Descriptive notes and technical specifications

1. Generalities:

This descriptive notes and technical specifications are drawn up for the purpose of execution
of a G+3 student hustle building in favour of Mr. MBUH GEORGE situated at
ATUNIBAH quarter BAMBUI VILLAGE in TUBAH sub division , north west Cameroon.

This hand book is for the exercutors, supervisors and client to direct and guide them
towards the quality, choice of materials method of job execution in order to achieve the
stipulated end product. Building materials concerned are strictly what is accepted in the
construction industry and only qualified technicians are required to transform these materials
into the structures as clearly shown in the working drawings.

Distribution:

This project is a Ground Floor + (3) story student hustle building. The ground floor is made
up two apartment building and one studio and the 3 upper floors of eight (8) self-content
rooms and one studio at each floor.

The contractor in charge of this construction must make a careful study of the working
drawings and bring up points not understood to the architect or project engineer for
clarifications before making shop drawing and before commencement of the project. All
supplementary tasks must be verified and signed by the architect and project engineer.

2. Carcasing
a. Earth works

Site clearing and excavation works will be done mechanically while responding to the levels as
indicated on the working drawings. These operations will be done under the close supervision of
the project engineer. The foundation width and depth will be done strictly as seen on the section
drawings and calculations table specifically for that purpose.

b. Mass concrete
The floor and outdoor pavement of this building will be mass concrete of dosage 300kg/m3 and
following the rules and regulations of pavement and done independently and finished as required
by design and the wish of the client.

c. Reinforced concrete

The skeleton (framework) of this building constitutes reinforced concrete (R.C) beams and
pillars cast in-situ, designed according to the rules of BAEL 80 and batching done volume
closely supervised by the engineer in charge. Mixings, transportation, placing and vibration will
be done manually and mechanically. The aggregates will be of class 15/25, 05/15 and free from
organic impurities. Cast concrete shall be cured as required to achieve its maximum strength at
28 days after placement.

d. Masonry

The foundation walls shall be done in cement blocks of 20x20x40cm and reinforced concrete as
shown on the drawings.

All loads bearing wall shall be constructed with cement blocks of 20x20x40cm and non-load
bearing walls in cement blocks of 15x20x40cm, with minimum headroom of 2.8m high.

e. Plastering

Two (2) coats of plaster of 2cm thick and one coat of spatter-dash of 1cm thick in sharp sand
cement screed of dosage 350kg/m3 shall be applied on all the walls respectively.

f. Carpentry and joinery

All timber to be used will be gotten locally. Timber shall be free from shakes, defects, insects
attack and dry rot. Wood that are liable to warp, bend and or twist at the long run should not be
used on doors, windows and other carpentry and joinery types of works that are exposed to
weather also for furniture and cabinets.

 Wooden doors and windows

All wooden window frame and sashes will respect the specified sizes and designs and must be
strong enough to meet the purpose they are intended. The wooden windows screens may be of
jalousie type and done in an angle to fully block sunlight particularly from the East and opened
externally. All external windows will be fitted insect screens that are strong enough in a way that
may not be readily damaged by users.

(i)IRON MONGERY

All window protectors in the buildings shall be of steel bars of about 10x12cm and fitted
internally.

All external doors shall be of steel. All metal design shall be gotten from the shop drawing of the
ironmonger’s quotation and or from the Architect. This will include the type of materials to be
used and any probable design.

3 FINISHES:

 PAINTING

The Contractor, the Project Engineer and the Architect must carefully examine the surfaces to be
painted before work starts. The external wall surface area shall be done with paints ofcolours
stucco yellow that have exceeding hues. While the internal surface areas shall be done with paint
and colours that have an average receding hues respectively. Cream white shall enhance the
value and intensity of color, surface finish and lighting systems. First or primary coat shall be
done in pantex (type pantex 800 and finished with pantex 800 mixed with the required colour
pigment desired for internal walls. For external walls (pantex 1300) will be used mixed with the
desired colours and places on a priming coat of (pantex 800). The Pantex 800 and pantex 1300
are all water paints. Also the external walls finishes may also incorporate other finishes as
desired by the client who will make request on time to the Architect. Meanwhile all walls will
have to be skirted with oil and alcohol base paints 150cm from the floors.

For Ceilings, frames, and Cabinets and wooden doors etc each type of materials required and
method of applying shall be chosen by the client in consultation with the Architect and
supervised by the Architect or his representative.

 PLUMBING

The plumber is expected to do careful study of the plumbing systems before making shop
drawings and bring up points not clearly understood or modifications and suggestions to the
designer. No plumbing works shall proceed without an approved plumbing plan from the
designer.

He shall also ensure that all installations are carefully and professionally done to eliminate loose
ends spillages, blockages.

The installations shall resist cold and hot water systems. All the apparatus shall be fixed as
indicated on plans; the WCs will be connected and drained into down pipes by means of elbows
and tee joints etc. semi-circular PVC pipes of Ø120mm shall be used to evacuate rainwater from
roof and down spout pipe of Ø100mm into the masonry gutter.

 CARPENTRY AND JOINERY

All Timbers to be used will be gotten locally; Timber shall be well seasoned and shall be free
from shakes, wane, defects, insects attack and dry rods. The project engineer must check all the
wood and confirm it fit for use before they are processed to give the required elements. Woods
that are liable to warp, bend, and or twist at the long run should not be used on doors windows
and other carpentry and joinery types of works that are exposed to weather also for furniture and
cabinets. For situations where they are meant for rough carpentry like false works etc they could
be used and must be of sizes that may not jeopardize the security of persons on the project site.

All internal door frames and shutters shall be of hard wood timber, like in the parlour. The
design of these cabinets will be furnished at the time of execution and must be respected. The
wood must be given the required finish and must not be painted but allow them to expose the
natural view of their various pattern of formation.

 GLASS WORK

The glassing shall be in tinted glasses in the parlours and rooms, stained and or grained glass in
toilets. Most of the glass shall be the 5mm type and fitted by a skilled technician under the close
supervision of the Architect or his representative.

 TILING AND TOPPING

The tile work and topping shall be done with client’s agreement and approval of the
designer. The tiles shall be of high quality and fixed according to technical specifications.
 The tiles shall be fixed on 5cm cement sand screed of dosage not less than the 350kg/m3
dosage and on it a paste of cement core (tile fixing binder) mix float finished. Mosaic tiles shall
be used in the toilets and baths floors. Otherwise a sand screed finished with cement grout trowel
finish will be used in all the rooms.

Ceramic wall tiles of 30x20cm shall be used on toilets and baths walls. To serve as water
barriers this will prevent wall dampness. The treatment of surfaces to receive these tiles will be
cement sand screed plaster of dosage 350kg/m3 with a rough float finish. Upon which a cement
core paste will be applied and the tiles fixed according to design.

(e) ELECTRICITY

The electricity installation shall be done in accordance to detailed plan and

furnished by the sub-contractor approved by the client in collaboration with the architect and
should conform to the rules and regulation of ENEO. Where a point light is controlled by push
buttons, a teleruptor should be installed. All the electrical appliances to be installed should be the
client’s choice in collaboration with the architect.

(f) EXTERNAL SERVICE:

The building and the fence/ guard sharks shall be set out as indicated on the block
plan (appendix 22). All the levels shall be respected in order to enable easy circulation. All
planting on the yard (trees, shrubs, hedged, flowers etc) will be done in accordance with the yard
plan drawn for the purpose. With the agreement of the client and the architect the contractor shall
proceed to study every necessary works not incorporated in the project and submit them for
approbation.

(g) WATER PROOFING:

The material shall be, plastered with sikalatex mortar, and or painted with (Flinkot)
bituminous base paints.

Walls parapet to any roof shall be treated with bituminous asphalt where the roof meets
with the wall or better still is embedded in the concrete flange at the edge of the roof to Carter for
corousity and direct roof leakage.
4 ROOF COVERING

All the timber shall be obtained locally, well – seasoned and of straight grains,
without defects and treated against insects attack with carbonyl.The roof trusses shall be
triangular. The rafters shall be of 2x6” of purling 2x3” oblique, horizontal and vertical wind
braces shall be done to secure the truss. The roof truss shall be tied to the building by means of
Ø6mm reinforcement rods buried in the chain beams and extended reinforcement bars from
columns. The roof slope is chosen in accordance with the manufacturers (SOCATRAL)
specification, atmospheric conditions, Aesthetics and longevity.

The roof covering shall be of aluminum corrugated sheets of (600x80cm of class 5/10me)
to be nailed to the purlins. The facial boards shall be of parapet wall of height 70cm or aluminum
sheets of 2m long by 30cm wide and should be of a good quality and design chosen by the
Architect. The roofing sheets may be treated roofing sheets of colourschosen by the Architect.
The facial boards will be nailed on a preliminary wooden facial board to keep it straight and to
help in carrying or supporting the plastic PVC gutters or steel gutters.

The ceiling shall be done in wood joists and laminated wood sheets (plywood) (sapelle
type) and painted or vanished as mentioned above.

5 SEPTIC TANK.

The wastes from the toilets are directed to the septic tank with the aid of plastic PVC Ø145cm
pipes from the various Inspection chambers carrying the toilet waste. Two Septic tanks are
required to collect all the waste of the whole building. Therefore the septic tanks have the
capacity of supporting 50 users. Hence a septic tank of 1.4mx 0.65m x 1.35m will be required.

INSPECTION CHAMBER

They are of dimensions in 10x20x40 concrete blocks, constructed at each change of direction
and slope of discharge pipes and immediately before the septic tank and Soakaway pit to
facilitate inspection of system. The discharge pipes are laid to a 1.7% fall to achieve the target
flow rate.
6 SOAKAWAY PITS.

The effluent from septic tank and waste from kitchen shall drain into the Soakaway pit.
Two Soakaway pit of diameter 150cm shall be dug at a depth of 4.00m to receive the foul and
waste water. It shall be packed with stones (white stones) to improve aeration and support walls
from possible collapse. A reinforced concrete bed shall be placed at the top of the stones with a
provision of 50x50cm square opening for inspection and maintenance. A reinforced concrete
cover of 60x60cm square and 7cm thick cover shall be provided as cover and securely fixed to
prevent run offs and scrawling reptiles from getting inside. The cover shall be provided with a
handle to serve as a locking and opening devise.