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  • Your Philippine House and The Eskimo

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    Jestoni Estaura Cuizon
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    "Your Philippine House and the Eskimo's Snowshoes" Philippine Hollow Blocks versus Solid Concrete Walls Your local contractor in the Philippines will build with the old-style hollow blocks because "you just buy those and the mason builds the walls with it". Simple. And it's the cheapest way to build a house in the Philippines. You want your House to be Typhoon- and Earthquake Resistant Hollow blocks is a 'backyard industry' and is not regulated. Hence, mostly the quality is poor. Drop a block on the floor and it breaks in many pieces. Hollow blocks are nothing more than stones that you stack between the columns like Lego so you can make an opening in it to place the window; HOLLOW BLOCKS ARE NOT CARRYING THE NEXT FLOOR AND/OR ROOF (the columns do that). They have no other function than 'being a wall'. It's the cheapest way to make a wall but they are weak and they have to make the wall 4 inch or 6 inch thick to become strong enough. Consequently the wall becomes UNNECESSARY HEAVY FOR IT'S PURPOSE. And since the wall consists of weak hollow blocks mixed with strong reinforcement bars, there is 'the weakest link factor' that makes the (too heavy-) wall prone to forces that want to find a way out; cracks. The strength of a hollow block wall is much less than our solid walls. Hollow blocks also need to be plastered (covered with a seperate thin layer of a cement/sand mix) which is time-consuming and it might crack; exposing the steel reinforcement bars which will rust. Set the hollow blocks aside for a moment (careful!) and look only at the structure. The columns (posts and beams) carry the second floor and/or your roof. Hence the weight of your house put pressure ONLY on the little footings of the columns and you have to be pretty sure that your soil can hold that. It's the same like an Eskimo walking over snow without snowshoes; he will sink deep into the snow. Now compare that with our 'Solid Concrete Walls'; THEY are strong enough to carry the next floors and roof. The weight of your house put pressure on the WALL-FOOTING. Thats a much bigger surface; just like snowshoes. Most non-Filipinos ('foreigners') and OFWs (Overseas Filipino Workers); reject the 'hollow blocks' as building-method, for obvious reasons... 1) a hollow-block wall is as strong as its weakest link which is a hollow-block; 2) a hollow-block wall needs plaster. Take a close look at any outside-wall at any building here in the Philippines; the plaster cracks and lets water through to the steel bars in the hollow-blocks; rust = misery. But it is not only the hollow blocks which are weak; also the structure ('post and beams'; columns) has proven in the Haiti earth-quake to be inferior. During an earthquake the hollow block walls will disappear first; after that the columns (now without support-) can swing to any direction: Here is as example an actual inquiry we received: BRYAN (b...@yahoo.com) on Thursday, September 17, 2009 at 11:19:49 address: ... TONDO MLA Contact: 0915... Comments: OUR BUILDING SETTLE DOWNWARDS SO WE NEED A CONTRACTOR TO MAKE THE SOIL STABILIZED BY MICROFILLING AND GROUTING. HOW MUCH MONEY DO WE NEED? This is a 5 story hollow block building that has settled down 4 inches on one side and has started to slip 6 inches sidewards; we adviced to demolish, there's no solution. ...This is what happens if you build without snowshoes... Remember that you can always replace a door or put new tiles in your house but you can NOT change the structure/foundation of your home; make a wise decision... If you already selected a contractor (because he is a relative for example) to build your home (they only build with hollow blocks!); we can still be the one to build your foundation and walls with the ADVANCED system (no hollow blocks); your contractor will do the finishings like tiles and paint etc.

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    Your Philippine House and the Eskimo

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    "Your Philippine House and the Eskimo's Snowshoes" Philippine Hollow Blocks versus Solid Concrete Walls Your local contractor in the Philippines will build with the old-style hollow blocks because "you just buy those and the mason builds the walls with it". Simple. And it's the cheapest way to build a house in the Philippines. You want your House to be Typhoon- and Earthquake Resistant Hollow blocks is a 'backyard industry' and is not regulated. Hence, mostly the quality is poor. Drop a block on the floor and it breaks in many pieces. Hollow blocks are nothing more than stones that you stack between the columns like Lego so you can make an opening in it to place the window; HOLLOW BLOCKS ARE NOT CARRYING THE NEXT FLOOR AND/OR ROOF (the columns do that). They have no other function than 'being a wall'. It's the cheapest way to make a wall but they are weak and they have to make the wall 4 inch or 6 inch thick to become strong enough. Consequently the wall becomes UNNECESSARY HEAVY FOR IT'S PURPOSE. And since the wall consists of weak hollow blocks mixed with strong reinforcement bars, there is 'the weakest link factor' that makes the (too heavy-) wall prone to forces that want to find a way out; cracks. The strength of a hollow block wall is much less than our solid walls. Hollow blocks also need to be plastered (covered with a seperate thin layer of a cement/sand mix) which is time-consuming and it might crack; exposing the steel reinforcement bars which will rust. Set the hollow blocks aside for a moment (careful!) and look only at the structure. The columns (posts and beams) carry the second floor and/or your roof. Hence the weight of your house put pressure ONLY on the little footings of the columns and you have to be pretty sure that your soil can hold that. It's the same like an Eskimo walking over snow without snowshoes; he will sink deep into the snow. Now compare that with our 'Solid Concrete Walls'; THEY are strong enough to carry the next floors and roof. The weight of your house put pressure on the WALL-FOOTING. Thats a much bigger surface; just like snowshoes. Most non-Filipinos ('foreigners') and OFWs (Overseas Filipino Workers); reject the 'hollow blocks' as building-method, for obvious reasons... 1) a hollow-block wall is as strong as its weakest link which is a hollow-block; 2) a hollow-block wall needs plaster. Take a close look at any outside-wall at any building here in the Philippines; the plaster cracks and lets water through to the steel bars in the hollow-blocks; rust = misery. But it is not only the hollow blocks which are weak; also the structure ('post and beams'; columns) has proven in the Haiti earth-quake to be inferior. During an earthquake the hollow block walls will disappear first; after that the columns (now without support-) can swing to any direction: Here is as example an actual inquiry we received: BRYAN (b...@yahoo.com) on Thursday, September 17, 2009 at 11:19:49 address: ... TONDO MLA Contact: 0915... Comments: OUR BUILDING SETTLE DOWNWARDS SO WE NEED A CONTRACTOR TO MAKE THE SOIL STABILIZED BY MICROFILLING AND GROUTING. HOW MUCH MONEY DO WE NEED? This is a 5 story hollow block building that has settled down 4 inches on one side and has started to slip 6 inches sidewards; we adviced to demolish, there's no solution. ...This is what happens if you build without snowshoes... Remember that you can always replace a door or put new tiles in your house but you can NOT change the structure/foundation of your home; make a wise decision... If you already selected a contractor (because he is a relative for example) to build your home (they only build with hollow blocks!); we can still be the one to build your foundation and walls with the ADVANCED system (no hollow blocks); your contractor will do the finishings like tiles and paint etc.

    Copyright:

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    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    2 views1 page

    Your Philippine House and The Eskimo

    Uploaded by

    Jestoni Estaura Cuizon
    "Your Philippine House and the Eskimo's Snowshoes" Philippine Hollow Blocks versus Solid Concrete Walls Your local contractor in the Philippines will build with the old-style hollow blocks because "you just buy those and the mason builds the walls with it". Simple. And it's the cheapest way to build a house in the Philippines. You want your House to be Typhoon- and Earthquake Resistant Hollow blocks is a 'backyard industry' and is not regulated. Hence, mostly the quality is poor. Drop a block on the floor and it breaks in many pieces. Hollow blocks are nothing more than stones that you stack between the columns like Lego so you can make an opening in it to place the window; HOLLOW BLOCKS ARE NOT CARRYING THE NEXT FLOOR AND/OR ROOF (the columns do that). They have no other function than 'being a wall'. It's the cheapest way to make a wall but they are weak and they have to make the wall 4 inch or 6 inch thick to become strong enough. Consequently the wall becomes UNNECESSARY HEAVY FOR IT'S PURPOSE. And since the wall consists of weak hollow blocks mixed with strong reinforcement bars, there is 'the weakest link factor' that makes the (too heavy-) wall prone to forces that want to find a way out; cracks. The strength of a hollow block wall is much less than our solid walls. Hollow blocks also need to be plastered (covered with a seperate thin layer of a cement/sand mix) which is time-consuming and it might crack; exposing the steel reinforcement bars which will rust. Set the hollow blocks aside for a moment (careful!) and look only at the structure. The columns (posts and beams) carry the second floor and/or your roof. Hence the weight of your house put pressure ONLY on the little footings of the columns and you have to be pretty sure that your soil can hold that. It's the same like an Eskimo walking over snow without snowshoes; he will sink deep into the snow. Now compare that with our 'Solid Concrete Walls'; THEY are strong enough to carry the next floors and roof. The weight of your house put pressure on the WALL-FOOTING. Thats a much bigger surface; just like snowshoes. Most non-Filipinos ('foreigners') and OFWs (Overseas Filipino Workers); reject the 'hollow blocks' as building-method, for obvious reasons... 1) a hollow-block wall is as strong as its weakest link which is a hollow-block; 2) a hollow-block wall needs plaster. Take a close look at any outside-wall at any building here in the Philippines; the plaster cracks and lets water through to the steel bars in the hollow-blocks; rust = misery. But it is not only the hollow blocks which are weak; also the structure ('post and beams'; columns) has proven in the Haiti earth-quake to be inferior. During an earthquake the hollow block walls will disappear first; after that the columns (now without support-) can swing to any direction: Here is as example an actual inquiry we received: BRYAN (b...@yahoo.com) on Thursday, September 17, 2009 at 11:19:49 address: ... TONDO MLA Contact: 0915... Comments: OUR BUILDING SETTLE DOWNWARDS SO WE NEED A CONTRACTOR TO MAKE THE SOIL STABILIZED BY MICROFILLING AND GROUTING. HOW MUCH MONEY DO WE NEED? This is a 5 story hollow block building that has settled down 4 inches on one side and has started to slip 6 inches sidewards; we adviced to demolish, there's no solution. ...This is what happens if you build without snowshoes... Remember that you can always replace a door or put new tiles in your house but you can NOT change the structure/foundation of your home; make a wise decision... If you already selected a contractor (because he is a relative for example) to build your home (they only build with hollow blocks!); we can still be the one to build your foundation and walls with the ADVANCED system (no hollow blocks); your contractor will do the finishings like tiles and paint etc.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
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    "Your Philippine House and the Eskimo's Snowshoes"

    Philippine Hollow Blocks versus Solid Concrete Walls


    Your local contractor in the Philippines will build with the old-style hollow blocks because "you just buy those and the mason builds the walls with it". Simple. And it's the cheapest way to build a house in the Philippines.

    You want your House to be Typhoon- and Earthquake Resistant


    Hollow blocks is a 'backyard industry' and is not regulated. Hence, mostly the quality is poor. Drop a block on the floor and it breaks in many pieces.

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