAGER : ISSUES WITH THE STAFF

Posted by :  Kosi Emmanuel Chukwujindu

This post is a sequel to the earlier post: "Project Architect: resolving staff conflict in site"

from left: Architect, Carpenter

As a construction project manager, issues with staff are going to abound. What matters in the end is still Results!

In my experience, workers over time tend to grow too friendly and thence become rebellious. They suddenly seem to have got a hunch that you have been manipulating them into doing 'your' Work while you get all the 'big' money. This feeling if not checked leads them into acting abnormally uncooperative and even ready to end the relationship.

As the Architect, and project  manager, you have the responsibility of keeping your site in control so that you can continue to produce results, Especially if you work for a senior Architect who has entrusted the site in your management.

Here are a few of my own  tips on managing crisis in the site:

1. Understand that; when all is said and done, violence or force benefits nobody. With this in mind, you are left with the effective tool : diplomacy. Use diplomacy to coerce your workers into doing whatever you want without realising they are all players in 'your' game.

2. Your boss expects results, results and more results, he hardly has time to attend to reports from you or your staff, he believes you should Handle whatever situation arises on site with minimum supervision. Dont prove him wrong! 

3. Preach and emphasize teamwork to your workers. They would think twice before starting up a fire next time, if they see you as a brother instead of a boss.

4. Remain aloof, but make sure you are the smartest guy in the site. No tricks can evade you unless you let it for a higher cause. Use occasional little favours like careless tips, relaxed timing or bonus pays, to buy the hearts of your workers in preparation for the day you will make huge demands from them. 

PRODUCTION AND INSTALLATION OF DECORATIVE CEMENT SKIRTINGS

posted By : kosi Emmanuel Chukwujindu

Architect: and Skirting Moulders

There are many methods of producing decorative skirting used at the corners of columns, walls,Windows etc.  

There is the traditional plaster-of-Paris skirting made from white P.O.P cement. This is used mostly for suspended ceilings and waist level skirtings within the interior of buildings. This type has the advantage of being lightweight and mouldable into almost any shape or design. The challenge however with this type is that it is not very resistant to water and thus it is seen to depreciate in aesthetics when exposed to prolonged dripings especially when used in exterior locations.

There is however an alternative method; THE USE OF ORDINARY PORTLAND CEMENT moulded to shape and finished with white (or any color)  paint. Skirting made from portland cement are typically resistant to water and last longer than those made from P.O.P cement. It however tends to be limited in versatility of design, due to its heavier weight. it is usually used for window trims, wall edges and fence trims, and other exterior needs etc.

At the ENSIBUM market project, we decided to use skirting made from cement to add some mass to the already gigantic entrance gate. This post is dedicated to describe how we made these skirting in-situ and installed them.

STEP 1: MATERIALS REQUIRED; semi coarse sand, soft texture sand, water, cement, a custom mould. 

STEP 2: PREPARE THE BASE : start by making a mound of about 4ft. length and about 6" high  using the semi-coarse sand. this will serve as base for the skirting, as well as separates it from the ordinary earth after the cement has cured and hence makes it easy to lift and shift. Use two range devices to protect the boundary on both sides of the mound. Using concrete nails to support the ranges along the lenght, making sure the space between them is even all through.  This will provide for a perfect edged skirting in the end.

STEP 3: MIX THE CEMENT: The skirting is made completely of cement mixed with water and a little fine texture sand.( when necessary).  A bag of cement can be properly mixed with about 15 - 20lts. of clean water. it should be stirred properly in a bucket or bowl or any open container that will allow for ease of scooping while molding.

STEP 4: MOULDING :

Pour the cement paste gradually onto the sand mound. Use the hand held, locally carved  mould to shape it into desired pattern (as shown here) and allow in same position for at least 12 hours before attempting to remove.

Remember to make nail size openings along the skirting to allow for nailing during installation.

STEP 5: INSTALLATION: 

By physical inspection, you can tell when the skirting is strong enough to be handled without breaking. You can then raise it neatly, and carry to point of fixing. The plumb device is used to mark straight positions along the wall. this is to ensure that the skirting is not slant at any point which will look bad to the viewer.

Nail the skirting onto the wall, siupported by wooden noggins and use cement to dress the edges neatly!

BEFORE CEMENT SKIRTING

AFTER CEMENT SKIRTING

WRITING QUOTATIONS FOR PROJECTS

Posted By:  Kosi Emmanuel Chukwujindu

As an Architect, you will be required to prepare work estimates in form of job quotations for proposed projects. Your ability to predict or forecast real life site requirements from your drawing board will be tested.
Whether you fail or succeed has serious functional implications through the project timeline. Some contracts do not leave room for future amendments while some do. Whichever the case is, it is advisable to predict and provide for as much as possible afore time.

AN AFFORDABLE SUBSTITUTE FOR THE PLUMB DEVICE

By kosi Emmanuel chukwujindu

Architect: How to make your own Range device

As Architects and project supervisors we often require perfectly level/flat surfaces for floors, walls, lintels e.t.c. To achieve this, the practice is to make use of a device called the plumb. It is a horizontal steel pipe with a liquid trapped in a clear glass such that when the pipe is placed on a level surface, the air space is exactly at the center. This will indicate to the Architect or supervisor that the given job is okay. 

The challenge however is that for large  construction projects that have a lot of edges/surfaces to be confirmed, it may be quite expensive to procure the plumb device in large numbers. Moreso if there is no guarantee that they will all be returned after use. It becomes very wasteful to provide one plumb for each worker. In such case, about 2-3 workers can be assigned a plumb device while an alternative instrument -the range, is shared among all.

The range is similar to the plumb in shape. It is also a steel pipe which is about 6ft. Long x 1" wide. But it does not have the liquid trapped in clear glass. It is usually made of heavier metal than the plumb. It is especially useful in verifying how level a surface is. It can be used in the vertical or horixontal positions. And it is far cheaper than the plumb. It can be easily found at building materials markets or stores, but it is cheaper to make your own. 

HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN RANGE DEVICE IN PLACE OF THE PLUMB.

STEP 1:

Visit your local welder or steel pipes vendor,and ask for the 2" x 1" x 24' hollow steel pipe. In Enugu state, This sells for about N900. 

Step 2: 

Ask him to cut same into three pieces each  of 6' lenght. (Nb: you may vary this according to how much length you require). 

Step 3:

Ask him to weld some scrap metal over the two open ends of each pipe to prevent sand and other debris from entering the pipes while in use at the site. 
Once this is done, congratulations you have your self made range device ready for site work!

AN ALTERNATIVE METHOD OF CONSTRUCTING THE CONCRETE FASCIA

posted by
Kosi Emmanuel Chukwujindu

Concrete fascia detail sketch by Arc Jude Uche; M.D /C.E.O Geometrix Consultants

Conventional Nigerian builders will construct a wooden/metal formwork to the shape of the desired fascia right about the roof edge/building wall, install the reinforcement bars and cast the whole volume with concrete. well this is the 'text-book' thing to do, right?

Unfortunately, The problem with this method is that it typically consumes much more materials (steel, concrete and woodwork) and when the building(s) is a large one or are numerous, it becomes simply impractical and time consuming.

Goodnews is; the Architects at Geometrix have over the years through experience under the leadership of the meticulous Arc. Jude Uche, developed an alternative method of constructing the concrete fascia. This method (as in sketch above) involves a pre-cast moulding of the fascia and a systematic fastening on exposed reinforcemnet bars sticking out from already existing roof beam using 6mm binding wires.

step 1: ROOF-BEAM:  the traditional roof beam which is done right around on top of the last course of block, is done, but the 4- reinforcement bars are not completely covered with concrete yet, the top two are exposed in order to receive the binding wire that will be used to fasten the pre-cast fascia.

step 2: PRODUCTION: moulders are vigrously moulding the concrete fascia on site using only cement and sand. (NB: this eliminates the need for reinforcement bars in the curved concrete fascia (CCF). they are allowed to cure and set, on the ground before cutting and lifting to avoid breakages. the final product is quite heavy. tiny openings are provided at intervals to allow for passing of binding wires.

step3: CUTTING TO SHAPE: once the concrete fascia has set (usually 36 hours after molding) it can then be cut into desired lengths according to the building corners. a typical piece would be 4' - 6' long. The cutting is done with a concrete sawing machine. the same type used to saw through block walls.

step4: INSTALLATION: After the cutting, two workers lift up piece by piece, insert the binding wires and with the help of in-situ scaffolding, climb and actually fasten the wires on the

two top exposed bars in the already made roof beam.

step 5: STRAIGHTENING & FINAL CASTING:

the straightening is done externally using a long plumb device and then held in place by wooden supports along the body of the wall. The binding wire that has been passed through openings on the pre cast concrete fascia is tied onto the top exposed bars tightly and is then covered with a second layer of concrete to hold it in place forever. 

step 6: JOINT TREATMENT: 

The final step is to 'tack' the joints properly with same binding wires and short pieces of wood which help prevent the different piecs from shifting until the final casting is done. they will be removed once the concrete sets. the thin openings at these joints will be covered with neat mortar and painted.

ADVANTAGES OF PRE-CAST CONCRETE FASCIA:

i). reduced volume of concrete.

ii). elimination of reinforcement bars in the fascia.

iii). reduction in overall weight of the fascia.

iv). same result as in-situ cast, sometimes even better!

v). If production begins early enough, Its installation takes less time.

vi). reduced cost of production due to elimination of materials such as reinforcement bars and wooden form work.

LIMITATIONS OF PRE-CAST CONCRETE FASCIA

i). shortage of trained staff, may delay work

ii). curing time may delay work where production is not started early enough.

ARCHITECT: HOW TO MERGE SEVERAL .PDF FILES INTO A SINGLE .PDF FILE WITH MANY PAGES

by Kosi Emmanuel Chukwujindu

Architects in dealing with distant clients are often requested to send and receive drawings through or over the internet. these drawings may be pictures, .dwg or .pdf files. pdiles are however the most widely used formats for several reasons. This is due to its light weight, versatility, non-edit-ability (in some cases). Compared to the .dwg, .jpeg or any other file formats,  the .pdf file format has come to be known as the business file format.

This post is dedicated to teach the Architect how to convert a CAD drawing (.dwg) file into a  .pdf file as well as how to merge these .pdf files into one in case this is required.

Lesson 1: How to save a drawing from AutoCad as .pdf

Step 1: Open the drawing file on your AutoCad workspace.

Step 2: go to file - print - under plotter select .dwg to .pdf plotter (How to install PDF plotter) if its not found in your list of plotters.

Step 3: select desired paper size iI.e a4, a 3 or other.

Step 4: using the window tool marquee the drawing from your model workspace and cluck preview to see how it is positioned on paper.

Step 5: click OK and set save folder for the new .PDF file. You may repeat the process to create several sheets of your drawing eg floorplan, elevation, sections e.t.c.

LESSON 2: HOW TO MERGE MULTIPLE .PDF FILES INTO ONE WITH MANY PAGES

Once you have finished saving those different drawings as different .PDF files, you can either send them individually or merge them into one .PDF file. This has the advantage that the mail you will be sending to your client will be compact and scrollable as against the open- view-close, open - view - close .....method of viewing single .pdf files.

Step1: (dont laugh) please dont bother touring the web scavenging for apps that promise the whole world and deliver nothing. Just download an app called "PDF merger" (from playstore) on your android phone. You may also find it under the name "PDF Utils"

Step 2: once you have this simple but very efficient app installed on your desktop you can copy all the  pdf files to your phone using your usb cable.

Step 3: open the app interface and add the files which you need to merge and click merge.

Step 4: specify the file name and save location.

Step 5: you are done!

PROJECT ARCHITECT - RESOLVING STAFF CONFLICTS ON SITE

by Kosi Emmanuel Chukwujindu

SAT. 21-02-15

Today there was a fight at the site. An Ibo worker fell out with an Hausa worker. The Ibo worker was working on the site for the first time after a long while. He was brought in by the site foreman. He was asked to construct the form work for one roof beam in the fourth line because our resident carpenter was absent on that day.  The Hausa worker was a mason; one of our most loyal. He would do whatever he was asked to do with smiles and never complained about anything other than wage related issues.

He was rounding off his block work, when the counting supervisor came to record his work. The Ibo man who had finished his roof-beam, and so was feeling good about himself came over and joined in counting the blocks. Jos, as the Hausa guy was popularly called, asked him to please not count his blocks as it was not his duty. He had no right to count blocks, there was a designated supervisor who handled that. The Ibo man, failed to listen and in fact insisted on doing the same. This led to a rough exchange of abuses, and ignited a bloody fight between the two.

AUTOCAD 2014; WORKSPACE SWITCHING

by kosi Emmanuel Chukwujindu

Launching the new AUTOCAD 2014 interface was a great experience. it looked and felt fresh. I hadn't used a latest version software recently. my last was autocad 2012 but I had to revert to 2010, when I experienced some sluggishness in paning and zooming functions...smh!

Just YEsterday, my Autocad 2010 wont open. When I tried, it displayed the following error message:

"the application has failed to start because its side by side configuration is incorrect. please see the application event log or.....bla bla bla!!"

I hadnt used the app in a long while, so I was thrown off when I saw this. But as usual I went online, Thanks to google, I found some Autocad user forum where someone suggested the solution could be uninstalling and re-installing a program called microsoft  c++ redistributable. I ran this by my local system administrator, he didnt know anything about it, rather he advised me to simply install AUTO CAD 2014 and do my work.

AUTOCAD 2014 - Autocad Classic Workspace

When we eventually did, the first time screen looked strange. I was uncomfortable with the new positions of the tools. I loved my previous classic workspace back at 2010. I had a bit of trouble finding the switch. but I did and here above is a  screenshot from my beautiful Autocad 2014-classic workspace. I think it looks amazing!! The red circle near the down right corner in the image points to where YOU can also find and switch yours.

ARCHITECT?...HAS YOUR HP PAVILION G6 KEYBOARD STOPPED WORKING?

by Kosi Emmanuel Chukwujindu 

HP-PAVILLION G6, KEYPAD LOCKED

might sound funny but, it happened to me.  first I thought it was a joke, I tried typing  harder, till i was hitting the keys hard and it still wasn't working. Then it occured to me there was a problem. 

what was it? 

someone had been trying out wrong passwords on the system which apparently locked the keyboard as a defense mechanism - The day before , I had left my PC in the care of a neighbor who was visiting with his younger brother. In my absence, the kid was the culprit.

I went online and found a gracious blog where the problem had been solved and documented. I tried it exactly how it was prescribed and it worked. 

click here for information on how to solve "HP PAVILION G6 KEYBOARD STOPPED WORKING" problem.

FILING IN THE ARCHITECTURE OFFICE

by Kosi Emmanuel Chukwujindu

File-store, Geometrix Consultants & Builders ltd. Abuja.
photo credits: Kosi Emmanuel Chukwujindu

files are the backbone of every office. In an Architecture office, these files will typically contain drawings, contract papers, bidding arrangements, quantity estimates for proposed construction works, and the list continues...

My first task as an intern at Geometrix back in 09' was to clean and arrange dusty file jackets, the likes of which can be seen in the image to the left. I remember I was thrilled by the experience. I wondered how one man and one office could have accumulated such hefty portfolio in one life time - and still counting... I was inspired. But that is only a bubble compared to the filing ingenuity that was in-place at the office. The system was solid and error proof. This post is dedicated to helping Young Architects, interns or project managers, with a glimpse into what filing should be in an Architecture consortium.

First: There are A4 and A3 files. They are seperated in location. Then there is a list for each of them. This list is printed and handy. In this print-out, the file name eg: 'ORANTO Hotel Asokoro' as well as the file number eg: 'DS 757' are indicated. It is also standard practise that all presentation drawings made before the project is awarded, are stored in the A4 file, while all eventual working drawings which were prepared and sent for approval from the office are stored in the A3 folder of the same project.

WRITING THE MINUTES OF AN ARCHITECTURAL MEETING

My Office @ Geometrix Consultants and Builders ltd Abuja

 by Kosi Emmanuel Chukwujindu

In the July of 2013, I was working with Geometrix from my home. It was an experience which I didn't very much appreciate at the time, but now i do. However As early as my first meeting after I resumed fully in the capacity of Project Architect for ENIBUM project, the following month, The task of writing the minutes of site meetings fell on me. Though It wasn't part of my job Brief, It happened that once the meeting commenced , I found that I had little to say and more to write. It became more pertinent when the Quantity surveyor demanded for a copy of my notes.

Though I was only making notes for my company's use, I took the responsibility to make it available to the other consultants. With the zeal to impress I promised to mail everyone the minutes that same evening.

Now, an Architectural meeting is no different from the kind of meetings held in banks, corporate organizations, hotels, schools, industries etc. It usually features people from varying departments and professions - in attendance. There's a chairman or chair-person ( the architect in this case) whose responsibility is to convene and conduct the meeting.  In the case of an Architectural meeting this chairman (usually the Architect) has the final say on all issues.

So Here Are A Few Tips On How To Document The Proceedings Of an Architectural / Site Meeting :

While at The meeting;

1. Sit as close as possible to the Architect

2. Note/ Understand the agenda of the meeting before it kicks off.

3. Ask Questions that relate to your immediate primary employer or that vindicates him.

4. Be sure to circulate an attendance register with columns for e-mail and or Phone numbers.

5. Write down all major conclusions, Reachings or Agreements, including time and work allocations.

And After The Meeting; 

1. Start the minute with a heading stating the name of the project in full

for example:

 

PROPOSED ENUGU SOUTH INTERNATIONAL BUILDING MATERIALS MARKET (ENIBUMM) PROJECT

MINUTES OF THE FIRST SITE MEETING OF ALL CONSULTANTS AND CLIENT’S REPRESENTATIVE HELD AT TOMMYLYN HOTEL, BEHIND ROBAN STORES, INDEPENDENCE LAYOUT ENUGU.

30^TH AUGUST 2013

MEETING COMMENCED AT 4:55PM

2. Write the people who were in Attendance in a table, with their designations and contact information also.

3. Write out The actual events that took place during the meeting using the motion-secondment-adoption hierachy.

for example:  

06:35; Arc. Uche-Uche moved a motion that all buildings included in quarters one and two Should be limited to bungalows to reduce structural implications and cost.

06: 38; the motion was seconded by Engr. Ozoude, The structural Engineer.

06:40; The motion was unanimously adopted. 

4. Summarize any Time schedules agreed upon clearly itemizing what volume of work is to be expected at each stage.

for example:

SUMMARY OF TIME SCHEDULES

12-09-13; Architects will submit reviewed final prototypes drawings and site layout for       phases 1 and 2 to client and other consultants.

09-09-13; Surveyor will hand in surveyed topo-map of phases 1 and 2.

23-09-13; Submission of final Completed drawings and Bill of quantities of phases 1 and 2 to the Client works to technical Consultants including Costing.

5. Highlight any matters arising from previous meetings as well as unfinished issues from the present one using bullets or numberings if you like, for discussion from the next meeting.

6. Note the time of closing and whether it was unanimously agreed upon.

After Writing The Minutes as you deem fit, send it to a senior colleague or your Boss, via e-mail or by hand where possible and have him review it, first before you send it to the rest of the parties concerned.

This work-flow will surely get you through to the best, because it worked for me, It will surely work for you!