Foundation works of the NIR
Since we last wrote about the groundworks finishing up in March, the team hasn’t been resting. On the contrary, times remain very exciting for the Nile Institute Rwanda. Right after the small celebration with Skol, constructor Etracoha Ltd and Tecos Ltd have continued working towards the future of the Nile Institute by laying the foundations of the building.
Architect & founder of the NIR Lode Van Pee has provided the details of the foundation works. After a 5 minute explanation, you can scroll down to a vast selection of photos.
There are 36 foundation wells (3 rows of 12). Their depth is determined by the subsoil, as we require a hard rocky base. The row closest to the wall is 120 cm deep, the middle one is 150 cm but the row closest to the slope goes up to 450 cm deep.
To save costs, the latter are first filled with hard rocks, gaining heights up to 150 cm. Supplemented with smaller boulders, this forms the basis for pouring 5 cm of ‘lean concrete’.
On top of this comes the reinforcement and the formwork. Next, the concrete is poured manually and then drilled by machine. The foundation feet are 35 cm high. The foundation wells (4 in total) in each corner of the building will be fitted with a lightning conductor.
In case you didn’t realize, the economic & social importance of the NIR project is not to be underestimated. The institute still engages 40 to 50 people on a daily basis. Nearly all construction workers live in the nearby village & are very involved in making this a story of success.
Stay tuned for the next adventure: columns below the ground level.
