I'm creating this thread in good faith do that we can continue in peace to share ideas amongst homeowners, get guidance from builders and for builders to show us how it's done.

Nairaland is filled with builders of excellent resume but they're not vocal for whatever personal reason. Let's encourage them to come out and share by behaving with good decorum.

Advertisers, especially the roofing signature people, I take God beg you to not post your ads here. Not an order but a plea.

I'll open the floor by inviting Brabus to show me, us?, his precast lintel.

My questions are two fold.

1) How was it anchored into the walls? and

2) What was the concrete composition?

In my little way I know that this is a game changer as it'll save money, time and resource.

This was one of the chestbeatings that Erico2k2 and I were doing before the reality of Nigerian slapped us upside the head. To see it succinctly accomplished is one of the highlights of builds on here. My pride wouldn't allow me to do the necessary salutations before.

Precast lintel, wow..... Am taking the front seat. Hope to learn from ds thread.

Nice one

Ready to learn.. space booked

EgunMogaji:
Advertisers, especially the roofing signature people, I take God beg you to not post your ads here. Not an order but a plea.

Please Batlan boys... give us a break here o.

Hajji M.

EgunMogaji:
I'll open the floor by inviting Brabus to show me, us?, his precast lintel.

My questions are two fold.

1) How was it anchored into the walls? and

2) What was the concrete composition?

In my little way I know that this is a game changer as it'll save money, time and resource.

This was one of the chestbeatings that Erico2k2 and I were doing before the reality of Nigerian slapped us upside the head. To see it succinctly accomplished is one of the highlights of builds on here. My pride wouldn't allow me to do the necessary salutations before.

I think this precast lintel should be simple.. I am sure it's like precast parapets.

1. I think, laid on top of the bricks with mortar and making sure it extended at least 1-2ft if not doing chain lintel.
2. The concrete composition should be same as normal concrete lintel... and it should also have the Y12 rods all built in.

Will it save money? May be...(depends on the cost) and also because there will be no need for carpenter and wood wastage.
But it will save time.. no more waiting for lintel to cure...
But using precast for chain lintel may be a little tricky though.

Let's hear from other Pros too.

Hajji M.

make i book space.

Following with my note pad...

mufutau55:


I think this precast lintel should be simple.. I am sure it's like precast parapets.

1. I think, laid on top of the bricks with mortar and making sure it extended at least 1-2ft if not doing chain lintel.
2. The concrete composition should be same as normal concrete lintel... and it should also have the Y12 rods all built in.

Will it save money? May be...(depends on the cost) and also because there will be no need for carpenter and wood wastage.
But it will save time.. no more waiting for lintel to cure...
But using precast for chain lintel may be a little tricky though.

Let's hear from other Pros too.

Hajji M.

Hajj, welcome Sir.

What about weight, how will it will be carried up on top of 9 coaches of block?

I suppose that it'll be the same way the precast parapets are carried but no one has shown that to us yet.

The chained lintel isn't precast persee but they have a specific type of block that they use for that.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPkqId3D8pU

EgunMogaji:
I'm creating this thread in good faith do that we can continue in peace to share ideas amongst homeowners, get guidance from builders and for builders to show us how it's done.


Advertisers, especially the roofing signature people, I take God beg you to not post your ads here. Not an order but a plea.

They no dey hear word!

mufutau55:


I think this precast lintel should be simple.. I am sure it's like precast parapets.

1. I think, laid on top of the bricks with mortar and making sure it extended at least 1-2ft if not doing chain lintel.
2. The concrete composition should be same as normal concrete lintel... and it should also have the Y12 rods all built in.

Will it save money? May be...(depends on the cost) and also because there will be no need for carpenter and wood wastage.
But it will save time.. no more waiting for lintel to cure...
But using precast for chain lintel may be a little tricky though.

Let's hear from other Pros too.

Hajji M.

Hajji, I Dont think it will save cost. Except the project is multi-units. Then you can't actually save cost by using metal plates as formwork.
If you still have to use wood to precast it on ground, no cost savings.

N3xt will have a better analogy.

KolaShangOne:


Hajji, I Dont think it will save cost. Except the project is multi-units. Then you can't actually save cost by using metal plates as formwork.
If you still have to use wood to precast it on ground, no cost savings.

N3xt will have a better analogy.

It will save money.

Think of buying precast lintels just as we buy precast concrete blocks

It can be manufactured and offered by cement block maker in standard window sizes and created in a steel mold.

EgunMogaji:

It will save money.

Think of buying precast lintels just as we buy precast concrete blocks

It can be manufactured and offered by cement block maker in standard window sizes and created in a steel mold.

Exactly my thinking.. purchased like ready made blocks.
Not for the builder to mould it.

Hajji M.

following religiously.......

EgunMogaji:


It will save money.

Think of buying precast lintels just as we buy precast concrete blocks

It can be manufactured and offered by cement block maker in standard window sizes and created in a steel mold.

Oh. If it's buying, there are companies offering that option already in Nigeria (I know one in Ondo and one in Sango) . They precast several concrete shapes and sizes. It's not cheaper because they precast to standard concrete mixes. Definitely stronger though.

If it's buying from block makers just as you suggested above, it should be cheaper. It spreads cost of formwork across several productions.

Take a look at this project, its pre-cast lintel.

It will save cost,bcs you can constructed few formwork and use it to cast many lintel.

It will save cost of labour also.
It will also save material while puring it inside the formwork
It can be transfer from one site to another


The de-merit
You can't pre-cast longer beam and lintel unless you have crane to carry it.

KolaShangOne:


Oh. If it's buying, there are companies offering that option already in Nigeria (I know one in Ondo and one in Sango) . They precast several concrete shapes and sizes. It's not cheaper because they precast to standard concrete mixes. Definitely stronger though.

If it's buying from block makers just as you suggested above, it should be cheaper. It spreads cost of formwork across several productions.

Since it's a load bearing wall then it needs to be well sorted.

But then we also use wood and/or steel here. There are several choices.

My next build In Sha Allah will definitely be something different because I would be living back in Nigeria by them.

rotecch77:
Take a look at this project, its pre-cast lintel.

It will save cost,bcs you can constructed few formwork and use it to cast many lintel.

It will save cost of labour also.
It will also save material while puring it inside the formwork
It can be transfer from one site to another


The de-merit
You can't pre-cast longer beam and lintel unless you have crane to carry it.

Very nice. We spend way too much money on overbuilding in Nigeria.

Thanks for sharing Sir.

Good thread egunMogaji...
Regarding lintels. One good option is to use an L steel section to hold the blocks in place. Its fast and inexpensive. It may even be removed after the blocks are set on smaller windows.

EgunMogaji:


Very nice. We spend way too much money on overbuilding in Nigeria.

Thanks for sharing Sir.

Correct... We overbuild and doesn't still look nice. There are other options if we are willing to explore.

tushbobo:
Good thread egunMogaji...
Regarding lintels. One good option is to use an L steel section to hold the blocks in place. Its fast and inexpensive. It may even be removed after the blocks are set on smaller windows.

Got any sample as being used? Very informative.

Hajji M.

mufutau55:


Got any sample as being used? Very informative.

Hajji M.

Not Naija samples, but it will still give you an idea on how it looks.

It's very important that the beam is painted with a rust inhibitor.

tushbobo:
Good thread egunMogaji...
Regarding lintels. One good option is to use an L steel section to hold the blocks in place. Its fast and inexpensive. It may even be removed after the blocks are set on smaller windows.

We use that here extensively as well as pressure treated wood.

msogunro:

Not Naija samples, but it will still give you an idea on how it looks.
It's very important that the beam is painted with a rust inhibitor.

Thank you. Of course I know of this and they use it majorly here (USA). I was just trying to see what they use in Naija as an alternatives. Thank you.

Hajji M.

My blockmaker has sighted angle iron lintel in Ibadan on a new ongoing contructiom. He will send me pics.

EgunMogaji:
My blockmaker has sighted angle iron lintel in Ibadan on a new ongoing contructiom. He will send me pics.

Very good.. I know you will surely share it... Thx.

Hajji M.

EgunMogaji:


It will save money.

Think of buying precast lintels just as we buy precast concrete blocks

It can be manufactured and offered by cement block maker in standard window sizes and created in a steel mold.

Wonderful topic by the way...
Precast lintel may not save cost when compared to similar sized in-situ cast lintel.

Here are some of the reasons why precast lintel may not be too desirable for our building type.
1. It is too heavy and very difficult to lift of placed into position. Since most building site lacks lifting equipment, precast lintel may not be desirable for small residential building.

2. It constitute more stress to the adjoining block work. This result because of poor strength of most blocks and because the projection of most of this lintel are so little into the adjoining walls

Here are some valuable advantage.
1. they are faster to cast and installed for a large project.

2. Better concrete batching, curing and general strength can achieved for precast concrete.

abdulwastecx:


Wonderful topic by the way...
Precast lintel may not save cost when compared to similar sized in-situ cast lintel.

Here are some of the reasons why precast lintel may not be too desirable for our building type.
1. It is too heavy and very difficult to lift of placed into position. Since most building site lacks lifting equipment, precast lintel may not be desirable for small residential building.

2. It constitute more stress to the adjoining block work. This result because of poor strength of most blocks and because the projection of most of this lintel are so little into the adjoining walls

Here are some valuable advantage.
1. they are faster to cast and installed for a large project.

2. Better concrete batching, curing and general strength can achieved for precast concrete.

I disagree on a few points.

1) Weight-precast lintels that we use here are very light. Definitely lighter than the granite infested lintels that we have in Nigeria.

High strength cement with stone dust should give the same result. Granite is heavy.

It doesn't need to go too far on top of the properly made block of correct composition. We mostly have shyte for blocks at home. You need a concrete saw to cut blocks here.

Two men should be able to carry a lintel that spans most regular doors and windows.

If push comes to shove a simple hoist system can be rigged up like the Ghanaians.

An interesting use of the common water tank in Nigeria.