We are currently a fee days behind schedule on this project due to the bad weather we have been having in the area recently. Fortunately the site has not suffered from the flooding that there has been in some other areas in the region, but nevertheless, the rain has still had an impact. However, we have now completed all of the first stage columns and are up to ground level. Today an excavator back filled all of the footing holes, so moving forward with the project, the rain should be less of an issue. Tomorrow we will begin to install the steel cages for the grade beams, which we have been preparing under cover during the rain.
We have begun pile driving, amongst other things, and this video shows the process of adding single pile. We are using 15 meter piles, driven to a depth of 16 meters. You will see in the video that once the pile is driven as far as it can go, and extension is added and it driven the additional meter to be at the correct depth. We will later excavate around the pile head in order to cast the concrete pile head mounting that will transfer the load from the columns and beams of the structure onto the piles.
The plot on which our latest modern two storey home is to be built, in Thip Thani, had an existing concrete framework which needed to be removed. The structure was basically a complete concrete column and beam framework for a 2 storey home, up to roof level. This had stood unfinished for at least 5 years. In theory, this framework could have been filled in with brick walls, a roof added and then all of the finishing work carried out to give a complete home. The problem would first have been that one would be limited on the layout of the house to that already defined by the column and beam positioned. The second more serious problem, is that the internal structure of the columns and beams is a complete un-known. What size re-bar has been used? How deep are the footings? What strength concrete mix has been used? It is for this reason, that I personally would never undertake such a project and why all of this existing structure had to be removed. In actual fact, I would say that it quickly became clear that this was the right decision. The footings were clearly too shallow and too small and the re-bar used was totally unacceptable. Re-bar is the steel that puts the ‘re-enforced’ into ‘re-enforced concrete’. The steel re-bar used to make the cages that provide reinforcement to the columns and beams should look like that in the second picture below – a round steel bar with an almost screw like, or gnarled appearance. These gnarls provide grip to the steel bars within the concrete, binding the steel and concrete together firmly. The contractors we used to demolish the old structure were also extracting all of the metal re-bar from the concrete for recycling. This gave us a good opportunity to inspect the re-bar used. We found that ALL of the rebar used was not what we expected, but rather a completely smooth round section, as shown in the third photo. Using this type of steel significantly reduces the integrity of the structure and has only been used here in an attempt to cut corners and save money by the original builder. In addition to this, the diameter of the steel bar was also smaller than one would expect. With the evidence from the re-bar and footings, I would also not be surprised to find that the concrete used was also of a cheaper, lower strength.
Construction of the new home is to begin in around a months time, though a firm date has not yet been set.
We have built up a temporary access ramp up to the raised area of land on which the house will be built. This is to provide access for the piling crane and other heavy machinery.
We have recently completed the initial concept design for a three bedroom two storey home which is to be built in Nong Wua So, near Udon Thani. Our client came to us with an initial design of a home which they liked, but wanted the floor plans and exterior styling developed further into something that more suited their style and requirements. We have worked with them to produce the final design concept that you see below. We are now busy with the structural engineering and planning phase and hope to have a complete set of plans and documentation ready by the end of August. Construction is due to begin in early September.
We have completed the interior design concept for the hotel reception and are still working on the coffee shop, main restaurant and the standard rooms and suites.
We have now finalised the exterior styling and interior layout for the design of the new “LiveInn Hotel” building. Although the general style of the design has remained largely unchanged from the initial concept I prepared, the building has grown in size, from six storeys to eight stories. The ground floor will be for parking and the mechanical room. Second floor will house the reception, coffee shop, gym and conference facilities. There will then be 5 floors of accommodation, each consisting of 14 standard rooms and two suites, 80 rooms in total. On the top floor there will be a large restaurant and some hotel services areas.
Having finalised the architectural design, our engineers are now progressing with the structural engineering of the building. With the client, we are now turning our attention to the detailed interior design work. We are hoping to have the interior design complete by mid August, which will then allow us to move on to detailed electrical and plumbing engineering and other hotel services.
We are aiming for an initial draft drawing set ready for review in September.
We have now almost finished the interior and exterior rendering of our project in Nong Kom Ko. The next step will be to begin installing the suspended gypsum ceiling and the bathroom tiling and fitting. As I mentioned in a previous post, tiling in the rest of the house and carpentry work will be carried out by third party contractors.
I have just completed this very rough concept for a two storey two bedroom home, which I was asked to prepare. There is no fixed schedule for construction, though, as the client is still looking for the right plot of land on which to build. It is for this reason that I call the design a ‘very rough’ concept, as a lot could change depending on the chosen plot of land. Not least the size and shape, but also the orientation of the land would play a big part in the design with regard to positioning of windows for best views and allowances for protection from solar heat.
We have completed our initial concept for the exterior of the hotel and will now work with the client to refine our design. We have already begun this process of refinement and whilst the main accommodation section of the building is likely to remain much as it is shown, the smaller block that houses the reception, restaurant and conference rooms and so on, is likely to evolve considerably as we move towards a final design. At the moment, I am working on redesigning the main entrance, in particular.
As for the interior, the actual layout of the floors of the main accommodation block is more or less finalised. Each floor has 14 standard rooms and two suites with lounge, kitchenette, bedroom and bathroom. A total of 80 rooms over 5 floors. However, establishing the layout is the easy part. The next stage will be to carry out all of the engineering work to integrate all of the services into the design and also the physical interior design work.
It’s been a while since my last post about this project, but all of the floor slabs are now in. The steel roof framework has been constructed and the block work is well nearing completion. We will now begin tiling of the roof and continuing with the block work.
Last week, we completed the main structural framework by pouring the concrete for the roof beams and also the concrete slabs for the parts of the house that have a flat roof. The next step is to install the pre-cast concrete floor slabs, build the roof structure and begin the block work.
We are now up to the roof level with the concrete structure of the modern two bedroom home project. The next stage is to add in the precast concrete slabs for the floor and the roof structure.
Having marked out the site, we broke ground on our latest project in Thip Thani late yesterday afternoon. Often the footings would be dug by hand, but the scale of the task on this project required a mechanical solution! By 11pm all of the footings and the large hole for the basement had been excavated. Today, we are busy preparing the holes ensuring that the precise size and depth of each is correct.
Yesterday, we also took delivery of a large quantity of re-bar, so today some of our team are now preparing the footing, column and beam reinforcement structures etc..
The roof is no complete, as is all of the main interior and exterior wall rendering. On the exterior, we are now adding the architectural detailing to the house and adding the four staircases. Inside we are beginning the wiring and ceiling work.
The main roof frame has now been added to the house and the tile mounting spars are being added. The roof tiles are due to be delivered in two days. Most of the initial block work is completed and we shall be starting to render the walls in the next couple of days so within a week the house will begin to take shape.
The owner of a travel agent in Nong Khai asked us to help them with a problem they were having with their office. The problem was that the office was becoming unbearably hot as it had a glass curtain wall frontage and also large windows at the side. Sun streamed in all through the day. Adding blinds inside had not helped as although it blocked out the glare of the sun, it did not stop the office temperature increasing, cause by the sun heating up the air in the gap between the inside of the window and the blind. Whilst they had air conditioning fitted that should have been the correct power for the size of the office, it did not account for the excessive heat that can build up in such a glass box! The problem had become so bad that they had resorted to leaving the security shutters down for most of the time. The problem with this was that passers by then thought that the office was not open!
My solution was to provide a physical barrier to protect the office from the sun. First we applied a sheet of adhesive material to the window that allows you to see out of from the inside, but blocks much of the light coming in. I also designed and printed some sections of this material to promote some of the world destinations that the travel agent offers packages to. I then designed a series of solid facia board constructed from a combination of wood, stainless steel and plastic that incorporated the company logo to be mounted outside the window as another physical barrier to the heat of the sun. These facia boards are all removable from the frame to which they are mounted to allow for cleaning of the windows behind them. The large white board actually has a hinged glass front in a stainless steel frame and can be opened up to allow posters to be displayed detailing the latest promotions on offer by the travel agent. Everything that was installed fits between the window and the existing security shutters so that it is protected when the office is closed at night.
We completed all work with this small project a little over a week ago and are happy to report that it has solved the problem…. the office is now cool and airy, and passers by never miss the office because not only are the security shutters open all day, but the company also has a greatly increased street presence as a result of the new signage.
Here is the office as it was, the CAD concept that was presented, and the final result.
We have now completed all of the exterior construction for the modern office renovation project and have now turned our attention to the interior, starting with installing the suspended gypsum board ceiling.
